DIY OF THE DAY : PART I

The time had come to repaint the living room….

This was last October: yes, six months ago I started painting “the dreaded blotches” as my husband calls them, on the walls. I know, from experience, that this is the BEST way to get me motivated to actually PAINT.

Pretty disgusting no?

Here’s the color palette we’re talking about:

With names like “Kangaroo”, “Hush”, “Dunmore Cream” and “Hound Lemon” you might think we would go for ONE of these. But no, after about five months I realized they were not right. I needed something lighter, a little cleaner; and so, it came to pass, that when my friend Ellen suggested “Beacon Hill Damask“, I tried that and it was al……most there. (These are all Benjamin Moore) On the tri-color tab is the lightest version of same color called “Greenmount Silk”. A little light, but everyone else in the house liked it, so that is what I just finished painting the entire room. Am I satisfied? Yes. Am I happy? Is a (color) perfectionist ever happy?

And, I still have one problem and it’s the fireplace/mantel. The lines and fabrication are not my first choice, esthetically speaking, but it is what it is, as they say.

At the moment everything (walls, bricks and wooden mantel) are all the same color. My question is: What To Do?

Here is what goes on the mantel:

Our Haitian angel hangs front and center:

Shall I paint the wood one shade darker i.e. the “Beacon Hill Damask”? I would love to do it red but the shape and surface does not warrant special recognition in the room (and would really jump out, I think). If we were going to be here for a while I would opt for some beautiful faux painting on the bricks, but at this point it’s not worth it.