Black and White

My 2 favorite colors - since like always.......................

I love how clean each color makes the other look - how crisp the overall picture becomes - how soothing to the eyes -
Don't get me wrong - color is beautiful - it brings life into otherwise drab spaces - but in my perfect world color would be on the outside, and black and white would surround my interiors - they bring a feeling of peace to my rather chaotic world - even photos are more enjoyable for me to look at when in black and white.
So with that mindset - I convinced Nella to go with Pure white walls in her rather long hallway, and black doors,
all 10 of them ( yes, she has 10 doors in her hallway )
Here is an example - though I am not finished - and there will be artwork in black frames when we are finished with the paint.

I forgot to take before pics - but they were painted an offwhite  - ( as were the walls ) and looked
very drab.................for me this is such an impact - it is the first thing you see when you enter her home and
it screams sophistication -
We have to pick lighting - and I think the black coach lights are going to win ( fingers crossed )
More pics to follow -

In the meantime more black and white rooms -

http://www.home-designing.com

http://www.housebeautiful.com

 Jessica Helgerson Design

By Elizabeth Dinkel Design Associates

I want that floor somewhere in my house ( foyer or kitchen? ) classic, timeless, gorgeous.

and again ( already posted this pic this week - but too bad - love it so much I may post it once a week
for the rest of my blog life )

xxx

Heritage

Our section of the city has just been declared a heritage site - here a few photos of the facades I get to look at when I go for my walks...................

and one interior that I can't help but post ( listed on mls )

eye candy..........................

xxx

The problem with T.V. ( again )

Last night while flicking the stations on T.V. I saw advertisements for a woman who is in love with her breasts - she loves them as if they were her children, the ad claims.  Someone else is in love with their car - to the point that he has a sexual relationship with it ( do not try the visual on that one - I did and all I can think of now is this person and a tailpipe ) They make the woman who is addicted to cat crunchies seem like a normal person.

On another channel they were showing a hoarder whose home is infested with rats and their feces, and another man who was crying because officials were rounding up rats that he considers to be his pets.
Empty nest syndrome?

Further down the dial you can watch the mundane acts of people buying houses and complaining bitterly about the paint colors the previous owners used - Oh the drama - what color will the new owners use?
Do we change the channel in disgust when it is not a color we would choose?

We watch shows about people who have dozens of kids - as they go about their daily lives sweeping the floors - preparing dinners etc
and we watch as a young simple mother of 8 - becomes a diva before our eyes and turns our
stomach with her " all about me " selfishness.

We watch DWTS - and judge as if we are expert foxtrotters and twosteppers.

We watch American Idol - Amazing Race and Big Brother - while doing nothing but sitting on a couch or laying on a bed.

We watch Cooking contest shows and decide who should win as we eat dinners we have ordered in. Or worse we simply watch people cooking - instead of actually getting up and do so ourselves.

We watch Celebrity Apprentice and decide from early on who is worthy of winning and complain bitterly that it's fixed when we are proven wrong.

Something is definitely wrong with this picture - it's time to turn it off and get back to the art of living I think.

For me?

Think I'll stick to my paint brushes and furniture obsessions - at least I am living my own reality and not someone else's.....................................

( and I will always love my children more than my breasts, lol )

xxx

Another one

we're picking this up today - not a lot of work to be done on it because it is being painted white ( ASCP ) and the handles will be changed to chystal knobs - I love that it is French Provincial without all the fuss ( I do love fuss - but no fuss is easier lol ) and will appeal to more people because of that. I love her pretty little delicate feet - a simple but classic piece of furniture - the absolute best kind.

BTW - coffee table did not get sold - it was too small for the customers needs - ( even though I specifically gave the measurements before they wasted their time coming over ) Entry way is getting more and more crowded - pretty soon people will have to use the back door, lol ( the servants entrance, don't you know )
And only someone who does this could understand living this way!  I remember going to my brothers house and he had converted his living room, right off the foyer, into a playroom for his kids - and I thought " how strange " well it doesn't beat mine I tell ya, here I sit with a storage room smack in the middle of the house when you walk in.  And when we have company it all gets hauled into the bedroom with the door securely closed so no one sees this ridiculous situation!

God love me, because I certainly make it extremely difficult for anyone else to, lol

xxx


xxx

Piorra Maison

I finally ventured down to Caroline's new store today - Piorra Masion - Montreal stocklister for Annie Sloan chalk paints - what a charming store!!!!  It's filled with beautiful  custom jewelry made from vintage pieces - some pieces of furniture - unique clothing - and of course the much sought after ASCP.
And we spoke about selling some of my furniture in her space - on consignment - which is such a relief because Craig's list is    s       l        o        w,  right now.
Tomorrow someone is coming to buy a coffee table I have listed - but other than that the last sale was the gray buffet hutch and that was last month. The storage unit is filled to the brim - and this friday I have more furniture coming - 4 pcs for which I have not a spare foot to put it in.

bamboo details on the legs - this pc is so much prettier in person
ASCP White - no distressing at all

and as you can see peaking out in the background the pink dresser has not sold either ;(

I know this is a slow time for retailers in general - and for home furnishing in particular -
but I really need to make some room here - it's becoming overwhelming ( even for me, lol )

Anyway - here is the funny part - she went on my site to see what I've done - and there, right
after Meet Gigi - is a photo of my bedroom - with the clothes piled high on my dresser and my
unmade bed - EMBARASSING...........with me trying to explain why the hell I would have those
photos on my blog -
" it's because I never want anyone to see anything out of order in my home, so I thought I would
sort of come clean, lol "
" well  you see I was really sick - and was trying to emphasize how sick I was "
Forget it Suzan - the explanations sound stranger than the photos.
Felt like a complete idiot really - it seemed funny when I wrote the post - but like all the stupid
things I do - it came back to bite me, lol.

Think I'll stick to my " staged " photos in the future.

xxx

Meet Gigi

Here she is..............finally done.

be ready for a ton of pics - I can't help it I am so proud of this one.............absolutely will not sell it.
( I'm telling you in 10 years I will be on a Hoarders episode, crying and telling my story )

before

after ( again )

I am not even going to apologize to wood lovers on this one!!!!!!!! ( although I did love
it in wood when we first picked it up - looking at the before I am extremely happy I went
with painting it )
Paid 50.00 dollars for this beauty ( and the owner apologized for it's condition )
I already had the handles - 4 glass ones - and the silver handles were spray painted - they
were originally yellow
I used a homemade version of chalk paint for this - 1 part Plaster of Paris - 2 parts white paint.
One coat of the mixture - and then 1 quick dry brushing of an even more watered down version
of the same chalk paint.
2 coats of Polyurethane ( water based ) satin finish.

btw - in my humble opinion the home made chalk paint is ok - but only ok.
I will be picking up ASCP this weekend - because there is no comparison at all.
In this case it worked because I was looking for a washed out sort of patina -
take note there is sanding involved when using the homemade version!

This piece was effortless - really - no cursing - no sweating - no second guessing
A dream to work on!

Happy friday all
xxx

Linking up to Miss Mustard Seed and Feathered Nest Friday

Back from the dead, barely

I am walking slowly - very slowly - picture that old man on the Carole Burnett show - my eyes are still sore - but my muscles do not ache today -
Whatever virus I caught completely wiped me out - flat out on my back - ( lost 7 pounds since last Friday, seriously? I have been trying to lose 10 pounds for a year now - if I had know this was all it would take..........)

My house is a disaster - I've been living in absolute fear that the doorbell will ring - and I will be found out.
I always feel like such a fraud - because I put such emphasis on everything looking as good as it can that
people tend to think I never let anything get out of control -
There was a time - oh God I am so embarrassed to admit this - when I simply would not answer the door
if there was any kind of a mess inside.  Would love to sit with a shrink for a year or two ( decade or two? ) and find out what makes me who I am.  I am getting better, baby steps for sure, but better - and to prove it here is what my bedroom looks like after the 5th day of being sick

and as I am uploading the photos my stomach is in knots - don't do it Suzan, don't do it Suzan,
too late,
She did it.

And here is a sneak preview of a dresser redo, talking about patina Stacy, here's one for you!

take care all -
xxx

Just a spoonful of sugar

I need her here now,

I am sooo sick - it just hit me yesterday - aching nautious hacking feverish virus -
and I was so proud that I had not gotten sick this year.
I need her to snap her fingers and put my house in order - and give me a spoonful
of sugar.

BTW - most kids watched that movie and fell in love with all of her magic, I watched
that movie and fell in love with the house ( seriously - that's how far back it goes - )
as well as the Brady Bunch's house - oh how I longed to live there!

Back to bed for me I think- and may just stay there until Monday morning - have a good
weekend.

xxx

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm?

Hey Rebecca - I know  you are out there, lol - I can never reply to the emails you send me for some reason!!!
Do you have a link with photos for that silver paint you mentioned?  Would love to see them!

And that, everyone, is my post for today - sorry about that but I am falling asleep at my desk, absolutely bone weary tonight ( didn't sleep last night - painted at Nella's today - came home and started painting a giant wardrobe I have- )
Far too many things going on at once, and I feel like my life is completely out of control right now - panic attacks are about to set in......!!!!! Need me some zzzz's.

G'night!

xxx

While others sleep

Couldn't sleep last night, as you know I plan to paint a lot of white throughout the living areas of the house, which led to me painting the foyer french doors black - which led to the foyer looking bland -
So..................I crept out in the middle of the night - and did this

before - sorry almost forgot to take the before - so everything has already been removed!

and then came in the office to post - and lo and behold sitting in the corner of the room was a mirror I bought
from Home Sense months and months ago - loved it but had nowhere to put it -
it's at home now...................doesn't everyone buy things with nowhere at all to put it or wear it - just in case?

So now you know what happens when insomnia runs away with decor obsession...........
Plus roughly 30 minutes spent sourcing marble tiles for the floor.
And around 30 minutes trying to teach myself how to silverleaf furniture on line ( so I can
do the small table in the photo )
And playing with the idea of painting it black instead ( this thought process can take way longer
than 30 minutes - especially when sleep deprivation kicks in )
And another 30 minutes on MLS looking at which houses I would buy if I could afford
them ( and probably another 30 minutes decorating them in my mind )
And have to be at Nella's to paint today - 

What did everyone else do last night?
Sleep perchance?

xxx

Linking up to Miss Mustard Seed, French Country Cottage and Debbie Doo's newbie party
and It's Overflowing.com ( thanks Aimee! )

My ceiling dilemma

I have started to paint the white - and am not sure what I want to do with the ceiling - here are some random pics of the plasterwork ( it runs entirely throughout the entrace way - living room and dining room )

seen through mirror over mantel

entrance - these angels in each corner may have sold  the  flat to me they're in each corner
and are supposed to bring luck - still waiting
hmm - I am liking the gray - oh oh - maybe everything else can be white and I'll leave that gray
where it is?

I once saw a victorian house with the ceilings painted silver - and it was gorgeous - but I am hesitant
with ceilings - they are a lot of work especially ornate ones like these.  Walls I can paint and repaint
as many times as I feel like - ceilings? not so much.

xxx

Update at Nella's

On the weekend we found this piece ( looks very much like a Restoration Hardware piece - for 399.00 which was a steal ) and I cannot tell you how good it looks in this space - we stole the mirror from her dressing room and most of these accessories come from Chapters believe it or not.
Today was mostly work you cannot see - scraping paint off the window panes - finishing ceiling molding - waxing the coffee table ( with Annie Sloan clear - love it ) painting the french door to the living room.  Not so rewarding -
We are on the look out for a rug - and a seamstress who can make Roman Blinds.  A little torn about artwork as well.  I have to paint out the T.V. stand - but I can see the light now.

If you look through the mirror you can see a medallion on the ceiling - where lighting used to be I suppose -
Wouldn't either of these be awesome?

Oh and the white has begun at my place - lol

I did it on purpose - because I do not have anymore of  the gray that is on the walls, by doing just a few brush strokes of white I have no choice now but to go all white.  I like it against the black french doors!

Night night all

xxx

Let the arguments begin

I have always had a thing for white ( a vivid childhood memory is jumping up and
down on my bed crying as a little girl because my mother was trying to put navy blue
socks on me which was mandatory with our school uniforms and I wanted WHITE )
I only use white towels - I only use white bedding - sheets, blankets, comforters -
My table settings are always white - I have a thing for white t shirts white blouses, etc
BUT I have never painted a wall white in my life.
And after posting the pics of the house for sell down the street from me - not to mention
all the magazines that I subscribe to - I have decided to paint the house white.
This has become the new argument du jour in this house,

I'm painting the house white John
No, you're not
Yes John actually I am
No, Suzan you are not painting the bloody house white
I will show you pics and then you will agree
I WILL NOT AGREE SUZAN, YOU JUST PAINTED IT GRAY FOR GODS SAKES
It almost been 2 years John, it's time to paint ( really it's only been 15 months - but that's like
2 years with my disorder)
You are not painting the house white Suzan, period - ( he gets up and leaves the room )
You'll love it John, I swear to God, ( me running after him - right behind his back )
NO
yes
NO
yes
No
oh yes honey - I most certainly am - next time  you travel then I suppose -
Stop Suzan - enough is enough -

When are you going on a sales trip???????

Those that know me - undoubtedly know that the house will be painted white.
Those that know John - undoubtedly know that he will love it.

and then my newest friend Stacy ( from Conspicuous Design on my sidebar ) posted
50 pics on Black and White rooms - the most inspirational blog for me - and the deal
was cemented - for me at least. The below is one of the photos she posted

I am more determined than ever.

Off to Nella's this morning - will post pics of progress tonight - it's starting to come together.

Have a good day all

( btw - his boxers are very colorful - those he can keep if he must )

xxx

Not finished yet, but...................

So the walls are finished - the fireplace is finished - the radiators have been painted - all the trim and moldings are finished - windows have had one coat - coffee table has been painted - and I cleaned up before I left so that she could use the room on the weekend.  The lighting is not very good and the walls look much lighter than they actually are - will try to get a true color photo next week.

Still have to paint the t.v. stand ( I think the only thing not being painted is the couch, lol, literally, the garden stool in front of the fireplace will be painted as well )
We are trying to schedule our weekend so we could source out lamps - carpet - accessories - etc.
She wanted a beach/cottage look -
I am thinking Roman Blinds - with maybe some trim detail would be best because of the radiators but all options are still on the table with that one.

xxx

I'll have that on ice ( please )

I am really torn with all of this - there is such guilt in hating winter because of global warming -
Our winters are nothing like the winters of my childhood - when we could literally jump off
balconies and land in a snowbank a few inches below.  This winter, except for a few cold days here and there, has been exceptionally warmer - and in December I was afraid we would not have a white christmas.
We did - and that is really enough for me - and if the planet were not in such peril - I would say the following.

" This is the time of year when I start to get fed up with winter - the salt stained boots - the coats that are starting to look a little ragged - the slush that looks dirty - the longing for something, anything green,
This is the time of year when I start looking longingly at my pretty summer dresses hanging forlornly in the closet - when my skin looks so white, it turns me off, when I want to smash the shovel that sits on my front porch ominously reminding me day after day that yes, Suzan, there is still more to come.
This is the time of year when I debate going to Cuba or Mexico or Florida and when I am on last minute deals as a past time. "

But, alas, the planet is in peril and so instead, maybe I should just get in the car and drive up to Quebec City and embrace it............................

   and perhaps book a room here - at the Ice Hotel

Who knows how much longer these cold winters will be with us -
Maybe it's time to start treasuring them again.

( but I still hate that my boots have salt stains on them )

xxx

Progress on the fireplace!

Today was very productive - I painted out the fireplace for Nella ( my girlfriends place I am decorating )
and painted the living room - just have the trim left - and the windows and doors -
Then the fun part starts - decorating - what I live for really.

Here is a photo of the fireplace in progress ( has since been finished ) I did not take a picture of before
but it was RED BRICK - picture Santa Claus coming down the chimney red.
By the way - out of the 3 colors on the wall - she has chosen the soft gray blue on the top center of the mantel I was literally holding my breath on this one, I really did not like the 2 yellows - but she kept saying she wanted warmth - I know enough by now to know that any color can work once you accessorize, but I can't help it, I am always drawn to cool colors - grays - blacks - whites - that's who I am I suppose - I see everything in black and white, lol

And here are a few photos of the room which I absolutely love

That Ikea t.v. stand will be painted out black - and hopefully the t.v. will kind of fade out - uggh - mentionned before I hate t.v.'s in living rooms?

and her window wall - I just love love love this - this is very common in the section of the city that she lives in
( N.D.G. for fellow Montrealers - where I lived until last year ) the radiators are so special, we both had a glass of wine on the weekend perched on 1 each - discussing plans for the room - with really warm tushes.

my plans include incorporating this stencil work somewhere in the room in white

and I am hoping she goes along with it - have yet to discuss it with her because she gets very overwhelmed by all of this - and I have to mention things 1 by 1 to let it absorb, lol - for me it's nothing - I would do it and if I didn't like it I would simply change it - but I know most people put a little thought into things, lol.
I once painted my living room 4 times in a week until I hit the exact shade I was looking for - no joke.
I may pull a Suzan on her and just do it while she's at work - thank God she's a friend - can you imagine doing this with a stranger client?
Too bad - I like it ( lol )

She is looking for sconces for above her mantle ( the original ones from the 40's or 50's are there - and they are homely - so I directed her to Elte Furniture ( one of my favorite furniture stores - check them out online - you'll see what I mean instantly - oh and check out their rugs - to die ) and she found these,

love the circular pattern, they are a contender for sure but we haven't made a decision yet on lighting.

That's all for now folks, won't be going to her place today - it's hair day - sit in a salon and have my hair washed, dried, and straightened - so that tomorrow I can put it up in a clip - and put my painting clothes back on. Do not try to figure me out - nobody can.

xxx

Painting a fireplace

One of the first things I painted when we moved in here was the fireplace - it was an old reddish brown brick and I could not look at it ( we have an exposed brick wall in the living room which is original brick - but the brick on the fireplace had been replaced and was newer and a completely different color and it darkened an already dark room.  I suggested we paint it white and John kept saying no, he wanted to have it resurfaced in a slate, soooooooooooooo, one night when he was sleeping I crept out and opened the paint tin and painted and painted and painted ( it takes a lot of paint to cover brick ) so that it was done when he woke up,  if he hated it we could always cover it after, right?
He liked it!  I liked it! ( notice I say liked - past tense - will get back to that at a later date - but suffice it to say that my disorder includes getting very bored with things very fast lol )

It really made a night and day impact on the room for very little cost.

So this is what this leads up to.
My girlfriend just bought an apartment - with a brick fireplace - and again the brick is reddish brown and dirty with soot stains and really quite an eyesore so she asked if I thought she should paint it.  YES!!!!!!!!!! ( she has hired me to decorate her house - so this is now my job ) and off I ran with the tools of my trade.

Got to her place - pulled out the tarp - and began this very very simple job.
OH MY GOD - her brick does not have mortar between it ( grout ) so every  brick stands out on it's own,
which means you have to paint each brick - and then try to get BETWEEN each brick - with it's gouges and holes and all - and the brush was just not cutting it - I then tried a tiny foam brush which I could just sort of poke into the spaces - no good.
I than had a stroke of genius - I would put the tarp all around the fireplace - and then get inside it - and spray like crazy -
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME - I am actually peeing myself thinking of this - somebody should really lock me up - no mask - you have to try to visualize this - as I was darting in and out with this bloody spray can - and choking to death - and as you know you cannot spray up close - you need to be at a distance with sweeping motions - but desperate times call for desperate measures and I was determined ( determination can definitely kill you ) and I was literally attacking this fireplace - and complaining non stop - why didn't they put mortar between the bricks - who lays bricks without mortar - this is the stupidest way to lay bricks etc - etc.
as I ran out for air every 2 seconds -
And guess what - the fireplace got done....................

I forgot to take pics of the before - which is a shame - but I will post pics of the after.  Off today to paint the rest of the room - this apartment has huge potential - so it's exciting to be a part of it's transformation -

Have a good day all,

xxx