Monday, September 12, 2011

Lady Gray

I like gray, but it doesn’t always like me.

It’s just not fair. I see gray walls, cupboards, and furniture everywhere, and they look so pretty. So last week I picked up a sample pot of Martha Stewart “Fossil” paint (a pretty pale gray/green color on the paint chip), and painted a swathe on my front room walls.

Bleaaahhhh.

Yes, it’s really that bad. I just can’t pick ‘em.

Let me interrupt myself here to say that on the positive side, this is the first time I was SMART enough to buy a sample pot. I still have about 2 gallons of paint left from my last painting disaster!

However, I’ve *really* wanted to try painting a piece of furniture gray again. My last try was a disaster, and I ended up with blue instead. But I was ready to give it a shot again on this $15 DI piece I picked up a few weeks ago:

missgrey 001

As luck would have it, I happened to have part of an “oops” quart of gray paint leftover from last summer. It was getting old and rather thick, and there wasn’t much left anyway. So I dumped in a healthy dollop of creamy white, a fair amount of water, and mixed it all up.

missgrey 010

I loved this color. It was gray, but not a “cool” gray…a healthy hint of brown made it a warm color. In the twilight, it looked almost taupe. Gorgeous.

I didn’t want to alter the color too much, so I glazed very lightly with black. Mostly I just hit the edges and the indentations on the cupboard doors.

missgrey 017

The pulls are the ones it came with, but they are not original to the piece. In fact, if you look at the “before” picture above, you can see where extra holes were drilled for this “new” hardware.

missgrey 014

All the pulls used to be that brassy color, so I painted them with ORB spray paint.

lady gray buffet

It was hard to take a decent picture of this buffet, because it goes with nothing in my house!

grey buffet

I probably should have had a photo shoot in the yard for this one!

country gray buffet

I’m thinking I may have to take my paint stick in to be color-matched so I can have more of this lovely gray.

gray buffet

I call her “Lady Gray-the-Buffet” in my head Winking smile I know it’s silly, but that’s the name she’s stuck with!

Are there any colors you love, but just can’t seem to make work in your house?

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Linking up here.

42 comments:

Suzy www.savedbysuzy.blogspot.com said...

I have a crush on gray myself right now and want to paint my whole house in it! I just don't have the motivation or time right now. I think Lady Gray turned out great. Such a pretty color!

Mandi @ Vintage Revivals said...

Gray is SO hard. If you like a brwonish gray you might really like RL Hopsack its a great warm gray! The piece turned out awesome!

Love your guts
mandi

Maury @ Life on Mars said...

LOVE IT! I have a hard time with yellow. My mudroom is really dark and I painted it a soft yellow to brighten it up and it still looks garish to me. I can't ever find the right warm yellow.

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

I think she looks great, Korrie! I'd like to try gray myself, but don't really have much of it going on. I could probably mix it in with black and white, but it seems to stick out in the wrong way.

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

What a great transformation! I LOVE IT! Martina

Karie said...

I have the same problem with gray myself. I tried to do our bathroom in gray and it came out blue:( I'm going to try ASCP in paris gray for the first time on an old dresser! I hope it comes out as gorgeous as yours!

SkinnyMeg said...

I heart grey, I've used several different shade around my house {mostly martha's} I love the grey on your piece though, gorgeous!

Karyn said...

You did a great job, it looks wonderful. I too love a warmer grey (and the glazing looks great.)

Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures said...

Too bad it doesn't match anything in your house because I really like it. Maybe you should paint more things gray so it will match? I was going to redo my son's room someday in grays...now you have me a little worried. :)

Howsewears said...

Nice. You know that decorators are calling grey the new black. Good job.

Julia @ 551Eastdesign said...

That is a fantastic grey! She looks so classy! I love Manhattan Mist by Behr. :)

Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. said...

I knew you could do it! She looks fabulous!

Rachel Bergman said...

I just love Lady Gray! She's gorgeous! :) Another winner!

Megan Gunyan said...

And we have a winner! It is the perfect gray. I love happy accidents like that! Yeah!

Kim @ A Brush of Whimsy said...

Oh yeah, it looks awesome, girlfriend! :) Great touch, with the gray glaze!

Anonymous said...

I love gray so much just painted my whole house gray (and white). But I do the cool gray more than the warm gray. :) Your piece looks fabulous!!

Beth said...

This piece is so very pretty! I love it when things work out and you didn't have to buy more paint to get it like this.

I love gray and used to have a house that the exterior was gray and much of the interior was a pale gray. I don't think I could use it much in my current home with all the wood and stonework that is more in the brown and tan colors. A bedroom would be stunning in gray with white accents!

Unknown said...

QUICK!!! Take a drawer into your paint store and have them COLOR MATCH this grey shade that you love!!! Then you will have it for other projects.:)

Connie said...

Don't you just love it when something finally "works"? That turned out lovely.

Rachel said...

That turned out just beautifully.

I love a yellow, blue, and white kitchen but for some reason everything in my house just keeps turning green..... Green wood stove, green counter tops, green curtains, green front door......... yellow, blue, and white. I want that in my kitchen..........

dot said...

The end result is beautiful! I enjoy seeing all your projects.

Maybe you can help me...I made your book bird house but I couldn't get the whole thing to open up like it should. I have about a 3/4 bird house. Do you know what I might have done wrong or what I can do to make it open like it should? thanks!

Deborah March said...

OmiGOSH, so BEAUTIFULLY done! I must admit, I have a hate relationship with grey...not "love/hate..." just hate. I have a quart of ASCP Paris Grey, and no matter WHAT I upcycled with it, I HATED it. Siiigh...

SImple and Serene Living said...

It looks great. I love gray (everywhere except on my head)
Laura

Sarah said...

Picking a nice gray can be hard! I love the way it looks everywhere, but finding one yourself can be hard. My dressers in my master are painted a gray and they're more blue than I had envisioned them being, but I love them even more because of it!

Gypsy Heart said...

That is gorgeous!!! You amaze me at the mixing of paint...and it always turns out beautifully. Yes, I recommend that you take a sample in and get more of this color.

I think that a tan/taupe color is difficult ~ either too much pink or yellow it seems. Blues are really a challenge.

Thanks for sharing!
xo
Pat

Cassie Bustamante said...

it looks awesome! love the color, and i love the big hardware on it!

Sarah Yoder said...

This turned out great! I'm looking for something like this to refinish and use as a sofa table in my living room. As for grey paint...take a look at Sherwin Williams "Pussywillow Grey" We painted several rooms in that and LOVE it! It is the perfect middle grey, not too blue and not too green! Good Luck.

Sarah Yoder said...

You might enjoy reading this:
http://www.hypheninteriors.com/2011/09/guest-post-gray-walls.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HyphenInteriors+%28Hyphen+Interiors%29

bj said...

This really turned out very pretty. I love the color.

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

The cabinet looks wonderful in its new paint color. Thank you for linking to the Open House party this week.
Hugs,
Sherry

Stephanie said...

lovely! I haven't tried to do anything gray yet--I'm scared :) But I want to do the toddler bed in my son's room. We'll see.

Here's a dresser I just did though!
http://craftingintherain.blogspot.com/2011/09/dressed-up-dresser.html

Tina@WhatWeKeep said...

It's gorgeous! I love the hardware...I still haven't found anything I like for my cabinet.
Thank goodness for sample pots!

Rosemary@villabarnes said...

Gray is a tricky color. You did a nice job modifying it. I love to mix.

Decor & Harmony said...

Lady Gray is lovely.....you do such wonderful restyles. I'm glad the color worked for you too!

Honey at 2805 said...

The cabinet looks terrific in it's new dress. It must be very happy that you have given it new life!

Thanks for linking to Potpourri Friday. You are an asset and I hope you will make this a weekly stop. I appreciate you!

the decorating chica said...

It'sbeautiful. I've been painting furniture lately also and am liking grey alot.

Honey at 2805 said...

Your table is wonderful. You always do a beautiful job with all you do!

Thanks for linking up Potpourri Friday. You are a real asset to the success of this party and I appreciate you! I will look forward to seeing what you create for next week!

Mel Creates Often said...

That turned out great!

New follower here from More the Merrier Monday.

Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia said...

Your grey is perfect!! Funny how sometimes we just find the perfect color all on our own:)
Thanks for linking!
XO

Ellen said...

Lady Grey is perfect. What a nice piece you created here. You sure did give Lady Grey a new lease in life...enjoy your new piece.
Hugs,
Ellen

gail@My Repurposed Life said...

your little lady seems to be a huge hit!
I'm loving gray right now. but it's tough to get the right hue! You did good!
gail

Kristal said...

Working with my first grey piece right now. So far, liking the color. This one turned out great!

XoXo,
Kristal