Our House: FINALLY- Paint Goes On!!

Ok, well we have been in our house for a total of SEVEN months now and I have not posted anything house related here on the ol' bloggy blog..  You might think you have a lot to catch up on, but noooooo....oh no.  Since we moved in a just a few weeks before the Christmas lights started up last year, we didn't get anything done.  

I lied.  One thing.

Ernesto whipped up these bunk beds for the boys.  I showed him a picture for inspiration and he ran with it. God I love having a handy husband.  

Obviously not finished here.  There is a bottom bunk, and the ladder is on the short end of the bed.  Of course now they sit unpainted (or stained?) in an unpainted room.  Turning this space into a fun and functional place for the boys is on "the list" of things to tackle this Summer.

Ok, maybe one more thing happened before lighting season.  Painting the ceiling and beams.  This was a job we actually hired out, something not too common for us.  It was going to be a tedious job though with caulking all the boards; it sounded overwhelming.  They are tongue and groove, but over the years, cracks have emerged and I feared it would look "Shabby Chic" with cracks.   

Put a ladder anywhere near this one (and the other boy for that matter) and they will climb. 
 "Ok, paint one board."

For the beams we sampled a couple colors.  I LOVED SW Urbane Bronze (left below) but thought maybe I would put another color (more brown) next to it for comparison.  Status brown (right) looked like poop.

Urbane Bronze is tricky to describe.  It's kind of charcoal-ish but with a lot of brown.  I didn't want it to look gray, and I don't think it does.  It looks nice against the white, not stark. (See bad iphoto below)

Once the the holidays were over and we had a month to recoup (ie: sit around and do nothing!), we got to painting. One of our lighting guys who has been working with us forever is a professional painter (in the off season) so we booked him to get things rolling.  Ernesto painted WITH him most days.  

Having him show up everyday at 10am was just what we needed to motivate us.  A plan!

I went with a white paint everywhere and the transformation was instant and BEAUTIFUL!  Good bye horrible tan paint everywhere! Walls, ceilings, and BEAMS!? UGH! No no no!

You would think white is simple but on the contrare..... I had a horrible time deciding.

I am not a color expert, nor was I SUPER worried about all this "undertone" business, but just google "choosing a white paint" and your head will start to spin.  The more you look at pinterest and the like, the more confused you will be.

Under pressure (painter was at our house waiting for paint color) I chose Sherwin Williams Pure White for the ceilings. It was the whitest white  of alllll my samples.

Ok don't go picking any paint colors for yourself based on this horrible picture, but you can notice the color undertones easily.

It took me several days to decide on the adjacent wall color.  I wanted to just say "screw it, paint everything Pure White."  But I kept feeling like it would be too stark.. This is my first time going white and I was confused and second guessing.  On a side note, I remember yeeeears ago saying that I would NEVER paint my walls white. "With so many good colors WHY would I pick white?"

Moral: never say never)

 SW Alabaster kept coming up as a softer white and color match to the ever-popular BM White Dove.  As soon as the first wall was done, I new I had made the right decision. Whew!

A little difficult to see here [in my iPhone pics]  but there is a little contrast with the two whites and I am really digging it.  Needless to say, the house was a little disheveled during the process, but I am so happy with the results. (I will have to get better pics to reeeeally show you.)

I had a gallon of SW Shoji White (see sample above) on hand because I thought that was "the one" after seeing it on a blog that I love.  Yep, I just went and bought a gallon.  Rookie mistake. 

Anyhoo, although not the right shade of white for our living areas, it really was not a mistake.  This warm white is very nice and perfect in Paloma's room.  The cutting in was not finished here, but you can see the difference from the tan paint, and it's much better.

I have a vintage Persian in there with bright pinks and some great colorful art (yet to be hung) and this is the perfect neutral backdrop. 

Also, remember the fabulous Craigslisted armoire I scored and painted turquoise (when I was pregnant with Mateo!)??  Well, it has a new life.  She is now a beautiful shade of pink. SW Koral Kicks to be exact.  This peachy-coraly-pink gives a subtle pop against the soft white walls, and it's not sugary sweet.

I LOVE it.  It's not quite finished.  Painting those front cutouts is time consuming to say the least.  Yes, it's taking me MONTHS to get to all of them. Whew!

The only wall with COLOR upstairs is our bedroom and we only painted the wall behind the bed. (the tallest wall)   I wanted to have some color opposite all the windows.  I debated again with several swatches on my walls.

I was really inspired by a couple catalogs. Both West Elm and Cb2 were showing dark teal and I was loving it.  I bought several samples, throwing in some greens because I was also considering something forest-y.


I ended up with Ben Moore's Oasis Blue. (top right color in photo above)

It is beautiful!  

Before the wood headboard didn't stand out at all.  

Ok, lighting has everything to do with that in this pic, but.....still, you get the point. 

I LOVE how it turned out! Very rich but not super dramatic.  Now, wood headboard pops.

So obviously you need a whole bedroom shot, but Im not ready for that.  Take this little sneak peak (frog tape and all) for now, and know that a full reveal will come!

{Before and After} The Entry Table!

Remember this piece of furniture I bought on Craigslist [over a year ago]?  I found it on Craiglist in Ohio and begged my sister to pick it up for me.  Paul's Shuttle (ie: my dad) delivered it free of charge shortly thereafter.  I ended up buying it for $100.   In the ad, I was initially attracted to the design on the drawers, and that is still my favorite part, but it is also a quality piece.  Dovetail drawers and everything. 
Disclaimer: I never said I would be quick completing my projects, but I do get things done eventually.  
It was in pretty good shape, but I knew I wanted it to be painted...keeping the beautiful brass handles.  I waffled between a boring white or gray, but never pulled the trigger.  I kept feeling like it should be painted a color!  

(Part of the reason I take a while to finish a project is because I sometimes have a hard time deciding exactly what I want to do with a piece, so I wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Until, finally it hits me.  Or Pinterest hits me.  An idea sparks, and I can move forward.)

Well, I am happy to say, she is finally finished!

So without further ado.......

Please forgive the un-styled photo and rolled up-to be sold on Craiglist-rug under the dresser.  One thing at a time.
My mom and I painted this at the same time we did the mint ombré etageres/shelves that sit in the dining room.

I used the palest mint green called Window Pane by Behr and for the shelves went with the next 3 shades on the color chip.

Because the piece will be getting a lot of use, I wanted to make sure the finish is durable.   I used an oil-based paint and primer.  (Zinsser) Two coats of each and I waited 24 hours in between coats.

The hardware cleaned up beautifully with Bar Keepers Friend and looks brighter than this picture shows.

This dresser is 72" long and sits along my entry wall.  You can see a glimpse of the gold mirror above.

I am working on getting my art together to make a collage around the mirror.  I am so ready for this room to finally come together.  It has been 18 months since we moved in and I am just now starting to see some cohesion with the bottom floor decor (all open space). whew! 

I know, I know...pictures coming!

{Before & After} Mint Green Ombré Etageres

A couple weeks ago when my parents were here we finally tackled painting the etagere shelves that I picked up at at yard sale [back in August] for just $20!!

The shelves are from Bombay Company and are solid, well constructed pieces.  They were a dark wood (with a reddish tint-yuck!) with metal bars that had a shabby finish.

Here they are in their perfect spot in the dining room. (Sorry for the crappy dark photo)

Months ago, I used Rub n Buff Gold Leaf on the metal bars and love the finished look.  It was a huge improvement, but the shelves needed to be freshened up as well.  I had some inspiration for mint green, mainly this chest.  (Thanks Treff!)

{via Pinterest}

I love the bold color and of course the brass is icing on the cake. I could not trace this pin to find the actual color, so I started a search for just the right mint green.  I came up with these 2 color pallets from Behr paints.

I love both of these, however, the palette on the left is more turquoise, which I have done before.  I wanted to try something new! Something minty and fresh!  Plus this [more minty] palette really goes nicely with my living room inspiration piece! Remember my painting?

I bought small samples of each color.  Once I had them home, and did a little test on paper.  I knew they would work perfectly.....all of them!

{Behr colors- window pane, sea foam pearl, reef green, intense jade}

Nope, I couldn't pick just one.  Look how pretty they are together.  I had an idea.  Ombré!

Ombré, is a French word that literally means gradation.  We have been seeing this trend for a while now, and I have always been a fan.  Here was my chance to do it!

This wasn't a quick project.  I had twelve shelves that all needed sanded.  I broke out the electric hand sander and it sped up the process considerably.

Next step was to prime them.  I used oil-based Zinsser.  This stuff is great, albeight stinky!  Make sure you are painting outside.

To save on paint I actually ended up using the small samples.  I bought 2 of each ($6 each color, $18 total).  This was enough to give them three coats. They come in a flat paint, but with a glossy polyurethane topcoat (which I already had a can leftover from a previous project), it worked perfectly.  
I layed them on the deck and used a foam roller.  It was a very quick process.  Flat paint dries quickly.

Polyurethane on the other hand, is very slow to dry.  24 hours between coats (I put two) Plus, after it is dry to the touch, you still need to wait a few days before setting anything on the furniture.  This painting and waiting to cure took me about a week to complete.

So, so worth the wait!

I must say, they turned out so beautifully.  I am loving them against my light gray walls.  There are 6 shelves, so I used three colors. (two shelves each)  Starting with the lightest at the top, the mint gets even minty-eri at the floor!

I have yet to style them up, but that is on the agenda for next week!!

We are getting on a flight for Ohio this morning to spend Easter with my family.  I can't wait!
Hope you have a great weekend too.

Bedroom Painted and Fabric World

Before my parents came to visit last week, we vowed to get one more project done.  Painting the bedroom was as good as any.  I had actually purchased the paint weeks before.   After 6 months of these three samples staring back at me,  I bit the bullet.  The middle color it is.

Yep, another one by Martha Stewart.  This medium to dark color is called "cement gray" and I am very pleased with it.   I used a flat finish and it looks so rich, almost like suede. 

{martha stewart paint - cement gray}

The white trim looks great against the dark gray.  We hung white curtains to keep it looking fresh.  Luckily we get a ton of natural light during the day, so it never looks too dark, just cozy at night. Perfect.  Seriously, I'm loving this color!

 I have my orange West Elm rug and my green campaign dresser in my room now so there is no shortage of color.  My nightstands turned tv console (currently in the living room) may come upstairs.  Maybe not.  I have my grandma's vintage ginger jar lamps .  Im thinking I need to try DIY artwork (abstract of course).

Yes,  I need to make an inspiration board.

After a trip to Fabric World the other day, I am definitely feeling inspired to make my upholstered headboard.   I keep waffling on the shape.  No waffling on the fabric though.  I found this gray velvet for $4/yard!!!  Uh-huh. I know.  These are the deals you get at this place though, so if you are in the Atlanta area, it is worth the drive [to Stone Mountain].

This trellis (?) fabric was purchased as well.  What for? Probably to sit in a basket with my other beautiful fabrics.  But I had to have it.  It is thick upholstery fabric so would be great for an ottoman or bench.   I had to resist buying many more fabrics that I don't really have a need for.  Every time I go to this place I think about buying fabrics to sell online.   I have so much fun shopping, it would be great if it was my job:)  Would you be interested in buying one of these great fabrics? 

The Nursery Part I: A Striped Ceiling

I knew back when I first found out I was pregnant that I wanted stripes on the ceiling. It all started with the blue stripes I saw in this nursery.  I was pretty much decided on a horizontal orientation....until I saw this:

 I traced this picture back to a Swedish blog and unfortunately there were no details on this amazing ceiling.  I showed it to Ernesto and he said..."No problem, I can do that!"
I was so excited, we got to work that day!  Ernesto drew up the plan by taking the dimensions of our room (10x12ft)

  He marked the walls in 14-15 inch stripes.  Then he and my mom snapped a chalk line from each mark to the center of the ceiling. 

This went very quickly and then we got to taping.  As you can imagine, this part is the most important step.

We used Frog Tape and the lines came out perfectly. No bleeding whatsoever.

I chose Behr's "vintage orange" paint in a flat finish.  (I actually color matched it to Martha Stewart paint which was on clearance.  $4.90 for a quart!!) 
The color is vibrant and so happy.  The white paint is "Lamb" also by Martha.

It is really amazing how these stripes make the ceiling look vaulted.  The ceiling is 9ft but the room  just feels more open now. 

After finishing the stripes and painting the walls "Sharkey Gray" (also by MS), we didn't think it looked finished.  We first tried painting a black stripe, but though it looked like electrical tape and ended up painting a thicker white stripe at the bottom.

The griege color on the walls is pretty bland, and I considered re-painting, but I have a lot of colorful art to go on the walls and a really bright turquoise armoire, so I think a neutral background will be perfect. 

I am so happy with how Mateo's room is coming together.  As you can see I have added a light fixture.  It's a DIY...and made out of a surprising material.  It could be my best DIY EVER!!!  I saw it on houzz a couple months ago.  It was unbelievably easy! You can see how I made it here.

So, what do you think?  Do you guys have stripes somewhere in your house?

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