Shades of Grey/Gray

Last month I told you about my dining room redecoration plan here.
I'm amazed that it's been almost eight years since I painted the dining room. After some quick changes from gold to red and then back to linen white - I've lived happily with this until now. The change is imminent - we're turning grey! French Grey of course. Subtle French Country grey, not too dark, not too blue. The French seem to have a knack for mixing and blending the most beautiful greys for those historic village houses and magnificent chateaux.


Packing up the china is a full time job. Small boxes are the secret for easy lifting.

The wallpaper border will come down. Curtain pole may stay this color - grey blends well with cream, ivory and gold touches, all neutrals.

Have you ever had to choose grey paint? You enter the paint store. You stand ready for action at the display.....to make the perfect choice.....to pick your French Grey. Hesitation creeps in, you breathe heavily as you pick one little card with several greys in a line. You stick it back in the display, too blue? You pull out another, much too dark. This one looks good until you hold it next to white....this grey turns beige. Do you know that paint chips slowly evolve from stark white through what seems like another thousand shades of white before you hit the greys or grays. Then you are faced with warm greys and cool greys. Blue greys and green greys.

In your mind's eye you know exactly the shade you are seeking - finding it is harder than you expected.

Come back tomorrow.................perhaps by then I'll have found the right color!