The (Not So) Big Reveal

Sorry it's taken me a while to post any photos of my new and improved downstairs paint job. It's been done for at least a couple of weeks now, but with the flood and the school year drawing to a close, I've been a little preoccupied. And although I think it looks great, the before and after photos are honestly just not that dramatic.


But, without further ado . . . 


Here's the BEFORE:

And, wait for it . . . the AFTER:

 Sorry I didn't get around to hanging up the emperor before snapping this shot.

SO much better, right? Okay, I won't feel hurt if you can't tell much of a difference from these photos. However, it is much lighter and brighter. I swear. And not so much the color of peanut butter anymore, but instead maybe a frothy latte.

You might be able to see more of a difference in the next set of photos:

BEFORE:

And, AFTER:

Since this is a before and after post, I'll also share a semi-finished project. Remember this sunburst clock I found at the Flea Market?

Well, I've really been wanting a sunburst mirror lately. When I read that A Perfect Gray and Caitlin Creer had transformed sunburst clocks into mirrors, I was sold. The only problem? I can't figure out how to get the clock out. But, never fear, in APG's post she mentioned another blogger who simply silver-leafed the glass clock front. So, I thought it was worth a try.

Confession: I've never "leafed" anything in my entire life. But off I went to Michael's to search out the proper materials. First, I applied the adhesive and let it sit until it got tacky.

Then, I applied the silver leaf with a dry brush. Really very easy.

I think it looks decent. Although, I'd really like to get it fitted with a real mirror. At least this gives me an idea of what it could look like.

What do you think?

It's a Small Wall After All

Good news. I actually bought some tester pots of paint for my dining room and have samples on the wall. Progress is being made! I decided this was the perfect time to try out a new product I originally heard about from my friend Tina. A friend and neighbor of hers, Julie Boney, created a product called "Small Wall" which is exactly what it sounds like.

They are 12x12" adhesive-backed panels (that come 2 per package) that are ready for paint. They won't curl up like poster board, and you don't have to have color blocks on your wall. Genius, I say.

So, I decided to try them out for my dining room project . . . 

I wrote the name of the paint on the back of each sample so I wouldn't forget which was which. 

Champion Cobalt is the one on the right. It was the color from my original inspiration photo from Lonny.

Here's a closer shot. I really think it might be the one. I love it. It's deep and regal and saturated. Just what I was hoping for.

The other options I tried. Upper left is Georgian Bay by Sherwin Williams. Lower left is Blueberry by Benjamin Moore and the lower right is Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue color-matched for me by my local Sherwin Williams (because we don't have a Farrow & Ball store/distributor in Nashville)

There are other paints I could try too, but I don't want to get overwhelmed right now. Any thoughts or favorites? 

A special thanks to Julie Boney of Small Wall for giving me some samples to try. They really are a convenient and easy way to test out different colors. You can find Small Wall at most Sherwin Williams stores and some Ace Hardware stores. Just check Small Wall's website for a list of retailers. Also, thank you to the kind people at the new Sherwin Williams store near my house (on Hwy. 100 in Nashville) . . . they were extremely helpful!

Sources: Small Wall

Paint It Black?

My front door is in desperate need of a facelift. It may not be red, nevertheless I'm thinking I might follow the sage advice of the Rolling Stones and just paint it black.

Here's my sad weather-beaten front door. Even my pets are unenthused with it.

And a wider view so you can soak in the full beauty of the pinkish-red brick next to the yellow stone and taupe-ish trim. Damn builder's special a la 1997 - believe me, this would not have been my choice. And yes, I know my planters/urns look sad and empty. I did have greenery in them for Christmas but was waiting for spring to come back around to spruce them up with new plants.

The inside of the door is not much better. It's got major scratches which I swear are from the previous owners' dogs (although our dogs are certainly not guilt-free in this area). I neglected to get a close-up of the scratches, but trust me, they're there.

My plan is to paint the interior of the door the same color as the exterior. Now, I've just got to find the right paint. I know I said black, but I'm actually thinking of a really dark gray that almost looks black. There's a Martha Stewart color at Home Depot called Wrought Iron that might fit the bill.

I realize this doesn't look that dark and almost looks blue in the photo, but in the store it looks almost black. Does anyone have any great dark grays-almost blacks that they could suggest? I'm assuming I'll go with a high gloss finish. Or maybe a semi-gloss? Any thoughts there? The painter is coming on Tuesday, so I need to get to finding a color asap. Any input would be much appreciated. Even if the input is that you think I'm nuts and should go a totally different direction.

And lastly, just had to share another shot of the door featuring my favorite model

wearing the cutest little jacket I found at Old Navy the other day. It totally looks like a Mini Boden jacket at a fraction of the price. Score. I just wish they had one in my size so I could embarrass her by wearing it at the same time. Isn't that what moms are for?

The Dark Side

A few months back I decided to make a change to my little powder bathroom. Ever since we moved in over four years ago, I've wanted to change the red walls to something different. I waffled back and forth over wallpaper options (an idea which I still love), but after seeing some inspiration pics I decided to go with paint - very dark paint.

Here are a couple of those inspirations . . . 

Both images from Lonny.

I decided against black but instead went with an ambiguous navy bluish-dark gray. Seriously, still don't know what color it is exactly. It's appropriately named "Mysterious" by Benjamin Moore.

Here's the before:

As you can see, I already have a swatch on the wall. Not the best before shot, but you get the idea.

During: 

So flattering. Here, my freakishly long arms came in handy.

And, after:

The pear painting is by Montgomery, AL artist Nan Cunningham. The one above the toilet is a cheapo thing I found at Southeastern Salvage. The rug is Nate Berkus from HSN.

My mom did the sketch years ago. I stole it from her home at some point.

Found this brass towel holder at a consignment store for $15. The towel is from Marshall's. I realize I'm mixing my cats - a lion holding a leopard towel - but oh well.

 

 

I also replaced the light fixture, but it still needs some work so I'll share that at another time. I really like the way it turned out. I went with a semi-gloss finish and even painted the ceiling. Very enveloping. Sorry the photos are not great. It's hard to photograph a very dark, very small room.

So, what do you think, would you come over to the dark side?