Final Paint Experiment on my Mirror!

Final result:  a weathered pearl silver finish over a taupey base

I really hated the chocolate brown paint colour I showed on my mirror in the last post.  So last night I decided to paint it again, this time a lighter brown.  I mixed up a batch of the leftover dark brown (HC-70 Van Buren Brown) with some Cloud White I had on hand until I achieved a nice milk chocolate colour.  I even threw in a few drops of Flax, a pinkish brown, to give it a rose cast:  This effect seemed only vaguely less dull than before.  I liked the colour, but it lacked a certain je ne sais quoi.  So today I tried my first attempt at a faux finish.  At lunch time, I dropped by Benjamin Moore (luckily there's a shop one block from my office!) and bought a pearlescent base paint that gives a pearl-like lustre to your finish.  

When I came home, I started by dry brushing a very thin layer of the F&B Charleston Gray on top of the brown, on the raised bits only, to give it a little depth (following Mrs. Limestone's suggestion).  Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of this step.  When it dried, I added the pearl finish randomly all over, to give it a little lustre:

The mirror looks quite good (sort of silvery and weathered-looking), but in the photo, the finish looks a little spotty.  Since I'm not a machine, and it was my first attempt, I wasn't very good at applying the layers evenly, so it looks a little splotchy in places! 

But I think it gives a really wonderful effect (I just need some practice and no close-ups)!  And unless you inspect the finish closely, the effect is lovely and interesting from a couple of feet away.

I applied a lot of the pearlescent glaze at the end, but if you want a simple weathered look you can stop after the second layer.  You can use virtually any paint colour and then simply add a lighter highlight colour by brushing over the raised surfaces only.

In my case, I used: 

1st layer:  A mixture of Van Buren Brown and Cloud White, to give me a medium brown taupey base. 

2nd layer:  A light superficial brushing of F&B Charleston Gray on the raised bits (for highlight), using a small firm brush

3rd layer:  For lustre, a layer of Pearlescent base from Benjamin Moore. 

There's a whole range of gorgeous pearl effects that can be achieved using the pearl base over a regular eggshell.  Benjamin Moore has a whole brochure of pearlized colours that you should check out.  I can't wait for my next project...

Oh, and I didn't like the way the mirror looked in the entryway, so I have moved it to the sideboard where it fit in with all my silvery things.  But now I'm back to square one, with no mirror I love in the front hall...

This is so typical of my decorating style - I never end up using things where I plan to!

A Farrow & Ball Experiment: Good Colour Gone Bad

This weekend, I finally got down to business and painted the gilded golden mirror from my front hall.  Sorry, I forgot to take a before picture, so I snapped this right after I tried the first stroke of paint:  I have owned this mirror for 18 years - it was part of a trio of affordable antiques I bought at a shop in Montreal as a student.  This photo was taken in my comfy, cozy family room (which you never get to see... it needs a decor intervention) where I could paint whilst watching HGTV! I was getting a little bored with the golden look, so I decided to paint it Farrow & Ball's Charleston Gray, which appears to be a milky medium brown with a gray undertone on the card... However, the mirror basically turned out a taupey-gray, reading much more gray than brown after two coats.  

You can really see the difference in lower light:

I will note that the finish doesn't look great because I painted it with an eggshell finish (since I used a $7 sample pot and this was the only finish available) and planned to urethane it with a semi-gloss when I was done.

But I was very unhappy with the colour and didn't bother to finish it.  I wanted it browner, like the card, to match a brown rug I have in the foyer and pick up the brown lamp in my living room (which is an almost identical shade to the card).  I do like this colour - complex and unique, but it looked like total crap on my mirror.  

Since it was now Sunday and Maria Tomas (the Farrow & Ball supplier) was closed, I went to my local Benjamin Moore store and bought a chocolate brown, called Van Buren Brown (HC-70), which I have read decorators rave about in House Beautiful (I read their "Color" pages in each issue religiously).

Here is Van Buren Brown, in progress:

And on the wall (below).  The colour is much too dark, but at least it coordinates with the darker tones in the furniture.  This is after a single coat!

I'm happy to see that the colour matches the chip, perfectly:  

The colour looks just like melted chocolate and is quite lovely, but too dark.  I will note that I went darker than I wanted because, in the past, Benjamin Moore colours have looked significantly lighter on the wall than on the card...(with three shade I've tried to date).  So now I will have to paint a second coat and mix in some white paint to lighten it.

Eventually I want a new, much larger mirror in this location, and I really need to add some art.  But for now, I hope it will suffice when it's toned down a little.  The brown will coordinate with my cushy brown rug and my rose-pink light fixture.

'Til next time...

More Dining Room Lighting Dilemmas

The more I look at light fixtures, the more confused I become about what style I really want for my dining area.  I've been contemplating a contemporary style (see my previous post) to prevent the room from looking too stuffy with our 100-year old antique furniture.  But then again, I love the look of a conventional chandelier and have a penchant for sparkly things!

The other day, I stumbled upon this beautiful antique-looking fixture (below).  I think it's an Italian style, but I'm not entirely sure.  I like the slim candles, the painted metal (and how pretty it looks in a light-coloured room), and the sparkly beads.  It's ethereal, light and elegant, but also totally unfussy.  Perfect for my space. {P.S.  This is a Niermann Weeks fixture, according to Things That Inspire...thanks TTI!}

Dining room from Better Homes & Gardens

Sadly, Italian fixtures like this are hard to find and stretch the budget if they are antiques. I found a reproduction version online at Butler Lighting.  It's a perfect shape, but I really don't care for the bronze colour.  Plus, it's over $1300 USD...

Does anyone know where I could find a reproduction fixture in this style?

But...lest I despair...in all my mad surfing I found another fixture by Murray Feiss which I really like (below).  It's a chandelier reminiscent of the classic crystal variety but without so much crystal!  I think it's lovely and fancy, but also simple enough to work with our not-terribly-fancy decor.  

The fixture comes in 4-light and 6-light designs.  The 4-light version is a little smaller than I wanted (1/3 the width of my table), but being dressier than I planned, I think it might suffice.  The 6-light version is quite large (over 1/2 the width of my table) and with the style and the height of it (its quite tall), I'm afraid it might dominate the whole room.  

You see, the size of the 6-light design fits the "rules" (just over 1/2 the width of the dining table, etc.) but since the room is not large and adjoins both the kitchen and the living room, I think the scale of the large fixture might be too much with everything going on in the small space.  Plus, it is very tall and would come down to just above 30" above the table, which fits the "rules" but seems a little overscale for the room.

I know people declare that a chandelier should be a focal point(!), but let's face it, this isn't a grand dining room.  It's a dining area that sits squarely in the middle of two other rooms, a practical hard-working kitchen and a relaxing living area.  There is a lot going on here, so I actually want a fixture which complements the space and fits quietly into the flow of the other rooms.  

Below is the living room end of the room - I think the fixture complements the decor and works with the antique gold colour of the coffee table.  

This week I plan to make myself a scale model from paper to check the size!

Any thoughts?

My Dining Room: Decor Dilemma - Help!

The Ideal Dining Room (no, it isn't mine).  Photo:  House Beautiful, design by Susan Zises Green, exquisitely perfect chandelier by Niermann Weeks.

Not surprisingly, when I start one decorating project, my bumblebee mind takes me on another decorating tangent.  Luckily, no one is waiting for these rooms...

The tangent:  when I started researching light fixtures for our guest room, I immediately got sidetracked on chandeliers for our dining room.  Our dining room light fixture (which came with the house...I take no credit) is a miserable eyesore, as you can plainly see in the following photo.  Not only is it unattractive (brass...shudder), but it's not centered, thanks to the placement of our giant sideboard in the room:  

Before you freak out, we do plan to replace the pink rug (preferably with something gorgeous and inoffensively neutral).  It's a great wool rug (I inherited), but is outdated. I also have new ivory silk drapes to hang once I find a (small, nickel) rod (another unrequited quest).  Our dining room furniture is rather traditional.  I also intend to update the chairs with new upholstery once the rug colour is sorted out. 

In the meantime, the new fixture needs to work with my gradually-developing style, which I can only call pared down traditional.  I have studied many dining rooms and have seen a massive variety of light fixtures.  The ones I love most, sadly, require 15 ft ceilings, exquisite architectural detail in the room, and a second mortgage...

But for my present abode, I think a simpler fixture is in order.  I have begun to appreciate a modern look, which I think might prevent the room from looking too precious, too Grandma. 

I am rather fond of this fixture from Quoizel which is available in Calgary at Carrington Lighting (where I have received very friendly service compared to a couple of other shops).

Choice #1:  Classic modern with drum-shade

Initially when these drum-type shades came into vogue, I deplored them.  I still don't care for the plain rectangular drum shades and find them boring, but this one looks a little different, with the trapezoidal shape and the (faux) crystal detail.  The shade is ivory linen and the material is polished chrome, not nickel as I initially hoped, but it looks similar.

I might not have noticed this style of fixture if I hadn't recently seen this dining room, by homeowner/designer Heidi Smith, with a dressed-up drum shade that caught my eye:

Photo:  Canadian House & Home

I am also fond of the grande chandelier, but let's face it, I just don't have the house to go with a fixture like this:

Photo:  Canadian House & Home

I know I could pick a smaller crystal-style chandelier, but I wonder if it is overkill in my humble home.  It's hard to find a simple crystal/glass chandelier in nickel for under $600 (my rough budget).   I did find this little beauty online (not nickel) for a very good price, thanks to a tip from Things That Inspire:

Choice #2:  Fancy but simple enough to be pretty and not pretentious!  

Is this too much for our little house?  I would need to change out some of the decor to work with this, like getting a fancier mirror for over the sideboard, etc.

I've also been scouting simple candle-style chandeliers, like this beauty from Restoration Hardware (below) which is rather over budget ($950 USD including shipping and taxes).  But it is both classic and simple.  They ship to Canada, but I'm out 20% of the cost if I want to return it.

Choice #3:  Clean and simple and bloody expensive

I also like the fixture (below) from Home Depot Canada.  I was impressed to learn that Home Depot Canada (which is separate from the U.S. version), has free shipping (sometimes), free returns (always), and they give you 90 days to make up your mind!  This fixture, in brushed nickel, is from Progress Lighting.

Choice #4:  Clean and simple and affordable

Home Depot had such a great price on this fixture ($55 to $105 cheaper than stores in Calgary) that I ordered it online just to try.  I can always return it!

I am also rather fond of lantern-style shades and see a number of designers using them in dining areas, but I honestly think they are better suited to (a) entryways (b) over round tables in breakfast rooms, if you must and (c) well-decorated stables!

Photo: Adapted from a Windsor Smith room (I love you Windsor and you can do no wrong by me)

What do you think?  Should I try the modern fixture or stick with something tranditional?  Do you have any wonderful online lighting sources you could recommend?

More Guest Room Ideas

An inspiring concept for my guest room!

It's been a very busy week, and my decorating mind is rather unfocussed.

I'm still considering a look for my guest bedroom but can't seem to make progress.  I'm soul-tired after work these days and also joined a book club (silly me), so with gardening and other home projects, I don't have much left at the end of the day.  

 I also think I'm slow to start this room because it needs so much work.  Not only does the room need painted, it sorely needs new lighting, window coverings, a headboard, and a new nighttable.  Even if I find budget versions of all of these, it's still a lot of time and effort and I honestly don't feel like opening my pocketbook either.  Maybe I will have to hit some garage sales (wink)!

I did find two pretty light fixtures, from Thomasville Lighting.  The room has regular 8 foot ceilings and the light fixture sits off-center (near one corner, over the bed), so a chandelier won't work and is too fussy for me anyway.

But these two options are simple and pretty:  

The room has a weird window/ledge, so I think I will be forced to replace the existing blinds and use a valance for decoration, as much as I love the look of curtains.  Custom valances cost a mint, so I may have to haul out the sewing machine and my grade 8 Home Economics notes.  I love the pretty valance below and the crisp white blinds:

And maybe I can disguise my old side table with fabric.  Oh dear, more sewing.  I think I might need a glue gun.  Isn't this pretty?:

Surpringly, I also found a super-affordable cotton-slipcovered headboard at Home Depot which might suffice until I find a bed I truly adore.  A bed looks so much more finished with a headboard at least...

I shall keep you posted on my snail's pace progress and will post "before" photos when I'm ready to start painting!

Room Photos:  1. Houzz, 2. House Beautiful, 3. House Beautiful

Artful Inspiration for Our Guest Bedroom

Note:  This post has been revised slightly to include new photos!

Inspirational art prospects for decorating our guest bedroom

For a while now, I've been ambivalent about a style for our downstairs guest bedroom.  

The room is small, cozy and cool and I want it to feel inviting, quiet, and natural.  Part of me wants to glamorise the room, but another part of me wants to keep it easy and approachable.  After all, this is the room where we keep our cookbooks and my piles of decorating magazines.  It's where we sleep in the summer (it's a shaded room with great breezes) and where I lay on the bed to read and nap. It's where I go to feel sheltered and safe, so I want it to feel au natural.

So far, I've chosen a wall colour, Farrow & Ball's Skylight, which is a soft blue-grey. Bedding will be white and soft taupe and all the trim (bookcase, mirror, window coverings) will be white (likely cotton or linen for the window).

But beyond that, I'm stuck for ideas that will produce a coherent look!

So I decided to look to art for inspiration.  One of my favorite art sites is art.com.  I know it's gauche to some to buy mass-market art, but I love perusing their site for photography, vintage maps, and such.  I own lots of original art (including a painting I paid close to $2000 for ten years ago, and don't even like now!) and have bought lots of original photography over the years, not all of it cheap.  I frequently make finds on Etsy too.  But I have no problem framing a $2 postcard or buying a mass-market poster if I like the image.  Hey, I would love a Picasso, but my tastes change so often that inexpensive, more disposable art works for me.

So I prowled art.com and found some inspirational images:

Nautical:  I know this is horribly cliche, but with the blue walls and white trim, maybe a few vintage maps or sepia sailing photos wouldn't hurt:  

And who's would know this wasn't painted by me (don't tell)?  I could just sign my name in the corner.

Photography:  I love old-world, historical photos and anything black & white.  I could frame any number of photos I've taken over the years.  Or I could buy a photo poster by one of my favorite photographers, like Henri Cartier-Bresson (I attended a wonderful exhibition of his work in Paris in 1994, ten years before his death):  

I also have a fondness for New York in black and white and love these two shots:

I also have a penchant for architectural elements and historical-looking drawings, like these (below), which could easily have come straight from the Paris flea market.  In fact, they look better than most of the stuff I saw there:

Pretty and colourful:  I also like this whimsical little piece, with a vintage quality. Wouldn't it be pretty in a child's room?:

I still haven't decided what to use in the room but know now that it will likely have an old-fashioned quality to it.  It's just a look I love.

The Not-Very-Odd Chair Company

As you may have noticed, I'm a bit of an Anglophile.  I'm awfully fond of all things English, most especially their impeccable taste, craftsmanship and exceptional interior design skill. Maybe it's because I prefer pared-down traditional interiors and find that the English do them best.

So I thought I'd share one of my favorite English companies with you:  The Odd Chair Company.  The Odd Chair Company are custom furniture makers and upholsters who use traditional techniques and materials in all their designs. They can even make allergy-free products for the modern man!

Here are some of my favorite selections from their seductive site.  There is nothing odd about these chairs...just simply lovely!

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How about these charming pink species:

The English can really pick a pattern:

I love these regal beauties:

And I could stare at this handsome pair all day:

While this pretty pair sit quietly in any room:

Or how about this airy and gracious look (I want them both!):

Nothing says perfection like these classic pieces (isn't the rose sofa a dream?): 

And some are best for just admiring:

 I hope you've enjoyed the tour - please visit their site.

Lilac Season at Our House

I know we are sorely behind most of the country when it comes to Spring flowers.  But it's finally the height of lilac season here in Calgary and I'm celebrating the bounty!  I adore lilacs and have been bringing bunches into the house for the past week or so.

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At my parents' home out east, we had a lilac bush in front of the house for as long as I can remember, and I always adored it.  When I was home in May, I was thrilled to see it breaking bud.  And at my grandmother's place there was a whole row of lilac bushes separating the house from the road, so I am very nostalgic for these lovely flowers. 

 They have an old-fashioned country charm but look regal in any interior.  They are very strongly-scented though, and I would not advise having them anywhere near a dinner table. 

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When we moved into our Calgary home, I was delighted to see a great hedge of lilac bushes in the front yard (below), the same lilac colour as the ones I grew up with: 

We also have a miniature lilac (below) in the front yard.  It produces a smaller, darker-coloured flower which also has a strong scent.

Lilacs need to be pruned right after flowering since flowers appear the next Spring on "old wood", meaning that flowers appear on the growth from the previous summer.  

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We prune our big bush every two years to prevent it from growing too tall and unweildy and prune the little one every year to keep it neat and round.

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Hope you enjoyed the wee tour of our front yard.

More British Beauties

These charming finds are from lovely British Mailorder retailer Cox & Cox.  I receive their emails but have just requested a catalogue and cannot wait for their beautifully styled and photographed collection to arrive in my mailbox.

I may just have to order something - perhaps this charming seaside hurricane...

I am coveting this heart candle:

And this Sophie Conran pouring bowl would be perfect for scrambled eggs:

I love this curvaceous tri-level candle sconce:

And would love to read the story of The Kiss:

Happy hearts and...

flowers too...

~ Beautiful Finds at (British) Brissi ~

I have a terrible penchant for beautiful things.  

My latest obsession is British home decor shops and decor sites, a fixation fuelled by my burgeoning addiction to UK decorating magazines.  Someone had to fill the magazine void, and luckily the Brits were there to save the day.  These days, I cannot gush enough about British style!

Suffice it to say, I am transfixed by the treasures available at UK retailer Brissi - their collection is both classically beautiful and affordable: 

Now, I wonder if the ship across the pond?

I need some dishes for magical little soaps:

And my preserves have been looking lost without a proper jam pot holder:  

My toast also needs some propping up:

These regal tea light holders look like little glass bricks:

And they even make furniture, as spell-binding as this chest:

Not to mention this dressing table and gorgeous mirror.  I would not be able to pull myself away each day and would have to get a new job, working from home:

Hope you have enjoyed your virtual shopping!