So I now have this really beautiful house that I am slowly transforming into a "home". The first room I decided to tackle is the Powder Room (spare bath). I figured that if I was going to go wild with color, this small 3'x8' space is the place! I chose a bright aquamarine to do the job. Valspar from Lowe's. I've been a Behr girl most of my decorating time, but was at Lowe's and have had success with Valspar, so what the heck. My future hubby loved the color and once again I thank God for a open-minded, brave soul to go through life with! I come home all excited and start putting color on the wall. Super! This is so energizing and alive! 2 walls into it I'm thinking, hmmmm this may be too much aquamarine for someone in this small space? I keep painting and decide my idea of hand painting flourishes and swirls in muted white will be just fine, just keep going! As I'm trudging along I realize, my projector will not work in this small space. I'll have to free hand. By the end of the painting, box unpacking, start of school and all the other joys that come along with the first weeks in a new home at the start of a school year, I decide we will be stenciling this puppy! Much less arduous. I know there are beautiful stencils and I'm certain there are ones I'll find perfect for the project....right? So, somewhere between Virginia Beach and Charleston the art supply stores decided they will completely cut back the stencil stick they have. VB had lots of stencils, but here in Charleston the pickings are slim. I do come across one set that's small, but I feel I can do multiple layers and use only sections of them to create a more customized look. Off I head to Lowe's...again. One a side note. I may be a girl, but there's a distinct possibility that I may love Home Improvement stores more than any stores on the face of the Earth. Lowe's paint department will know me by name by the end of the month I'm quite certain.
I settle on using Martha Stewart's shimmer paint for the project. I planed on doing a relief stencil effect. Let me say here and now. If you plan on using shimmer paint for a stenciling technique you WILL see the swirls. Great right? Well, the light hit it different from ever angle. It looked like a small child painted it for me. I am a seasoned painter, so this was not satisfactory in my book. Okay, lesson learned. I'm using the shimmer in my entry though and it's going to be lovely just painted straight on. So back to the powder room....
I repaint the room with the aquamarine and change my course. Folk Art puts out a great acrylic paint and I use them often. I've used them for 25+ years and feel for crafty projects they are exceptional. For my stenciling I chose the metallic line they offer. I combines different tones of aquamarine and teal as well as silver. The results were great! I got the shimmer I was looking for and the slight transitioning across the stencil from one hue to the other looked great! I've included pictures of the project! I asked David to assist on some higher up ones while taking pictures! He's such a good sport! Thank you God for my wonderful Fiance!
I hope you enjoy the photos and forgive the quality. The room is so small to get into!
Until next time Dear Reader...
-Chatty Cathy
