Can you say color?

[dancerjodi]

Dining Room:
http://thahood.net/images/04_-_dining_room/?viewmode=gallery&image=11

Living Room Before and after:
http://www.thahood.net/beforeafter.php

All Living Room (note Dad's old painting above the newly finished mantle - he framed it for my B-day):
http://thahood.net/images/03_-_living_room/

Comments

[dirtyknees.livejournal.com]

Again, lovely color choices. You and Brian did a thouroughly professional job with the painting - it's hard to make dark colors come out evenly. Have you guys considered starting your own interior decorating business? ;-)

My new (well, assuming the P&S and everything goes through, etc.) kitchen (http://www2.ennui.net/~yarm/condo1.jpg) is orange. At first, I didn't like it, but it has grown on me. Someone suggested getting a mural painted on one wall - maybe something very mediterranean, with grapes and all.

Now I can have a purple bedroom.

The mantle came out really, really well, and your Dad's painting is beautiful. Did you add in the mantle decoration in the center, or was it just hiding underneath the paint? What did you use on your mantle to get the paint off? We, too, have a beautiful carved-wood mantle with white paint splashed on it. Argh! Why, o, why? Heathens (and I don't mean the good kind).

You really are inspirations - both you and Brian.

:-)
Andrea

Da' house in da' hood :)

[dancer.livejournal.com]

"You and Brian did a thouroughly professional job with the painting - it's hard to make dark colors come out evenly."

Well, we did have to do 3 coats (not too much fun at all)! Also we have old plaster and lathe walls so unfortunately there are some lumpy spots in areas. I guess it goes along with the character of an old house and its something I'm used to so I don't really see it (but others not used to it have commented on it here and there).

"Have you guys considered starting your own interior decorating business? ;-)"

Nah. Most of this is really just stuff that's been in my head for a long time. B didn't care too much about the house (except for the Den where the entertainment center is and his computer room). Most of the time he did the 'smile and nod' traditional guy thing :)

"Someone suggested getting a mural painted on one wall - maybe something very mediterranean, with grapes and all."

It looks like a great color (is the counter there granite? mmmm granite) though its hard to tell since pictures don't always give a place justice. The mural thing would be nice (you could always be lazy too and find a wallpaper border that has the same idea and glue it up either at chair-rail level or near the ceiling). My kitchen is going to be green and the border has bunnies on it; I just couldn't resist (hope this link works):
http://www.wallpaperguide.com/newecommerce/showpaperinfo.asp?type=border&searchtype=subjectsearch&keyword=Rabbits&id=24758&page=7&fid=24758

"Did you add in the mantle decoration in the center, or was it just hiding underneath the paint?"

Yup. There was some imperfection in the wood (where we put the rectangular molding) that seemed to indicate there was something on there before at one point. And we figured hey, we're going to have this little rectangular molding, lets put something in the middle of it :)

"What did you use on your mantle to get the paint off?"

A few coats of 5F5 baby! Its smelly, hurts like hell if you get it on your skin (need to wear really good gloves) and then you just scrape and scrape and scrape until the point you can sand and sand and sand. You need to be careful though - we learned that our mantle was actually made of poplar which starts to turn a bit greenish if you sand too much. I think they used white stain at one point (ew) so there are some spots in the mantle that we just couldn't get the white out of. I don't think you could tell unless you were up really eyeballing it. Its not TOTALLY done yet, I didn't get the polyurthane on too evenly so I need to sand it tonight and do a final coat (waaaah!).

"We, too, have a beautiful carved-wood mantle with white paint splashed on it. Argh! Why, o, why? Heathens (and I don't mean the good kind)."

I know, I can't believe what some people will do that will kill the historic value of a place. Scraping paint is a messy job and can be pretty time consuming but its so rewarding in the end. This thing was a piece of cake compared to the carved antique vanity that I refinished when I was in HS (you can kind of see it and the mirror that goes with it in the top picture on this page, its mahogany *drool* http://www.diabolis.net/~dancer/Pictures_Jodi_Goth.htm )

If you want when the time comes I can give you some assistance and get you started on it. You just need some time, some good rubber gloves, a place you can use icky chemicals safely (like a yard or basement with lots of ventilation) and a willingness to get icky :)

looks great!

[dawntreader]

your house is gorgeous! you guys did an excellent job. too bad the orange carpet didn't quite go with your rugs and couch though. shame to dispose of that lovely bit of history ;)

and i LOVE the painting, btw.