Making it Lovely

Tag: painting

  • Picking Perfect Pink Paint

    Picking Perfect Pink Paint

    It’s no secret that pink is my favorite color, and I believe that pink can be a beautiful wall color when chosen well. Unfortunately, it’s a difficult color to get right and the results are often more Pepto than pretty. Here are several of my favorite pink shades along with the reasons I love them and a few suggested uses. I’ve also included several examples of the colors in actual rooms.

    pink paint
    All paint colors are from their respective brands’ websites, but my descriptions are based on the actual paint chips.

    • Wild Aster, Benjamin Moore
      This is my favorite pink, hands down. It’s very subtle with a lot of taupe and lilac, but it still reads as pink. It’s the most sophisticated and adult of all the pinks here, perfect for a living room or master bedroom.
    • Reverie Pink, Behr
      Similar in tone to Wild Aster, but less muted.
    • Powder Blush, Benjamin Moore
      A nice happy pink, this would be nice in a kid’s room.
    • Pink Innocence, Benjamin Moore
      Lovely pink with just a touch of muted lilac.
    • Peony, Benjamin Moore
      This deep pink would be gorgeous in an entryway, powder room, or dining room.
    • Milk Glass Pink, Martha Stewart (Valspar)
      A delicate light pink. I’d love to see this in a feminine kitchen.
    • Bare Pink, Pittsburgh Paints
      Another delicate light pink, but a little bit peachy.
    • Old Fashioned Pink, Behr
      A very pure pink with a little coral in it. It may be a bit bright for an entire room, but it would be perfect on furniture.
    • Ballerina Pink, Benjamin Moore
      This pale pink is one shade lighter than Pink Innocence.
    • Tutu, Martha Stewart (Valspar)
      Glamorous and a bit old-Hollywood, this would be perfect in a dressing room.
    • Blushing Bride, Benjamin Moore
      Some bold pinks can be too magenta, too fuschia, too neon, or too dark. This pink is none of the above. I’d love to see this color in a creative space, like a studio or home office.
    • Sugar Egg Pink, Martha Stewart (Valspar)
      There is a nice lilac tone to this pink. I think it would be gorgeous in a powder room with a vintage tub, nickel fixtures, and a little crystal chandelier.

    And as promised, here are a few of these colors (as seen in my home and my old apartment)…

    Living Room with Rocker and Cradle
    Wild Aster, in my living room

    My Studio
    Wild Aster, in my studio

    foyer looking in (my office)
    Ballerina Pink, in my old entryway; Pink Innocence, in my old office

    Eleanor's Nursery
    Powder Blush, on the dresser in Eleanor’s nursery

  • The Porch Rug (Revisited)

    The Porch Rug (Revisited)

    I thought I’d talk about painting the porch rug in a bit more detail today. So many of you loved the project (thanks!), and it really is something that can be easily done in your own home if you’re so inclined.

    front porch before and after

    I started by sketching the pattern on paper first. As I had mentioned before, I was inspired by a rug from Urban Outfitters (no longer available) and the flower petal patterns my Grandma Rose used to draw with me.

    Gathering Ideas for the Front Porch

    Once we were ready to begin, Brandon and I cleaned the porch and marked off the area for the rug with painter’s tape. We didn’t sand the floor first, though I’d recommend it if you have the time. Two coats of the base color (green) came next, and then it was time to figure out how to get the pattern drawn out on a large scale.

    Painted Rug in Progress

    I ended up putting in some rough guidelines with white chalk. I focused on placing the flower centers where I wanted them and then sketching out the general movement of the petals from there. I then painted everything freehand, stepping back every so often to make sure that the petal shapes and sizes were remaining consistent.

    Painted Rug in Progress

    If you’re considering a similar project, I’d say just go for it! It’s just paint — you’ll get a huge impact for very little money. And painting the rug while nine months pregnant was difficult (to say the least), but if I was able to handle it then the more able-bodied among you should have no problem!

    Front Porch

    If you liked my porch redo (all done in 48 hours with just $500), please take a moment to vote for it. There are two and a half weeks left, and I’d really appreciate your support during this time. And remember, you can vote once each day!

  • Painting the Porch Rug

    Here’s how I spent my Saturday afternoon…

    Painted Rug in Progress

    There’s me, the round little roly-poly VERY pregnant lady, painting the porch. Aye, my back hurts! And please note that the Chicago weather is NOT cooperating with us. I’m wearing a shirt, a hoodie, and a big bulky sweater — it was only 45 degrees out.

    To be fair, I must let you know that Brandon, his sister Jessica, and several other people have offered to help me paint. It had to be me though because I was painting the pattern freehand. I couldn’t just pick stripes or a checkerboard pattern that someone else could work on for me, now could I? No, that would have been too easy, and of course I’m all about making things difficult as can be. ;) The pattern was inspired by a rug from Urban Outfitters, and also the flower petal patterns my grandmother used to draw.

    Painted Rug in Progress

    Brandon made some excellent progress today as well. Our table and chair set has been painted!

    Spray Painting Furniture

    We still have a few things to do for the front porch, but they should go fairly quickly. And as I told my mom, we still have time because the baby isn’t due until Tuesday and I’ve instructed her to stay put until then. We have too much to do before she arrives, and our doctor will be out of town until Monday night. I’m sure the baby will listen, right?

  • Four New Dining Room Ideas

    Four New Dining Room Ideas

    These are my latest ideas…

    Four Dining Room Ideas

    The constants throughout all four designs are the ivory curtains (from Crate & Barrel, now discontinued), the lighting fixture (from west elm), the dining table and chairs (vintage, from Jubilee Furniture), and the wood trim and floors in our home. Also, I may edge the curtains with a coordinating solid to pick up on the other elements in each design.
    (more…)

  • Francesca’s Painting

    Francesca’s Painting

    I couldn’t show this until now because it was a gift…

    Francesca's Finished Painting

    I had created a similar painting a few years ago for little Ross on his first Christmas, so now it was baby Francesca’s turn.

    It was a simple process. I created the layout for the 16′ x 20′ canvas in Illustrator with a vector frame from istockphoto. I printed it out on 4 sheets of paper, taped them together, and traced the design onto the canvas with carbon paper. Once the pencil outline was on the canvas, I simply ‘colored’ it in with paint.

    Francesca's Painting, in progress

    Merry first Christmas, Francesca!

    The Finished Painting

  • Stairway Color

    Stairway Color

    I chose a color for the stairway: Campground from Behr. I’m painting this weekend, so we’ll see how it looks…

    Stairway Color