Paint, Paint, Paint!

Good morning everyone! I have been busy lately painting rooms and repainting other rooms in my home. I have visited several historic homes this year with the idea of trying to make my home look more 'colonial' instead of 'primitive' and guess what I found? The colonists loved bright and vibrant colors on their walls to help brighten up their rooms so when we see the dull whitewashed walls or subdued colors in early homes - these are what they look like today 200 or so years after they were built. Williamsburg has a great take on all of this color controversy with their new finds on what colors were actually used back in its heyday with some great information and it is an eye-opener! So! here are just a few pics of my ongoing projects for this fall and winter.The large TV in my orange/salmon painted family room has many wires and cords that need to be disguised so some of the paintable cord covers are on their way and we are planning on adding a chandelier to get rid of the cheap floor lamps that are taking up much needed floor space (I'm always looking for ways to add more antiques!) and I have much more to add to the walls in there. I am also thinking about stenciling that back wall to make it more of a focal point and, of course, we need to add crown molding to the room. More pics will be coming of the family room as I finish it in the next month or so. None are complete yet with the orange/salmon walls in my family room inspired by the late 18th century six-board chest with its snipe hinges and original blue paint and the dark red color of my foyer inspired by one of my favorite Williamsburg colors - Nicholson Store Red. I am also stenciling in the foyer using two colors that are favorites of mine - green and mustard. I cut my own stencils and use waxed stencil paper for ease of cutting and use. I am using the stencils found in the book: "Early American Wall Stencils In Color" by Alice Bancroft Fjelstul and Patricia Brown Schad with Barbara Marhoefer, published in 1982. I am thinking of making that long wall with the painting as my 'focal wall' and hope to figure out a 'wallpaper' pattern using these early stencils. It may take me a while as I like to stencil a pattern and then take some time to 'live' with it before continuing to stencil. That's all for now on these two rooms and I will leave you with just a few pics of my living room and some of the changes in there! Have a great Halloween everyone and I'll be back soon!!!