I'm not afraid of color. In our first home, we had a bright red dining room, and I loved it. I loved it not only because it took four coats to get it that red, but because it was beautiful.

That said, when we moved into our new home I felt the need to switch it up a bit and try my hand at neutrals.

After painting the living/dining area a very light gray (almost white), I turned my attention to the breakfast nook. The nook is part of the kitchen, but also connects to the living/dining area through doors and a large pass-through. Thus, the nook paint color would affect the entire space. What to do, what to do.

Play it safe, was where my mind first went. I'm a neutral gal now, I thought. I'm gonna go with medium gray. Good old medium gray. An easy, neutral backdrop though still enough of a contrast with the light white gray.

But I didn't pull the trigger just then. Something held me back and I kept looking for inspiration. And then I saw this Design*Sponge dining room one evening and I couldn't get dark, pretty green out of my mind. It felt so right, but so not the neutral pallet I was aiming for this time around. I searched my heart and weighed the risks and rewards of my desire for a bold wall color.

The Risks:

I'd be committing to a look for a while. Instead of a neutral color that would allow me to change out decor and art on a whim (which I often do), a bold color might limit my decorating options in the main area of the house.
I'd run the risk of realizing it was too dark for the space after painting and I'd have to repaint, wasting money and time.

The Rewards:

It's not just a backdrop; the room color is a statement itself. I can play off this beautiful color in the main area of the house with art, rugs and other decor.
A more unpredictable, personal choice, it would give my home personality. More personality equals a more inspiring space for me and my family.

I went with the green. Sherwin Williams Evergreens to be exact. And I never looked back.