Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone...

"The magic happens outside the comfort zone." 

This is one of my favorite quotes when it comes to working out. When it comes to decorating though, I almost never go outside my comfort zone.  I love color, but I am always afraid to commit to it. I generally like to add pops of color with pillows and other accessories, and committing to paint that is actually a color is totally out of the question. In fact; when we built our house 4 years ago... I picked an "accent" paint color for certain walls that is so close to the base paint color that you can't even tell there's a difference. True story. 

Yesterday I decided to step outside the comfort zone.  Being a Bzz Agent, they asked me to review the new Benjamin Moore Aura paint, and I was excited to give it a try! I knew that I was going to paint this "Blah" wall a bold color, because it has always bugged me. I love the painting that hangs on it, but it doesn't "pop" at all on the taupe background. :(  

When it comes to color, I have been eyeing a lot of orange lately. I don't know if it's because it's fall, or because it's been showing up everywhere in Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams (my favorite home decorating inspiration). None the less... I was going to commit to a color! It's a small wall, and a good baby step for me.

I used Benjamin Moore Aura Paint eggshell sheen in "warmed cognac".  A gallon will run you around $68, and it's by far the best paint I have ever used. It's super thick, and the coverage is amazing! Skip the primer, and a little bit goes a long way! They say you should never need more than two coats of this paint. I used one coat. :)

Before

After

What do you think? It's a start!