A Master Bedroom sneak peak....

I promised a full master bedroom reveal post....and I'll get there....eventually. Once the room is "done". For you smartie pants, you have caught the catch here. The room is never really done, right? Sidenote: why do these projects always seem to take longer than you think?

Before you continue reading, be sure you go back to the before pics in this post.

Here are a few in progress pictures so you get an idea of the enormity of this transformation:

Primer coat

 

Primer again - before the real color

 

Primer (still drying) contrasted with the old color



I think it's pretty fair to say that the primer coat alone gives you an idea of how drastic and much needed this change was. I'm in love with the final outcome. The color is relaxing without being bland and neutral while still being bold. We ended up going with, no surprise here, my go-to color, Valspar Smoked Oyster at 75%. It looks different, in a good way, than it did in the kitchen at the last house, and I love that this has a more gray base rather than the brown shades in the kitchen. It just goes to show you how different lighting can impact the final results.

I'm waiting for a couple pictures to get framed and then I'll be able to pull together the last details of the room to share with you. Be patient with me, I think it'll be worth it!

That time I painted my kitchen...

It's long overdue, but I owe you guys an update on the master bedroom/kitchen painting situation. I'm saving the master bedroom for a separate post. I love the color - it turned out fantastic. Add in some new bedroom furniture (big kid style), new bedding, lamps, accessories, etc, and I think that's a reveal post of its own, don't you?

The kitchen, on the other hand. Ehhhh, mehhhh. I suppose this post can be filed under the "glad it's done but I'm not thrilled with the outcome" section. Let's be honest, I know some of yall liked that yellow, but believe me when I tell you a/ the pictures didn't do the horrific-ness justice and b/ it just wasn't us. It had to go. But did I make the right replacement choice? The jury is still out.

I decided to go with Valspar Frappe at 50%. In it's original formula, it had strong green undertones and was way too dark. I tried a sample at 75% and that was still too dark. I ventured to Lowes again for the 50% sample and decided that would do.

Overall, I'm happy the yellow is gone but not entirely pleased with this choice. I think it's a little bland and I'm not sure it works with the cabinet colors. It'll do for a few years until I find something that really strikes my fancy. For now, it's neutral enough that I hardly notice it day-to-day (unlike the yellow) and perhaps most importantly, it's not too overpowering at night when the paint colors throughout the house seem to become electric.

Warning: these photos are totally unedited and I'm not professing to be a professional photographer. I just snapped them quickly as I was writing this. That meant a quick clean/tidy of the kitchen. However, you'll still get a lovely glimpse into a day in the life of Mrs. B.

Dining table area

Yes, that is a light bulb that needs to be replaced, and yes, I need to fix the slipcovers.

Hi Clemmie!

 

Looking over the island. You can get an idea of the contrast with the stone.

Stupid light bulb.

Side note: what should I do with that TV mount on the right side?

I need to find pictures to anchor both sides of the window....

 

From the dining table looking over the island

Ignore the pile of junk on the far left - that's Mr. B's stuff.

Not sure how the color works here against the cabinet color.

 

Similar view as before.

I spy a bedside table lamp that may or may not be included in the MBR post!

Darn slipcovers....

 

The laundry room

 

The pantry looking a little sparse since I haven't been to the grocery in, um, ages.

Have you met my OCD husband who arranges everything label forward?

 

In conclusion, I'm mostly just relieved that this project is done before baby arrives and I lose track of days/months/years before I have a chance to do anything home-related again. Going forward, part of me thinks I have waited until I was absolutely 100% sure about a color - and I would recommend that to you too - unless you have this looming little deadline like the arrival of a new baby which will likely derail most home decor projects for an undetermined period of time.

 

Anyone else have a painting experience that borders on disappointing rather than exhilarating? Surely others have made these mistakes before?

  

The metal grate: A project in progress

T-minus 12 days till Mama H. gets here.  I'm pretty excited to be honest! She'll be here for 10 days which gives us plenty of time to get through some house and craft projects. But for Mama H., that's 10 days away from this little gem:

This creature freaks out when you take her near an airport, let alone on a plane. So, no visit from Miss Annie. But isn't she so stinkin adorable?

As for the guest room, we're nearly there. The painting is finished! All done! I'm not even going to bother posting pics of the trim work because it looks exactly the same as before, but fresher, and that doesn't show up in photos.

Well, there's still one piece of painting outstanding.  You may remember the grate / grill we have in this room. I have no idea what it's original purpose was (any takers? probably something heating-related?) but it looks cool-ish.

I decided that instead of painting it Bay Laurel, I would strip the paint off to get the original metal showing. It has to be something pretty right? Perhaps, even match the radiator?!  Call me ambitious and naive because this project is a beast. 

I've had to wait until semi-decent weather to do this outside, and Saturday gave me a chance. Seems easy enough at the start right? A little paint stripper (I know it's bad Arlene!), scrape it off, and voila!

But there's a trick here, because nothing is that easy. My first hint should have been when this genius idea crossed my mind: I should take a close up picture for the blog so you can see the INTRICATE DETAIL of the metal work. But no, it didn't click.

Instead, it dawned on me about here:

I'm about halfway through (after several hours) and I'm starting to wonder if I would have been better off just getting a can of oil-rubbed bronze spray paint. Not cool.

I'll share pictures as I progress, but don't hold your breath. This is taking forever.

Monday Makeover

We're all about makeovers here at The Anniversary Home.

So, if you haven't noticed - and I don't know how you could miss it - The Anniversary Home blog got a pretty sweet makeover recently. I'm biased, but I'm loving the new header and the pretty blues and purples. I hope you like it too?

All the thanks and credit goes to Jess over at Diamond Doll Designs. Didn't she do an incredible job? I think you should check out her etsy shop and have her makeover your blog too. Or maybe some custom stationery and invitations. Or artwork. She's got it all.

Jess is a sorority sister who always has a special eye for the fantastic and fabulous. She's got a pretty amazing blog over at My Beatles Babies where I highly suggest you spend some quality time. (Her little munchkins are probably the cutest things ever.) Jess is about to start a big home construction project in the new year too, so if you're really into home restoration and decorating, the two of us have you covered.

Thanks again Jess!