Almost There

We are getting closer and closer to completing the living room!  Last weekend B.daddy did the very last of the Man Work, and I bought the perfect red and the perfect white on Monday.  The kids and I were zonked after spending the day at co-op an hour north of home.  Going to Lowe's with three tired kids-and a poor version of myself-is NEVER on my list of things to do.  But I. Could. Not. Wait!!

The last three days have been nothing but lessons and painting.  My house is an absolute wreck and our clean laundry--I did manage to wash it--is getting good and wrinkly in huge IKEA bags in the dining room.  But what's new about that, right?

We chose to paint the trim and chair rail down with the red.  It is the most historically accurate way to paint an interior from the early 19th century.  I knew I was taking a chance on how I would really feel about the look.  I don't want our house to be too niche-y.  It turns out I love it!  Following historical guidelines just makes this house sing!  

Being consistent with this project's pattern, we're adding just one more thing.  We're going to paint the floor.  Again, painting the floor is historically accurate.  Rugs were an absolute luxury for the most elite.  So the not-so-elite colonials used paint to protect their wood and give the decorative effect of a rug, and you can see the evidence of that on our floors.  But you can also see the evidence of a careless paint job that obviously took place right before they covered the beautiful wide, soft white pine boards with carpet.  May God have mercy on their souls.

We intended to leave the floors alone until we can get them all refinished.  But as the rest of the living room started looking so wonderful, I knew we couldn't leave the floor as is.  B.daddy has worked SO hard in there, and you can tell.  Everything looks perfect!  The floors left alone would ruin the whole effect of the rest of the room.  

I pitched the idea of painting the floor, assuming B.daddy would scoff.  See, I offered that we'd do no more than give it a good mopping before painting. B.daddy does not do things half-way.  I assumed he wouldn't want to paint until we could completely sand and clean the surface--something we cannot do right now.  However, he loves the idea and he loves the color I want to use.  So we're going for it!

This is the color we're going for.  It's called Sea Mist Green.  It's such a soft green it's almost gray.  It's B.daddy's favorite antique colonial color, and I think it will look absolutely amazing against our red and white.

Surprisingly the Historical Society of New England recommends that owners of historical homes NOT sand before painting a floor.  Leaving the original paint patterns to show through the new coat is the way it's always been done, so it's a more accurate way to bring out the historical bones of a home.

So instead of finishing our painting tomorrow and moving back in, we're adding another week on the project.  But it will be so worth it!  Can't wait to post the after photos!