#55- Duck, Duck Grey Duck

Do you Duck Duck Gray Duck or Duck Duck Goose?  Up here in Minnesota we Gray Duck.  And proud of it.  It's like Ice Fishing, nobody else in the country thinks its a good idea, but it's one of those crazy quirks that makes us unique.

But I digress. It didn't take long.  Those minty green walls in the Guest Bedroom started to get to me pretty quickly.  Maybe it was the terrible color, or perhaps it was the beautiful print from my father-in-law and the fun yellow memo board just waiting to be framed on a gorgeous gray wall, but we needed to make a change and fast.

We happened to be at a different home improvement store than usual, so we shook up our usual paint brand choice and got a gallon of Dutch Boy Dimensions paint + primer hoping to achieve 1 quick, clean coat.  After many years of painting we've learned that spending $7 more on the premium paint could save you the time and money of having to purchase a second gallon for a second coat, which makes it totally worth it.

Our thoughts on Dutch Boy Dimensions?  First of all, LOVE the container.  I mean, I love it in a way that normal people can't understand, because it's really not normal, (or healthy) to love a paint can.  But I did.  The twist of top was key.  The easy handle grip, fabulous.  And the clean pour spout, magical.

Since we already had furniture in this room,  and we certainly aren't professionals, we piled it all in the middle , covered it with old sheets and broke out the rollers. 

This is how we do it- ghetto style.

Well, before the rollers came the cutting in, and my favorite tool:

This little handy paint cup is my best friend.  I love how it helps you keep the brush really clean, which is instrumental when cutting in the sharp lines.  My other favorite tip for cutting in is to get quite a bit of paint on your brush, as this will help you keep a smooth, straight line, and also prevent you from having to go back with a second coat.

The color is Sharkey Gray from Martha Stewart, which I have to admit, scared me a bit as I started, because it gave off a really purple hue.  Maybe it's because it was right next to that minty goodness though.  No turning back now...

How Dutch Boy performed once on the walls was not nearly as impressive as in the can.  Unlike our usual go to paint (Behr Premium Paint + Primer), Dutch Boy went on thick and looked like great coverage, but even after very careful and thorough application, in the end we were left with all sorts of spots that needed another coat.  Pretty disappointing for the 1 coat solution. 

Thank goodness after a few quick touch ups, the color turned out great.  Here she is with the debut of those gray pillow shams and bed skirt and the fun new throw pillow I made:

We are totally loving the calming gray tone, and can't wait to brighten up the space with our pops of yellow color. 

What do you guys think?  Good choice?  Any advice or suggestions on paint brands that work well for you?  We have dozens on gallons to purchase up ahead, and would love to make the right choice the first second time around.