Not long ago I was spending a little quality time in front of the paint display at a local hardware store. On that particular day, there was another woman also studying paint chips, but I was engrossed in my own thoughts and paid no attention to her. If I’m honest, she was disrupting my concentration and I was hoping she’d leave. But then she turned to me and asked if I knew anything about paint.
Do I know anything about paint??? I love paint. I’m focusing my entire career around helping people choose the right paint. Paint is my muse. My passion. My life.
“Yes”, I said modestly, “I know a little about paint. What are you planning to paint?”
“My kitchen.”
“Ok, sure! Let’s talk about the color of your cabinets.”
“I don’t know, I haven’t picked them out yet.”
“Oh. Well, what color is your flooring?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t picked it out yet.”
By this point, I kind of guessed where this was going, but I still had to ask.
“What about your counter top? Appliances?”
“I’m not sure, I haven’t picked them out yet.”
“Oh.” Long pause. “So please help me understand. You haven’t chosen any of the elements for your kitchen, but you want to choose a paint color today?”
“Yes, exactly” she said, perking right up. “I’ll start with new paint and go from there.”
I then suggested that she might want to wait until she had chosen a few of the more permanent elements before she thought about paint. Apparently, she did not care for this suggestion.
“Yes, but I’m ready to paint today!”
“But”, I said very nicely, “I don’t think it’s wise to choose paint colors when you have absolutely no idea about the other colors in the space.”
She had now become a little irritated with me. “I thought you said you knew about choosing paint colors.”
“I do know about choosing paint colors……”
And just as I started to explain my vast understanding of how to choose paint colors, I saw her reach for a bold, lime green paint chip.
I fled the building.
Don’t start with the paint. It’ll complicate your life in innumerable ways.
Danna
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