admission

of guilt, not entry: we skimped on the walls. out of sight, out of mind, i suppose. so focused on the future appearance that we didn't really consider what we weren't paying for. attention to detail for one thing, the labor that goes into crafting a smooth finish.

or the personal investment in a job well-done? how much longer would we have taken doing it ourselves? how much more willing would i have been to smooth all those walls myself? was ready never to work joint compound again before i was done with third coat in kitchen.

almost makes me yearn for days of primer white. lighter colors seem to hide many of the imperfections. i think that's why we're now so struck by the rough finish wherever we painted richer colors. places on 2nd floor almost look unsanded, whereas few spots catch my eye on 3rd floor. could be the eggshell finish too. i've heard flat paint is much more forgiving in that respect, though no mercy at all when touched.

but if it weren't for the blips i'd probably be harping on the humps and bumps wherever old meets new. or the challenging, irregular angles. if not this, that. pick your layer. soon enough the paint will be a little scuffed, a little scraped, and i'll be dissappointed in that too. or am i standing on my head? in a year or so when the fresh paint's faded how much more mellowed and integrated will i see these walls? how much will be walls and how much me?

in search of the sweet spot where job's done right, neither obsessive nor ignored. ticket, please.

Comments

[molly peasy]

thanks for the admission. homeowners who admit that you get what you pay for can save themselves a lot of dissappointment and, paradoxically, a lot of money. also, by posting on this topic you encourage other renovators to think twice about hiring the sort of contractors who are willing to work for such low rates that essentials such as on-site safety are out of the question.