Does anyone ever think undertaking their own home renovation is a good idea?! I ask this question as I am currently pulling my own hair out wondering what I was thinking moving furniture up and down stairs at 11 pm, painting crown moulding at midnight and trying to decorate a room upwards of 2 am when I know I will just have to pile it high with junk until our floors get installed. Its been a nightmare…thankfully this mini trip to Illinois will be a good getaway and as soon as we get back we can get back to normal life because our floors get put in next week. In the mean time, blogging is a safe space for me so I’m taking a mental reprieve by blogging about this calming, yet gorgeous color and piece. Wooo-saaaaa!
This shade by Homestead House Paint Company, is called “Maritime Blue.”
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Ok so on the subject of calming… this blue reminds me of the French Coast. As a high schooler, I took a trip with my French class to Nice, France. While there, I did remember the beauty of a charming french city built along the ocean and people riding bicycles with baskets filled with fresh flowers. Bakeries wafting with sugar filled treats and freshly baked baguettes. And lots of topless women tanning on the beach. While slightly confused and inspired of the confidence of these women, the first thing that caught my eye was how beautiful that water was. A breathtaking view of blues and greens as far as the eye could see.
I remember I could never forget that moment when I realized there was so much of the world I hadn’t seen yet. How many countries had views like this? How many beaches could make me feel this happy…doing nothing but looking at the water? It was an amazing experience for sure, something I’ll never forget but definitely hard to recreate here in America. Until I laid my first stroke of Homestead House “Maritime Blue” on this piece. Let me tell you about the prep before I get lost in my memories.
The Prep:
- Clean furniture and hardware with Krud Kutter and soapy water.
- Sand entire piece with 120-220 grit paper.
- Spray two light coats of Shellac to help accelerate the chipping.
Very few things trigger an emotional memory for me, but this color took me right back to the beaches at Nice, France. Every stroke of paint was like remembering every step I took in the city, remembering the feeling of being in absolute wonder at how old the city was…how many lives lived here before…how many more will come to see it.
Ok, before I get too caught up in fond memories, let me tell you what I did to get this look:
Chipping came naturally to this dresser, so I took my scraper to remove the chipping paint. I then lightly ran some 220 grit paper over the top to smooth things out and add some age with distressing.
After distressing, I sealed this table with my favorite polyurethane. I didn’t want it to continue chipping so I sprayed two coats of General Finishes High Performance Top Coat in Satin.
This depth and age was so easy to achieve by applying Homestead House Black Wax into the recessed areas. This table was perfect since it had all the ornate edges and details.
For some contrast, I wanted a rich finish on the top. I stained it in Varathane’s Dark Walnut. I think the two colors compliment each other very well.
I’ve honestly never had a color evoke as much memory as this color did. I guess we furniture painters spend a lot of time working with colors and inspiration that it only makes sense to feel such emotion with colors that truly inspire. I know everyone won’t have that same experience, but I know now if I ever get into a furniture rut, I can definitely return to this color to trigger something…anything!
You can check out the Homestead House Milk Paint variety in my Amazon store to see some of my other favorite colors!
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