Last Updated on May 16, 2024 by Stacy Averette
Last weekend we cleaned out the garage AGAIN and repainted the walls. First, lest you think that all of the rooms in my house are “done” and therefore I’m forced to start painting the garage, allow me to set the record straight. None of the rooms in my house are “done”. In the twenty years, we’ve lived in our home, I’ve never totally finished a single room. To be honest, I work hard, get bored, and move on to another project. But guess what? It doesn’t really bother me! I mean, it bothers me a little but not enough to actually fix it. I lovingly refer to our home as “the fixer-upper that’s not fixed up” (and never will be)!
Second, does the garage ever get clean and stay clean at your house? Our garage has been a home gym, workshop, furniture storage room, and so much more. Now our garage is actually a garage housing one very special new/old truck. (More about that later!)
I used to have a paintbrush in my hand every week but it’s been many months since I tackled a large project or painted anything. After last weekend’s big project, I’m itching to paint something else and I know just the project!
Today’s post is all about inspiration!
Green With Envy
Our dining table was purchased years ago from a local consignment shop when we needed a place for our family of seven to sit and enjoy meals together. It’s solid wood and heavy as a horse but the orangey stain had to go. The country white I painted back then has served its purpose and held up beautifully through thousands of meals, craft projects, board games, and family celebrations. But it’s been begging for a fresh coat of paint forever!
I didn’t have to look far to find the inspiration I needed. My “Kitchen” and “Painted Furniture” Pinterest boards had several painted pieces that helped me decide on the green. (I’d initially considered painting it black but the green furniture in the photos I’m going to share just kept calling my name!)
I love, love, love green!
I had a quart of mossy green paint from Lowes for another project so I decided to try it out. Y’all, I’ve painted lots of furniture in my day and I still made a rookie mistake! I was so anxious to get started that I just slapped the latex paint on the table without remembering that it had at least two coats of Minwax Polycrylic on it. Ugh! The paint did not go on well and the color wasn’t what I had in mind at all! The polycrylic is water-based but too shiny without sanding. I’ll probably make my own chalk paint this time around. Chalk paint is great for impatient and imperfect painters like me!
Back to square one. Oh well! DIY projects don’t always go the way I planned but sometimes that’s the fun part.
Shades of Green
Did you know that there are two hundred and ninety-five different colors of green? According to a Google search, there are! Thankfully, I already had a particular color green in my mind’s eye based on my collection of thrifted vintage botanical prints that are hanging in my dining area. But just look at the different shades of green in the photo below. Some of those don’t look green at all or at least what I think of when I think “green”.
I’ve pinned this photo for reference because I see some pretty colors I might use later on!
After the mossy green paint fail I considered popping in Lowes and grabbing lots of paint swatches, as I do often. But it really helps me to see it on a piece of furniture.
I did a little research and pulled several photos from my Pinterest boards to give you an idea of what I have in mind. I hope they inspire you as much as they’ve inspired me!
Green With Inspiration
What a pretty little desk! This was the color I had in mind originally but I knew after the first coat it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. Too sage green.
This pretty green hutch is a little closer to the color I was going for but still not quite there.
I absolutely love this rustic piece! And that weathered green paint! And those framed paintings!
I love everything about the photo below! It is perfectly un-matchy. The wallpaper, the hats, and especially that beautiful green door. We’re getting closer!
Friend, the table below is my idea of the perfect table! The color, the size, the legs, those little drawers. I want THIS table. The table I have is really too big for the space I have in my eat-in kitchen and the legs are way too chunky but it’s what I have to work with until I find THIS table . . .
So I’m going to paint the one I have something like the color green of the hutch below. What color would you call it? Emerald green? Isn’t it gorgeous?!
So there you have it! That’s the color green I think I want on my table. I suspect that the lighting (or lack thereof) in my room and the color of my walls (not stark white) will impact the final result.
I guess I’ll spend my weekend with a sanding block in my hand. Using an electric hand sander in the kitchen probably isn’t a great idea but I may resort to that before it’s over. I should probably move the table outdoors, sand it really well, and use my paint sprayer. Did I mention the table is heavy as a horse? And that I’ve already moved it downstairs once and back upstairs again?
Does anyone want to buy a large dining table that’s heavy as a horse and needs a fresh coat of paint?
I’ll do my best to share the finished product when it’s done. If you’d like to get updates via email click here to subscribe.
I love green!!!
Yes, green is my favorite color. Emerald green reminds me of Ireland. Happy painting.