The big reveal

For the past six weeks, we’ve been hard at work on a three-room redecorating project.  Given our very open floorplan, changing the color/feel of a single space would have left it standing out like a sore thumb.  So…we redid three rooms. I wish I could tell you that it was a simple undertaking that was flawlessly executed from start to finish.  Ah, but that would be so very untrue.  We had a number of hiccups along the way, not the least of which necessitated me painting the same space two weekends in a row after the first paint color was a flop.  See for yourself.

It was a beautiful color on the paint chip.  It was just a tad too bold for my tastes once it was on the wall.

And then there were the curtains.  Oh, the curtains.  A fabulous Pinterest tutorial convinced me I could add fabric medium to paint and stencil curtain panels.  While I’m sure it’s possible, it was most assuredly not happening for me.  Sure, they look fine at first glance.  But if you look closely, you’ll notice that the stencil didn’t align properly, due to the fabric shrinkage as the paint dried.  Still, I thought the oopsie might not have been noticeable when they were hung, so I gave them a trial run.  It was disastrous.  When the sun shone through the panel, the paint was splotchy and uneven.  Also, the paint looked black instead of the super pretty teal it actually was.  Not to mention that just that much work took me over four hours.  For reals.

Oh, but enough about that.  Let’s get on to the good stuff.

Our previous color scheme and design was very Tuscan in nature.  The update is, well, kind of airy.  I don’t have a much better description.  But I’ll let the photos do the talking.  Let’s tour together, shall we?

This is my entryway, before and after.

Once you pass through our newly-painted black front doors (big improvement, right?), if you turn to your immediate right, you’ll see the formal living room.  I continue to love the gallery wall, so I left that be.  Well, almost.  I did change the paint color from a sage-y green to a more neutral khaki.  We also changed the curtains as well as hang them higher and wider.  I got rid of the dated paisley rug and replaced it with a really cute striped number.  My husband built not one but two (two!) beautiful tables that I found plans for on Pinterest.  I updated the toss pillows.  Lastly, I made a couple of paint chip pieces of art for the wall in colors that coordinated with the new digs.

Here are the before photos.

And the after photos.

Directly across from that room is our formal dining room.  In there, we replaced two of the original wooden chairs with upholstered ones to add some softness and texture.  We sold off the wine art and Roman numeral mirror and replaced the curtains (hanging high and wide here again).  My newly-handy husband built and hung shelves which I then styled and restyled until I got them just right.  Lastly, we replaced the tired light fixture with this globe one that I LOVE.  It’s from the YHL line the online Shades of Light store sells (when they can keep them in stock).  It was  a steal at only $99.  Here are the before photos.  And since I know you’re bound to ask, the words on the wall are Italian for “It is written: Man does not live by bread alone.”

And after…

Moving right along on our tour now…when you walk through the front door, the space opens up in front of you and you can see directly into the backyard.  If you walk through the front two rooms and stand beneath the archway, this is your view.  But only if it’s early morning and the light is blinding.  I do realize that the picture may have been better had I waited until later in the day to take it, but after a day of abuse from our family of six plus the dog, it wouldn’t have been nearly so tidy.  You get the idea though, right?

Look over there to the far left.  See that counter space beside the double wall ovens?  Yes, there.  I stood there to take the following before photo.

To update this space, I started by painting that ugly brown fireplace tile a matte black.  I also repainted the back of the cutouts.  They started as the same sage-y green color that had previously adorned the accent walls in our formal living and dining rooms.  Everything got a fresh coat of khaki (officially soft suede by Behr) paint.  I gave the two upholstered chairs to my mom and replaced them with new, brighter ones that feature a fun, geometric shape (quatrefoil, or close at least) I replaced the curtains and updated some of the home accents in the cutouts.  I also repainted the area above the kitchen cabinets and the front of the bar to match the new neutral.  Lastly, the pantry door was painted black.

And here is what that same space looks like today.

So there you have it.  I’m so glad you could join me on this tour.  I am hoping to run a few posts later in the week with more detail on a few aspects of our redecorating project.  Considering that my baby is graduating high school on Thursday, though, I may get sidetracked.  Feel free to ask any questions in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer.