This poor tired room! At one time we fondly referred to it as "the front room". For years this room was filled with laughter this is where Meredith and Natalie grew up hanging out. They watched TV and created dance performances to name a few activities.
Once the girls went off to college Gary staked his claim. When doing so he also announced it required a much needed face lift. His first request was to rename the room to "Gary's Office". Second, he wanted (not photographed) the Bailey Irish Cream paint color changed to white. He also wanted the theme to be changed to Austin music. So it began. I immediately had the carpet replaced with hardwoods. I framed and hung the photographs of live music venues that Gary and I attended over the years.
Another wall has an art collection of signed posters by Danny Garrett and other Austin artists.
Recently the girls and I encouraged Gary that the room needed to be taken up a notch, so, the day bed found a new well deserving home.
I recently acquired my grandfather's lawyers bookshelf and promptly moved it into the room. At this point my plan was falling into place. I would paint the walls a light gray with an industrial flair.
What became a big surprise to me was Gary still thinks it's his room. The light gray walls were not in my future. We did agree on one thing, the white walls had to go. Yeah!
I started researching blogs and magazines to find the Gary and Cynthia style. Gary felt that the new blues might be the answer. With paint brush in hand I painted a wall in Drawing Room Blue by Farrow and Ball.
Gary and I thought this could be a color we could live with.
I painfully painted the entire room blue, not once but twice!
After doing so I finally came to the conclusion this would not work!
The blue choice was too purple and to me the only way this would work was to add chocolate brown furniture. This wasn't a direction I was willing to take.
Thank heavens Gary agreed.
So out came the blogs and the ladder again.
Still interested in the Farrow and Ball color pallet we selected a color named Black and Blue. What I've realized during this exercise is Gary has a much more contemporary style than I realized. I decided this room would need to incorporate his style in the paint color.
Here's the same wall with Farrow and Ball's Black and Blue.
A contemporary lamp and his selected artwork brought in from another room
Oh lord! I just wanted a light gray................. This is so dark!
But this is the fourth layer of paint in a matter of weeks... I keep painting.
When the natural day light hits the walls the blue does shine through.
I clearly have a design block with these black walls, but I hear Melissa from Pottery Barn say
"you need a plan".
Out come the magazines and blogs yet again.
The following photos I've gathered are in hope to get inspiration for our new direction.
Now this is an interesting direction
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Could I pull in my beloved gray in the furniture?
I love the herringbone rug.
Could I hang some of the art work over our desk?
sourceMaybe I could bring in the industrial look after all?
Traditional with black walls looks awesome.
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Contemporary with traditional and industrial layered together.
Black wall color with a French twist!
This is a work in progress. I will keep you updated on our new direction.
Today I 'm Black and Blue!
