Fifty Shades of White

When we bought out home three years ago the paint was in fairly good condition and neutral enough to live with for the time being. The only room I painted was a bedroom, done in fluorescent lavender,  that evidently had belonged to a young girl. The master bedroom and bath paint was a beige tinged green that I never could learn to love. I began to notice all the bedrooms I really liked on Pinterest and in magazines were painted white.

AFTER

 

White? I love color.

 When my painter arrived she was shocked at my paint choice.

She had been in my former home with the "honeysuckle" bath.

My son's friends referred to our last home as "Rainbow House".

 

BEFORE

Though the change seems subtle in the photographs above, the room is much lighter and brighter now.

The woodwork throughout the house is Water Chestnut.

I had to find a "white" that would work with the woodwork and ceilings.

I eliminated the whites with tones of pink, blue, grey, etc.

Finally, Benjamin Moore's Linen White was just what I was looking for.

It allowed the woodwork and ceiling to stand out. 

All the different shades of white working together.

 

 

The master bath is so much fresher now.

 

 

 

Love Benjamin Moore's Linen White!

 

♥andPeace,Myra

Painting the Front Door

My front door faces West and catches the afternoon sun.

The paint had become dull and faded.

I perused the colors in the paint departments at hardware stores.

I brought home color cards.

I asked friends and family for their opinions.

After two years of contemplation I finally made a decision.

The new color is Tyler Taupe by Benjamin Moore. 

Here is my freshly painted door in Tyler Taupe.

The color is very similar, however, it is a much darker color and the shine makes the door appear much cleaner.

I think it works with the traditional style of the house, the red brick and the white surround.

 



 

My mother suggested a dark green.

She has visited a couple of times since I painted the door and hasn't even noticed. My husband didn't notice either.

 

 Before

This is a photo I took last year after I made and hung the wreath.

 

(Before, close-up)

I guess I'll leave the reds, greens, browns and oranges to the other homeowners in the neighborhood.

 

 

I planted the annual begonias yesterday.

I also moved the second planter to the landing.

Previously it had been at the bottom of the steps.

 

I welcome color suggestions. Let me know what you think.

 

♥andPeace,Myra

 

Spring Thrifting

Recently I spent the day shopping my favorite discount stores.

Paula Deen cereal bowls, salad plates and mugs from Tuesday Morning.  They will probably be used for soup and sandwiches.
The white rabbit is from Tuesday Morning.
 

Place mats - TJ Maxx.
The grasshopper napkin rings were a gift from my sister-in-law.
 

The Waverly bedspread I found at Tuesday Morning.
It was already marked down for clearance and then had an extra 30% off tag!
Into the shopping cart.
 

I added the white lampshade from TJ Maxx.
I think white adds a nice fresh look for spring.
 

I always make a stop at Pottery Barn.
The displays are inspiring and sometimes bargains can be found.
I left with lots of decorating ideas and the Tuscan urn and cachepot.
They were not bargains but I had to have them.
I am considering going back for the large urn!
Wouldn't it be wonderful with huge sunflowers for summer?

The greenery came from Tuesday Morning.
It was similar to the  green "balls" at Pottery Barn but much cheaper. I have had this little bunny for years. I gave him a spray of gold paint followed by the crackle white finish years ago.


Happy thrifting!

♥andPeace,Myra

 

Welcome to My Guest Room

I love pinning ideas on my Pinterest boards. Recently I showed Jim the design for a headboard that I thought he would enjoy building. He hardly acknowledged the photo and went back to his football game. Well lo and behold, last Saturday he called asking me to text the materials list to him at the lumbar yard.  By nightfall it was all cut out and partially constructed. Jim made a few adjustments to the original plans. For example he opted for tongue-in-groove planks. Here is the link for the plans for the headboard. http://www.hgtv.com/bedrooms/rustic-yet-chic-wood-headboard/index.html.

I think the sawing is his favorite part.

 

 

Sunday afternoon he finished putting it together.

At this point I had to question him about the measurements.

He whipped out his tape measure and sure enough it seemed to be correct.

 

 

Now it was time for me to work my magic with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Versailles.

I really like Versailles. It has a greenish tint but is still neutral.

 

 

Saturday Jim attached the headboard to the bed frame and I applied two coats of chalk paint. It dries quickly so I didn't have to wait long between coats. Sunday afternoon I applied the wax. First I used clear wax and then just a touch of dark wax.

 

 





I have been looking for a headboard for the guest room for a long time.

I never could find just what a wanted. I think this will work perfectly in this room.

 

 

Several weeks ago I used the Versailles Chalk Paint on a quilt rack my mother-in-law hired a woodworker to make for me out of some old walnut wood that Jim's father had collected.

 

 

 I decided to try my new chalk paint color on the quilt rack with the dark wax.

 

 

I really like the texture accentuated by the dark wax.

 

 

 

Mission accomplished.

Welcome to my guest room.

 

♥andPeace,Myra

 

 



My Summer Project

One morning in March my very old washing machine decided to malfunction. By the time I noticed that the water had not shut off, after filling the tank, most of the floors in my house were flooded.

We called the insurance company. They sent out one of those fire and flood companies. They began ripping up the carpet and tearing out baseboards in the great room, master bathroom and master bedroom. The laminate in the dining room was also ruined.

 

We had eight of these huge noisy fans and a giant humidifier that ran nonstop for three days. A couple in the MB ran for five days.

 

 

We attempted to find someone local to do the work. After a couple of weeks we gave up and went with the flooring company the insurance company suggested. I don't like carpet so I decided now was the time to change over to tile.

We lived like this for weeks before the work even started. Here you can see where we had tile, carpet and laminate all running together, chopping up the spaces.

The laminate in the dining room and foyer was glued down and had to be removed with a hammer and crowbar. This took days to clear.

The contractor told me the tile could be laid in about four days. After twelve days we called the contractor and told him NOT to send the workers back. The work was sloppy. Tempers were getting really bad. I was a nervous wreck! 

 

We left on a trip that had been scheduled earlier. The contractor had assured me that the work would be done before that date.

 

When we returned from our trip the contractor sent a new worker to finish up the tile and baseboards. The painter finished his work in just one day. FINALLY the work was done. The entire house was filthy and had to be cleaned.

 

I like the wood look with the easy care of tile.

It transitions well with the kitchen tile.

 

The work could have gone better but it is finally over. All the carpet is gone except in the two bedrooms where there was no damage. I think the added expense was definitely worth it.

 

♥andPeace,Myra