Front Doors (you can see from space)

After two rockin' Saturday nights of painting, we settled on Version 2. I agonized for weeks, standing in front of the door switching out cardboard colour cards at all hours of the day.  I'm sure neighbours think I'm nuts. 

After painting V. 1, I quickly understood Benjamin Moore's Cedar Green inspiration: green painting tape. It was A.W.F.U.L., AWFUL, awful.  And the worst part was that everyone who saw it: neighbours, friends, nanny were so nice about the makeover.  Looks like I was too lazy to take off my painting tape - it's ok to say that it sucks. 

This actually looks much better on the computer.  Not capturing the green glow it emanated

Version 2 was Pratt & Lambert, Duchess Choice - a vibrant chartreuse.  We have very few Pratt & Lambert distributors in western Canada and I love their colours - especially their greens/yellows.  Turns out that no one in the five years that the paint sample has been available, has requested the colour for an exterior.  The distributor did not even have the correct colours to mix it with.  So off to Benjamin Moore for some colour testing.  Emily, the Associate Designer at the Kensington store is the sensei of  colour matching and matched the paint chip perfectly.  Wax on...

And the results? Put your sunglasses on and see for yourself.  I love it.  Needs to be grounded with some outdoor accessories but it is bold and glorious and perfect for the interim. We have now officially become the 'house with the yellow door' which is a vast improvement from  the 'house with the dandelions'.

Also note the much coveted one-legged garden flamingo I picked up for $2 in Evansburg, Alberta, about 1.5 hours west of Edmonton.  

I was pleasantly surprised by Evansburg, town of 603 (and one grouch).  There is a decent stock of thrift/antique stores with MCM gems. The Beehive Emporium is one of the best, complete with a coffee house, MCM treasures plus you can get your nails done.  I picked up this Chinese ginger jar, which I have been collecting for years.  The Flamingo was found in the backyard of an antique store I was surveying for work. 

So the chartreuse door gets a hall pass for the year.  That is until we paint it this next year.

LP

Interim Front Door

So...

We want this:

Hello fancy pants - Crestview Doors (the Fontenot)

But we have none of this:

After this:

So we're stuck with this:

Why, yes, that is aluminum with faux panelling and no, I haven't painted the trim around the windows, that's just yellowed vinyl.

After a year and a half of not changing a thing to certain rooms (ie El Pinko) and elements (ie front and back entryway tile, all exterior doors). And justifying their deplorable and embarrassing condition to everyone that comes to visit that these spaces/elements are 'next on the list', I've decided to adopt the art of the interim reno, otherwise known as a can of paint.

First on the list is the front door. Off to my second home, Benjamin Moore where I picked up 5 paint samples.

Painting samples for the door

I've narrowed it down to two and can't for the life of me, pick my favourite. Hubby has been really helpful with choices but, well, he almost broke up with me over paint samples early on in our relationship, so I'm hesitant to engage him in the paint selection process. Curious? Well, as a surprise he had rented a mustang for a day. We went cruising around town with the top down, had drinks at a bar down by the beach, then when we got back to our apartment, I brought out paint chips for the new place we were moving into. Paintchips = romance buzzkill. I think he left with the mustang and I was in the doghouse for days.

So.... Help. Please. I'm stuck. Here are the colours I picked out. The last two are the top contenders.

Benjamin Moore Venezuelan Sea 2054-30

Benjamin Moore Moroccan Spice AF-285

Benjamin Moore Casco Bay 2051-30

Pratt & Lambert Dutchess Choice 16-12

Benjamin Moore Cedar Green 2034-40

Here they are on the house:

This one is very MCM and goes well with the brushed nickel accents I will be adding to the entryway.

This one is more trendy but scared it will be too potent of a colour up close.

A million thank you's to anyone who can help me out.

LP