Benjamin Moore

On a Safari

Published on March 26, 2013March 26, 2013 by Our Humble Abode13 Comments

Okay, this should be the last of the guest room/Handy Sammy’s room chronicles. Why? Because Ben installed the trim and I got it and the walls painted. Meaning, this room is finito. At least for a while. After much debate and help from you, we settled on Safari from Benjamin Moore, color matched to Glidden Duo.

Ben said the darker color, Honeymoon, looked like (and I quote) “calf scours.” No cow poop on the walls, thank you. Lighter Safari it is. Though the color is a tad brighter than I expected.

Ben and I are happy with it, but more importantly, Handy Sammy likes it. But, it is fun and warm. Still dark enough to make the trim stand out.

Speaking of trim, I painted it off-the-shelf white Glidden Duo in eggshell. Then gave Frog Tape a chance for redemption by taping off the trim before painting the walls. And I cringed while doing so, because I had painted the trim the day before. But, I also used the Duo to paint the bookshelves, and it seemed to harden quicker and be more durable than regular Glidden.

Wouldn’t ya know it, I made it through the entire painting process without one swear word. Yes, the tape came off clean without tearing off the trim paint. Hallelujah. Maybe the paint and primer combo helped. Or the lower sheen could have been a factor. I probably pressed lighter on the tape, too. Whatever the reason, I’m happy. This is probably the most accurate picture showing the color as it is in the room.

Because I already had the pictures down, I filled the nail holes. The bird, tree, and feather gallery wall fits well in the room (covering the old sconce covers), so I think I’ll rehang it.

I asked Handy Sammy his opinions but he wasn’t much help. He said having a comfy bed and place to relax was all he needed. What do you think? Rehang the gallery wall, or go with something new? What do you think of the color?

Mini Dresser Pretties

Published on February 27, 2013March 12, 2013 by Our Humble Abode21 Comments

I admit, I totally teased you yesterday about the mini dresser. But, I hadn’t gotten pictures of it until later yesterday afternoon. So, here it is, finished and ready to use. Boom, in yo’ face.

Maybe finished. See those pale legs? Even after two coats of stain like everything else. The different woods took the stain their own way. Thin veneer sides are slightly less red toned than the fronts. Luckily it’s not noticeable in the small guest room. But I might get a different, darker stain to try on the legs, just to see how it goes. I haven’t coated those in poly for that reason.

Notice the blue between the drawers? I did that to match the laminate top I painted. And the top of the drawers to cover the plywood edges. We’ve had a Carrara marble remnant in the garage that I considered using as the top. Not sure the skinny legs could handle that much weight. And I didn’t want to ask Ben to cut it. I’m still hoping we can use it for a coffee table someday.

Taping the wood edges gave me a crisp straight line so only the top got paint.

For a little more fun, I painted the outer sides of the drawers blue, too. (Mysterious from Benjamin Moore, color matched to a sample can of Glidden Duo)

I’m calling this make over a success. What is better than simple lines, dark wood, and navy blue?

That ends the mini dresser love fest. What do you think of the changes?

Dragonfly is the New Peacock?

Published on April 25, 2012October 9, 2012 by Our Humble Abode13 Comments

It’s starting. The era of bold, saturated color. I fell for Benjamin Moore’s Dragonfly as soon as I saw it. In an effort to step out of my comfort zone and go with my instincts, I decided to buy a gallon of Dragonfly, color matched in Glidden paint. Where is this going? I decided to test the water, um, paint in the master closet. Boring cream walls and shelving are a perfect starting point.

I started by painting the shelf supports with Wal Mart’s bright white exterior paint. Why? Three reasons. 1. It’s bright white, no need for color matching. 2. We already had it on hand from a few mailbox touch ups. 3. I hope exterior holds up to wear and tear better. Back to the fun paint. After slapping a coat of white up, I started with Dragonfly.

And I’m even more in love with it on the walls. It’s bold, but not too bright. Saturated, but not overwhelmingly dark. It’s blue, it’s green, and it’s lovely. Now I have to find time between packing and cleaning to finish what I started. I feel confident using this on the walls of the master bedroom, too. Happy camper, right here.

What do you think? Is Dragonfly the new peacock? I think we should start a trend. Ha.