Love Those Moody Blues - Third Installment from the “DIY DIVA” Series!

I have fond memories of my mom’s formal living rooms growing up. We moved a few times during my childhood, and I vividly recall her changing tastes and decor in each new home. In the mid- sixties, we had a gold brocade sofa and side chairs, which were always covered in plastic to guard against stains. It was particularly awful during the summer months, when my chubby little thighs would stick to the plastic and make a squeaky sound as I unstuck myself from the cushion.

By the 70s, her tastes had evolved from brocade and plastic to velvet and lovely dark wood. The couch and side chairs were now a shade of lemon-y gold, and way more comfortable. By then, Mom had thankfully discarded the plastic chair covers and allowed us to sit on them unprotected. What a treat!

When I initially moved into my home in the village of Ballston Spa, everything was very neutral - and very dull. My furniture was a nondescript dark gray, and the lighting in the living room - as with the rest of the house - was also an issue. While this room does get a lot of morning and midday sun, on cloudy days the room becomes dark and dull, with no overhead lighting or bright spots.

I decided that blue was the perfect choice for this part of the house. My goal was to recreate the tranquility and calm I’d been treated to on a recent visit to the lovely Spa Mirbeau in Hyde Park, NY, which had the most gorgeous shade of blue on the ceiling of my bedroom suite.

I also wanted to highlight a uniquely lovely lamp that I purchased years before, which was in disrepair and sitting in a corner of my pantry. Luckily for the residents of Ballston Spa and Saratoga, we have a beautiful little shop in the village, Two If By Sea antique gallery and lamp repair shop. I was able to get the lamp repaired for a very reasonable price, and I even purchased a ‘like new’ shade for it across the street at ReShop for a whopping $5!!!

On the walls, I opted for a soft white paint with just a hint of pale pink
to add warmth and dimension. On cloudy days, the rosiness comes through ever so faintly and picks up the pinks and creams in the rug. The satin-finished ‘Chantilly White’ paint on the trim adds a cool brightness.

Thanks again to my friends at the paint counter in Curtis Lumber for their expert advice on shades, finishes, and using the right equipment. The big question for me when painting the ceiling was: To Tape or Not to Tape! While it was a challenge to paint a straight line between the ceiling and the trim, I chose to “eyeball” it. The result was better than I expected, especially when you consider the roughness and unevenness of the walls.

One of the really cool things about decorating this room was how I was able to pull all the disparate pieces of furniture and accessories together to create something. Most of the pieces in this room were either given
to me or they were purchased at ReShop, which is part of Rebuilding Together Saratoga County. Everything in the store is donated, and the profits go toward helping people in the community improve their homes.

The final challenge in the “blue room,” as with every other room in
this house, was the lack of overhead lighting. Once again, I solved this problem using wireless LED lighting scattered throughout the room. The “uplit” effect adds real warmth and highlights the terrific blue accent pieces and art that I was also able to pick up at ReShop for “pennies!”

While nothing I did in this room involved any physical construction, it was still a challenge to pull together. The lath and plaster walls made it very difficult to drill neat holes for picture hanging, in addition to the problems with painting in a straight line.

Despite those minor annoyances, I am so happy with the results. While there’s a TV in just about every other room in the house, this is my “moody blues” space for reading, writing, doing jigsaw puzzles, and just enjoying some much needed tranquility.