I mentioned last month that I have been wanting to paint our living room/eat-in kitchen/kitchen for awhile now but Matt was dragging his feet about the color situation.... He didn't want gray. Buuuuut he gave in finally stating, happy wife, happy life!
Everyone thinks we are crazy, painting a room and then repainting it within a few years. We have painted every single wall in this home (minus closets), and now we have redone six of those original rooms (dining room, master bathroom, powder room, kid's bathroom, laundry room, and now this space). I know it's nuts, but it is such a relatively easy and affordable way to totally change the look of a room. When you consider that it took us maybe five hours of painting (we were up very late) and only two gallons of paint to do what we did here of course we would do it only though the green paint was there for just three years.
This was a bear of a job though, with a ton of cutting in and then don't get me started in the taking down of the gallery wall! But we did it. On a Friday. And I love the way it turned out.
The paint color is Silver Marlin by Behr. Gray is an interesting thing, everyone who has seen it says it has a different undertone. I just am so happy to have lightened up the space. Everything pops now I think. Especially the black wall! All of the wood furniture in these spaces was made by Matt, the entertainment center, the end tables, the sofa table and the kitchen table. The coffee mug rack, the growth ruler, the pallet skinny box, the tray on the ottoman, the blanket ladder, the tobacco basket, all were made by Matt. The EAT letters I made here. The curtains I did here. Boxwood wreath from Target. Faux greens from Ikea and I just distressed the pots myself. Little topiaries that I am obsessed with from Amazon. Moss balls I made myself here. The galvanized milk jug and olive basket were Target Dollar Spot finds that I distressed myself with bleach and vinegar (Target please bring them back to the Dollar Spot please please please!). Round galvanized serving tray at Walmart. Three-Tiered Galvanized Tray from Sam's Club. Throw blankets from Ikea. The globe was an antique my mother found me. Pillow covers! The old map and the plant print were both from Ikea, no longer available. No. 7, Bicycle, Compass, Grain Sack covers, all from Amazon.
As with most of the things we do, we try and make it ourselves or redo existing things with some spray paint. If all else fails we head up the street to the Home Decor Warehouse where they take all my money (jugs, lanterns, florals, ampersand, milk jug, ceramics above cabinets, etc.). But a lot of things didn't cost me a penny, or very very little.... my Grammy's old suitcase with her maiden name initials on the front as the base to a side table, wine crates from wine and liquor stores, an old terracotta pot I scrubbed and scrubbed for our utensils, free printables from Pinterest, old mason jars from my Grammy, old books, old candlesticks I just spray painted and distressed... and my newest favorite, the two silver serving pieces that I mounted in that basket in the kitchen. They belonged to Matt's grandmother and have been sitting in storage since his father passed away ten years ago, gorgeous silver pieces just sitting away unseen! My mind is really working trying to figure out other ways I could use those family heirlooms in a pretty way. Point being, shop your own home. Or your Grammy's home.... Plus the family pieces are just the best pieces right? Who would have thought... Laurie.... the owner of a few antiques...
Is this room done? Hardly. I want to get a neutral jute rug most likely that I will put on top of the red one. Just to neutralize some of it, leaving a border of the old rug visible. I'll also be wanting more pillow covers for the four large pillows on the couches, most likely these ones from H&M.
This is the original before and after of our living room...When we added our black wall here...Here is our kitchen after we did our major redo of last winter...Here is our kitchen upon moving in...
Goodness. So that's that. What do you guys think? I need therapy? Yup, I know.
