The Story

The summer after Stephen bought the house, we got engaged (story for another time) and I moved in shortly after. At the time we were desperate to put our stamp on the place, but were simultaneously planning and funding a wedding so…..priorities. Regardless, we wanted to make progress since it just didn’t feel like “us” yet. Also, the house had been vacant for a while before Stephen bought it and even though we’d moved in, it needed a little TLC. At the time, the rooms were coated in a soft yellow color that had faded from the sun in spots, and needed some scrubbing in others. Every room had some shade of this color and we lovingly dubbed it “buttercream”. It was clear to both of us that to start the transformation, for a low cost, we needed to part with the “buttercream”. At first, I was too overwhelmed to commit to a paint color since I had LOTS of ideas for the design but we still didn’t have permanent rugs, curtains, or upholstery (it was currently occupied by hand me downs, accented with IKEA). So we decided to invest in something that gave us a spark of hope in our quest to bring new life into the house.….a paint deck. Having a paint deck in hand, in the space where the paint will be applied, is a game changer. You can quickly tell what works, what doesn’t, and you can also more accurately match colors to your decor. If you’re like us and like to experiment with color, it gives you more options than if you were to grab a few paint samples from the store.

The Products

Since most hardware store chains have their own paint brands, we recommend choosing your preferred store (or paint) and purchasing from them. You may be able to order online (if in stock) or you may have to order in person at the store. To save you some time, below we’ve included links to some of the options from varying retailers.