FINALLY. I finished the lamps for my family room. I purchased the lamps for my old house. They worked really well there, but don’t quite fit in my French country cottage themed family room in my new house. Theywere a deep red, here they were before:
All of the colors in my family room now are creams, beiges, soft blues, soft yellows… you know, all those shabby colors. I really was torn on color. I wanted to paint these lamps, because they are almost new, and I’m trying to design on a dime! Waste not want not, right? I was torn between three colors:
I immediately eliminated “Provence” it was just too bright. I was worried the “French Linen” wouldn’t come out right- it tends to look different when paired with certain colors. So there you have it, I was going with “Paris Grey.”
The lamps covered really well, and two coats later- BAM here’s what I got:
But I’m a pain in the a$$ and something just wasn’t working for me. I wasn’t “feeling it” as I always say. I felt that the burlap shades (which I wanted to keep) was fighting the grey blue of the lamps. I think it was too much of a contrast. So I debated what to do…. dry brush with “Old White,” “Antique Glaze,” “Dark Wax,” or distressing. I really waited almost two weeks because I was afraid to make a move. Well, today I decided I need to man-up and do something so I could get some damn light in my family room. I feel like Helen Keller feeling my way in the dark. Sorry for those of you who find that comment offensive, but it’s true.
So today I kind came up with my own little experiment. I took Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint in “Coco” and sort of dry brushed it on. I would put a bit on, and then wipe it off. I kind of shrugged my shoulders, and thought to myself “eh, I’ll keep going.” I figured if it was a total disaster I could always just repaint it and start over. Once it dried, I liked it, but again it felt like it was missing something. I know, like I said, I’m a pain in the ass! I decided to mess around with dark wax, and diligently worked quickly so it wouldn’t set in too much. I loved the way it came out. I took a total chance, and it paid off. The “Coco” and the dark wax completely tamed down the dusty blue, and the lamps now compliment the burlap shades. Checked that off my list!
Just to give you an idea of what the “Paris Grey” looked like alone compared to the finished product, here you go:
Lastly, here are more pictures of the finished product:
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