The Home Page | Color My World — and My Walls

By Sarah Sinclair Tue Feb 27, 2024 | 02:30pm

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on February 25, 2024. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

I have a confession to make. And where better to confess than in front of 15,000 of my best friends and loyal newsletter subscribers? Here goes. I’m scared of painting. Not painting like watercolors on a manageable 18″ x 24″ canvas. That’s fun. I’m scared of house painting. Like painting a room. Any room. I’ve lived in my downtown cottage for more than six years, and my walls are almost all the same ivory, off-white, buff color that they were when I moved in. I have dreams of brightening up my bathroom — perhaps like the above? — or going bold on one wall of the living room, maybe like this?

But I’m afraid to take the risk of messing up — literally and figuratively. I’ve got plenty of ideas. I’ve drawn inspiration from various sources, not least of all Instagram. I stumbled across Carla Elliman’s bright turquoise living room, shown above, this week, and was delighted with the before and after pics and other rooms of her house, plus lots of DIY dos and don’ts.

I found even more inspiration as I was prepping for next week’s issue, editing our Style Specialist article in which she goes deep into her love for limewash paint. [No, there’s not a link. You’ll have to be patient ’til Thursday.] Christine cites the softness and calming appeal of limewash as part of the overall trend toward creating cozy spaces in our homes. I’m all about cozy, and my small space is nothing but. She also asserts that limewash paint is “captivating the design world today for its old-world, romantic feel and timeless elegance.” Both of which are right up my alley. She shares photos like the sunny yellow wall shown above from limewash purveyor Sydney Harbour Paint Company. With names like Castaway, Sea Breeze, and Algerian Coral, I know I’m not the only one feeling beachy vibes as I scroll through their site. Yep, I’m inspired.

Back to my paint phobia: I do realize that resources abound. Sites like Apartment Therapy offer plenty of “Painting a Room 101″–type articles like this one that breaks down everything you need to paint a room, including a supply checklist, videos, and how-tos. A little farther down on the same page, an article about how to fix up your painting mistakes should make painting feel even more foolproof, but somehow it reinforces my fear. No big worries though. I’m in no hurry. For the time being, I’ll leave my walls beige and get my bright colors elsewhere. Local wildflowers should be blooming soon!

Check out this week’s issue, both front and back for tons of news, events, open houses, and information … in living color!