will it never, EVER, end?

"what a looooooong strange trip it's been" for me and this here dining room. it was probably the room i was most excited about when i moved in - not because it is the most beautiful (in fact, it was the most neglected - i can't even conceive of what those college kids were DOING in there.*), but because i love to entertain.

*okay, i really can because, you know, it wasn't SOOOOO long ago that i was a college student myself. i just don't want to imagine those things happening in MY dining room!

from the start, i wanted it to be a cozy room that people could relax in for hours. it started as this mess below - well this is actually after the carpets full of funk were removed. i can't find a better photo, i think, because i had avoided the room for so long.

again with the baby-poopy yellow. EVERYWHERE with the baby-poopy yellow. to make it a bit more serene i decided to go for a mid-tone gray. i tested about 10 and chose the one you see below. (again, apologies for the mess - until the basement is cleared for use, the dining room is doubling as a storage unit.)

i tend to like cool colors, but this just looked horrible. i had exchanged the poopy baby diaper color for an actual baby's nursery (which is just sad and scary if you don't have a baby friend of your own)!

when it went on, it was a pale blue and i hated it. but i was so frustrated that i just finished off the room because i had no idea when i would get to painting it AGAIN....

in the meantime i found this amazing photo. noe this - THIS - is what i was looking for. so, against my usual color instincts, i went about testing some dove grays - colors that had a bit of brown in them to warm things up and create that cozy vibe i want. i finally settled on "stormy monday" by benjamin moore.

and, last night, i got my lazy bones off of the sofa and painted one wall to see if it worked...

i also dedided to do something a bit radical - i'm painting everything from the crown molding down in this color, including trim and baseboards. I'll be using alot of white, black and gold decor - and texture - for POP.

i like that it's neutral enough to show off any color that i might incorporate into holiday or party decorations. because you know me, with the color. and the sparkle.

what do you think? great or BIG mistake?

OH - quick side note... i decided to try a new paint formulation last night as well: benjamin moore's aura. it's alot more expensive than the color-matched paints i generally buy at home depot (which are great), but i did love this stuff. goes on very smooth, great coverage, and very low on fumes. thumbs up!