My decorator painted my kitchen pink even though I asked for neutral – I’m heartbroken but everyone says it’s my fault

A WOMAN has been left heartbroken after her kitchen was painted pink when she asked for it to be neutral.

But everyone is saying it’s her fault.

Taking to in the early hours of the morning, the woman said she was “so wound up” that she couldn’t sleep.

She noted that “in the grand scheme of things I can rationalise this isn't a big deal” but went on to ask if she was being unreasonable for thinking the painter is at fault for the mishap.

She penned: “I have bought a little house, far away from where I currently live and I'm in the process of packing up. 

“As I have the luxury of an overlapping transition of four weeks, I opted to get the house painted from top to bottom inside before I move in. 

“I chose colours on a crown colour chart, absentmindedly labelling where each one would go. 

“In the end, I opted to paint the whole house the same neutral colour except for one accent wall in the living room. 

“I circled these two colours.”

When the decorator arrived at the house, the woman reiterated that she wanted the whole house painted in the same neutral colour, except one accent wall in the living room. 

The decorator then took the colour chart to the paint shop to purchase everything needed to get the house done.

The woman returned home and left her brother - who lives near her new house - to oversee the painting work. 

However, things took a turn for the worst when she was a good few miles away. 

She continued: “My kitchen is now pink which is a colour I had toyed with and written 'kitchen' beside. 

“I'm so upset. 

“To be honest I couldn't care less about the colour. 

“Such things have never interested me. 

“What upsets me is the fact that I know I was clear with the painter but my brother says it doesn't matter how clear I was, it was written in black and white.”

The woman added that she doesn’t “want to make a big deal” but would just like the painter to acknowledge that he “messed up”. 

She is also happy to leave the kitchen pink - rather than have the decorator redo it to match the house - and assured that he will be paid in full for his work. 

She asked Mumsnet if it was worth confronting the painter, adding that he might “cling to the colour card” as evidence she wanted the kitchen pink. 

However, people were quick to point out she was being unreasonable for wholly relying on verbal instructions to get what she wanted.

Many pointed out that she should have written down her wishes on paper if there were notes on the colour chart that didn’t match up to her final vision. 

One person said: “If I understand what happened correctly I do think you are being a bit unreasonable. 

“I do see why you’re upset that it didn’t turn out the way you’d decided you wanted it. 

“But it’s not really reasonable to expect to be able to give instructions verbally and rely on it, if you then also provide alternatives in writing that you don’t want followed. 

“You might not have realised they were there, but your painter and decorator doesn’t necessarily know that.

“I also think you are being a bit unreasonable to go on about it if you don’t actually want him to correct it. That’s just pedantry. 

“There is no actual ‘justice; in him admitting to it. That isn’t what you get from that. 

“What you get is validation that you did the right thing and it isn’t your fault. But I don’t think that’s entirely true.”

A second penned: “It is pretty unusual to have one colour throughout every room in the house including the living and functional spaces. 

“If somebody said they wanted this, I might presume they meant one colour for all the living spaces, especially if I was handed a colour chart with said colour highlighted and kitchen written by a different colour on the chart. 

“I think it is ambiguous and an understandable breakdown.

“I don’t see what the point of getting him to ‘own it’ if you are not actually looking for a resolution. That is just petty. 

“If you don’t like the pink kitchen (and it does sound horrible), I would ask them to change it.

“Perhaps they will meet you halfway on costs if you are nice about it and accept you played a part in the misunderstanding.”