Great Room Makeover: Part I: Wall Color

Phase one of my great room makeover is complete, wall color. While the room isn't nearly finished, I wanted to give you a peek at how the painting turned out. It is a warm shade of chocolate brown and I just love it. The final coat of paint was finished on Wednesday, but I didn't begin reloading the space again until Saturday.

Here is the room before with it's boring-you-to-tears beige walls:




and now..


I haven't purchased a single new thing for this space yet which explains the lack of color and personality. I haven't even rehung the curtain panels that go on either side of my wall of windows!

This room is crying out for new accessories!

I plan to take my time choosing just the right pieces to accessorize this room. For now, I made do with what I had around the house. I strolled around the house grabbing accessories that I was willing to move from other rooms and things I had in the storage area of my basement and laid them out on the kitchen table.

As you can see, I didn't have a lot to choose from and almost nothing with color. Some spray painting may be in my future if the weather here ever decides to warm up.



I'll need to find something large for over the fireplace mantle, items for accessorizing the book cases, plants and some wall art. Even without all of those things in place I'm enjoying the cozy feeling that the brown walls give this space. They remind me of two of my favorite things, coffee and hot cocoa. This is a room where I like to light a fire, curl up with a hot drink and read a good book. I think choosing dark walls was the right choice for the way the room functions. I like light and bright for work spaces, but when I'm relaxing, warm colors are the right choice for me.

So my friends, that is Part I of The Great Great Room Makeover. I look forward to the day when I can post Part II, accessories.

Thank you!

I am completely blown away by all of the lovely comments and emails I received regarding my post on Monday, Karma and the Successful Blogger. I was gone for a good part of the day but when I returned home in the late afternoon my inbox was full of really sweet comments. Monday was my birthday so all of the kind words were like a gift.

I had planned to reveal my great room with it's newly painted walls on Tuesday, but I wanted to personally respond to everyone who had stopped by on Monday-and that took hours!

Thank you again to all of you who visited. I promise, tomorrow I'll be back to blogging about decorating!

Karma and the Successful Blogger

via Angry Dog Designs

"Do good things and good things will happen to you"- Earl Hickey, My Name is Earl

Do you believe in the principle of karma, that a person's actions determines his or her fate? I know it to be true, karma is alive and well in the blogosphere and determining the destiny of many a blogger.

Back in the days when I was a mere lurker in the kingdom of blogging one of my favorite blogs to stalk was Centsational Girl. At the time Kate's followers numbered in the mid hundreds (Keep that in mind, we will come back to that point.) Because I loved Kate's style of writing and all the great advice she dispensed on her blog, she was my natural choice to contact when I needed advice on starting my own blog. I contacted Kate several times for advice and she always came through with tips and encouragement. She told me to keep plugging along, when she was starting out she only had about 10 followers for the first 3 months. Look at her now, she has over 7,600 followers and growing, her home has been featured in numerous publications and she was recently a guest on the Nate Berkus show. I have no doubt that Kate has helped many a blogger the way she helped me and her kindness has not gone unrewarded.

My observation of karma in the blogging world didn't end with Kate. Once I launched my blog many others have bestowed acts of kindness upon me. Roeshel from The DIY Show Off visited me blog shortly after I began and, seeing how green I was, let me know that I could call on her for advice if it was ever needed. I didn't have to ask for her help, she simply offered. I wouldn't know how to do a simple thing like embed a mood board from Polyvore to my blog without her knowledge. Since that first offer, Roeshel's blog has become wildly success. Karma baby!

Need more convincing? When my brother was ill and placed in hospice care last summer, dozens of bloggers privately emailed me to offer support. Others stepped up to offer to write guest posts so that I wouldn't have to let my blog go during that rough patch in my life. What had I done for these bloggers? Very little, I'd done nothing more than follow their blogs and leave comments, but that was enough for them to want to return the favor. These wonderful women all wrote guest posts for me:

Barbara from hodge:podge

Jesse from Good Girl Gone Glad

Debbie from Inspired Design

Alicia from Little Black Home

Fran from Green Street

Jess from Frugal with a Flourish


I've had my share of good karma come my way by doing little more than featuring a great idea I'd seen on another blog and including a link. For instance, in December I shared a beautiful Christmas wreath project that I'd seen on a new blog, A {Blonde's} DIY Life, Ashley, the blog's author has repaid that itty bitty favor over more times than I can count. She's even helping me with a new blog design that will be launching soon!

Lacking good karma in the blogging world lately? When was the last time you did one of these? (I'm just saying...)

-Featured a project or idea from a little known blogger on your blog

-Wrote a tutorial for a project gone wrong and taught readers how to learn from your mistakes

-Personally contacted someone who asked a question in a comment rather than leaving an answer right on the blog or ignoring it completely

-Shared a tip or two with another blogger on how to improve their site

-Took a day off from blogging about your usual topic to highlight a cause. (Many took a day off last week to bring attention to the plight of those suffering in Japan.)


Karma is a boomerang my friends. Toss out a random act of kindness and you might be knocked over by what comes your way.

Let the Painting Begin!

If you read Wednesday's post then you probably have a pretty good idea of what color I finally chose to paint my great room. Yes, it's chocolate brown! I can hardly wait to complete the room.

Deciding to paint this two story room was a little anxiety producing. Why you ask? First, my number one fear in life is falling to my death so painting this room myself was out of the question. That meant ponying up to have the room professionally painted. For those of you who don't know me well, paying others to do what I can do myself sends shivers up my spine and causes me to break out in hives. Whatever I chose had to be perfect, it's not like I can afford to have a painter come back in a week if I decide the color isn't just right. (In all honesty though, painting a dark color is a challenge. It's imperative that you get a razor sharp edge when cutting in so this is one time when paying for labor was, in my opinion, a wise move.)

I spent a considerable amount of time looking at sites like Decor Pad and Houzz for images of rooms painted in dark hues.

photos via decorpad

Hours were spent testing colors on Sherwin Williams Color Visualizer before narrowing down my choices and buying four quarts of various colors to try on white poster boards. As you may recall from my post about choosing wall color for East-facing rooms, I completely ruled out dark blue walls after seeing how dreary the paint samples looked in the evening.

Loved this dark navy blue on the visualizer, not so much in reality.

I didn't select this almost black for my great room, but felt it was perfect for my dining room.

*Tip: If you do use an online tool for choosing paint color be mindful of the fact that the color you see on your screen will likely look completely different on your walls. Instead, find a shade that you like on the screen then go to the store and find a paint chip that looks identical. I can't stress enough how important it is to buy a test quart so you can try it before committing. For $4.95 you could avoid a very costly mistake. While I generally use Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore paints, most paint stores can mix you a sample for a small fee.

Stop by next week to see the big room reveal.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Craving Chocolate

via Decor Pad

While rooms with pale walls and bright colors may be more in demand, I'm still smitten with chocolate brown coated walls. I'm sure my craving for chocolate started about the time I got my first glimpse of the deep brown walls in the room pictured above. I found that room to be elegant without feeling stuffy.

More chocolate covered goodness

House Beautiful

Whether it's sweet milk chocolate or a rich dark chocolate, I want a taste of it in my home. Take a look at these rooms and you'll understand why.

Chocolate stripes look delicious


Arhaus




Via Feathers



Combined with a palette of neutrals, dark chocolate creates a soothing feel.

Via Decor Pad




I love it paired with hot pink and blue and trimmed in crisp white.

Via DMagazine.com

This room done in browns and white would be equally charming in winter or spring.

via The Design File

What about you, do you have a sudden urge for some chocolate?

Capturing Photos on Canvas

One of the least expensive ways to add a personal touch to your home is by framing family photos or pictures you shoot yourself on a vacation or at a special event. To highlight the photos and make them a focal point in your space you can have them blown up and printed on a gallery wrapped canvas from sources like EasyCanvasPrints.com.

When my nephew showed me some of the nature photographs he'd taken in the past year I asked him if he'd be willing to email me a few of his favorites so that I could use one as wall art for my home. It was a tough choice, just look. (Oh, BTW, my nephew is still in junior high. Wish I had his talent for photography.)
















I finally decided on this image of a dew covered rose.



Ordering from Easy Canvas Prints was extremely easy. Just download your image, select the size and thickness you'd like for your canvas and you're almost done. A .75 canvas is perfect for framing , but I selected to have mine printed with a 1.5 inch gallery wrap so I could hang it without the extra cost of framing.





I was pleased with how little distortion occurred when the photo was enlarged.





For a small upcharge you can have your image printed in black and white or sepia tones or have retouching.




Within minutes I made my selections and was ready to add it to my cart. The final cost for a 16 X 20 print was $87.18, but an 8 X10 printed on .75 inch thick canvas would have been just $43.59. Smaller sizes would look beautiful framed with a large mat to give it more presence. My order was placed on a Monday and my finished canvas was delivered the following Saturday morning.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the quality of the product, ease of the ordering process and the swift delivery. If you are looking for an affordable alternative to pricey original artwork, this is a great option that comes in at well under $100. With wedding and graduation season quickly approaching, you might want to consider a canvas as a personalized gift.


*Easy Canvas Prints offered one free canvas in return for an impartial review of their product and service.

Come Over to the Dark Side

House Beautiful

Once the first coat of nearly black paint went up in my dining room I was ecstatic. Unfortunately, my daughter had another reaction, she thought the room was depressing. Without window treatments, wall art, plants or accessories of any kind that is understandable. Rooms with dark walls need contrast in order to work. If you are considering using a dark color on your walls, here are a few suggestions that could make your walls a source of drama rather than of dread:

Break up dark walls by painting adjoining rooms in light colors.

Via Home Design Find

Paint strictly the top portion of your room, keeping the bottom half a light color.

Via Fresh Nest

Keep window treatments light to contrast with the dark walls and also to allow in as much natural light as possible.

Via My Notting Hill

The eye is always drawn to color in a room, add a large scale piece of brightly colored art so that the wall color becomes a backdrop for the piece.

Via Decor Pad

Use reflective surfaces like mirrors or mirrored furniture to draw more light into the space.

Via Decor Pad

To avoid a cave-like feel, avoid painting the ceiling the same shade as the walls, choosing a light color that won't readily absorb light instead. A pale blue would be beautiful with dark walls.

Via Dwellings and Decor

An inexpensive way to break up large expanses of wall is to hang a grouping of frames with white mats.

Create a nice contrast by painting trim in a crisp white.

Choose a few well placed accessories in bright colors to place throughout the space. This allows your eye to move throughout the room rather than focus exclusively on the walls alone.

Via Decor Pad

Dark walls done right can be very appealing. Are you ready to come over to the dark side?

Dining Room Sneak Peek

I planned to wait until Monday to reveal the dining room all painted, but I just couldn't wait. The painter is coming back Monday morning to add a second coat and make touch-ups, but so far I am loving the new look.

Here's a reminder of how the space looked bright and early Thursday morning:




It took a lot of trial and error and four visits to the paint store to find the perfect color, but in the end I'm glad I put some thought into this because I love the result so far. (But that builder's special light fixture must go!)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Goodbye Stripes, Hello Drama

By the time you read this the stripes on my dining room walls will be just a memory-a bad memory. While I loved them for about 2 minutes they had to go. The amount of pattern in that space was giving me a headache. Since everyday meals are eaten in the kitchen this room is used primarily for entertaining family and friends so why not treat our guests to a little drama.

I swore I would never try black walls, but I didn't say a word about an almost black paint. We chose Black Fox by Sherwin Williams, it matches the nearly black, shade of gray in the wallpaper used in this space.





My hope is that the dark color will help tone done the red in the wood of my dining room table and chairs.

On a totally different note, say goodbye to the easiest window update ever, the tablecloths that I fashioned into window treatments for spring and summer last year. I should have considered shrinkage when I purchased the 84" panels. Curses! They even had longer lengths. Oh, well, now I have two spare tablecloths for spring/summer entertaining.




Stop back next week to see the big dining room paint reveal.

Winner of the CSN Stores Giveaway

Thanks to all of you who entered the giveaway from CSN Stores. The lucky winner is.....
Henria O. of Sazzyfrazz Says. Congratulations, have fun using that gift certificate.

Choosing Wall Color for East-Facing Spaces

The Painted Shed

Certain as the sun rises in the east, choosing wall color for east-facing rooms will present a challenge. On bright, sunny mornings your room will be filled with warmth from the sun's yellow glow, but come noon the same walls will appear much darker. By evening your room may look like a completely different color than what you see upon rising in the morning.

Since I'm still searching for the perfect color for my east-facing great room and am considering a much darker color, I was thrilled to see a piece on this very subject in the April issue of House Beautiful. A number of designers were asked to weigh in and suggest an option. Several mentioned the need to consider the yellow cast given off by the morning sun. With the exception of the fabulous designer Grant Gibson, the consensus seemed to be muted versions of pastels with yellows, greens, blues and silvery purples taking the lead. (Paint colors below appear darker on screen than they did in the issue of House Beautiful.)

Farrow & Ball Hound Lemon 2

Benjamin MooreSpring Meadow 208

Benjamin Moore Crisp Morning Air

Gibson mentions in the HB piece that he chose a deep cobalt blue from Farrow & Ball in his own bedroom because the moody quality of the color appeals to him in the evening.

Farrow & Ball Drawing Room Blue 253

The comment by Mr. Gibson made me think about the importance of choosing a color based on what type of feeling you want the space to invoke and what times of day you'll be spending in the room. A deep eggplant color in your bedroom may feeling soothing when you retire for the evening, but that same color in your east-facing breakfast nook may not give you the energetic feel you desire with your morning coffee.

In my own attempts at choosing a paint color that works both day and night I have found it very helpful to select paint chips at the store rather than relying on the color I see online which can be deceptive. Buying test samples of colors that appeal to me and trying them out on large poster boards allows me to tape the sample to various walls in my room and view them at different times of the day.

I rejected these two colors (which appear far brighter on the screen) after seeing how dreary and washed out they looked in the evening light.

The camera really does lie, these colors are much darker in person.

While wall color is one of the least expensive options for changing the look of a room, you don't want to waste time and money on paint that doesn't work in your space. Because the light in east-facing rooms seems to change every few hours, it's well worth it to spend $20-$30 on paint samples in order to get it right the first time.


These one quart test samples from Sherwin Williams are ideal for testing out colors without committing and, as my blogging friend Kelle Dame pointed out, can be used for random projects around your home even if you reject the color for your walls.



I'm currently on my 4th test color, it's taking far longer than I anticipated to select a color, but in the long run I know I'll be glad I chose wisely it's never fun having to do a project over because of a mistake.


If you haven't entered my giveaway for a $50 gift certificate to CSN Stores, you still have time. Entries will be accepted until 7:00 PM EST tonight. Go here to enter.