Coast Grandmother?

 I haven't painted since I finished the hall. I have been out and about with appointments this week. It has given me a chance to rest and research on the Coastal Grandmother look. It had been a bit stressful as I sift through articles that say do this and don't do that. They are the ones that turn me off to try a new look. I am looking for articles that have suggestions. I have found a few that I have devoured. 

How Am I Doing?

The big question as I read and think and process. It is a lot of work trying to get this right. I know that the look I want is sort of, kind of Coast Grandmother it isn't exactly the overall look I want. While thinking about it, I do know what parts I want from this look. 

1. Wall Colour

    I have read more often than not that the wall colours need to be white but not stark white. Soft white has been suggested but when I dug deeper into suggestions, the colour I have chosen (Snowfield White) fits the bill. It has a light reflecting value (LRV) of almost 70% which means it is great for interiors. I am right on track with my colour choice. 

2. Other Colours

    Depending on how deep you go with the coastal look, blue, white, grey, and cream (linen) are the colours to use. Some suggest wall paper but that is not for me. An accent wall is not for me either though I do like them. For me, I will stick to using the blues, white, grey and linen for the soft furnishings in this house. I can add a bit of soft pink and greens to the look as well as navy. 

3. Patterns

    I am fussy about what I want. I will try to add some stripes (tiny) and a few nice prints to the mix. I don't want the house to be monochromatic so I will have to be careful. I don't want to over do it so it looks nautical. What I want is patterns that are subdued and carefully chosen. 

4. Window Coverings

    I have curtains on the windows of this house to keep out the sun and heat in the summer and to keep in the warmth in the winter. I can't do sheer curtains as they don't do what I need them to do. I am opting for blinds instead. If I have to go to curtains, I will choose a light grey in the main part of the house. In the bedrooms I have black out curtains and they won't be changed. 

Next Step

I am going to paint the spare bedroom next. I did a lot of sewing for it and I do like it. It is a bit of a different look to what I am leaning towards now and I want to see how it looks with the grey walls. I did a more cottage look in that room and may have to rethink a few things. I may even change the fabrics out to something lighter. I know all the pieces will find a new home quickly. 

What will I choose for that room if I do a change in it? I will choose a lighter blue tiny stripe and floral. I may add a touch of a darker blue to tie in the darker blue curtains I have. Though the curtains are a dark blue, they do have light grey in them which may be more noticeable when the walls are painted grey. 

I am looking forward to the next time step in this house. 

More Painting Done

 I got back to painting and finished the hall. I am not as happy with it so will be doing a bit of sanding and repainting on the weekend. When I don't see the imperfections (when I look at the wall on an angle) I am happy with how bright and airy the hall looks. 

I scrubbed the hall floor on my hands and knees using a scrubber. I targeted the joins as they seemed grubby. In fact the whole area was grubby from using a mop. It looks so much better now that I have the floor really clean. 

I have spent a lot of time thinking about the grandma coastal look. I did some research (thanks Pinterest) and realized there is some elements of the look I like. 

    It is sleek, simple, and minimalist. Me for sure. 

    Use of light colours in combinations. Mine is grey and blue and I can use other colours where needed. The browns are in my furniture. The vibe is to keep it light and airy.

    Add your own personality to it with antiques and carefully chosen items. I don't do beach but I do country. 

    Add flowers. I will be using artificial flowers in this house due to the cat. I see a blue hydrangea bloom in the vase on the table in the hall. 

    Have sheer curtains will not happen in this house. I will have 3% blinds on the windows. I need protection from the sun in the summer and warmth in the winter. The blinds will let in the light I need to keep the rooms bright and airy. 

My goal is to keep painting the upstairs and try to get items together for each area in this house. I am being fussy and careful about what I want and will use. This will develop over time as I know how much I want this house to be enjoyable for me to live in. 

More Painting Done After A Brief Rest

 I had to rest as I did too much. I got over tired and couldn't handle the thought of going up and down the ladder. I took Friday off and just sanded the compound I put on the walls to cover up holes and other imperfections. Yesterday I did some prepping and cutting in on the other side of the hall.

When shopping, I bought a 1" angle brush that cost almost $20.00. It was a delight to use when painting. It fits in my hand nicely and has the balance I need to handle it precisely when cutting in. It is a Wooster Pro and worth every penny. 

While thinking about doing more painting, I decided to look on Pinterest for ideas on how to decorate the house after it is painted. I put in grey and blue and got coastal. Though my colours (grey and blue) I do not like the sand colours chosen. Too close to what I am painting over. One pallet was called Coastal Grandma by Sherwin Williams. It caught my eye and gave me something to think about. 

I threw out the coast grandma and took another look at what I liked. The grey for sure. Mine is lighter which I like better in this house. The Favourite Jeans caught my attention. Though a lighter blue, it gave me the vibe I am looking for. I will add a darker jean colour (navy) to the mix plus linen, white, and maybe a lighter blue. All will go well with my decor. 

This bedroom is an example of what I like minus the ceiling lamp, blinds and picture.  

I see the white duvet on my bed and I will have a navy and white quilt on the foot of the bed. I don't know if I will have cushions on my bed. Pictures will be ones I cherish and all have blue in them. I think it will be a restful place to sleep in which is important to me. 

I am now working on ideas for the kitchen, dining, and living areas of the house using blues, grey, and some off white/linen colours. 

My style is still evolving. I know it will be relaxed and somewhat minimal. It will have a country look but not a farm house look. It will also have items in it that I love and cherish. Some of the projects I have in mind will work in this house, others will still be made and given away. 

I have decided that what I don't like I will get rid of. Someone else will love it. I have also decided that I will keep my look minimal as I love the quietness it gives me. I did it before and I can do it again with some serious thinking on my part. 

I am not going to do a lot of seasonal decorating as I don't have the space for it. I will only do Christmas as that collection is complete and can be stored under the stairs. I have a winter collection I love and will use it. What ever else I make will have to be used the rest of the year. I need to choose what fabrics I want carefully. 

I keep thinking as I paint and ideas are beginning to evolve in my head of what I want to do with this house. 

Light and Bright Areas Upstairs

 I am making progress with painting upstairs. It is slow going as I can only do so much most days. Two hours seems to be my limit for hip to handle. And I do need to rest every two to three days. 

The front area is done and set up again. It was certainly a learning curve figuring out how to use the brush in tight spots. I used a small roller with a foam part on it. I did like that as it put the paint on quite smoothly. 

I was amazed at how bright the area looked when done. I have it set up with only a picture of the dining wall. 

The sun coming in the dining area windows messed with the brightness of the picture. The colour is light grey in the morning and more of a greige in the afternoon/evening.  

I have a welcome sign that hangs on the wall that you see coming up the stairs. I have bought a blue ribbon to make a bow to go on it. It is one of the blues I love and want in the upstairs. 

The sign is not huge and I showed it in the last post. 

My next area was the hall to the bedrooms. It was easy to decide on what part I would do first. I sanded and wiped the walls and trim down. The first coat of paint is on. 

What a huge difference in just half of the hall painted. I no longer feel like I am walking down a dark tunnel to the bedrooms and bathroom. 

What I didn't realize when taking on this project was how depressing this house looked in a mid tone yellowish taupe. I knew I didn't like the colour but didn't realize the impact it was having on my mental health. I am a person who likes a light neutral colour. I can add other colours in the decor. 

The other thing I realized was how much I enjoy painting. I did a lot of it in the past but always felt rushed and pressured. This time I can do it at my own pace taking breaks as needed. I go slow when painting as I like to be accurate. I also do a lot of thinking when rolling on the paint. Funnily enough I know exactly what picture will go on the wall by the spare bedroom. It is funny how things pop into my head while working. 

Once I finish the hall I may buy a gallon of paint and do the trim. I know it needs doing and should do it in stages also. Doing the trim means doing the doors also. They all need refreshing due to age and wear from living in a home. I also want to add crown moulding to all the rooms and need to get it here for next summer's project. 

In the meantime, I will continue painting and lightening up the upstairs of this house. 

Beginning To Paint Upstairs

 I decided to get ready to paint the house. My hip is in good shape. I know I will only be able to do a certain amount each day and take a rest day every second or third day. 

I did sit and think about where to start painting. As I cleaned out the hall closet, I decided to do that area around to the dining room's small wall. 

I knew I could handle this area easily. I took down everything I could off the walls and washed them and the trim and baseboards. The next job was to spackle the marks on the wall. 

When dry, I sanded them and wiped the dust off the walls. Next up was to tape the top of the baseboards. That was the hardest job of all as my hip was telling me it was tired. I stopped when done and let my hip rest. 

The colour I chose for the walls is the same one used in the basement. It is Snowfield White, a colour I know that will brighten up the house. 

Though grey is not as popular in 2024, I am still going with it as I really don't care. I like light neutral walls so other colours I use are noticeable and true. 

I have decided that the main accent colour for soft furnishings will be greyed blue (think denim). This colour can range from lights to navy. I may add a hint of another colour in some of the rooms and just white in other rooms. It will depend on what I want. 

In the area I am going to paint, I have a welcome sign that daughter gave me one Christmas a few years ago. 

It had a jute ribbon on it that I removed. I am thinking of adding a dark blue ribbon with three small white flowers. It has to be small as this is not a large sign. I want to add a picture below it. It may be something I make using a painter's canvas and fabric. I will keep my eyes open for something I like. 

The wall above the server will still have the barn picture on it. It is a picture that the Spousal Unit and I picked many years ago. The server will be cleaned and polished. I do like the items on it but it needs a runner on it in blues and whites and something with flowers in it. I can do that later this fall as I need to find the fabrics I want. 

At the moment I am focusing on this area only though soft furnishing colours will need to be chosen carefully so they can be used in the open concept of this house. I want to live in a house that I love. It just needs to be updated to colours that I love. 

Plans In Place

 I have been busy this summer and have not posted. My hip has improved enough that I am not having the intense pain I had in the past. I can do things without a lot of discomfort. I need to remember to do chunks of work that I can finish without getting too tired or sore.

The Yard

The garden was growing rapidly and I was excited. One morning I woke and the deer had pruned the peppers, beans, peas, and cucumbers. I was upset but knew it would happen one day. The deer have lost a lot of their environment to housing developments and are eating plants in everyone's gardens/yards. 

The plants recovered and grew like crazy. As the vegetables developed, the deer came in and feasted two more times. I now have to pick on a regular basis to get anything. Next year I will have to put up some sort of fencing around the boxes. 

I did pull the garlic and had a decent crop. They are drying in the garage. I have picked peppers and am happy with what I got. 

I have got cucumbers, beans, and peas also. The carrots are growing well as are the leeks. 

I am now getting ready to clean up the yard and get things put away for winter. It will take me a month to do it all as I have to clean out the shed and rearrange it. 

The House

I was away for 2 weeks (went to Sweden) and am struggling at getting back into the swing of cleaning the house. The time change and then the humidity knocked the energy out of me. I also had to have my hip worked on as it rotated inwards some from so much walking in Sweden. 

I am moving towards doing fall cleaning which includes washing walls, scrubbing windows and cleaning out everything that I don't need. I did a declutter of the dining room and it felt good getting rid of old paperwork and items that had not been dealt with. I need to do that in every room of the house. 

I have decided to buy a gallon of paint and start painting upstairs on my own. I have a plan of cleaning the coat closet, wash the walls and trim in that area and where the sever is in the dining room. I will paint that first. It isn't a big area but one I can do easily on my own. It will be in the light grey I love to keep it light and airy. I want to keep going doing a given area at a time. If it takes me months to do it, I am okay with that. 

I have made some decisions on how I want the house to look. I am sticking with the grey walls throughout the upstairs. I know I can paint them. I will hire someone to change out the trim and add crown moulding. The kitchen will be the biggest change and I will have to hire that out. It is more than I can do on my own. 

I am ready to do this. I have worked through my grief and, though I miss the Spousal Unit a lot, I am ready to make the changes in this house. 

The craziness begins as soon as I have done some cleaning and prepping. 

Outside Jobs Are Completed

 It has been a while since I posted. I have been busy in the yard and have been fighting flare ups in my right hip. These flare ups knock the wind out of me and I can only do the basics while I rest and apply heat to the sore spots. 

My neighbour, his sons, and family did under the back deck for me. I wasn't allowed to help other than do the clean up and provide drinks. The transformation was amazing. It went from a messy weed patch to clean and weed free.

With it being so dry, I will plant grass seed in the fall. But it is so nice not having to deal with weeds in that area. 

I did go around the house and weed the side and front beds. They need more river rock but not until next year. I want to redo the bricks before adding more rock or pea gravel. 

 

There is nothing planted on this side as it gets very hot and dry. The front has a few plants but I also keep it low maintenance. 

Around the shed was weeded and I put out the solar lights. At night, that area is bright and cheery. 

Flowers and vegetables have been planted and all are growing well. 

The other big project was a killer for me. It was weeding and removing the weed cloth from the hedge. I got all but 12 shrubs weeded on the house side and 7 on the road side. Doing it caused a couple of flare ups and I was slow. I wanted to have it done by the end of the month. Enter grandson who came to help me. We did the road side of the hedge in 2 days and were done by June 18. Earliest ever. He came over the next day and did the weed whacking of the ditch. I had done weed spraying the week before so all was good to go. I had also done some weed whacking in the bottom of the ditch. No pictures were taken but I am so proud of how it looks. I can hoe it every 10 days and weed whack when necessary. I will plant grass in the fall if that is the route I go. 

I am so grateful for the help I received in getting the yard done this spring. I know what I have is minimalist but that is fine. The crew that does the mowing can get around without having to worry about flower beds in the middle of the lawn. I can care for the flower pots and vegetable boxes on my own. Weeding is easy if I focus on doing it weekly or every 10 days. Watering can be done in a very short time allowing me to stay inside during the hot parts of the day. 

As a final note, I went out to water yesterday and was greeted with this. 

I am so grateful that the first rose bush (and only survivor) that the Spousal Unit planted was loaded with blooms. Yes, I picked them and they are in a vase in the house where I can admire them. He would have been so proud of how many blooms came out at once. He loved to pick roses for me to enjoy inside. 

I am so happy that I can enjoy my garden this summer and am able to take care of it.