Updates on Man Cave and Chalk Paint

I ordered Annie Sloan's chalk paint in Paris Grey and Old White.

I wanted to try this paint out before I take the plunge and do my kitchen cabinets.

Since the Old White is on back order, 

 I won't be able to finish my test project~the secretary.

 This bonnet top secretary was moved into the living room.

The golden tones and the hand painted motifs had to go...

Here is how it looks with one coat of Paris Grey.

It is closest to Ben Moore Coventry Gray HC#169. 

I plan to add Old White to the door, the panels or the raised molding,

then I will wax it to give it a little dimension.

Mr. Maison Decor thinks it looks like primer.

He is not a fan...but I told him, lets wait and see

how it looks after I do some white detailing

and apply the wax finish.

Anyway...

This secretary used to be in our NH home.

When we sold it, our favorite things had to find a new place,

and so it wound up in Man Town.

~Man Cave Before~

The secretary is in the corner. 

This room is small and it is hard to fit 

our family in here, so we have too much furniture,

 and on top of that, the room was feeling dark and cramped.

My plan was to wallpaper this room in a whitewashed wood plank paper.

When the paper arrived, it was a huge disappointment.

It looked tacky, and super fake, and not what I imagined.

 Wallpaper = Tacky fake wood look.

Ugh. Pressing ahead,

I figured I would do one wall, 

then white wash over the whole thing 

to get close to my inspiration idea.

If I hated it, I would just have to remove it.

This is how I wanted to wall to look.

All I was seeing now was brown stripes...

This is the whitewashed wallpaper.

It came out OK, but honestly I couldn't make myself 

paper the entire room.

Now I think it would have been fine, but I couldn't pull the trigger.

The remaining walls got a coat of BM Natural Wicker.

This color looks like a creamy oyster color.

I hung a few of my vintage metal trays.

A large metal tin piece hangs on the wood wall.

The coffee table got a two tone paint job to help brighten the room.

A pair of big Antropology looking pillows 

were introduced for some pattern and color.

I will be making a slipcover for the ottoman out of this old chenille spread.

 The Man Cave Before

The Man Cave After

It feels bigger and brighter in here.

Hubs got a new flat screen with HD.

Some fabric samples are on order for window treatments.

Rustic Romantic Man Cave

linking to

Transformation Thursdays

and

White Wednesday