Tuesday, July 27, 2010

HGTV, I wish I could quit you. . .

I am a reasonably intelligent person. I know TV is. . . well, it's TV. I knew that Seinfeld's New York was more fantasy than fact. I knew the Friends couldn't afford their Manhattan apartment given their career choices. (Barista? Are you kidding me? A Barista can't afford an apartment in Syracuse much less Manhattan). I know that the wives in Something About Jim and King of Queens have better looking husbands in real life.

So WHY do I believe HGTV?

It all started on Designed to Sell when Tanya (or maybe it was Lisa. . .but I think it was Tanya) made a darling little bedside table out of a $10 drink tray. Adorable, chic, and cheap!!!!!!!!

I have been looking for chic yet cheap bedside tables. A few years ago, we got a great deal on a couple of bureaus. They are espresso with nickle accents. (Cheapo laminate, but by the time they look cheap, I'll want something new anyway).

The bureaus were affordable, but the coordinating nightstands just seemed too pricey. Maybe I just have a problem spending a lot of money on something that will never hold more than a lamp, a book, and a box of kleenex.

So when I saw Lisa's (or was it Tanya's?) cute idea, I had to try it.

I found 2 beautiful silver-tone trays to make into nightstands. They coordinate perfectly with the nickle accents on the furniture.

But they don't "pop" against the white wall.

So. . . .I had to paint.

I had to. What is the point of making adorable bedside tables if they don't pop?

And, as long as I am painting the bedroom -- just an accent wall, mind you -- I probably should repaint the bath. And ditch the cheap stainless etagerie I put in there a few years ago. It was cute for about six months, then it rusted like a Chevette on blocks.

My bath has that faux-wainscot look -- sage about 3/4 up the wall, then cream on the top & ceiling. Cute, except I believed Dutch Boy when he promised "One Coat Coverage". So now, a few years later -- we need to repaint.

Maybe "need" is too strong a word.

But, as they say on HGTV, paint is cheap & easy to change.

The paint is cheap. The dropcloth, brushes, rollers, tray, primer and blue tape? Each item is cheap -- except the blue tape. I paid $7 for a roll of tape? I don't spend $7 on Greg's Valentine's gift.

As far as easy to change? It's not too difficult, if you don't look too closely at the finished project. That crisp blue-tape line? Don't know how they do it. Also, I can tell where I "cut in" and where I rolled. And my second coat may have missed a few spots.

Also, the tee shirt & cropped jeans I am wearing are now splattered with tiny blue splatters. I didn't like that look in the '80's -- I sure don't need to wear it now.

I haven't put the nightstands up. But it will have to wait until after Design on A Dime.

1 comment:

  1. I have soooooo been there. Ever paint a room red? Because that takes... oh, say, ten coats.

    On the plus side, it looks amazing. All warm and cozy and bright.

    Just so long as you stay about twenty feet away from the walls. Get any closer and you'll see the splatters on the trim that you will NEVER cover with white, no matter how you try, and the still-uneven-despite-all-the-coats finish that does funny things to your eyes if you look too closely.

    I still get sucked in every single time!

    ReplyDelete

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