The sun through yellow curtains and a rainbow on the wall*

Color is so very magical. I've lived in rooms with colored walls since I was a tiny girl -- no boring white walls until I lived in the college dorms, and only one flat since then has been devoid of color. (My study in Saratoga had what is still my favorite color palette: the sheerest hue of electric lime accented with navy and white and bamboo.)

Now that I've decided to avoid moving as long as possible, and want to hang in Fort Greene for awhile anyway, I've cajoled my landlord into letting me paint "any color you wish except red." I was heartbroken for a few weeks as I would love a cherry-colored wall in the living room, but after moping for awhile I started to dream in other shades. After snatching every purple- or green-tinged paint chip while on vacation, and spending several hours with different tones spread out on a blanket or taped to the wall, I've decided.

• A combination of green and white in the living room and kitchen -- Lyndhurst Shady Grove (a warm but light shade of green from the National Trust for Historic Preservation) and Pale Pasture with Muslin Wrap for the ceiling, soffits, and window recesses.

 

• A lovely array of blue-purples for the bedroom, which gets so much light I could paint it black and not feel closed in -- Orchid house for the walls, pale violet for the ceiling , window recesses, and closet interior, and the sinking depth of purple valley for the recess above the mantel and as a base for the Trompe-l'oeil mural mom will be painting on the fireplace screen.

Painting walls is so easy -- if you don't like the result, there's no commitment that a little elbow grease can't cover up -- and yet it feels like such a big commitment. Suddenly this "move to New York" thing isn't just a lark for the career opportunity, it's a real decision with consequences and something that feels like a degree of permanence. All because of a $25 gallon of paint. Or six.

Weird.

*Chelsea Morning by Joni Mitchell, a song that always speaks to me of love and spring and fresh starts in familiar places