I have been in a bit of a creative funk lately… they come and they go, right? When they happen I find it is best to avoid large projects because I then just get myself overwhelmed and stuck and I don’t love what I am doing, and sometimes just sink deeper. So I start with something small to get me going… Last week I introduced my vintage dollhouse to you, and I am happy to say I chose this piece as my “get out of this darn funk” project and am excited to share dollhouse progress today and reveal its new exterior paint!
As you can see, I painted the house to coordinate with my dining room well. I knew I wanted to enjoy it on my sideboard, so I selected the color palette based on that as well as choosing what I would love my own home’s exterior to look like one day (right now my house is mustard and brown…. barf).
I painted the “siding” with General Finishes Lamp Black– my go to black paint. It took just two coats to cover the old dingy blue. Here’s what it looked like to start with as a reminder. It doesn’t look terrible in the photo, but it was pretty stained and “vintage” looking.
Once the exterior was fully painted black, I used General Finishes Seagull Gray to freshen up the porch and chimney. The porch was already a darker gray, but I wanted a paler color… all in all I am going for a Scandinavian cottage feel.
The window trim, shutters, columns, and roof also needed some revitalizing. The white was pretty stained and yellowed in spots. I cleaned it as best as I could, and applied a couple coats of General Finishes Snow White paint. I normally gravitate towards their Antique White which is a lovely warn toned white and I myself have dubbed it the perfect furniture white. But in this case, I wanted a stark white, and Snow White was the best choice.
And finally, the finishing touch was painting the door! I do plan to add a knob and some other details to the door, but for now I’ve painted it with Amy Howard’s Barefoot in the Park. I wanted a soft blue or green, or an Emerald, even, but after holding a few samples of color to the house, this pale minty green won out! I just love the way it looks with the black and white… It helps keep the house whimsical and soft. Black and white can be so stark and cold, but throw in some pastel and you’ve got a pretty palette. Barefoot in the Park ties into the space perfectly!
It’s a start! I’ve done absolutely nothing to the inside yet, but I am happy that starting this project jump started my creative engine this weekend. I can’t wait to create my mini dream house!
What do you do to get out of your creative funks? I want to know!
Oh, and speaking of my dining room, my friend Brynne at The Gathered Home is starting a great new series today, “The ABCs of Gathering,” and she’s kicking it off with A for Art! My dining room gallery is one of the gathered art collections she’ll be sharing today- head on over to her blog to check it out!
Sharing here: Sundays at Home, Silver Pennies Sundays
