The Inside Scoop - and a Delicious One at That!

It's been a real challenge for me to stay on task with the grunt work of the exterior here at the McBeachshack - I keep getting lured away by my inner Muse wanting to play inside with the interior - the fun part! I keep pushing that to the back burner for now, because I'm doing my best to push through and give the exterior my full attention - it will be done faster that way, and I won't have to keep thinking about it. Any normal person would know that and get on with it.

.... Not me.

At 3 am my precious sleep was abruptly shattered by my creative flow --which, by the way, pays no attention to mundane things such as time of day and such .... so I shot up in bed, leaned into Poor Tired Husband's ear and began chattering away about my ideas for the living room. He is such a good sport - he didn't get angry, and he even grunted sleepy responses occasionally.

Mega talented Joni, over at Cote de Texas got my heart pumping yesterday with her incredibly gorgeous post featuring my hearts desire wrapped up in homes in Belgium. (If you haven't seen it, do yourself the favor and go check it out! You'll be drooling within seconds)

While I, myself, don't have anything as grand, I can certainly make Museville look much better than its currant state and the beauty within Joni's post lit a fire that no amount of guilt regarding my little McVilla's unfinished exterior could stop. Not even close. It would be like trying to stop a tidal wave with a feather. My creative flow refused to be denied. Beides, this current Massive Chaos and Construction style here on at Shack ala Muse is making me seriously blue!

So I got pragmatic and right down to business. I needed more than a rough idea - I needed a paint color - or colors. I don't think this yellow is going to do.

I didn't have to look far for inspiration

some Dove white Linen ...

or the burlap ... or both.

And then there is the wicker and perhaps tortoise shell blinds --

Enter a little grey in the Angels on my broken slab of color washed concrete

Add a little more grey and some silver to the mix from my sweet little cherub

A pair of old chippy large, wax covered candlesticks that I have are heavily playing into the color palette for the walls - this candlestick is two toned. I've had it for over 20 years and one side shows its age in sun-faded paint and cracks born of father time and mother nature, while it lived outside. The paint hues on the other side, however, are the same as when I purchased them because that side faced the western sun - and something different than you would expect happened -- the afternoon heat, instead of fading the colors, melted all the wax that had dripped down the side, creating a protective layer, thereby freezing time for the paint beneath it. If you look at the photo below, you can see the different halves.


The luscious darker grey seen is going on my bookshelves and will be layered in a few shades and then sanded back to expose all hues, including the current mahogany stain.

The taupes and silvers, sagey green that's also in my delicious velvet sofa and these lighter greys are going in a wash reserved for my large armoire.



The dusky mauve/taupe will make a nice undertone to keep it all from looking too chilly.


This is the second candlestick - it doesn't have that same rosy element - it's the perfect combination of colors for that armoire, don't you think it will be gorgeous?



I love these candlesticks - I don't know where they are going to end up, but they aren't going back outside - maybe in the bathroom... maybe on top of the grey armoire or dark shelves ...

So first thing this morning, with candlesticks in tow, I went to pick out and purchase paint. I came home with a plethora of everything here - along with some glaze, rags and a new "Lambie" ...

While I do a lot of layering when I paint the furniture, there isn't any layering involved on the walls -that's right - none. ...and it's a lot easier than you think. You just slap all the colors you are using up on the wall - all at once - in heavy (dripping heavy) swatches in random places in a 4' x 4' or so area ... using the same brush for all colors -

working in that 4' x 4' area, using your brush, swirl the colors all together, moving in any pattern you choose - you can't make mistakes. The more you mix, the less dramatic the contrast - stop whenever you are happy with what you see. Don't go too far, or you'll just have one muddy color.

After swirling, take your sheepskin tool (watered down and squeezed out, and dabbed with a brush with each color you are using before you initially begin - you only have to do this once, at the start) and blot in random motions to soften the brushstrokes and lines between colors - the more you blot, again, the softer the contrast gets. (again, don't go too far)

And you end up with a one of a kind interior that perfectly compliments everything in your room. This picture doesn't do it justice. ... but you'll have to wait and see the final reveal!

Hrm... too dark -- Needs more of the dove white in the mix- that's the beauty of this process, you can just paint right over it and change it as you go! Much easier than colorwashing and working with wet edges.

So that's what's going on here today - there's always tomorrow for the outside

.... right?

Dream a little dream...

I love the idea and overall feel of this little tucked away, almost secret hideaway - a little nook to read, nap, hide from the world, or dream in - and it really got me thinking -

What if ...

Source: Design*Sponge

Here, within my little McMini, space is premium, so I was thinking that perhaps the actual dining room in the Main House could be used as an office. or... a den... with the little extension someone prior to us did, leaving the load bearing wall 'arch' it's a perfect backdrop for the secret hideaway above - and it would offer sleeping space for spillover children of friends staying in the guest house if needed ...

Besides, I was thinking ... I could realistically move my dining room outside. Right outside the current dining room is a good sized courtyard and just off the house is a pergola - large enough to put a table and 8 chairs as well as a buffet or sideboard. There is electricity, and a chandelier could easily be hung...

The pergola area is fully enclosed on two sides with the exterior walls of the house, and the other 2 "walls" between the pergola poles could be fashioned with long, billowing curtains hanging from simple iron curtain rods. Starting to sound pretty nice...

Luckily I live in coastal southern California - it's nice all year, really. While I'm definitely going to create outdoor dining/living space(s) somewhere in the back, as far as dining ... I'm just not sure if I'd want an outdoor space to be my only dining room ... so, the jury is still out on this one.

Another option for my hideaway is my deck, which is directly off my bedroom. Shading part of it is yet another pergola, with china blue wisteria weaving in and out of it's old timber - creating a filigreed and fragrant canopy of loveliness - a chandelier, some gauzy curtains puddled onto the deck and casually tied back would nicely frame a little daybed - a perfect hideaway, don't you think?

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I'm going to revisit the idea of outdoor dining rooms and the courtyard later with photos and perhaps you can help me get my vision of that particular space on track?

But for now, paintbrushes with my name on it are waiting for me - Try as I might, I can't ignore that the exterior of my McMini still needs completion, and since I'm half of my "crew"...

Off I go

- enjoy your day.

Paint it Black

Black rooms ... I've seen some beautiful ones, and secretly admire those daring enough to cloak their walls in the soft shadowy hues of eventide -- Personally, I'm not that brave. Grey is as far towards black as I've dared to go. I must say, however, that sometimes, I wish I'd venture a bit farther into the darkness, especially when I see stunning bathrooms like this one -

Bruxelles Antiques

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I just don't know if I could go through with it. So, maybe not an entire room, but rather touches of black? ... I can do that -- especially when it's softened and worn by time and perhaps the elements - like the piece in this gorgeous room featured on Shawn's blog, Country French Antiques.

credit: Country French Antiques -

see more of this room here

I'm going to start with my own huge armoire - I have some gorgeous antique hardware in tarnished chunky silver that would be great on the drawers and maybe two of those large crystal knobs for the doors... I may cheat and paint it in worn shades of grey.

I told you

... I'm afraid of the dark.

...and so to bed

Sleep

It has been somewhat elusive lately --

So, in the wee hours, I search for sirens of the dream world, and came upon this inviting rhapsody of pale greys and soft whites -- I'm sure I'd sleep better if it were mine ...

In fact, I know I would.

"Rustic Metallics: soft gray walls, antique mirror, white cotton blankets, and a wooden chair rail"

"Cottage Colors: pale gray, worn white, and a bunch of wildflowers"

Why, I do believe I've found the color palete for my bedroom.

Off to bed I go to dream.

Call call
credits:

Images from European Retailer - Zara Home

featured in Apartment Therapy Chicago

The Writing is on the Wall...

So... the wheels are turning, the process is in motion - I've been in the beach shack for almost 4 months, and finally am in sync with it.

Sometimes it takes a while to get to know your house.

Now that we seem to be on the same page with one another -- me and my little house, the makeover seems much more realistic and doable, and more importantly, it's moved from stressful and frustrating back to fun.

Welcome back ye ole' creative flow -- how I have missed you lately.

While perusing magazines, blogs, the internet, friend's houses, looking for inspiration for my kitchen, specifically open shelving examples (before I came to terms with my tiny kitchen), I came across photos of chef Tyler Florence's kitchen -- Yum, right?

and the other side of the room is really fun -- his blackboard wall - the drawings and lettering were inspired by Parisian outdoor blackboard menus.

Love it.

The whole Blackboard thing was something I loved and did before, and hadn't thought about it for this house -- until now, so I started revisiting the idea, and begain adding more pictures and notes to yet another inspiration file on my poor overloaded computer. I swear that I can hear it groan loudly each time I let out a happy little sigh as I find yet another gorgeous inspiration to save.

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Speaking of which, check out the band of blackboard paint in this dining room in San Francisco --

I'm sort of loving this idea -- poetry or some favorite passage from a book, or quotes - it seems like great fun to me, and lends itself to an atmosphere conducive to thought provoking, enjoyable dinner parties, and interesting everyday meals.

Nothing like starting your day out with a little inspiration, or maybe knowing what's on the menu

My dining room is too small and there isn't enough solid wall flow to pull this off as elegant, it would look too kitchy and themey in my house.

... That doesn't mean, however, that I can't have something like that -- Enter project 543,654,654 1/2.

My goal this week is to find a huge ornate frame -- something in the lines of this --

...if frame shopping isn't successful -I'll buy a 6 foot sheet of plywood some good old Moulding and trim -- something like this - nice and big -- and ornate -

And of course ... I'll need blackboard paint...

To be (happily) continued.

Songs of the Sea...

The Princess of the Tides

I love this photo featured on Tongue in Cheek that Corey Amaro shot of her niece. It's so otherworldly and gorgeous. Bejeweled in a crown of seaweed pods, sand and coral - the enchanting ocean sprite emulates all things beautiful and mysterious which live hidden deep beneath the surface of the sea, away from the every day world of the mundane.

Hidden Lives

Little Beach Shack, what secrets do you hold? Hidden beneath your window sill donned in thick evergreen paint are traces of your former lives ...


Sanding back the paint I see that when you were new, your window sill was crisp and bright white. Did small pots of herbs sit on your happy sill? Did roses grow beneath and dance lazily in the gentle sea breeze? Did children peek in the window and speak to someone baking cookies in the kitchen?

Tired of the white, I see you then sported a warm terracotta red - I bet it looked lovely against the creamy stucco. Spanish looking and inviting. I venture to guess that the bougainvillea by the front door was planted during this life -- the one with treasures buried deep within it - an ancient string of Christmas lights and a small green garden bell that fell deep within the thorny branches when the slender rope holding it rotted with age.

Bright school bus yellow was your next season. I can't help but think of a sunny side up egg with this color combination, and wonder who lived within your walls during this part of your life. Were beach cruisers with baskets leaned against your walls and surfboards stacked on the peg slats by the back pergola? What flowers grew in the window box, beautiful then, neglected and now desiccated underneath your sill?

Your green phase followed -- first with a light, bright green, followed by a deep evergreen. This is how we found you. The people who dressed you up in the shades of the Torrey pines didn't do a very good job. Somewhere care began eroding, and dilapidation was allowed through the door. Paint was just slapped over the peeling paint beneath. Your happy windows were painted shut. Edges were sloppy and the oily deep green smeared well into the stucco. I think they just wanted to cover up the sunny yellow in more ways than one. Mission accomplished... but, worry not. The oppressive oily mess is all gone, now.

The next era -- the golden era -- going on the 80th year of your life -- will soothe and revive you, sweet little cottage by the sea. Desert shadows, sea salt and ocean pearl are in your very near future, will renew your weary spirit, and I think you will be quite happy, indeed. It's my way of giving you a gentle and loving hug.

... The Guest House exterior is almost done, I'm working on the trim while Poor Tired husband is on to the Main House! HOORAY! (That is the kitchen window sill pictured above)