Hey Marla! Good to 'see' you again! Your pool was the first I remembered having blue surf when I was looking for pictures, but I had forgotten you added beads.
If you can't eat or sleep because you're suffering from plaster color anxiety, this is my best guess strategy for deciding on a pool finish color. (I thought of this way after my pool was built while floating in my pool PONDERING on why in the world I drove myself crazy and everyone else on TFP!
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Focus on the characteristics of colors rather than getting the exact color - I've decided that's next to impossible since you won't know for sure until your pool is filled in YOUR surroundings.
1. dark, medium, or light plaster color? (need to understand the pros and cons of each)
2. favorite color tones - blue, green, or aqua?
3. pure or not pure colors - blue only, blue with a touch of green, or no hint of green?
4. a more subtle color or one that pops/ stands out?
5. are you ok with shallower areas (benches, upper steps, sun shelf) looking mostly gray, or do you want them to show more color?
6. Now that you've eliminated many colors, and narrowed down to 2-3 choices, flip a coin or do rock/paper/scissors with your partner, and you've got your color!
My theory is that those 2-3 final choices will be so close, it won't matter since you cannot predict with 100% certainty how it will look in your pool. Once your pool is filled and the water balanced, you'll love it because it's yours. Kind of like having a baby - "Oh it's the perfect one!" (when we all know, if you had chosen color B instead, you would have said, the same thing - "THIS is exactly what I wanted!") So once you've pulled the trigger, have Kim lock you in on the color, have a great meal, get some sleep, and STOP PULLING OUT YOUR HAIR!!!
I hope this helps!
Suz
Disclaimer: This strategy could be harmful to those alien beings who know exactly what they want, who never struggle to visualize how something will look, or who never suffer making a decision! Use this at your own risk. No guarantees...