# Learning From Paint



## thatbpguy (Dec 24, 2012)

One would think that a fairly intelligent guy in his 50's would have little to learn about women. 

Au contraire!

So wifey tells me we're (I learned that meant I) painting the kitchen and bathroom. 'Great', I thought. I have some really good ideas as to colors. So we went to Home Depot and as I was sketching out for her what I envisioned she was quietly picking out color swatches and writing on them. After I had delivered my dissertation on colors she handed me the swatches and said, "go get these". "Didn't you hear me at all?", I said. "No. Go get these".Dumbfounded, I asked why she bothered to bring me along. "To carry the paint. The're heavy."

So I told this story at work the next morning to elicit the sympathy I was due and I got reamed to pieces. I was called a 'moron', 'stupid', 'idiot'... Every single person, both male & female, could not understand why a husband would ever expect a say in colors inside the house. 

So now I get it. When she then wanted to pick out a new vinyl floor for the kitchen I just said, "have a good time,babe." 

I think I'm starting to get it.


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## Anonymous07 (Aug 4, 2012)

Every couple is different. My dad has always had a say in colors and home decor, as does my husband in our home. My husband has some good tastes and ideas, so I don't just ignore them.


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## thatbpguy (Dec 24, 2012)

Anonymous07 said:


> Every couple is different. My dad has always had a say in colors and home decor, as does my husband in our home. My husband has some good tastes and ideas, so I don't just ignore them.


See. I knew someone valued men's color ideas.


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## soccermom2three (Jan 4, 2013)

My husband also likes to be involved in paint colors and furniture. For the past couple of years we've been re-doing every room in the house. Now we are on master bedroom and bath. We are kind of in a disagreement on color. He wants another brown beigy based color, I want to go with a soft grey. I guess we will see what happens, lol.

My Dad was the opposite but then my Mom was very good at it interior decorating, she probably could've been a professional.


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## thatbpguy (Dec 24, 2012)

My wife likes safe neutral colors. I like old pastel retro colors. But, alas, I fight a losing battle.


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## Giro flee (Mar 12, 2013)

My husband hates paint colors and fabric swatches. He will help pick out a mattress for our bed and a chair to sit in while he watches sports. Any other house decisions are left to me, and I'm not really good at it either.


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## Amplexor (Feb 13, 2008)

thatbpguy said:


> Dumbfounded, I asked why she bothered to bring me along. "To carry the paint. The're heavy."


Rented Mule Syndrome


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## UMP (Dec 23, 2014)

I decorated our entire house. Picked out furniture, paint, tiles all by myself. She rides along, but I have the final say, for the simple fact that she and I both know I'm better at it.


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## lucy999 (Sep 28, 2014)

soccermom2three said:


> He wants another brown beigy based color, I want to go with a soft grey.


Ooh I hope you win soccermom! Soft grey is uber chic. Love it. Good luck.


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## lucy999 (Sep 28, 2014)

thatbpguy said:


> After I had delivered my dissertation on colors she handed me the swatches and said, "go get these". "Didn't you hear me at all?", I said. "No. Go get these".Dumbfounded, I asked why she bothered to bring me along. "To carry the paint. The're heavy."
> 
> So now I get it. When she then wanted to pick out a new vinyl floor for the kitchen I just said, "have a good time,babe."
> 
> I think I'm starting to get it.


Ten points for your wife being brutally honest. 100 points for you for 'starting to get it.'


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## thatbpguy (Dec 24, 2012)

lucy999 said:


> Ten points for your wife being brutally honest. 100 points for you for 'starting to get it.'


The yard is mine, the inside is hers...


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## Faithful Wife (Oct 31, 2012)

There's a small local paint store a few blocks from me. There's a note hanging above the cashier that says:

Husbands shopping for paint alone will need a note from their wives.


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## jld (Dec 1, 2013)

Faithful Wife said:


> There's a small local paint store a few blocks from me. There's a note hanging above the cashier that says:
> 
> Husbands shopping for paint alone will need a note from their wives.


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## Holland (Aug 20, 2012)

Too funny.

Ex and I renovated a few houses together, oddly we agreed on pretty much everything, colours, fixtures etc. Only one time did he not like something I choose and it was a plain, wooden framed full length mirror. Still pisses me off lol

Anyway I kept the mirror and 10 years later, a few house moves including and International one, a divorce and me buying and renovating my own home taking said mirror with me and the removalist broke the mirror. Was the only thing broken and funnily enough he didn't understand when I was happy that it was broken.


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## RClawson (Sep 19, 2011)

In a former life I was a painter. I was painting a kitchen and noticed that it was the same dull greige as the rest of the house (think cold war drab). I mentioned to the wife that I was surprised she did not want to add a bit of color. She said "oh I do but my husband won't allow it". 

I wanted to find him and shove my extension pole up his behind ..........sideways. I always give my wife input on the home decorating but she has veto power because it really does not matter to me at the end of the day and it makes her happy.


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## heartsbeating (May 2, 2011)

Well, I don't get it.

We've just finished painting a couple of rooms in our home. We went to the store together back in December, selected a few swatches, then narrowed it down and got sample tins. We both agreed on the chosen color and got the paint which sat in the garage until now. 

After completing a couple of coats for the ceiling and then a couple of coats for the walls, I declared we needed a primer for the next (darker) room. Hubs wasn't convinced we needed it but rolled with it nonetheless. It ended up being two coats of primer and a couple of coats of paint. Finally the dark, gloomy color is gone!

As for carrying the tins and doing the painting, I thought it was great, as I haven't been making it to the gym. We have high ceilings and I 'braved' it to the top of the ladder to do the cut-ins. Being afraid of heights, I've never done that before. And oh, how liberating it was! 

Sometimes we leave certain decisions up to the other but I couldn't imagine my husband not having an opinion on our home, and not wanting to hear it. Come to think of it, that'd never happen - he's very opinionated and I wouldn't want it any other way.


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## FizzBomb (Dec 31, 2013)

My husband and I decide on these types of things together. I'm generally the one that does the research though. But final say - we both have to like it.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

Some safety/headache saving tips:

- When on a ladder, make sure you have someone to hold it, especially when high up
- Keep everything covered with drop sheets/plastic, trust me it goes everywhere if not, and it can damage furniture/timber floors/etc.
- You want the paint to cover but you don't want too much, when cutting a trick is to dip the brush one inch, then clean one side. Some people dip it in, then slap it against the sides of the bucket but I find the one-side clean technique better. Put the paint on, then cut. Remember your finish stroke to eliminate brush marks, for best results in cutting, open the brush (press it) and make sure its on an angle - that's how you get straight lines that professionals do.

Was a jack of many trades in my youth, painting is quite fun actually


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## heartsbeating (May 2, 2011)

RandomDude said:


> Some safety/headache saving tips:
> 
> - When on a ladder, make sure you have someone to hold it, especially when high up
> - Keep everything covered with drop sheets/plastic, trust me it goes everywhere if not, and it can damage furniture/timber floors/etc.
> ...


I absolutely loved doing the painting! My husband didn't. I could see the appeal of painting as a trade. Good tip about the drop sheets... I was a bit relaxed about that. I consider the splotches on the carpet to be 'character'.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

CARPET IS THE WORST! lol

When I worked as a painter I was taught the most important thing is covering, as even if you do a terrific job, the client won't see how pretty his/her wall/ceiling is, they'll see the splotches! 

Professionals in the trade even after 30, 40 years still use drop sheets/plastics. Sometimes you can get away with it; like when cutting a small section or touch ups. It's when you take the roller out though, when it goes fking everywhere!!!

Speaking of which, I didn't work long in the trade, but I've yet to see a female painter in my life! lol  Was a sausage fest!


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## antechomai (Oct 4, 2013)

Applying the paint is easy. It is the prep work that makes it look good. Wash the walls, sand down the sponge paint artistry from someone, look for nail pops, loose tape, dents. Fix all that, then prime.
If it is really bad, roll on drywall mix and knife the whole wall down.


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