From Green to Grown-Up Gray

Over the last couple of weeks, I slaved away at painting over the horrid green that had long since given me mental design blinders in the main living areas of our home. When I first painted the green three and a half years ago, I felt it was cheerful and fresh. I wasn't (and still am not) afraid of color and I embraced it. However, I never could get the room to be quite "right". It just never felt cohesive or anything like what I had envisioned for it. And the room ALWAYS photographed a lot greener and neon than it really was. After much lamenting about the HUGE job it would be to paint that large of a space, I just bit the bullet and did it. (And thanks to my friend Ashton for helping me out one day!) It didn't hurt that I was to host a baby shower for one of my best friends this past weekend, so having a deadline put me into high gear to get it all done.

Let me tell you, it was soooo worth it! Once I got it finished, I could almost physically feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. It's like the green pressed down on me and kept me from being able to really progress as far as decorating goes. I was completely and totally stuck, to tell you the truth. The gray has lightened up the space and given me a fresh perspective on what all is possible in the space. I LOOOOOVE it!

I went with Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore. It was the one that didn't read too purple or too blue. It seemed to be just the right shade of neutral for our space. Picking out a paint color was hard, but once I saw the different shades in various areas of our home at different times of day, the choice was easy.

I really feel that my design tastes have matured a bit. I know myself and what I like a little better, and have a better sense of how to pull a room together. (I am by no means an expert. I still have LOTS of learning to do, but I feel like I have grown a lot.) Anywho, this feels like a much more grown-up space. It's almost like I have finally embraced that I am an adult. That concept is still really weird to me because it feels like I was 21 yesterday. But, nonetheless, I'm loving our new "grown-up" space. 

Just to give some perspective of the work we've done since moving into the home, I'm including some before, during, and now photos. I obviously have a pretty blank slate right now. My next step will be to add in some warm wood tones to warm up the space, lots of textures, and small pops of color. Here's the progress in our home:

Butler's Pantry:

Before: when we first moved in.

What it looked like the last three years. 

Now. This space is hard to photograph because there isn't any natural light right here. 

Kitchen:

Before

During

Now. I can't believe how much the gray paint lightens up the space!

Dining Room:

Looking into kitchen from dining room:

Before

During

And this same area after I added the Chevron Wall.

Now

Side Entry:

During

I'm still amazed at how different our spaces look now! I really, really, really love it! I can't wait to find some really pretty wood tones to add into the rooms and to see how seasonal decorating plays out with a neutral gray background. Stay tuned for my fall home tour! 

Linking up to:

Before and After Wednesday at The Dedicated House

Scott Antique Market and the Yellow Daisy Festival

Last weekend, my husband and I spent the weekend in Atlanta, along with some of our friends, to attend Scott Antique Market and the Yellow Daisy Festival at Stone Mountain Park. 

Scott Antique Market

Here are some pretties I spied at Scott's. There was so much to look at that I had a hard time focusing and getting decent pictures. Nevertheless, here they are.

I really, really loves these chairs. They were kind of gray washed or white washed with linen fabric and nailhead trim. So gorgeous. 

I was looking for a small table for our foyer and this one with X legs and an antique door for the top caught my eye. 

You really never know what you'll find there....like this interesting sculpture of a hand. And by interesting, I mean strange. I also saw a silverware set held in a small cabinet for over $6000, and one guy was proudly selling segregation plaques. From a historical standpoint, they were interesting, but I couldn't for the life of me think why he thought selling those signs was a good idea. 

I thought this stand up mirror was gorgeous and my hubby thought it was a good idea to pose while I was trying to get a photo. He's so silly.

Framed antique tin ceiling tiles.

I loved these lamps made from old corbels. Such a cool and useful way to repurpose them.

Yellow Daisy Festival

We actually stayed at the Evergreen Marriott at Stone Mountain. I would highly recommend it! They had a couple of restaurants in the hotel, a beautiful pool area with at least four gas fire pits scattered around it, a full spa, and a shuttle service to take you anywhere in the park. We got to enjoy the laser show one night and then the festival the next day.

I did take quite a bit of photos while at the festival, but I didn't see until we got home that photos weren't allowed in order to protect the artisan's work. So, I'll just keep those to myself for that reason. I will, however, show you what I brought home. Although I found lots of pretty furniture, we just didn't have the room to haul it in our car. We had pre-measured our trunk with the seat folded down to see what exactly we could fit, but didn't find anything we like that would fit. Boo! But, I am happy with what I found. 

A family from Ohio had a booth of freshly dried flowers. I love the pussy willow and and the wheat. (I was already on the lookout for wheat for fall decorating, so I snatched them up.)

I got these specialty drink mixes and caramels at the festival. I love having yummy drinks on hand for parties, so I couldn't resist. (It didn't hurt that they had a huge tent set up with tasting stations of all the mixes.) I already used the Coconut Lavender Lemonade at a baby shower yesterday, and it was divine! And I'll use the Caramel Apple Cider at an upcoming fall gathering.

I found this metal yard orb at Scott's. It really is beautiful and I had fully intended to use it in my landscape, but now I'm not sure that I won't keep it inside. So pretty.

I am a huge sucker for letters and numbers! These old sign sign numbers are perfect for holiday decorating. I can't wait to use them at Christmas this year.

This is one of my favorite finds. It's a picture frame made from an antique ceiling tile. I love the rusty patina and the texture on it.

This frame is actually quite large, holding two 8x10 photos. It's made from reclaimed lumber.

This "boo" sign was just the right thing for Halloween. I really don't decorate for Halloween that much at all, but I couldn't pass this up. 

So that's it for our Scott's/Yellow Daisy haul, minus what we got for our girls. We had so much fun shopping and looking at all of the antiques and arts and crafts. Have you ever been to the festival or to Scott's? What's your favorite thing about it? Leave me a comment below!

Southern Holiday Life Fall 2015

The Fall 2015 issue of Southern Holiday Life is here! I was so thankful to be a contributor again and I'm thrilled at how my articles turned out, as well as how the entire magazine! There are some really cool articles in this edition, so you'll definitely want to check out the digital version.

I had two articles in this issue; A Stylish Nod to Neutrals (pg. 21) and Frighteningly Festive (pg.57). 

For this fall front porch, I went with a neutral theme. I love white pumpkins and muted tones. I know my neighbors thought I was crazy for decorating for fall in July. I saw a couple of cars slow down really slow and then necks twisting as far possible to try to see what I was doing. It was hilarious. But, I had a deadline and it had to be done, regardless of the weird looks I got. The article tells all about how to achieve your own neutral palette for your fall decor. 

I had an absolute blast decorating for this article (and having a pretend Halloween party in July.) Decorating for Halloween isn't something I've done very much, but it was fun getting to let loose and go for it. The kids loved it, too. They got to eat all of the yummy food once I photographed everything. 

I hope you'll go take a look at the digital issue. I know you won't be disappointed! You can view the issue here:

Southern Holiday Life Fall 2015 Issue

Be sure to follow Southern Holiday Life on Facebook for info on future articles!

Waverly Chalk Painted Dresser

A few weeks ago, my husband spotted this gem on a local Facebook buy/sell/trade page. He showed it to me, and I immediately jumped at getting this beautiful dresser. The price was right and it was exactly the style and size that I needed for my daughter's bedroom.

I'm not exactly sure how old this dresser is, but it was in pretty good condition apart from the sanded top and the dated color......a dingy cream with brownish-gold trim. I knew that it'd be an easy fix to make this dresser sing again.

I've used chalk paint many times before to update furniture pieces, but had never used the Waverly brand. It's much more affordable than the Annie Sloan brand, but I wasn't sure that the quality would be the same. I decided to try it out. If I didn't like it, it's just a matter of repainting. I chose the colors Plaster for the body and Elephant for the trim. How can you go wrong with white and gray? (By the way, my go-to paint of choice for furniture is chalk or milk paint because it eliminates the need to sand or prime in the first place in most circumstances.)

However, when I got finished painting the gray trim, I wasn't crazy about it. It wasn't the shade of gray that I thought it would be....it dried much darker (and with a blue tint) than I expected. I ended up repainting the trim with Valspar Mountain Smoke that I already had on hand. 

Once I finished painting, I sealed it with a paste finishing wax. I use Minwax paste wax. It goes on with a hint of an orange tint, but it dries clear. I love that stuff. I've used it on many pieces and it always looks nice and gives a nice finish. When refinishing furniture, especially when using chalk paint or milk paint, DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! It's very important to seal it to protect the paint and give it longevity. Milk paint has a flat finish and if left unsealed, it will easily stain or chip. If you're going to distress your piece, do it before you use your wax. When you apply the wax, it should keep it from further chipping. (I didn't distress this dresser.)

After I painted the gray trim, I took some gold metallic craft paint and gently rubbed it on. I wanted a slightly aged look with a little bit of shimmer. It worked out perfectly and I am in love with the result! It's so pretty how it catches the light. 

Overall, I would say that the Waverly paint worked just as well as some of its more expensive counterparts.  I didn't even use a whole container of paint for this project and it was a pretty small jar. You can purchase this paint at Wal-Mart, however the availability may vary by store and region. My local Wal-Mart used to carry it in the store, but now doesn't. I had to order mine from walmart.com. I was pleased with how this dresser turned out and will definitely use this paint again, even if I have to order in online. It was worth it. 

Have you ever used Waverly chalk paint before? What were your experiences with it? Do you have another chalk paint or milk paint that you love? I want to hear about it! Leave a comment below!

Linking up to:

Creative Spark Link Party at Weekend Craft
Before and After Wednesday at The Dedicated House