This is our living room as it was when we first moved in. We can call this Version 1. See? Same old stuff, new space.
Slightly tweaked. The sisal rug is going. The old rug that is currently atop will shift over to live under the yellow chairs, which will hopefully not be yellow. An as-yet-undiscovered rug will live under the other group leaving more of the floor to show. Also, I picked up a pair of Paul McCobb tables that replaced the one that I made. (He is not abandoned, but residing in Mr. B's study.)
The white was beginning to feel less fresh and more Mastercraft apartment. (Many of you will be scratching your heads, but if you lived in Lawrence, Kansas in the late 80's you will have a vivid mental image.) I sought the counsel of a few friends and, with their thoughtful guidance, settled on paint. (I am respectfully allowing them to remain anonymous so as not to be inundated with requests for help. Mine are annoying enough.)
The plan was Farrow & Ball Borrowed Light on the ceiling and a strie of Slipper Satin on the walls. Borrowed Light is a home run in every way. I adore it. I could write poems about it. I dream of it in my sleep and spring from my bed in the morning so I can see it. The strie was tricky. (The swatch image is accurate; these are not.) I couldn't figure out why I couldn't figure it out.
I tried varying combinations of paint and glaze, hunted for different glazes and brushes, all with little success. It was time-consuming and annoying. One evening my middle son, who is not overly interested in aesthetic endeavors but has a good eye and a strong opinion, cruised through the room. I paused, brush in hand and asked, "Whaddya think?" He glanced and offered, "I like the color."
The concise clarity of this statement was all I needed. Like design, his communication often takes place in the negative space. The message was clear: abandon the strie - though he would not have known to call it that. Within ten minutes I was to a spot on the wall that had been painted with Ben Moore and not Sherwin Williams and I realized the entire problem was with the existing "base" coat. Bother.
Part 2, the resolution, tomorrow. (What? You think I'm Joni and I'm going to lay the whole thing out in one post? No way. I'm milking it. And I think I used "lay" correctly.)
Labels: Mrs. B at Home, Mrs. B DIY
