The picture above is of what you see when, in our new home, you’re walking up the first set of stairs from our living room.
That’s right. It’s pink. That’s the way we wanted it—and by Gumby, that’s the way our extremely intense Korean house painter, Eun Koo Kang, painted it. (I took this picture right after it was painted, to show my wife that day at lunch. You see the painting tarp there.)
Eun Koo, as it turned out, is a Seriously Devout Christian—which means, for instance, that he isn’t free to work Sundays, since he spends literally all day at church. Commendable man of faith! It was my estimation of Eun Koo Kang that he also comes fully charged with about all of the testosterone a man can regularly process before he begins to actually grow hair on his internal organs. And while he did an admirable job of hiding his consternation at how willing we were to paint a perfectly good wall pink, he fell just short of displaying true equanimity.
Ever since I’ve been wondering what, exactly, Eun Koo thought as he applied the first stroke of pink upon the wall that only moments before he had with rather arresting vigor encouraged us to paint, “Any color not crazy.”
I figure that what went through Eun Koo’s mind as he lifted his glowing brush from the paint can was one or some combination of the following:
1. What’s wrong with eggshell?
2. I miss Korea. We’re such a sane people.
3. Why does the man allow his wife to tell him what color to paint the walls?
4. Why not just ask me to wear a skirt while I’m painting?
5. They will never know that beneath this paint lies the Korean characters for “God Is Outraged!”
6. This actually looks kind of nice. I was wrong to show my condemnation. Humility is the key to grace. I must remember.
7. It’s their money.
8. The husband does have an engagingly animated, very expressive, almost manically creative way about him. Maybe he’s fegulah.
I don’t expect to have my own house very soon that I can paint, but I’ll tell you this much, none of my cartoon characters or mascot costumes will ever wear pink.
You are very, very brave people.
= )
I like the pink there, and I think the walls on either side should be pink too, but then a darker shade. What I’m wondering though - if that wall is the only pink wall in your house - do you have any other bright and happy colours around the house? And if not, why did you choose that one single wall to be pink, are you planning to do something special with it, like ehm.. have an upside down bunch of dried pink roses hanging there?
If you like pink, then it’s all good.
Yeah! I love pink. Nothing wrong with pink. I’m actually thinking of doing my whole living room in a dusty, terra-cotta-influenced shade of pink.
It looks good there, John. And I like the way it affects the other two walls.
Angel: For sure you’re the first person I’ve ever met who’s actually ANTI-pink. What’s that about?
teevee: You’re right. We are brave. It’s like we’re BraveValentineHeart
As a matter of fact, we DO have other happy colors in the house. Five altogether, actually. My wife will be pleased to learn that the subject of our wall colors has generated so much interest, support, and informed reflection. I, for one, had no idea anyone CARED what color other people’s walls are—except I AM interested in how people use color in their lives, so forget I said that. Anyway, great comment!
Judy: Ahhh, pink. What’s not to like? Of course, I had to paint my office blue. Because, you know.
Candace: Hey! We DID do our whole living room in a dust, terra-cotta-influenced shade of pink! That’s what the pink you see here COMPLEMENTS!! Holy cow! I may have to post MORE pictures of our walls! Hey, man. I’ll do it. I will. I’m not kidding. Hey. Don’t make me break out my camera. I’ll BE that boring, man.
Sorry John, that is just not an attractive color
Reminds me of Pepto-Bismol. Sorry, maybe it looks better in up close.
Maybe with all the artwork and other stuff covering the walls, it will look better?
It looks good NOW, sister! (It dried to a much less … shiny version than you see here.)
@ JS (re #6):
DO IT. Post more
Got any of that teal-ish sorta blue-green? The kind that looks English countryside estate-ish at night and cool Carribean beach house during the day? My last apartment, I painted the living room that color, with white trim and fireplace mantel. The fireplace tiles were brownish-red and my furniture was pale yellow. Big windows on 3 sides. THAT ROOM ROCKED. I still miss it.
(In northern Wisconsin an apartment like that costs like $500 a month to rent. I so love the affordability here.)
WOW. I feel so bonded now. What luck we found each other
OK, post more of the DRIED color, so we can see it. With stuff on the walls.
I agree, post more pictures of coloured walls
Do you know there are entire web sites dedicated to looking into other people’s homes? I look at them for inspiration for my own place - you can never have too many ideas for home decoration!
I love the warmth and depth of colored walls in a home! Unfortunately, we are planning on selling our home in the next 12-18 months and I am in the process of “neutralizing everything” - which means no more colors. And, if you are wondering why I am starting to paint this far from the date we plan to sell our house - well, I am doing the painting myself and I have to paint a living room, dining room, kitchen, breakfast room, family room, hallway, 3 bathrooms, a 2 story entry, the upstairs hallway and 4 bedrooms upstairs. I am, however, using different “shades” of white - just to make “neutral” a little more exciting! LOL
Kelly: Are you kidding? You’re doing all that painting YOURSELF?? Yikes, man. I can’t even imagine. I believe even the great Eun Koo Kang would balk at that. Amazing. Good luck!!
Els: WHERE IS THE WEBSITE WHERE WE GET TO LOOK INTO THE HOMES OF OTHERS!! It’s not a porn site, right? Because you know this is a family blog.
I’ll have to look up other sites, but here’s one of which I know the URL by heart: http://wherewedowhatwedo.com/
Although it is not limited to work places, it seems most submissions are of home offices. Obviously, as soon as you have unpacked your office stuff, you’ll just have to post a nice pic of your blue office there!
Congratulations on the house. I can tell you are having fun. Your writing oozes fun these days. Paint it whatever colour you want, because it’s yours! But quit slamming our Canadian air, eh.
It WAS wrong for me to make an Air Canada joke, I know. But I figured, who doesn’t love Canada? And who doesn’t think of it as having extremely clean air. So I figured I was safe. It was either that, or do an French Joke. And that’s just too easy…
John,
Paiting is like therapy for me….sometimes, if I am really stressed out - I will draw a picture of whatever OR whoever is just on my last nerve…and then happily paint right over their face! LOL
You two are so Cali.
And fegulah… I live such a sheltered life here on the east coast. I had to google it.
If god didn’t like pink, why did he make your face that particular shade, John?
Be careful with the canned air, btw. I hear that people can get addicted.
I’ll admit I was sad when this post wasn’t a rant about how outraged God was at the angst filled rockstar, Pink … (who happens to be one of my faves). Maybe you can post your feelings on that? She just put a new album out.
I WOULD like to “review” Pink’s new album. I spent years writing disc reviews; I actually miss that work. I LOVE having opinions about the artistic work of others.
Of course, to review that disc I’d have to go out and BUY it–or download it. Hmm. That’s only about … what … 12 bucks or whatever.
The thing is, though, I don’t think anyone CARES what I might think about Pink’s latest album. Those days are GONE from me, man.
Hmmmm. Maybe I should just start doing album reviews. Change my whole Blog Thing. That would be fun. Except writing a real review is HARD.
Why am I babbling like this again? Oh, that’s right. So I don’t have to clean house. Which now involves waking up and down three flights of stairs. Which I’m cool with. But which have already made my knees look like Popeye’s face.
Thinking of music reviewers, John have you read the book “I hate myself and I want to die - the 50 most depressing love songs ever”?? Sounds kinda stink but one of the funniest books I have read in a very long time!!! I am not usually into reviews, I like making up my own mind on things , I feel like its kinda like taking someone’s word on what someone else is like without ever having spoken to them. But this was insightful, unapologetic and oh so funny. Reckon everone should read it. And if you don’t like it, eh I still do
On the topic of pink walls, at my parents holiday home they had a room that was bright magenta pink with gold strips and green swirls. The house use to be owned by an artist and she was………….creative?? It was a talking piece until my dad woke up with a migraine one day, saw the pattern and vomited (ewwwww). So now it is a easy on the eye lilac colour, not so much a talking piece any more
Eggshell isn’t a color…
you;re right john- god shall smite you… pink is a no no…. a big one. And you broke that… horribly. but, what more can I say? just mroe proof that you are going somewhere hotter when you die.
Dear John,
I have so enjoyed reading your posts- especially the random ones that make so much sense to me. Should I be worried? As a homeowner of ? years, I better clue you in- enjoy the pink while you can because you will be compelled, whether by yourself of your wife, to paint again! The deep dark secret of homeownership is- this is just the beginning. My husband continues to ask- after living in the present house for 7+ years- “Didn’t you say this was the ‘perfect’ house when we bought it? If so, why do we have to spend so much money changing it?!” Welcome to the club. Resist if you can.
happy trails…
Hey, that’s awesome. If you can pull off a pink wall in your house — good on ya’!
Why pink?
We did my bedroom brown once. Everyone thought it was going to look gross, but we stylized the paint to give it a neat leather look. With the wood bookcases (I have a lot of books) and other wood stuff it looked kinda’ like an old study in a cabin.