Sunday, February 01, 2009

There is a Benjamin Moore store in my barn.

First of all, I want to thank all of you for giving me some great ideas for the dining room chairs.

Paint.

Don't paint.

Paint pastels.

Paint black.

Distress.

DO NOT PAINT!

Cushions, lots and lots of cushions.

Belts.

Quilts.

My favorite was to use duct tape. I would totally do that. And I still might.

But, I really want to thank the two or three people that said I would NOT get this project done. Because nothing motivates me more than when a person says I CAN'T do something......unless I really don't want to do it, then I'm all yeah, not gonna do it.

Clay and I both thought painting the bench was the only way to go. Since we're still being the cheapest people on the planet I didn't want to go buy any paint when there are billions of gallons of Benjamin Moore paint in our barn left from the previous owners. I'm serious, billions, okay maybe it's more like twenty..............million.

Since yesterday the temperature got up to a balmy 70 degrees I decided to go out to the barn and search for a red to use on the bench.

After rummaging through cobweb coated cans and prying them open I found a rusty red and a maroon and decided to put my college color class to good use and mix my own paint. I KNOW! I am so amazing. Amazingly cheap.

So, for zero American dollars I give you the bench.



And I don't like it. I think the color is okay, but it's too dark against the wood floor and the table. It just says blah to me.
See? Blah. So, now I'm going to look at it and think some more. Maybe I'll try a yellow/green....if I can mix my own, which I think I can-can mix my own paint-paint, diddy-diddy bop-bop, diddy-diddy hop-hop.

Oh, sorry, had to break into a little hip hop action there. Nothing makes my children roll their eyes more than when I break into song. A day without singing is a sad day. Especially a day without some opera. Try it. You'll like it. Just sing whatever you are saying. Especially when you're kids' friends come over to play. SING IT!

Now, back to the bench.

What if I paint the yellow/green over this red and then distress it? Huh? What say you?

Oh, and stop telling me to do cushions, because have you seen my children eat? If you have, then you will understand why we can't have fabric on the seats. I'd be posting about how awful the cushions look and then you would be saying....paint the cushions!!!!

I've found the fiber rush to repair the seats online. I think I can do four chairs for around $25 and that's not too bad, right?

I probably won't be painting the table or the chairs. My reasoning is Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and Independence Day.

What? April, please 'splain dis crazy cockamammee nonsense.

You see, I like to decorate my dining room for all those holidays and if I have my table and chairs painted all different pastels then it would look great for Easter, but come Thanksgiving I would want to barf all over the chairs to try to get the pale blue to look good with the pumpkins and maple leaves. That makes sense, right?

Also, I still haven't painted my daughter's furniture, which was my childhood furniture. I've been meaning to do it for 15 years now. So, really, the chances that I will actually paint all the chairs and the table. Har har hahahahaha!

Now, we'll see if I get this done. Go ahead and tell me I won't do it. I dare you. Actually, could you just say a lot of mean things about how I won't get Ellen's furniture painted and how that will make her resent me when she becomes a mother and she'll never let me visit my grandchildren because she had to grow up with with her mother's hand-me down crappy furniture and what kind of a mother treats her only daughter with such neglect?

Yeah, yeah, say all that and let's see if that gets me motivated to paint her furniture. I'm thinking, naaaah.

29 comments:

me said...

I am first? I was thinking a yellow? stenciling would look nice and lighten it both, I really like that red. My chairs that looked like yours? I put a piece of wood on the seat and covered them in a wipe off kinda fabric. padded them too. only took me 10 years! Think it is time to get baby girl excited about a painting project. lol she will harass you into it or do it herself.

Gladys said...

I love the distressing idea. All of my furniture is distressed of course not purposely. Also I know you WON'T paint your daughter's furniture. You know how I know this? Because I never painted mine and now it is sitting in some stranger's house because my daughter got mad at me when she got her own house and tossed the whole kit and kaboodle out.

Lisa S. said...

I happen to actually like the color you amazingly came up with all on your smart self own. But, I don't live with it either. So, I was thinking just let your kids grease their hands up with different paint colors and let them decorate it with their prints. Hey, maybe even their foot prints cause I bet at one point that bench gets used as a stepping stool to change a light bulb above the table.

I let my kids do this in their bedrooms so I'll always have that print on the wall to keep their childhood in our house well after they decide to jet the premises. Plus, they had fun doing it!

Or, maybe just go with a natural tone to blend in. Not that I think you blend in you crazy kid!

Rhea said...

I still think purple with neon green polka dots...

Anonymous said...

But the red looks great!

Anonymous said...

A cream color, then distressed to show the red through would look cool too, and should still go with all of your holiday decorating. ;)

And I would encourage your daughter to paint her furniture herself to "show you" -- ha -- you'll show her!

Jenni said...

You know what? You are absolutely right about the pastel chairs at Thanksgiving. But if you lived in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, it would work. Next month or season or holiday comes, and there is a new magazine. No need to worry about the pastel chairs you saw in last month's magazine. Suddenly it's fall and we have our pumpkins out and children bobbing for apples and it's cool not to dust the spider webs off the ceiling. The chairs are gone and we have all new rooms with all new furniture. Hmmm, part of me wants to live between the covers of the BH&G magazine. The other part of me is saying I would never be able to find things if the rooms were always being redone each month. Plus, it would probably feel like being a guest in your own home all the time.

Lynn in WI said...

I think the red needs a little beefing up--it's tending toward "country rose" (you know, the '80's "color") on my monitor.

I agree it's looking a little tepid on your gorgeous floor. I say try another color or paint it black, then red (but beefier) and distress away. That bench needs some textural interest.

I do maintain that the idea of red looks GREAT with your wall color. Sorry for missing the floor in the equation.

I wish I had a Benjamin Moore paint store in my shed. If I give you my colors, do you think you could check your stash for me? Maybe you could sell me some across state lines?

Cynthia said...

good grief. Now I have to paint my benches.

But what color???



EEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lisa said...

YOU GO GIRL!
OH YEAH, LETS PAINT YOUR SWEETIES FURNITURE. PUT COFFEE ON. I'LL BE RIGHT OVER TO HELP. HUGS FROM MAINE

http://sophie4me.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

I like the cause anything reddish I like and I think painting another color over and distressing will be awesome! And by the way, unpainted furniture from your childhood will eventually (if not already) say VINTAGE. Another lovely word! And I think all those paint cans in your barn speak of amazing possibilities.....but so little time!

Unknown said...

I like the color you have, it looks great.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I think a mustard yellow would be lovely. That is a cool bench! You got more done this weekend than I did! My butt is sore from sitting on it all weekend!!!!

Kris

Anonymous said...

Leave the bench alone! Your first instincts were right, it is a nice warm color and goes with the floor and will also blend with all your holiday decor, not everything in the room should be a focal point! The bench should blend, and it does and looks great.

Leila said...

I'm not a fan of the red. It looks...hormonal.
In an 80s way, as Lynn in WI says...
Wasn't there any black paint in the barn??

Affirmingly,
Leila

Rechelle said...

It looks like you painted it with mom's old Mary Kay lipstick.

Leila said...

Oh my goodness. I can't believe I'm so snide!!

At least there's Rechelle to be snide also...but I'm not related to you...I feel like I could be your sister, but you actually don't know me... it's not like I can call you later and be like, wasn't that funny on your blog when I left that snide comment, ha ha.

April, you are the best. Love the bench.

So, there wasn't any black paint in the barn?

Andi said...

April, you are a hoot. I like the bench. I LOVE RED!!! However, do what you like, dear, and ignore the bossy ladies in bloggerland. Just don't come whining to us when you didn't follow our advice in the first place! :p

April said...

Leila,
I like your first comment the best. Snide is welcome here.

And no, no black paint that I've found so far. But, I'm staying away from black for the moment.

I did paint all my wicker black and Clay thought he would hate it, but he loved it. I kept saying, "Black is the new White!" Now he just agrees with whatever color I suggest because he knows I'm going to do whatever I want anyway. Silly boy.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I sing to embarrass my kids, too! They gave me a piece of flair on Facebook that said, "My life is a musical" cause it is! And I can't even sing...

April said...

Andi,
I know I'll screw something up....but that will give me blog material and blogging is waaaaaay more important than my home looking good.

Jennifer said...

i personally LOVE the bench. way to be all frugal. and i was firmly in the DON'T PAINT THE CHAIRS camp. paint is so final. refinishing is a pain. but here's an idea. why not leave the bench painted, don't paint the chairs, and then paint the FLOOR instead? then you can make it not clash with your bench. (and it's all about the bench, issn't it?) i'm not being snide, just fesicious.(and i painted my mud room floor, and all because i loved the sign in your sister's mud room so much.

sue said...

The red is actually a great color. Just a little too much. Do like "me" said stencil something on it. That will lighten it up and add a little interest to the bench.

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

I think the color is wonderful. Just as it is. It's beautiful

Anonymous said...

Okay okay... I know you already said you aren't going to paint your table and chairs... but what would happen if you painted your table and chairs white??I dare you!! and then paint the bench.. say... mustard yellow or a palish yellow green mustardish color :)

Becky Meyers said...

i was totally thinking stenciling! that would brighten it up and look really cute!!

Jenn said...

I actually really like the bench. It looks nice with the walls.... I think you should leave it that colour but find a way to make it "pop". I don't know how though.

As for daughter's furniture ... mine has my old furniture from many years ago and I didn't paint or sand and stain.

I'm just not that kind of Mum.

April Bourgois said...

Go for mustard... totally farmhouse chic and goes with everything.

Don't feel badly about your kid's furniture... my mom never gave me any whatsoever and I'm not messed up at all. Oh no! I don't live on a farm trying to grow my own and live without other humans at all...

Oh wait, I do!

Pam said...

OK. I'm laughing out loud here! Thanks, I needed that!