Sealed with a KISS... Inspired by Chicago's Magikist sign of lore, this collaboration with Buddy Valentine is a sweet kiss to Kingston NY (our new/old home now). Hey locals, can you find all the lips around town? Scavenger hunt alerts!!!!
Here’s the full SWAK Bike Rack collection:
#magikist #lips #magritte #surrealisam #bikerack #opositive #wallmural #painting #kiss #swak #mwah #art #installation #collaboration #inspiration
As my quarantine house painting project draws to a close, it’s time to pop back inside and check in on my Living Room. Because of the cathedral ceiling height, I had to leave this room to the professionals as well.
In keeping with my clean, modern Scandinavian look, I went with Benjamin Moore’s Decorator White on the walls and White Opulent for the trim. I really like the 2 contrasting whites. Why no color you may ask… Well, it was gray before and I wanted a brighter change.
I’ve coined my interior “Mid-Century Mountain,” I better copyright that. In addition to some great vintage items, I’ve collected pieces and furniture from some of my favorite brands with a retro spin…
Urban Outfitters, Design Within Reach, West Elm, CB2, Crate & Barrel, Jonathan Adler, Patch NYC, Annie Poon, Cardboard Safari, Muji, Crosely and IKEA… Quite the melange. But my fave is still the pink horns from Cody Foster.
Let’s take a break from painting the inside of my Catskills cottage and check in on the outside…
I get major vertigo if I go on just the 2nd rung of a ladder, so I had to leave this project to the professionals. I’d never painted my house in the 10 yrs of owning it and believe me when I say “it need it.” There were more chips on the house than in a Vegas casino. I also had water damage around the kitchen chimney which had infiltrated info the roof structure a bit - that was a fun surprise.
BEFORE - A paint chip extravaganza. The house was a “linen white” color which had a hint of yellow - but it was all basically flaking off and dirty, dirty, dirty!
POWER WASHING - The first thing the painters did was power wash the house. It was amazing. I know it looks crazy, but I was into it…
WATER DAMAGE - Then I had to hire a carpenter to repair the water damaged area at the kitchen window / chimney. He had to first rip out all the rotten wood siding and beams. Then replace it with pressure treated wood and re-flash around the chimney to prevent future damage. Check out the start to finish process.
AFTER - Last but not least, the finished product. I wanted the house to be a brighter white color but not “burn your retina” white, so I went with Benjamin Moore’s White Dove in an exterior luster finish. I think it turned out great. I love it, especially the Bilco Door painted in geranium red!
Brian, the painter and me! He and his partner Skyler were GREAT!
The next chapter of my Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic quarantine home improvements project (wow, that’s a mouthful) was painting and redecorating my 3-season front porch.
This porch is one of my fave rooms in the house but it was beyond dirty. I think because it’s so wet in my area and the room isn’t totally air-tight that it gets really dirty and moldy. I was at the paint store and this guy said to just wash the walls with bleach and it would kill the mold. Aside from the stinky smell, he was correct. I barely had to wipe down the walls… The bleach just annihilated everything and left beautiful walls that barely looked like they needed painting. But I forged again… Besides, I wanted a slight color change.
Here’s the before. Not too bad, just a bit shabby.
One side bleached the other moldy.
Look at that beautiful fresh painted floor.
PPE more for the bleach than covid-19.
For the walls and trim I went with Benjamin Moore Exterior, White Dove (OC-18), Semi-Gloss. The floor is Benjamin Moore, Floor & Patio Latex, Light Gray and then there’s the ceiling, which I did in Benjamin Moore, Icy Blue (2057-70), Flat. And here’s why…
The existing ceiling was painted a light blue and I always wondered what that was all about. Was is supposed to evoke sky? Well, I did some research and here’s what I found: It’s called Haint Blue and it’s a tradition of painted porch ceilings blue in the South - originally created from crushed indigo plants.
From Wikipedia:
Originally, haint blue was thought by the Gullah people to ward haints, or ghosts, away from the home. The tactic was intended either to mimic the appearance of the sky, tricking the ghost into passing through, or to mimic the appearance of water, which ghosts traditionally could not cross. But while the enslaved Africans of the Low country and their descendants believed in the protective power of haint blue, the cultivation of indigo to produce the dye energized the 18th-century transatlantic trade, thereby increasing the enslavement of Africans.
As Gullah culture mingled with white southern culture, the custom became more widely practiced. The use of haint blue has lost some of its superstitious significance, but modern proponents also cite the color as a spider and wasp-deterrent. However, the color has not actually been scientifically shown to stave off bugs.
Once the painting was done, it was time to sass up the decor… I kept what I had but took out some of the wicker chairs to highlight the 2 vintage Eames chairs I have. They also compliment the orange Jonathan Adler chair. And then I brought out the 2 Lilly Pulitzer for Target lounge chairs. And doncha love that orange pouf from CB2?
And in my little dining area, I put my Bea Åkerlund (Lady Gaga and Madonna's Stylist ) for IKEA crown bowl as my centerpiece surround by fun thrift store floral art.
And the after image… Can you feel the HAINT?
Minty Fresh Kitchen Realness
Next stop on my Coronavirus quarantine home improvement to-do list… Painting the kitchen.
My kitchen has been the same ever since I moved in back in 2009. I’ve wanted to paint it forever, but never was able to find the time… Quarantine Silver Lining alert!!! Painting was what it really needed; Head to toe. The cabinets, the walls and the fridge.
I took it out of its 90s purple vibe into a minty retro realm. I was always obsessed with Martha Stewart’s green accents and I’ve been dying to have a mind kitchen. Dreams came true with Benjamin Moore “Mantis Green” (2033-60).
I also had the ugliest and rustiest refrigerator that I’d ever seen. It was easy to get it to a brand-new look once again. All I did was sand off the flaking rust and then dazzle it with some high-gloss white from Rustoleum. Check out the photos.
The essential “Before” image… I love purple but on in my kitchen.
Rusty Fridge
2 hours later… New fridge!!!
Shelves of vintage treasures and curiosities. The Owl cookie jar is my fave.
My vintage Sputnik clock is going to my grave with me! #bananas
Up next… The three-season porch!
