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The Neighborhood Hated My Pink House And Repainted It — But I Won the War of Petty Revenge

When I painted my Victorian home in bright pinks, purples, and turquoise, I expected a few stares—but not a full-blown neighborhood rebellion. The comments were snide, the gossip relentless. Still, I never imagined what they’d actually do. I left town for a weekend, and when I returned, my house had been repainted beige—every inch of it scrubbed of color. I was stunned. The police were useless. No witnesses, no footage. Just silence and smug smiles from a few too-familiar faces. My neighbors had repainted my house behind my back… and in that moment, I knew exactly…

I’ve always believed your home should make you happy every time you pull into the driveway. That’s why, after retiring last spring, I finally painted my old Victorian exactly how I always dreamed—candy pink siding, turquoise trim, lavender shutters, and a little sign on the porch that read “HOME” in sky blue block letters. It wasn’t subtle, but it was mine.

Not even two weeks after the paint dried, the complaints started.

First it was whispers over fences. Then angry posts on the neighborhood Facebook page. “Barbie threw up on 5th Street.” “My eyes hurt every time I drive by.” One woman called it “visual terrorism.” A man even claimed his dog barked more because of the color. I laughed it off. This wasn’t an HOA, and I wasn’t breaking any laws. I paid for the house, and I’d paint it any damn way I pleased.

But I underestimated just how petty grown adults could be.