For Older People with Sense

Wren, I didn't say "dark" I said "darker". If the paint is too light then you might as well just do white and be done with it. Remember, most people aren't painting white, they're painting beige and calling it white! White is a stunning way to offset floors and art work. I'd have dead white walls if we didn't have such a long season of snow. My art work would REALLY pop! Now I just use a medium to darker gray and it's stunning. Alyson, you saw my house....did you find it dark? It gets no direct sunlight so that's the first issue. Rather than fight that, I wanted to feel like I was getting a "hug".

What we use is Navajo white which has a greenish caste...the southwest influence I guess..we 

have lots and lots of sun...only 8 inches of rain all year long...that is part of the reason we decided to live here.

We also live on the edge of the cloudbank so we don't get so socked in with cloudy weather either..

What a nice way to celebrate your anniversary. And all planned, down to the vet for the dog.

Lisa, I'm trying to talk DH into going to San Diego to check it out. I was actually born in Long Beach, CA, but moved to Kansas when I was two. I could furnish a house in beach or southwest style in a heartbeat. I just love the look.

I LOVE re-painting!!! I've only been in this place just over 3 years and have painted some rooms 3 times. I have to get it right! This is where it really sunk in about the northern exposure rooms, though I'd experienced them in my last house and didn't learn!

I want a Solotube SO bad for our bedroom, but apparently the condo "owns" the roof and we'd have to "buy it" and get permission from our neighbours to put one it even though many houses had them installed as they were built! 

We put in a skylight when we re-roofed. I wish we'd done 3. Our upstairs is a finished attic with dark walls. The difference between the room with the skylight and the other is really dramatic.

My Mom used to repaint the bedroom every time my Dad went out of town. She would have everything ready to go and get started as soon as he left. She loved violets and wanted her room to be violet related. It's a difficult scheme to get right. 

HAhahahaaha, Lisa!!! I believe you can now get "caps" for the tubes that slide over the bottom. Not sure if those are the brand Solotube or an imposter....

Thanks Alyson, I know your DH found it comfortable enough to snooze off while I viewed your AMAZING trip photos...hehehehe. I can STILL remember that downtown shot of New York with just the office buildings in it and all those windows....! Could you find it to post it here? I do know my home is a bit darker than "normal" as I have to have a light on by late afternoon in the living room if I want to read or something. My last house was like that so I'm used to it. The house before that was TOO sunny!! Faded furniture and made it impossible to watch TV during the day. It was a loft condo and the window was 18' x 24' so way too expensive to drape. Neighbours years earlier had spent over $10,000 trying to cover their exposure and we certainly weren't going to do that. Was weird to go from one extreme to another, but losing the heat and "in a fish bowl" feeling was a relief.

This was in front of our grocery store..makes it fun to shop

LOVE it all, Alyson!!!! Looks like a chair in your front room has the same William Morris pattern on it...is it? That hallway ceiling is to DIE for!!!!!!!!!! How rich it must feel to live amongst those walls....loving the mix of the cream walls with the deep accent wall in the bedroom. The ceiling in the front room!!! And the millwork....sigh. I'm really a romantic at heart! (can you tell? )

Yes it is a lovely old house but its upkeep is not cheap.We know some of its history and found more when we took it apart. It was here before the street so now it sits on a very small plot. It must have been a grand house in its day. At present we are restoring the remainder of the veranda - it was very ornate. Recently we replace a broken finial. Its a lovely feeling house which is inhabited by benign spirits of the past.I think the house knows that it is loved. You should have seen it we we bought it some of the decoration was incredible especially the pink striped wall paper in the front room.

The new finial, front room ceiling, dining room ceiling, part of the hall,  bathroom and my beautiful Mennonite quilt. And the cat - Barney who is almost 17.

You can either do as we have and restore the house as we have or as many of the young ones do strip it back and make it very minimal but I can't do that even though one house we lived in was all wood (walls and ceilings) and very beautiful so it needed very little added decoration. 

Carole the cream is Benjamin Moore Heritage 6. We had to repaint the hall ceiling but the other two are absolutely original - we just cleaned them, they are incredible.

Barbe, I knew you would like it and yes the chairs are done in William Morris fabric.

As you can tell I love this house and will be sad to leave it. The family say we should stay until one of them can buy it so we will see. It is a  Heritage house - the whole street is listed.

Must get back to my quilting but finding it heavy work today.

How exciting Carole! Are you able to post of pic? Like a "before and after"? I LOVE seeing how just painting the walls change the whole room.