And after all that...

As I noted earlier, this weekend was spend splashing different white paints all over my second storey to see how the paints worked in our light.  Well, after much consideration, none of them worked.  I then took my swatch of tile, hardwood and selection of fabrics and whatnots and placed them up against the stairwell wainscoting, which is two thirds untinted white paint mixed with a 1/3 of my fave warm gray (BM OC-14), and it's perfect.  It was literally staring me in the face the entire time.

I've already warned my husband we'll likely be painting the first storey white as well after we finish the second storey...

More etsy finds...  I love these. They're from Drawings and Paintings by Yellena.  I am very excited to see what these will look like in person!

( Drawings and Paintings by Yellena)

( Drawings and Paintings by Yellena)

More finds...

I said it was an addiction.  These are from Nancy Tobin's shop...

Paint Samples Galore

I've been busy trying to get a few additional things done.  I've got eight different white paints to test so today I'll be painting splotches over our walls so I can see how each looks in different lights.  Faves so far are Benjamin Moore's OC-17 White Dove and Ralph Lauren's Cove Point, which is an exact match to Restoration Hardware's Sanddollar (if you ever want an RH paint, RL is the manufacturer).

Meanwhile, our hardwood has been loaded on a truck and is on it's way.  Our washstands, however, are now on back order until the end of January.  I'm okay with this as it'll give us a chance to get back from Mexico and install wainscotting in the evenings (we're doing the finicky trim installation to cut costs - it's easy but labour intensive).   I was not looking forward to installing it behind already-installed sinks.

I also stumbled across a fantastic idea in a back issue of House and Home magazine.  This fall, when we were going through my grandmother's house, we found a massive collection of doilies.  Some were one's she'd made, some were made by my Auntie Donna and others were from my great grandmother and great, great grandmother.  They're beautiful but I was at a loss about what to do with them.  I'm going to frame them in black frames on black matting and then display them as a collection.  I don't have the picture from H&H digitally but here's another I found that does the same thing.  I don't quite like the presentation as much, though.

(The Newlywed Diaries)

Libraries, Landings and Art Walls

I am just collecting some ideas for our landing and library area.  Right now, I'm thinking that we'll do an art wall on the east wall coming up the stairs as that area is so blank at present.  On the north wall, which has a lovely window, we will do flanking book shelves.  In front, I see two big, comfy chairs or even very small sofas with a table in between that can be usable as a workspace.  I'd like the walls to be a creamy white to allow the artwork to pop.  I'd also like to go with a rich colour for the window treatment and upholstered furniture.  And, of course, I'd like to hang a sparkly black and crystal chandelier above the table. 

(From Ando and Friends via Pretty Lovely)

(Melanie Acevedo Photography via Pretty Lovely)

(Elle Decoration via Desire to Inspire)

Also, some helpful reading thanks to Discover Interior Design on hanging art. Part one and Part two...