Here is what I know: I am not made for manual labor and DIY bloggers work very, very hard.
I painted most of Day 18, only this time I focused on touch up. The baseboards are perfection and didn’t need any work. Since I’m roughly 3″ tall, it was easy for me to crouch down on Day 17 and cut a perfect line, no taping required. Cutting in on the 8′ foot ceilings was a different story. I shouldn’t complain. I remember cutting the tall ceilings on our first home in a new development. Better stated, I remember delegating it to the Mister and hearing him curse vaulted ceilings from 20 feet in the air. So I know it could be worse.
Still, when you’re 3″ tall and have the wingspan of a T-Rex, cutting is hard, y’all. Up the step stool. Rip the tape. Tape off two centimeters (my wingspan). Down the step stool. Move the step stool. Up the step stool. Tape off two centimeters (my wingspan). Repeat times twenty. Drag step stool to the beginning. Grab the brush. Up the step stool. Paint two centimeters (still my wingspan). Down the step stool. Move the step stool. Paint two centimeters (yup, wingspan). Repeat times twenty.
I was able to finish painting both rooms, but I still need to delegate to the Mister the remaining touch up. I told him he could do it in November because I’m nothing if not generous with the time of others I rope into finishing my incomplete projects.
The paint, Garden Wall by Behr, looks amazing. Heaven forbid the light prism that is my living room allows me to take a picture that accurately represents the color. In normal light it’s a dark gray-green, but the color changes throughout the day. On the left of the room it can look olive. Towards the right it can look like cocoa powder. In the dining room it’s a squirrel gray.
Olive, cocoa, gray.
And here is the large skylight on the right side of the room. Underneath the skylight there was a large, rickety built-in with a planter. Had it been in good condition, attractive, or remotely useful, we would have kept it. Instead, we tore it out the week we moved in.
Morgan has been helping me with the living room, so she gets the credit for the vintage chesterfield, club chairs, Moroccan tea table, French modernist(ish) arc lamp, and campaign dresser. So, almost everything. Left to purchase are rugs, a bench, and artwork (photography) for the big wall and above the dresser. The cabinet will go back into the dining room. Originally we thought a low bookshelf on the wall would look nice, but she doesn’t think there’s room. My fingers are crossed that she changes her mind when she sees the room in person. I don’t want to give up my inspiration image.
I can’t imagine a room without a library of some sort.
Clearing out my books. {shudder} That’s going to be a challenging day.
//source
New here? For the next 31 days Im living according to the famous William Morris quote. You can learn more about the project here.
It’s looking fabulous. I’m eager to see what sort of rug you end up with – I think it will really pull the room together. I smiled when I read this, as I spent hours last night on my knees, painting trim without taping first. Keep going!
The rug is what is going to bring the room altogether. Right now it looks like everything is floating. You should see it without the cabinet. It looks so, so empty.
Morgan wants a jute rug with a cow hide layered over top. I love that look even though it’s a popular look, which I normally avoid because they get dated so fast (does anyone else remember the zebra rug obsession of 2007-2009?). But, cow hides are actually very “Argentina,” and my parents have had them in the home since I was a child. I have sentimental attachment to them. Also, the jute/hide combo, according to Morgan, is impervious to dogs and small children.
And where is a bookcase not at home? Yeah, I can’t imagine either …
Love it! It will be a perfect wall for your art/photography. I can see it.
I can’t believe how different the paint looks in each of the pictures. No wonder selecting paint was such a monumental task. Interesting that the the skylight side seems darker and the side with the fireplace lighter. A really nice inspiration photo, one you shouldn’t give up on. Since books are such a big part of your life you definitely should have a place for them. We could start badgering Morgan via blog comments or Twitter. :)
For years I was known for quickly and decisively picking out paint. Then we moved here, and I crashed and burned. Seriously, it wasn’t until earlier this month that I sat down and researched color theory, light, etc. to figure out what was going on and how I could fix it. I could go into a very detailed explanation about why I chose the color I did, but I’m afraid I would bore people to tears with my science.
Not me! I want to hear the science, please.
Me too! I would love to hear the science behind your decision. Why waste all that research?! ;) You can save me from myself.
Please. Thank you.
I would definitely not be bored – love all things paint.
I have SO MUCH admiration for you. I hate painting.
Hate.
When I painted our bedroom, not only did I end up absolutely hating the colors, but somehow, I managed to get a dot of paint right in the middle of the ceiling.
I honestly… have no idea how that happened.
The thing that really sucks is that I discovered the painters we hired last year did a horrible job. They painted over the top of my board and batten with the wall paint instead of cutting it and keeping it white. I had no idea, because it’s taller than me. In November my husband and I not only have to finish the touch ups, but we have to repaint the B&B tops. He says it’s not necessary since no one will see it, but now that I know it’s not done right I can’t let it sit there.
Wait, the board and batten that you guys installed and that you live and have blogged about in the past? The scoundrals! that makes me sad for you… But, i would probably put painting after “oil wooden spoons” on my to do list…
Hah! :)
This is a really beautiful room. As for purging books, I say don’t do it!
A friend who is a professional painter loaned 2 sawhorses and a sturdy crosspiece to this munchkin when I painted the living room. I could do 3-5 feet at a time!
I was dreaming of a sawhorse yesterday. To the point that I started wondering how I could fashion one out of stuff I had at home. Two chairs and some old floor boards? A dining room table? Moving boxes? I was fantasizing about the luxury of a five foot span.
Your description of painting made me laugh! I could just imagine the drill – up the ladder, down the ladder! :) Keep up the good work! You inspired me to do some cleaning out and organizing myself!
I encourage you to purge books, actually. And I was an English major, work as an editor, and love to read. The truth is (for me anyway) there are only so many books that I am legitimately going to re-read, reference, or want to pass along. We have a library right around the corner and I can order all the library books I want online. My rule is, I have to read a book from the library first. If I absolutely love it, then I will consider buying it to keep permanently. As it turns out, I seldom love the book that much that I need to own it.
I live in a much smaller house than you and just don’t have space to keep a lot of books. But, it was kind of liberating when I realized that one can, in fact, let go of books. There’s kind of a mythology that’s sprung up around maintaining a personal library, and (to be totally honest) I think I believed that it said something positive about me to visitors, to have a lot of books on display.
I’m purging them. There are too many, and they are taking up too much room. The money wasted kills me, but I’ll write about that later.
It’s not money wasted! If you read the books and enjoyed them, it was money well-spent, and helped support the author. Like you’re a patroness of the arts! ;-)
Oh, my bad! I wasn’t clear. I meant the books I bought and never read equals money wasted. :)
“Wingspan of a T-Rex..” Ha.
Your taping/cutting system makes me exhausted to think about! Girl, you owe yourself a spa day in November after that (actually, after this whole month). I’m extremely spoiled and get my husband to do the taping…he’s an ace at it, after all my painting adventures.
I’ve been purging books lately too, except the ones I really, really love. (So I still have too many books.)
Holy Moses…”wingspan of a T-rex”…funniest thing I have ever read on any blog anywhere. I totally snorted my drink and made a scene here at the cubicle farm.
If anyone knows folks at Pixar, this would be the most hilarious short ever. With a real T-Rex in white coveralls.
I’m with you on manual labor. It’s not that I’m lazy, really. I’m just not very good at it.
Paint colors sure do change according to the light, don’t they?
I used to pick up several of the same paint chips – in each color I was thinking about. (Actually, this is still my process.) And, I would cut them out and tape them so they were a much larger block. And, past them on white paper and paste each separate paper someplace in the room I wanted to paint.
Here’s what changed.
I used to pick the color on a Saturday in full sunlight.
Bad idea.
90% of my time at home is spent after sunset with the lights on.
So THAT’s now that time I choose my colors.
After all, if it’s Saturday and it’s sunny out – chances are I won’t be home – I’ll be outside!!
All the best,
Dana @ Cooking At Cafe D
“31 Days – 31 Minutes to a More Organized Life!”
I am so envious, I want Morgan to be my friend/interior decorator too. She has the best taste (and cute pup).
Heh. T-Rex. That’s how I felt doing prep taping while 8 months pregnant. Where oh where did you get the campaign dresser? It’s fabulous.
Everything in the room is from craigslist except for that brass lamp on the left (Target leftover from nursery days) and the three stacking tables in the corner, which were from a thrift store.
I am not going to say a word since I have to wingspan equivalent to Dr. J. I’m addicted to painting and my entire house is about to receive a do-over. I’m on room #2 with like 17 to go.
And I have been stalking Denver’s Craigslist for months looking for that exact sofa. Months. I love your entire room and I love that it was furnished via CL. LOVE.
Okay, I know you said you got it from craigslist but that morroccan tea table… does it have a name? Make? Design? Anything identifiable so I can search high and low for it?
No, it’s all handmade so no make. :( I would search CL for “vintage Moroccan tea table,” “brass tray table,” etc. Subscribe to your search so that when someone posts something that matches, you will get alerted. Also google search it and look at your shopping results. There will be some newer productions there. Pottery Barn is also selling something similar, but in silver.
Thanks!!