Sorry Dad: Crab Apple Red Kitchen Part 1

Could there be a paint name that better describes me?? (Picture Chandler from friends saying it!)

Yeah. Moving on to this portion of Sorry Dad. I painted one of my kitchen walls today. And that really is the name of it- Crab Apple Wine, to be exact! It's actually a wall in the eat-in portion of the kitchen. I like bold colors (as previously noted in this post about my bathroom). When I first moved into my house, I was pretty much obsessed with turquoise. I wanted a turquoise accent wall so the first thing I painted my dad painted was the little wall in my dining room that overlooks the living room, evidenced in this pic from NYE:

It's fitting and I love it! SO much in fact, that I decided to paint another one in my kitchen, and the nook that surrounds my bedroom window.

But times, they are a-changin'. I went to Europe in the summer of '09 and took some really awesome pictures that I wanted to display, but they don't really vibe well with the turquoise beach theme that's going on in the house. I've been wanting to paint this wall for over a year now. Correction- at first, I wanted to do some really rad maroon and gold wall paper that looked like it had come right out of a European castle, or a wall in the Louvre. Something like this:

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That would have been awesome, right?? But my practical dad and real estate agent mom (<---If you live in the So Cal area and are looking into buying or selling your home, check out her website, she's the best and most knowledgeable agent I've ever met. And thanks to her, I know hundreds.) talked me out of it. Apparently, wall paper is a pain in the ass to put up, and as it turns out, not the greatest look for re-sale. So I agreed that I shouldn't go the wall paper route. Err, or just stop dead in my tracks for a year.

My Europe pictures have been in these awesome frames just screaming to be hung, but they always seem to take a back seat to that pesky little labrador who screams to go on walks. But now with these 3 weeks of vacation from work, I have the time to catch up on all these projects I've been dying to do!

So, onward! First things first... a before shot of my awesome turquoise wall:

I still love this color, and it's still the first thing you see when you enter the house, but alas, it's time to move on in the kitchen. (Which is actually behind me when I was taking this picture.)


And yes dad, don't worry, I taped off the walls and I cut in before I started. Here's proof:

Yep, that's Kevin, trying to eat the tape. This is why these things are difficult!

Kevin was being really cute while I was working. He wouldn't leave my side. So I had to force him out of the way...

Yeah, that's my leg holding him back while I was using my hands hands for the tape. Part monkey, or just resourceful?? You decide.

At first, like with any dark color, I was scared. I think this is the darkest color I've ever used on a wall. The first coat was blotchy, and even though I expected that, it still worried me. I kept hearing my dad's voice in my head, "Why didn't you just call me? I would've helped you." But then I did the second coat and I relaxed because it started to look just how I had always pictured it!

Caution- wet paint!

  Here's another shot at night, once the paint had dried:

The only hiccup during the whole process was when Kevin decided (in between coats) that he must lay down and take a nap. He's such a diva. And then this happened:

No worries, crisis averted. It dried on him super fast. Now he just looks stupid. Like he's turning into Clifford.

Aw look, it's me and Clifford Kevin! Source

It's also making me crave beer, mon. ;-)

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Anyway, I'll post Part 2 hopefully within the next week, after I get some pictures and maybe a shelf hung up and the look is complete!

Until the next adventure,