Call me crazy, but I wasn’t really on board with Sherry’s latest “furniture arrangement” when I saw it in the corner of our living room. I know she enjoys lighting as much as the next gal, but a chair dedicated to staring at a lamp seemed like something straight out of Lovely Listing.
Once I looked up I realized that my wife still has most of her marbles (key word: most). She just put the chair there so she could stand on it and tape some paint swatches to the ceiling. Whew. Not so weird after all. Well, she’s still über weird, but for a host of other reasons.
We’ve been debating what to do with those large white ceiling rectangles (between the grey-washed beams) for the past few days. From wallpaper to bold color and everything in between, we’ve pretty much considered it all. Anything dark or too saturated was quickly nixed since we worry that our standard height (8 foot) ceiling just can’t handle it without feeling like it’s closing in on us. And going with an even softer platinum gray than the color on the walls is a nice safe backup idea, but we’d love to do something a bit more fun. Which is when the concept of bringing in something metallic (either paint or even wallpaper) could potentially luxe up the whole room while reflecting lots of light (so the room still feels airy and open). So we grabbed a few swatches from Martha Stewart’s new Precious Metals paint line at Home Depot:
We were both quick to eliminate the two swatches on the left (too dark) and aren’t quite sold on the other two lighter metallic swatches on the right (they actually don’t seem to read as metallic enough from a few feet away, perhaps because they’re on a ceiling and not a wall). Does anyone know a faux finishing technique to create a glossy champagne or eggshell colored metallic ceiling? I know the term faux finish can strike fear in anyone who has ever watched Trading Spaces (me included) but there have to be some good techniques out there… right? Maybe? We’d also love to hear if you have any other metallic paint experience (any specific brands you recommend?) or even if you’ve come across some metallic wallpaper that you love.
As for what we’ll ultimately go with, we promise to spill more details when we actually make a decision and have some progress to share. Maybe it’s smarter to wait to see what we’ll do in the way of art and curtains and then pick up a light tone from one of those things for some subtle fun when you look up. Like a super soft silvery celery color if we go with a green rug or bold curtain panels that include some green…
We’re clearly still in “think on it” mode. But at least we’ve got a good spot to sit down and be alone with our thoughts. And that lamp.
Update: A commenter mentioned a caption contest and it’s so on. Feel free to leave ’em in the comment section. Here’s the pic again for ya. Captions. Go.
The prize is 500 points and comment o’ the day status. You know you want that. Or do you?
jeanie says
Like others, I have had great experience w/ Ralph Lauren metallics and believe it would be well worth it to track it down. As a very experienced home painter, consider in your process that ceilings are harder to paint & more tiring than walls to get perfect coverage. It is well worth the effort (like having a great rug on the ceiling). Metallics are more dramatic than some other paints so you may want to only choose from interior wall paint lines as opposed to faux finish craft paints. Glazes are great options & offer a huge selection since you can make your own or thin etc.
To think about timing of colors & fabrics, I would buy fabric for windows next and then decide on ceiling paint plan. This could buy a lil’ time w/ fabric & paint samples & come up w/ fantastic choice. All sorts of options may be possible by doing a base coat of silvery metallic and then maybe a 6″-12″ border of coordinating metallic color from fabric, stencil or wallpaper (kinda like a tray ceiling w/ small wood trim at edges).
Have fun – love the blog & congrats on the new award!!
jannell says
When I saw the beams/ceiling, I thought of this Benjamin Moore image:
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=fh_color_hiddenPage&np=public_site%2Fapplications%2Fcolor_collections%2FEnvisionColor2011#/view_interiors/soulful_room_1/AF-355/
crap, that’s a long link. Sorry. Def, too dark- but what about adding a border strip of color next to the beams and then a softer brighter color in that. Or a simple stenciled pattern between them? Cause that doesn’t sound crazy labor intensive at all.
Alecia says
Chair to Lamp: You’ll have to get past me if you want those ceramic animals!
KatieV says
“Sherry’s naughty spot if her next ‘I’ll quickly do this behind John’s back’ project fails.”
Johanna says
I vote for the stencil route. Benjamin Moore has some great ones under “wall tattoos” & I’d do a metalic over a flat just for a nice touch when the light hits it. subtle and cool and with the gray walls and beams – maybe a white on white?
stephanie says
i dont know if you get the canadian show ‘marriage under construction’ which takes place in toronto and shows a young hip couple and their designer renovate fixer uppers room by room. this current season’s couple has a musician as the male half of the couple, so they did their bedroom in a rockstar fashion, in greys and wallpapered the ceiling. it looked pretty cool, you might want to check it out.
this is the show:
http://www.hgtv.ca/video/ check full episodes I thru P and get season 4 marriage under construction ‘master that rocks’. great wallpaper use also in a dream room for kate.
this is the wallpaper company they used:
http://www.newwall.ca/
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like fun! We’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Tess says
My mum, sister and I once painted a bedroom in champagne coloured metallic paint. Instead of rolling the paint onto the walls we used a “criss-cross” stroke with a paintbrush. It’s a very adventurous look, but it gets a lot of comments and is pretty spectacular when the light hits it. I imagine it would be great for a ceiling that was going to reflect a lot of light.
Amanda says
My soon to be sister in law painted her ceiling with a light gray color and mixed in a small packet of clear glitter. This made a very subtle shimmery effect, but it wasn’t over powering at all. It looks gorgeous.
kristen says
captioggestion:
chair loved how lamp was always the unabashed life of the party. it’s like he was born to wear a lampshade hat.
;)
Jaclyn says
Lamp to chair: Does this corner make me look fat?
Andrew says
Have you thought about ceiling tiles? Might seem like it would make the ceiling too “gawdy” but they have some pretty cool ones over here –> http://www.ceilume.com/
YoungHouseLove says
They’re definitely a possibility! We worry a bit that they could draw attention to the fact that the beams are set at different intervals (some are much closer that others-so odd!) but they’re not off the table completely!
xo,
s
Jae says
singing caption..
So many nights I sit by my window
Waiting for someone to sing me his song
So many dreams I kept deep inside me
Alone in the dark but now You’ve come along
You light up my life
You give me hope
To *chair-y* on
You light up my days
and fill my nights with song
It can’t be wrong
When it feels so *light*
‘Cause You You light up my life
Heather says
We have a paint on our dining room ceiling that has a sheen and I hate it! I love the color and the texture, just not for the ceiling. It shows every crease or bump in the ceiling and when the weather changes, the house settles a bit, and it accentuates the crack in the caulk next to our crown molding.
I love wallpaper on the ceiling but it’s such a pain to remove if you get tired of it. We tried removing it in our bedroom and finally just drywalled over it…much easier!
Have you considered a cool stencil for the ceiling? You could do this in the metallic sheen that you like without the risk of showing every imperfection in the ceiling? Etsy has some awesome stencils that could look great!
Good luck with whatever you decide.
YoungHouseLove says
I just recommended that idea to John! Great minds think alike! He’s worried it might be tricky to do on a stepladder (walls seem easier than ceilings). We’ll see!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
My parents used a metallic paint similar to these in the bathroom of their new house. After several coats, it looked streaky and awful. It turned out it was best used OVER another non-metallic paint. They are not DIYers so they hired an artist to come and repaint. She feathered the metallic paint on over the other and the effect is beautiful. Good luck with the ceiling!
https://picasaweb.google.com/111611952019672136051/MetallicPaint?authkey=Gv1sRgCIC347_14siyfQ&feat=directlink
lisa says
what did the chair said to the light? Meet you in the corner
Connie says
Sitting in the corner can be very enLIGHTening! :)
Nina says
I don’t have experience with metallic paint myself, but I was dying to try it in my bedroom until I decided I wasn’t brave enough. I do know 2 people who have used it in bathrooms though and it’s certainly beautiful but let me caution you 1) both of these people (one of them a decorator) had the paint sprayed on (by professionals in what resembled haz-mat suits because I’ve heard that it’s nearly impossible to get a smooth finish without spraying it and 2) if you do spay it (and maybe even if not) touch ups can be painfully obvious. It’s just the nature of metallics (so the reviews say).
That being said, they didn’t use the Martha Stewart line, it was a line from Ralph Lauren that they sold at Home Depot called Regent Metallics. The Ralph Lauren line had a specific roller brush with a weird nap on it that they recommended to use with it but most of the reviews indicate that it’s a tricky finish. If you don’t mind the look of some texture/lines it’s probably great paint.
Another option is that I think Valspar makes a pearlized product that you can add to the paint color of your choice or use as a glaze to make it metallic and that’s probably more cost friendly than the others and easier to apply.
Good luck!
Deepa says
So, on the subject of artistic differences, have you and Sherry ever had a tooth-and-nail, rip-each-other’s-hair, Jerry Springer worthy design argument? If yes, (and I feel fairly certain that two people that are as passionate as you do disagree now and then) what was it about and how did it end?
YoungHouseLove says
Let’s just say my wife is Italian and she has a passionate way of stating her point when she really wants to. Yup, she’s a screamer. So of course we’ve had arguments, both over house stuff and life stuff. The funny thing is that nothing really sticks out because a second later we’re over it and on to painting/hanging/demo-ing something else. Honestly, we disagree about paint colors and art and bedding and everything else that couples don’t always see eye to eye on, but there haven’t been any crazy arguments that weren’t resolved within about five minutes. Usually Sherry’s onto the next thing the moment I shoot something down. And occasionally she tells me how she feels but we start cracking up over something else (the baby, the dog, pick one) and it’s all water under the bridge. We would totally disappoint Jerry Springer.
-John
Amy B. says
“nobody puts lamp in a corner!”
Christine says
“Every day Sherry pulled up her lamp watching chair to keep close tabs on the CFL bulbs John had insisted upon-waiting to disprove Sylvania’s claim that these bulbs would last 11 years…”
Deepa says
Caption : Chair: ” Sorry lamp, can’t let you out of the corner until you see the light.”
Gabrielle says
Captions: “I love lamp.” OR “All paint swatches and no play make John a dull boy.”
Christa says
“I [YoungHouse]Love Lamp.”
(Please tell me you’ve seen Anchorman.)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yes. It’s been a popular reference for the caption game today!
xo,
s
Gina @ Temporary Nest says
“You know you’re a blogger when: you truly do take joy in watching paint dry.”
Meredith says
I love the idea of a wallpaper with a subtle monochromatic pattern in a cool/shiny color, but I’m sure you guys will come up with something amazing!
Also, for the comment, it might be lame, but this is what I thought of: “Lamp and Chair had been going out for a while now, but Lamp had been desperately avoiding ‘the talk’. Still, when you’re backed into a corner, what’s a Lamp to do?”
AmandaT says
I saw some paint with bits of granite mixed in at either Home Depot or Lowe’s (sorry, I’ve been to both in the past couple of days). It wouldn’t necessarily give a metallic effect but it could create a little bit of sparkle on the ceiling. It would be a lot for the walls but could be just enough on the ceiling with the beams breaking it up. Just a thought!
Amanda says
“I noticed you lit up when I walked in the room.”
Sheena says
You’re the light of my life.
Kirsten says
I think you should totally do a faux wallpaper look. I don’t know how you feel about sponging, but I think you would enjoy a nice angular pattern more. stripes anyone?
http://www.how-to-faux-finish.com/painting-stripes.html
jill says
I dry-brushed a metallic silver Behr paint over a pale blue on the back wall of my built-in bookcases. Just enough shine pops out. The solid silver was too much (& I love shiny things). Honestly, I think I got the idea from Martha Stewart.
It does look like the chair and lamp are conversing.
stephanie crochet says
“what’s a lamp like you doing in a corner like this?!”
OR
“I couldn’t help but notice you lite up too when our eyes met…do you believe in love at first sight because i do-now”
Sam says
I recently watched an episode of Dear Genevieve where they painted the ceiling a metallic color. She says it is a 3 step process. You can view the episode here: http://www.hgtv.com/video/dining-room-style-video/index.html She talks about it around the 12 minute mark. Hope that helps!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the link! Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Paige says
LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of a silvery celery color. I think that would look FAB. Especially with some bold green accents (rug, wall art, etc.)…can’t wait to see the final verdict!
Nesting Newbies says
I love staring at my lamps too… lol ;)
Paige says
ALSO–just read above…I’m in love with the stencil idea. That’s one of my favorite things about Color Splash on HGTV…David’s not afraid to do a stencil! I think that would look awesome in between the beams…
Eli says
Caption (or title if this were a piece of art)
“A conversation in race…er… furniture relations.”
mary says
My first thought was a time-out chair too–and because your daughter is so bright, she’ll need a light to read by….I really like your blog–and ideas–I’m a newbie here…
Diane says
Soooo…how long is a “time out” in light years?
Kitty says
Caption:
Chair: Do you know WHY you are in the Naughty Corner?
Lamp: Because I chose incandescent bulbs over CFL. I’m sorry.
Susan says
Sherry had been telling John for years that the floor lamp was a portal to another world. Perhaps now he would believe. ;)
Joanna says
caption:
The moment Sherry left for Home Depot, John set up his chair for some nice quiet lamp meditation.
Cat says
I actually found this while perusing the homies blogs you tagged in that post! Not only do I adore her kitchen, but I think what she did in her daughter’s bathroom might be what you are looking for on your ceiling:
http://meohmymama.blogspot.com/2010/06/diy-painted-wallpaper.html
It looks light and shimmery…at least in her house!
YoungHouseLove says
So cute! Love it!
xo,
s
Laura says
Caption:
Chair:”So, why are you over here?”
Lamp: “They can’t decide where they want me to live. What about you?”
Chair: “They’re painting! Again!? Can you believe it.”
Alexis says
I haven’t read through all of the comments yet, so someone may have suggested this already, but check it out:
http://www.valsparatlowes.com/en/find-the-right-product/interior/decorative-paints/faux-metal-and-patina.html
Congrats on being the “homie.” (I voted for you)
Love your blog. Its teaching me patience because I can’t wait to see your finished house. I’m a little Veruca Salty (Willy Wonka reference) in that I want to see it done nowwwwwwwwwwwwwah, but that is only because you guys are so creative, innovative and resourceful. Besides if it was all done now, I’d have nothing to look forward to every morning.
Good luck guys!!!!!
robin says
i’m not sure my caption was posted so here’s a 2nd try:
Little Johnny knew in his heart that one more time-out would ultimately render him invisible in his family’s home.
Erin T. says
Captions!
From my hubby:
“After several hours of intense deliberation, the invisible woman decided she was satisfied with the placement of her new lamp.”
Channeling my inner Catalog Living:
“Elaine knew she should start worrying when Gary put the chair in time out.”
Mary Ann says
I like the idea of metallic paint on the ceilig.The samples you posted-I’d go with the first(on the left) one,only go a shade or two lighter in the green.Have fun deciding! Mary Ann P.S. Congrats on your award-you deserve it.
J. Larch says
Well…I guess it’s better than watching paint dry.
Amy says
“Inspired by an evening of Superbowl commercials, John decides he’s in for a long night of practicing his Darth Vader impersonation. That lamp will come on. Oh yes, it will come on.”
I love the wallpaper on the ceiling idea. In lieu of actual wallpaper, or just a cheap thing to try, you could draw on it with chalk, maybe some cool scroll-y or paisley-ish doodle. There’s such thing as metallic chalk, too. Or you could color the whole thing in with chalk, not hard, but sideways so it gives that transparent vibe.
I’m sure whatever you go with will look awesome. You guys are design rock stars!
sarah says
I kinda feel like those two are engaged in some kind of stare off for who gets to remain in the new house and who has got-to-go.