I've had a running joke with one of my dear friends, Denise, an interior decorator. The joke is that I do not have an easily defined style. So I would ask, "Debbie, what would you call my design style"? and she'd say "Chrissie you don't have any style"! And we'd die laughing! It's true! I really don't think I can be classified as having one traditional "taste" or style. I only know that I love mixing textures... And I love dimension (thus my line of bed crowns!).
So, here is a picture of my dining room from when I had no idea what I liked but had to do something to decorate my home! I truly just did what someone else recommended or fit into my (tight) budget. I felt good that it was done (and clean) but beyond that, didn't really feel ownership in the look.
So, where did I go from here?
Well, roll up the rug, clear the room, and take down the chandelier (actually it started smoking and almost caught fire one thanksgiving, so it was ready to go) .. and start ripping down some wall paper! and here is what I had left... peeling plaster, old primer, old glue from previous wallpaper and plaster cracks. The blue was actually an old primer (I think).
Above: Glue from wall paper peeling plaster
I patched a few large cracks in the plaster (my home was built in 1926) and ran a paint spatula to take off chipping paint, but left most of the irregularities. I love them because they make the wall interesting and leave the true patina. I took a chip of the blue and had my local Benjamin Moore (Brinton's) store match it in a gallon of Devine wall paint. If you haven't tried the Devine paint product line, it is absolutely one of the BEST paints I have ever used. It's so thick, luxurious, and incredible to work with. The consistency is like nothing I've ever worked with. You'll never be able to go back to any other paint! Check out their site at www.devinecolor.com
Here's the best part! I mixed the paint into water, about 1 part paint to 4 parts water (so it was veryyyy watery). Then got up on the ladder and started at the ceiling with a paint brush dripping with the paint mixture and began lightly painting from the ceiling down. The paint mixture ran down the wall like water. A friend with a wet rag, lightly blotted the running paint to blend it and keep it from puddling on the chair rail. I worked in about a 2 foot by 2 foot area at a time and made my way down the wall. The most incredible thing was how the paint mixture interacted with the glue I'd left on the wall to create brownish drip lines. I couldn't have made that happen if I'd tried! It was so amazing to just cover this wall with the drippy, runny paint and see what we got!
I have other great projects from this room that I'll share later, like the dining room table ($200 on Craigslist) and the skirted sideboard.
