Coldspring, family, Style, using bright colors

My Guest House Inspiration

My great grandmother (Katie) was twenty when she had my grandmother (Helen), my grandmother was twenty when she had my mom, and my mom was twenty four when she had me. That means my grandmother was forty four when I was born and my great grandmother was sixty four. Sounds crazy to me but I had really young grandmothers. I am saying this as a sixty year old grandmother of a three and five year old.

Katie standing by her board and batten house in 1959, three years before I was born. She always worked outside in a bonnet. I love that the wood stove metal shovel is hanging in the background.

All that talk about my linage is because both my grandmother and great grandmother had a huge impact on me. My grandmother was a career woman, a worker bee who made her on destiny and was the bread winner for her family after my grandfather was injured on an oil rig because that was really her only option. My great grandmother lived alone for many years on the homestead of her husband’s family after my great grandfather passed away. It was 17 miles from a paved road. We would turn off the highway onto a gravel road and into the interior of Louisiana to a land grant that had been in the family since the late 1800’s. Katie was a great cook, had a quite strength, and was a hard worker.

There was no indoor bathroom or phone at Katie’s house when I was young. I think a bathroom was installed when I was in elementary school. There was an elevated cistern outside the kitchen that caught rain water so that the kitchen sink had running water. Of course there was no television. I can remember going to my great grandmother’s house when I was in elementary school with my grandmother for a week during the summer. Funny, but I don’t remember being hot. It had to be really hot there but it isn’t one of the things I remember. My grandmother didn’t learn to drive until she was 50 so heading out for a trip to Louisiana was an adventure for both of us. It was like going to pioneer camp or time traveling back 100 years. We would get up in the morning, Katie would make breakfast, milk the cow, find the eggs (free range chickens), throw leftovers to the hogs, and I can even remember churning butter in a glass butter churn. My great grandmother had a treadle sewing machine that had been converted to electric at some point that she sewed on. She loved quilting and during the week she would work on a quilt. She would either work on squares or use her stretcher to do the quilting depending on where she was in the process.

I loved being there. Even when I was so young I knew how special it was to get to spend time with those ladies. I have such happy memories of the homestead that I wanted to make my guest house feel like going to Katie’s house. I picked the colors from a quilt she made. I have no idea when Katie made the quilt, my guess is mid 1950’s because of the colors but my grandmother gave the quilt to me when I got married in 1982 and the quilt looked ancient then. The quilt colors are what I am using as the color scheme in the house.

The kitchen walls at Katie’s house had what I believe was bead board on them. I know it was slats. When I had v groove planks given to us I knew it would work for the kitchenette area. I loved it so much it became a whole wall.

Everything was functional inside and outside of Katie’s house but she managed to insert pretty things where she could. I believe that is why she loved to quilt. Bright colors and fabrics with a function.

I don’t remember a lot of purely decorative items in the house. I plan on not having a lot of purely decorative things in the space but want to have things that serve a purpose and are pretty at the same time. I plan on hanging up my grandmothers’ (both sides of the family) rolling pins. They are packed away right now but will be coming out soon. Glass and wood with many a biscuit and pie crust between them. I am getting an old map of our county framed to hang from before the lake was built. That just feels like something my grandparents would have hung up along with the feed store calendar and pictures of the family.

I was so fortunate that my daughter got to meet her great-great grandmother, Katie. I love this picture of them together.

I can’t wait to show you the progress that has been made. I also have a few funny stories to share.

Have a wonderful weekend.

We love to hear from you.

Blessings,

Karen

Coldspring, Country living, Country Style, Dresser, new home, rustic, San Jacinto county, using bright colors, vintage style

Finding My Inspiration Home

Do you ever know what you want something to look like but you just can’t explain it to anyone?  That is how I am about our soon to be- “needs a name”- house right now.  I want the house to have a farmhouse look but with color throughout. A rustic modern farmhouse.   Mr. Math hates this word but I want the rooms to be 80% composed of neutrals with “pops” of color infused in every room.  I am afraid that some folk in my life are afraid that the house is going to look like a bag of jelly beans.  That is not what I mean when I say I want there to be color and light.

Right now all the colorful stuff that is going to be spread around the 2000 square foot house and outdoor kitchen ( which is going to be a bright and cheery kiwi and turquoise) is mushed together in one room with nothing neutral.  I can understand the concern when I show my friends this space.  If the entire house looked like the  storage bedroom does right now I would have to keep a basket of sunglasses by the front door for those brave enough to enter.

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I did find some websites that have the style I am going for in our farm house.  The first house is over the top but I love #7  which is talking about small doses of color infused  I love the white walls, wood ceiling, and bright colors.

Country Living

A little bright goes a long way, so limit the full-throttle shades to accents and put it in neutral everywhere else. Even neon (yes, neon) looks smart when used sparingly. In daughter Lia's attic bedroom, a highlighter-yellow pillow and rug feel vibrant and hip without overwhelming the space, thanks to the more muted teals and pinks. RELATED: 42 Kids' Rooms You'll Both Love

This home in Hooked on Houses is much more the look we are going for.  It is bright and playful but still an adult home.  I love the look of this hallway and the  bedroom in this house is beautiful.  I love how the homeowner has infused color in an overall vintage and neutral home.

Hooked on Houses

Alison Kandler's Colorful Farmhouse (3)

Here are some of the wild colors that will be finding a home in our home.

These quilts, which were all made by my grandmothers or great grandmothers are going to be in a quilt cabinet- as soon as I find, or more likely- make one something like the one pictured below.  

   
 I will have to come up with something for the door because I don’t have any windows that size.  I love that my grandmothers loved color as much as I do.  The quilts are definitely vivid.

source:  ashleysprimatives.com

The cow print is going to be hung on a reclaimed wood “gate” made from my husband’s family barn and some hardware off their smoke house door.  The gate with the picture are going to hang/lean on our fireplace mantle.

  
The dresser is going to be our media center.

Funky Dresser

I may be changing out the red on the bottom drawer and knob but I wont know what needs to be done until I see it in the room.  We shall see.

Our bedroom will be light with an aqua headboard, coral lamps, white, mismatched, vintage night stands.  There will be milk glass vases, my vintage window , and will have wood elements through a pine bedroom dresser and chest of drawers.  I am going to love that room.  

coral, pink and blue girls room

I have the bed painted Aqua.  I am looking for bedding now.

   
   The chicken was painted by a friend and will be hanging in my kitchen.  It is so cute.  I love that she painted it for me.

  
It is so much fun dreaming of our soon to be home. I am excited that in two months we should be moving in.

Tick, tick tick.  Waiting is hard. 

Blogging, Repurposed Furniture, resale finds, Thrifting, using bright colors, vintage style

My Most Popular Posts

Well hello there.  If you are new to the blog, welcome.

In the last week I have a lot of new friends who have chosen to follow my little bitty minnow of a blog  Thank you for choosing to follow along.

It is winter here in southeast Texas. That means high humidity, rain, and lots of days I am not able to do any furniture work. Add to that my full time job is at its busiest an that adds up to not much getting accomplished.  The garagemahal is loaded with projects just waiting for a warm sunny day to come along.

I thought you might enjoy some of the most popular posts that you might have missed in the past.  If you are one of my long-time followers, indulge me as I take a walk down memory lane.  🙂 If you click on the underlined writing  by each number it will take you directly to the post about the piece.

1. Mudroom Bench ( You probably found me through this piece but I am including it just in case you found me some other way.)

Finished Mudroom Bench

2. Beverage Station ( Old sewing cabinet and stainless sink make parties more fun.)

beverage station 1

3. Green End Table Makeover (Yes, Virginia, there is a Junk Fairy.  From time to time she drops things off at our house.)

Junk Fairy End Table

4. Buffet Table (My son’s favorite piece.)

buffet table

I hope that each and every one of you is inspired to look at furnishings differently and see the potential in even junk pieces.

(There may be a treasure hiding in there.)

Have a wonderful day.  I love hearing from you.

Blessings,

Karen

Nature, reclaimed wood, using bright colors

Santa Fe Color

I know it is December and I should be writing about Christmas, but I just got back from Santa Fe and being the oversharer that I am, I wanted to share Santa Fe with you.

If you haven’t been to Santa Fe, New Mexico, I would suggest you add it to your bucket list.  It is a unique and quirky little city with an artsy style like no other.  Back in the 1950’s the city decided that what they had was special and enacted laws to preserve the look, size, and feel of this desert mountain oasis.

The buildings are almost all brown and a form of Adobe style. (Only grandfathered buildings are not Adobe and brown.). I stay lost when I am there because there aren’t the usual landmarks. (There are five shades of brown allowed for buildings.)  The Santa Fe color comes out in the trim, the textiles, the pottery, and the plants around the homes and businesses.

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I realized this week that even though I don’t have Santa Fe style in design I am drawn to Santa Fe colors. I love the turquoise, teal, red, orange, brown, and cream colors. They soothe me and make me feel at home.

Here are a few shots taken on my iPhone. No camera this trip. I was working and a camera bag didn’t make the cut.

 

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Outdoor art is everywhere.  I really like this wind park.

Enjoy a few shots from outdoor  vendors.  You can really see the colors come through here.  Once again, sorry about the photo quality.

 

 

 

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The colors are vibrant and full of life.  My favorite place to shop is the market square.  All the vendors are native Americans who hand make the items.  Their work is beautiful and the stories are even better.

It seems like

I also like how the rustic wood plays against the bright colors.

 

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Santa fe street

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Here are a few pieces I have done that have that Santa Fe color scheme:

close up of turquoisedresser

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twin bed bench

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I love the bright colors on a cold day.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  I hope you have a wonderful day,

 

Blessings,

 

Karen

Coldspring, Dresser, glazing, Painted Furniture, Repurposed Furniture, resale finds, Thrifting, using bright colors, Valspar Spray paint

Weekend Finds and the Plans I Have for Them

This past weekend I visited my favorite faith-based resale shop up near our lake house. It had been a few weeks since my last visit and stuff had been dropped off. I love this little place. It is totally run by volunteers and the proceeds go toward their youth ministry. It is hit or miss with me finding stuff but this week was a hit.

Outside in the weather was this 1940’s waterfall style Art Deco dresser.
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I was surprised that Hubby didn’t totally turn up his nose at this piece, but he liked it too. I mean she was rough. The veneer was peeling off on every curved surface. The varnish on the sides looked like reptile skin and was so loose it literally blew off when Hubby blew out the inside with a leaf blower. I offered the lady at the shop $20.00 for the piece but she said no. She told me she couldn’t sleep at night if she took that much for the vanity. She took $10.00 for the dresser.

Feeling guilty for getting the dresser so cheap, I walked inside and saw this beauty. I mean this side table defines 1970’s fabulous. Can you just imagine the room this beauty was in? Orange shag carpet…that needed raking, paneling, over the top lamps and a flowered couch. That is my story and I am sticking to it. For $5.00 this guy was mine.

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I know you think I am crazy right now. Hang on.

Hubby spied this beat up maple night stand hidden by the door. An additional $5.00 and it was also loaded up.

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She threw in an “ugly frame” when I asked the price. It is going to be a great project in the near future. No photos yet.

Soooo… Here are my plans for the three pieces:
The Vanity is going to be painted using this piece as inspiration. I would link the source but it is a dead end on the internet.

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I am sad there is no mirror, but I will be looking for an awesome shaped mirror that I can personalize to go above the vanity. I thought I might be selling this piece but it is going in my bathroom. I need an awesome vanity to make me feel pretty. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

This is the color I am going with.  Sea Salt.

French Provincial ornate

Here are my plans for the piece.

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The 1970’s Fab night stand will be sold. I love ornate side tables. In the right space they add that wow factor. Here are three of my favorite ornate end tables. All of them make me smile, but live in other homes now.
marble topped side table

spray painted ornate side table

Painting the Night Stands Yellow

My plan for this one is to add a stained wood top. The top on this piece is shot so I am going to skin it with super thin plywood stained dark. The base. Well I need help here. What do you think? Blue, green, aged white, or red?  Something different?  Help me… please. I plan on lightly distressing the edges and glazing once painted. Click the photos to take you to the source.

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I know for sure what I will be doing with the maple table.
I am painting it like I did the Junk Fairy end table and donating it to be sold by Team Dean. I know and love this sweet family. When they asked for art donations in green I knew what I could give.

Junk Fairy End Table

So, what do you think about my $20.00 finds from the weekend now that you can see past the ugly?

crafting, Decorating, DIY Art, moving, Style, The bedroom, the guest room, Thrifty Art, Thrifty decorating, using bright colors, Valspar Spray paint

The Guest Room Part 1

When we moved into our burb house, I did not plan on painting the walls right away, except the front guest room. Here is how the room looked when we purchased the house.

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I am not going to talk about the paint job in the front bedroom except to say it was not my style and the color scheme wouldn’t work.  I know that the former owner worked really hard on the faux painting.

As soon as we settled in I started looking for inspiration. Here are some of the inspiration pictures I found. I hope that clicking on them allows you to go site I found it at.
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http://cultureofstyle.com/tag/white-bedroom-furniture/

http://www.houzz.com/photos/171192/Turquoise-and-Green-Bedroom-eclectic-bedroom-san-Francisco

http://serbagunamarine.com/bedroom-color-schemes-blue-girls-ideas.html

green and turqoise

http://www.bhg.com/decorating/color/colors/decorating-with-color-expert-tips/#page=28

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http://www.bhg.com/decorating/decorating-photos/bedroom/blue/

I wanted the bedroom to be cheery but restful.
Here is what we have finished to date:
Walls painted. I love the light blue walls. They almost feel like a spa.
Empty frames painted. I found the frames at a resale shop. I spent $4.00 total on all the frames you see on this wall. The paint on the frames is all left overs from other projects. The white plates were 10 cents each at the resale shop. I glued metal soda can tabs to the back of the plates with E6000. I love that stuff.

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Painted Empty Frames
My bedding arrived. I am crazy about this yellowish paisley print. Target. Over budget. $90.00.

Yellow bedding in blue room
The throw pillows on the bed are all outdoor pillows that were on clearance at Home Depot, Lowes, and Marshall’s.
Curtains hung. Hubby and I went shopping at Ikea recently. I was thrilled to find off the shelf curtains that were 110 inches long for $34.00 a pair.

white curtains

The herringbone art project done.

herringbone art

I will be writing a DIY on this project. It was a fun evening project that cost less than $10.00 even factoring in the cost of the green tape.  ( I have plenty of tape to do several more projects.)$2.00 for the frame and the print that I painted over, Frog tape was $6.00 and I had to get one can of flat white spray paint for the frame. (I need to spray the frame again.) I had the other paint on hand.

The green lamp is in place. I think it is the best $2.00 I have spent in this room.

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New art work. Target. Over budget. $20.00

New lamp from Target.  $23.00.  I know, I know but the colors in the shade go perfectly with the color scheme.  Over  budget.

teal yellow and green lamp shade

I am not a huge fan of the bed frame as is and it will get painted and the posts are going to get trimmed down. I found this funky curio cabinet at a garage sale for a dollar.  Here is the before.

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Dirt Dobber nests and spiders were included for free.  A quick wash down, spray painted the frame and painted the back that amazing Laguna color I love.  I am not sure how long it will stay but I think it is a fun piece for now.  For a buck investment, It will not kill me to let it go down the road.

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I was able to incorporate the old dresser that once belonged to my grandparents, saved by my husband and completely restored.

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We have ceiling fans in our bedrooms thanks to a friend of Baby Boy and Sweet Amanda.  Don’t judge us for the fans.  I think they look ok,  It is going to be over a 100 again today here in the burbs.  In South East Texas it is miserable without air moving.

What do you think of the sort of finished room?

yellow and blue retreat mustard yellow bedding mixing blues, yellows and greens

Coldspring, crafting, Decorating, DIY Projects, home decorating, new home, Ornate mirror, resale finds, Reused frame, silver, Style, the guest room, Thrifting, Thrifty Art, Thrifty decorating, using bright colors

Ornate Frame Makeover

I went resale shopping Friday. Hubby and some buddies were golfing so I was on my own. I made quite a haul.

The projects will be showing up soon. The first repurpose from my weekend is a quick and CHEAP project. On my adventure I spotted an ornate frame with a broken mirror in it buried in a pile of paintings and frames. I dug it out of a pile of other frames. The pastor who runs the thrift shop told me he had dropped the mirror. He just doesn’t know what to do about me, he doesn’t get that I love the broken, chipped, old stuff more than the newer treasures. I asked for the price, he said fifty cents. SOLD!

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Here she is with the mirror removed. The back of the mirror was marked May 5- 67. She is younger than me and considered vintage…sad.

I explained to the pastor when he asked that I would be painting the frame and putting a bright print where the mirror was…he said he would pray for my husband. Three times. ( He upped it to four times later in my shopping.)

I purchased a roll of coral wrapping paper at Marshall’s that I will be using to line the back of my milk glass display. It is perfect for the “mirror hole”.

I had left over paint from the giant ornate mirror and could not resist the bright shiny look on this silly frame.

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An old S from a wreath I took apart finishes the beauty off. Fun, huh?

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Not bad for a total investment of about $1.50 in supplies. It will add a little silliness to the green bedroom. No seven years of bad luck here.

I like it.

Behr Paint with Primer, Coldspring, Curbside rescue, DIY Furniture, Painted Furniture, rescuing damaged furniture, Thrifting, using bright colors

Buffet Table With History

The best time to shop for anything at a resale shop or an auction is when no one else is willing to be out shopping.  If you want the best deals go when it is raining, early in the morning or, like we just did, when it is blazing hot. It was 102 on the truck thermometer and we were pooped after a day of shopping when I spied this table sitting outside a charity resale shop. It had just been delivered and heat waves were radiating off the black asphalt where it was sitting. The table was marked $60.00.

I walked around inside the store for a little while then asked the lady at the register what she would take for the table. To my surprise she said it was too hot and heavy to bring in so if we wanted it we could have it for $20.00. Sold.

solid wood table

I really only wanted the legs of the table, but both Hubby and I were surprised at the quality of the table as it was loaded. I knew immediately what I wanted to do with it. I need want a buffet table at the end of our breakfast room. I have been secretly jealous of my friend Robin’s green end table with a stained top so the color was obvious…well to me it was.  We worked on getting the base and table top cut from the original table, but it was just so new and commercial looking.  Yes, I am one of those people who like a room to look collected, not bought as a set.  I feel the same about furniture.  I want unique, original and character.  Hubby and I sat in the Garagemahal looking at the piece when it came to my husband.  Use the wood from my dad.  the plank has been sitting in the hoard over a year.  It is heart pine and full of character.  I love that my dad saved it from a trash pile at the place where he worked for 30 years.  According to my dad the wood was used as a drafting table in the shop of Gulf States Utilities.  He said it was built in the 40’s and was already old when he started there in 1960.  A quick measurement let us know that it would work.  Yay!  It needed a quick cut down to the sides to make it fit, a rub down with mineral spirits to clean it, and a coat of poly.  Nothing else.It will live in our house proudly.  I love wood with history.

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The color is a little richer than Behr’s Happy Camper, because I needed it to match my fabric on the chairs in the breakfast area.  I chose Behr’s Jungle Trail.

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One coat of Bona Floor Poly on this was enough to bring out the shine but not make it too glossy.

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I love those nail holes.

green sofa table

It is hard to photograph a green piece of furniture at Star Hill.  I had to move it to the gravel road to allow it to show up.

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Lots of work took place on this old wood.  I love that my dad saved it from the trash pile and held on to it for more than 10 years before I got it.  It looks amazing.

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It was so well made that the two pieces of wood match perfectly.  We thought it was one  piece of wood until we got it cleaned up.

Decorating, moving, Painted Furniture, recycled furniture, The City House, using bright colors

A Fifteen Minute $6.00 Side Yard Spruce Up

Two four year old dollar store chairs that were faded by the sun, a newly power washed concrete slab, a small table that folds up and has floated around the house for years, and a tray I found in the boy’s closet when I cleaned it out. (No idea why I put it there…)

Valspar spray paint- Tropical Oasis…what could be more perfect?

A quick spray of the chairs later, this is the result.

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Real beauties huh?

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Not too bad now. I think we will be out in them in the morning. Want to join us?

home decorating, paint chip art, reusing an old frame, Thrifty Art, using bright colors

Paint Chip Art

Here is a picture of our wall in the family room. 

 See that puny picture on the wall?  can you believe it is really 18 inches by 24 inches?  The reason it looks so small in this space is because it is in a huge room on a ridiculously tall wall.  My den is 17 feet wide and 24 feet long.  I have never known what to do with the room, and from what I saw the people who owned the house before us had no idea either.

On top of being a long and wide room, the room sweeps up to eighteen feet with a cat walk stairway.
I have decided that I love color so it is time that I embrace what I love.

My first bold purchase was a rug.  I love the colors.  It makes me happy.  I bought it one afternoon with my buddy the social planner.  Hubby would never have picked this out, but I brought it home and rolled it out.  He seems like he has warmed up to it.

 
 
 

Shortly after the rug, I purchased some neutral furniture.  It was before my blogging days but the stuff was a great deal.  I have moved slow because I really didn’t have a direction to go. I love the wood floors, I like the room height, I am happy with the french doors, but something always seems a little off with this room.

  I painted this picture this past summer from something I saw on Pinterst.  I loved the colors because they are all in the rug.

I have been slowly collecting McCoy pottery as I find reasonable pieces.  I love the colors, and we have a family connection to the McCoys.

At my friend, Pam’s house, I was inspired to make a paint chip art piece. Here is the link to how she did this. i really did follow her directions.
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4086884246929168617#editor/target=post;postID=159055830737770270
I loved the fact that I could choose my colors, the slightly vintage quality, but let’s be honest… this is great looking almost free art. 

I bought this big frame for $3.00 up near the lake house.  I painted it the color of the craft table.  That color is in the rug.

It was big.  twenty four inches tall and forty eight inches wide. 

I used paint chips that match the colors in the rug to make my version of the paint chip art project.  I actually was able to use the picture in the frame as the base for the paint chip art piece.  This piece really meant that the cost of this whole project was $3.00. 

Here are the paint chips glued down.  I used Elmer’s spray adhesive to get everything stuck down.  I did have to check the corners and press several down many times.
 
I thought the colors were too vivid when glued down.
 
Here it is with watered down brown acrylic paint washed over it.  I love the frame on the picture.  This is going to be a statement piece in the room.
 
To fill the big empty wall, I plan on bringing in a small buffet height dresser that I am going to paint an amazing color.  The wall is going to look great when I am done, but I still do not know what I want to do with the whole room.  Suggestions?