Getcha Some Paint by Numbers

This little gem of a picture is the starting point for my whole stinking house. A $10 find at an estate sale in Portland a few years ago has been inspiring me for the last 3 years and it's kicked off a pretty silly obsession. 

This farm scene in a cheap spray painted frame pretty much sums up the things I love in my house. First off it's an original vintage paint by numbers, which is just so mid century, kitschy and a bit irreverent. Second its crisp rustic scene is cozy and inviting. And the colors are beautiful, rich and classic, can't you just imagine a beautiful plaid throw in these tones?

I've slowly but surely added to my collection to where I can now boast one or more in every room, with more on the way from ebay!

The horse paint by numbers are prolific, and
 I'm still working on how to use my 6 or so in a manner that
doesn't make me seem like a "horse girl", you know the kind.

Here are my paint by number tricks in case you'd like to start your collection or are on the hunt;

1. I won't pay more than $10 including shipping for a painting. There's enough out there that you can be patient, but believe it or not they're increasing in value since Country Living and rustic-kitschy trendsetters like Teresa Surratt have been bringing them back. Um yeah, I may be kidding myself here, but I'm pretty sure they are the new "it thing"....
2. I make a once a month round to Goodwill, St. Vinnies and Value Village to look for these babies and my other favorite obsession, vintage state souvenir plates. Can you handle the kitschy-ness?!
3. Ebay is my best go to option online, lots and lots of paint by numbers, including horrible cat and clown ones. Those should be burned.
4. And finally I have luck with 1 out of 10 estate sales so I normally only attend ones that take place in mid century style homes.....they tend to be little time capsules.

They may be a bit off and unique, but they always make for good conversation and I have yet to meet someone who hasn't enjoyed taking a peak at the work of some 1950's retiree that sit on my walls.

Chalkboard paint: The First Installment

I have this love love relationship with chalkboard paint. I'm a bit ashamed to admit it because of how dang trendy it's gotten. Go to Apartment Therapy and search for it, you'll get approximately 5 million different uses for the stuff. But I love that it's graphic, cheeky, utilitarian and cheap, so I won't apologize.

I was sitting in my very white living room one day when I considered this random little wall near the fireplace that needed something to make it worth being there. I had tried a few different chair/table/lamp combos and they were fine, but nothing spectacular.

Said wall, the one with the tree in the very bare room, first week.

I saw some holes that needed to be fixed in another wall, went the Bi Mart to get some putty and while there saw a can of chalkboard paint and right then and there decided to paint that wall black. I went home and the deed was done in no less than 2 hours.

Wall the same day it was painted, about a year ago.

This course of action is classic Ashley. And thankfully in this one instance I didn't have regret like I did that one time I sprayed a metal table bright pink with a big party of people coming over a few hours later. Ew, that was ugly.

I think if I'd thought about painting this wall any more I would have shied away for fear of it feeling too heavy, dark or contemporary. But for such a light, bright room it worked well and now helps ground your eye as soon as you walk in.

Chalkboard paint has a really nice flat finish, no shine so in this space it doesn't compete with the other walls.....well at least not as far as sheen is concerned. As for writing on it, I found in the bright light of this room that when I did write with chalk and later tried to get it off the texture of the wall made that really difficult, and the light showed all the residual dust. So I've settled to just enjoy the blackness of it without taking advantage of it's main feature. Who knows though, I may get creative with this again soon.....

Wall as it stands today with new vignette.

I love the new vignette that's going on there now, but I especially love the mid century clock I found at TJ Maxx. It's my favorite contrast and a fun mark in the room. 

I'm a big fan of black and white and midcentury wood as my neutrals with pops of color and this wall is one of my favorite places to highlight all of these attributes.

I'll share more of my love of chalkboard paint soon, in spaces where I actually have used it for it's chalk-tastic-ness, there really are 5 million great ways to use this stuff.

So.there.you.have.it.y'all.

Ashley