projects galore

You all know I've been talking about painting my house gray since before we moved in, but it's a wee bit intimidating.  I have a very open floor plan and my issue was (is) that if I painted one wall, I would need to paint about 800 SF, not to mention our ceilings are painted our wall color too............and that's alotta ceiling.  But after 3 months of hemming and hawing, taping up paint chips, and picturing everything I've been doing with gray walls, I finally bought a little trial paint sample and broke the seal!

Now just a little preface to these pictures.  I don't know if I've ever mentioned the random pressure I feel to have a perfect house since I'm an Interior Designer.  Somehow I think people don't understand that just because you're this oh so glamorous designer, you must have more time or money than the average Joe.  Um, not the case.  So, before these pictures, I've been a little hesitant to post my house as it really is day to day- a work in progress.  An unfinished project with no less than 6 paint chips taped up at any given time; never as clean as I want it and not at all close (yet) to the perfect inspiration pictures I'm constantly posting.  But, let's get real.  I don't have time to clean and accessorize for y'all each time I want to show you something.  So I'm gonna keep it real from now on- mess and all.  With all that being said; here's the gray :) 

Drew has been badgering me to finish the coffee table and the media console we got about 3 months ago (both unfinished wood), but I felt like I couldn't get started until I could see them with the gray walls I've been dreaming about. And the downward spiral begins.  I'm pretty sure I am in love with the gray, but I need your opinion! 

There's my fab living room.  Oh god.  Builder boob fixture and all. (Eventually, that TV will be wall mounted and the console below will be finished and I will have curtains and crown molding and if nothing else, the boob fixture will be replaced).  I like how the builder put two electrical outlets on either side of the TV outlet so far away that there's not a furniture piece large enough to cover them; smart thinking guys!

Ok, so anyways, I know it's just a subtle difference, but I think once it's all finished, it will be such a huge difference.  That off white color is just so..........builder bland.

OH!  On a side note: you know those little square things that claim to make edging a dream?  SO TRUE.  LIFE CHANGING and I totally recommend them.  I don't know why I thought they were a scam all these years???

Before

And after.  I know, I know.  It seems crazy to spend all this time and money on such a subtle change, but I have to. (ps.  this is how much house I would normally show you when it's a hot mess like it is now).

c

Again, totally keeping it real with the laptop plug and shoe inserts on the table- classy.  I picked this wing back chair up at Willy's in Tampa for $150 bucks and despite that heinous floral print, it's a good size (36" wide) and super comfy.  I picked up two fabrics today as options to recover it in (see below)

that crinkly thing behind the chair is the paint chip of the gray color above.  Poor thing (the paint chip) has been taped up in every SF of my house and carried around in my purse for a couple weeks so I could obsess over how it would look.  The yellow stripe would add a nice pattern and look cute, but still neutral with the walls and beige sofas.  The orange linen is actually what I'm leaning towards more.  While being a brighter color, I feel like it's less of a risk becuase it's a solid.  I thought about going super funk with a huge scale fabric pattern (and still might), but I fear that it will go out of style in a few years and reupholstering isn't exactly cheap!

Also planned for this room is this:

rug from West Elm.  I need something dark and durable and while I would love an oriental, I frankly just can't afford it. I like the ethnic look of it and for the size, it's a pretty good deal!

I am leaning towards a crystal chandelier like the one below, but who knows....I haven't even begun to look at fixtures yet ;)

I kind of want something out of control and glitzy to offset the ethnic feel of the rug and provide a focal point.

Whatya guys think? 

-jd