I admit that I can get hung up on inconsequential issues, feeling my anxiety rise over things that for most folks would be a mere blip on the radar.  My latest fuss?  The front parlour room.

When we moved into our current abode, the previous owner had painted this room a hideous orange with red sponge work on top. It gave me the heeby jeebies everytime I had to pass through. Painting the room the charcoal hue you see above was a major step up, but also a learning curve. You see, I was accustomed to using satin paint- it’s perfect for a family since it is easy to clean.  It, however, is downright awful on plaster walls.  Plaster walls naturally have dimples, divets, and generally uneven texture.  Paint with even the slightest hint of sheen makes these imperfections glaringly obvious- as I quickly learned.  Overtime, I found myself getting more annoyed about the finish and finally hit my breaking point last Friday.  I got out my paint roller and tray, trim brush, and paint leftover from the guest bedroom.  Was the green the ideal color for this room?  Probably not, but it was readily available and a flat finish.  Good enough for me!  The results?  I am pleasantly surprised to say I like!

I love how the arrangement of Roscoe’s art work turned out. I love all the color and variety.  So proud of my little artist!

This room gets used a lot for music and playtime so having comfy seating is a must, but so is having a lot of floor space for train track building.  I’d say mission accomplished in that respect though I am still contemplating curtain fabric for the windows.  This room is southern exposure and gets a lot of direct light throughout the day- a pair of black and white striped cotton panels could do just the trick in making this room usable all day long.

Aaron’s favorite part about this room, regardless of color, is the oil-turned-electric hanging lamp.  Personally, I would like to change it out for a modern/fun white laser cut globe/pendant, but it would take too much work to convince Aaron  of this plan.

My analysis?  Big improvement for the time being.

While I was painting, Aaron kept himself busy sprucing up the front entry fireplace.  He picked up a birch branch earlier in the day and cut it to fit perfectly in the nook.  Quite a festive and seasonally appropriate look if I do say so myself.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a great (and super easy) veggie stew recipe for you. It is unbelievably delish and healthy- how can you beat that?!