Monday, June 25, 2012

Color on the Porch Part II (The Blue Armoire)

I have had quite the painting itch these past few months. I had a few pieces indoors that needed to be painted like our coffee table, side table and a little french cabinet and I painted my parents hutch and dining room table. I also painted my computer station/armoire (which I will show you later this week). Then I kind of ran out of things to paint. I really wanted to do something colorful and outside my usual comfort zone. Lillie begged me to paint it pink but I wasn't going to go that crazy! =) I decided to go with a grayish blue, although it looks a bit more blue than I anticipated. If it were in the house I would probably have painted over it shortly after I finished. However, seeing how it is outside I decided to keep it for now. I kind of like the fun pop of color! And when I get sick of it I can just paint over it again. This is already the fourth color it has been in the six years I have owned it.

The color I used is Benjamin Moore's Boothbay Gray.
 

This is what it has looked like for the past three years and will probably be again at some point when I get sick of the blue. There was nothing wrong with it, in fact, I really liked it this color but it was fun to kind of switch things up a bit.

And here are a bunch more pictures. 
We hope to have a limited number of lemonade signs available in our shop in the coming weeks.

To help balance the blue over on that end I painted four of my plates with the same color as the armoire. And although we eat out here quite a bit, don't worry, we don't actually eat off those plates. They serve more as chargers.





Our green fleurs pillow covers are now on sale for just $12.95!







I have two of these wreaths that I got at Target a few years ago. One I have always had indoors and it looks the same as when I bought it. The other one I have had on our front door on and off over the past few years and it had become really discolored looking and had all these brown spots all over it. It had been in our garage for a while and I thought I would try spray painting it. I am so glad I did! It's like having a new wreath!





You can see photos of the other side of the porch in this post here. And our tutorial for the poster in this post here.

You can also see our porch decorated for winter here:

and decorated for fall here:

and last summer here:

Also I wanted to let you all know we finally have restocked our 12 by 20 Je T'aime Pillow Covers!

I hope you all have a fabulous Monday!


33 comments:

  1. Love the subtle color and distressing on the armoire! The blue/grey looks lovely with your blue and purple flowers.

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  2. It looks pretty on the porch Jen~! I know someday you will paint something pink!! Then Lillie and I will do the happy dance...but for the blue, is it Louis Blue Chalk Paint™? Thinking it might be since you painted the plates and it sticks to anything..

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    1. Thanks Amy! And yes, you are right - I am sure I will be painting something pink and probably in the near future. I promised Lillie we would soon. I just need to figure out what exactly I can paint paint pink in our house - haha! I want to make her a dollhouse for her birthday so I am thinking that. If Lillie ever saw your house or Cindy's she would be so in love and inform me she was moving there! =)

      I used Benjamin Moore's Boothbay Gray for this. I think I am the only person in blogland that hasn't used AS Chalk Paint. I have been dying too but there isn't a stockist near me and I hate to pay the shipping on top of the price it already is so I am patiently waiting until I am visiting somewhere that has some nearby - maybe I will make my first purchase at your place this summer! =)

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  3. Your porch is absolutely gorgeous!!! How do you keep all the linens from getting yucky from the weather? Is it enclosed?

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    1. Thanks so much Lori! I actually just wrote about that in last weeks post so I will just copy and paste:

      "One of the questions we often get asked is about how we keep so many items on the porch without them getting ruined. Well, first, let me say that things do get wet and it does requiring some major cleaning and scrubbing at the end of each spring thanks to the pollen but other than that it is relatively easy to keep up with things. Once the pollen season seems to be over I take all of the bedding, tableclothes and anything else that can be washed and do a huge load of laundry (it took two loads this year). While all of the linens are washing I scrub the furniture down with soap and warm water and do a thorough sweeping/dusting. Then after that I add all of the fresh linens back where they go and start adding the seasonal touches. I do this about four times a year. Once at the end of the spring, and then again at the end of the summer. Those two times require a more thorough cleaning and it can take an hour or two. Then I often do it at the end of autumn, and again at the end of the winter. Those times are much quicker and often take less than 30 minutes. When we get a really bad rainstorm, if I remember, I will move some of the pillows to the other side of the daybed but other than that I don't do much else for upkeep out there. "

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  4. Ah ha, I have that same wreath from Target and have been unhappy with how yellowed it got from being on the front door! I'll have to try giving it a spray paint makeover. Thanks for the idea :)

    Michelle

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    1. I am glad to know someone else's got yucky too! I thought it was just mine and was so disappointed. I love how it looks spraypainted! It does take quite a few coats, though, just to warn you!

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  5. Did I miss the email sale? I just signed up now.

    Michelle

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    1. The e-mail went out early this morning but if you send us your e-mail address we will make sure to forward it to you!

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  6. That is absolutely lovely! The color is just the perfect touch especially for summer!

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  7. I love the new color. I have been painting again too. Sometimes that bug just strikes.

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  8. Oh! What an absolutely gorgeous environment! I could spend every waking hour of the day there. Tea, books, ipad and some quiet kids - heaven on earth!

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  9. I love your screen porch and and I'm curious how do you keep it so clean and dust free?...We have recently finished building our home and added a screen porch and kitchen, but somehow the bugs are still getting in and the dust is just terrible!!!...oh how I long for mine to look dreamy like yours!!!

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    1. Thanks so much Tammy! I am not sure how we are so lucky with the bugs - especially here in the south but for some reason we don't have any trouble with bugs (although a few creatures have made their way inside...haha) As far as keeping it clean I actually just wrote about that in last weeks post so I will just copy and paste:

      "One of the questions we often get asked is about how we keep so many items on the porch without them getting ruined. Well, first, let me say that things do get wet and it does requiring some major cleaning and scrubbing at the end of each spring thanks to the pollen but other than that it is relatively easy to keep up with things. Once the pollen season seems to be over I take all of the bedding, tableclothes and anything else that can be washed and do a huge load of laundry (it took two loads this year). While all of the linens are washing I scrub the furniture down with soap and warm water and do a thorough sweeping/dusting. Then after that I add all of the fresh linens back where they go and start adding the seasonal touches. I do this about four times a year. Once at the end of the spring, and then again at the end of the summer. Those two times require a more thorough cleaning and it can take an hour or two. Then I often do it at the end of autumn, and again at the end of the winter. Those times are much quicker and often take less than 30 minutes. When we get a really bad rainstorm, if I remember, I will move some of the pillows to the other side of the daybed but other than that I don't do much else for upkeep out there."

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  10. The gray/blue on the armoire is great -- very subtle, but there! Now I'm looking at my armoire thinking, should I?

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  11. The blue/gray looks terrific! Love it with the cream and white things. Also detail on the piece shows up more in the new color.

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  12. kinda diggin the blue...is it enough colour for your sweet girl!

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  13. I just ordered the green fleurs pillow cover!
    It was already on sale plus I got 30% off so I scored it for $13.00 and am so excited!

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  14. I love the painted hutch! It really makes a difference in the look of the room! And looks great with the other pops of color.

    Nicole B.

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  15. It looks great blue, it looks great white too. I love the contrast white you did on the trim parts. Your porch is like the best place ever... !

    Cindy

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  16. Jennifer your porch is one of my all time favorites and I LOVE the armoire painted blue!

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  17. I love your porch..

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  18. Jennifer you have the touch!!! I love your porch in all the seasons. And I do think that the blue paint is perfect...especially with the relief in the creamy white. As I'm looking at it, it seems to be a warmish shade of blue...but the color says gray?
    Thanks for the wonderful inspiration!!!

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  19. Love the blue and had to laugh...I've painted my downstairs main hall 4 times over the years. My husband likes to tell our company the width of our hall is shrinking due to the many layers of paint! Oh what a funny guy he is. He should know after 30 years of marriage that a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do and if mama ain't happy (with the paint) then he'll hear about it till its' fixed!

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  20. Love love love! How do you keep everything so white?! I would love to white wash most of my house! If only my two kitties didn't shed everywhere.

    Also I absolutely adore your fall porch decor! I love fall! Everything looks so warm and inviting!

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  21. I love the blue!!!! It's gorgeous, and really adds depth and texture. And here I thought your porch was perfect before! Amazing. I really love the blue with the purple flowers, too. SO pretty!

    ~Angela~

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  22. It looks great! I love the whole space now and before!
    Debbie

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  23. Where did you find your ladderback chairs? I've been seeking the same style of chair with no luck and these are gorgeous!

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    1. Thanks! I got them at an antique store somewhere in South Carolina. It was quite a few years ago and I don't even remember the name of the town. Sorry! =(

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  24. Beautiful! Would love to see the inside of your home, too.

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