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Friday, November 11, 2011

An Idea for the Dining Room Walls

I had posted some pictures of the dining room not so long ago. It is begging for new wall colors and I have an idea I am considering. The room has decent wall space although we have two pieces of furniture - a fairly large breakfront and a good size bar  - against two walls which will have to be emptied and brought forward. And as I plan to undertake this project myself, I have to time it such that I am able to complete the project at one time. Here is another look at parts of the room.




Dare I show you the bar! This piece needs a makeover...some day. 


Toward the end of summer I came across this Saida Ikat stencil pattern from Cutting Edge Stencils while looking for an ikat pattern online. I did consider making my own stencil but then I found this one. I ordered it and am planning to use it in the dining room above the chair rail.

I think it would be stunning on any wall. I am excited to try it in the dining room. But first, color decisions! I always like to tie the formal living and dining spaces together and particularly because they are separated by just a doorway and it is a wide one. So there would be a flow. I painted the living room in Benjamin Moore's Meditation and I do have some leftover paint and would like to to use that below the chair rail. Above the chair rail I currently have dark linen and it is in perfect condition and untarnished. I was wondering if I should keep it as it has just a hint of a pale green color and is almost a neutral.

Benjamin Moore's Meditation in on the living room wall above the mantle. I wrote about the mantle here and here.

I have also been looking at some of the china I own in order to determine the color for the ikat pattern. Here are a few pieces to give you an idea. This plate is one of four in four different patterns I picked up at a sample sale when I worked at Bloomingdale's by Mail.

I had a sister living in Hong Kong for many years and while she was there I asked her to pick up some more blue-and-white pieces to for me to add to my growing collection of blue-and-white china. Here is one.

Our formal china is also blue and white with a little gold. These beautiful lotus bowls are from Anthropologie. I love the colors and the finish. They are currently sitting on a cake stand in the breakfront.

This platter is from Macau. So many different colors on this piece...pale green, blue-green, blue, deep red, pink and gold.

 

I could pick up a metallic silver or gold or something in between. I think that would brighten up the space and serve as a neutral for all the china I have and yet make a statement in the metallic finish and because of the stunning pattern. The blue-green color on the platter speaks to me - I have Benjamin Moore's Harrisburg Green on the family room walls which is a similar color  - but I am not sure I would want that over the dark linen-colored walls and I am trying to avoid having to repaint that base wall color above the chair rail unless I absolutely have to.

I am leaning toward a metallic and have been taking a look at some Ralph Lauren metallics. I shall update you on my progress as I go along.

Do you like the idea of metallic paint on the walls? Have you tried any?

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Lisa