Aug 27, 2011

Front Doors (you can see from space)

After two rockin' Saturday nights of painting, we settled on Version 2. I agonized for weeks, standing in front of the door switching out cardboard colour cards at all hours of the day.  I'm sure neighbours think I'm nuts. 

After painting V. 1, I quickly understood Benjamin Moore's Cedar Green inspiration: green painting tape. It was A.W.F.U.L., AWFUL, awful.  And the worst part was that everyone who saw it: neighbours, friends, nanny were so nice about the makeover.  Looks like I was too lazy to take off my painting tape - it's ok to say that it sucks. 
This actually looks much better on the computer.  Not capturing the green glow it emanated
Version 2 was Pratt & Lambert, Duchess Choice - a vibrant chartreuse.  We have very few Pratt & Lambert distributors in western Canada and I love their colours - especially their greens/yellows.  Turns out that no one in the five years that the paint sample has been available, has requested the colour for an exterior.  The distributor did not even have the correct colours to mix it with.  So off to Benjamin Moore for some colour testing.  Emily, the Associate Designer at the Kensington store is the sensei of  colour matching and matched the paint chip perfectly.  Wax on...

And the results? Put your sunglasses on and see for yourself.  I love it.  Needs to be grounded with some outdoor accessories but it is bold and glorious and perfect for the interim. We have now officially become the 'house with the yellow door' which is a vast improvement from  the 'house with the dandelions'.
Also note the much coveted one-legged garden flamingo I picked up for $2 in Evansburg, Alberta, about 1.5 hours west of Edmonton.  
I was pleasantly surprised by Evansburg, town of 603 (and one grouch).  There is a decent stock of thrift/antique stores with MCM gems. The Beehive Emporium is one of the best, complete with a coffee house, MCM treasures plus you can get your nails done.  I picked up this Chinese ginger jar, which I have been collecting for years.  The Flamingo was found in the backyard of an antique store I was surveying for work. 

So the chartreuse door gets a hall pass for the year.  That is until we paint it this next year.


LP

5 comments:

Krista Dee said...

I LOVE the chartreuse...it's one of my favorite colors right now, and it pops like crazy on the door! Great choice.

Laura said...

Much thanks Krista Dee!

Kathy said...

I love the yellow! We're getting a new door, and are considering some Crestview inserts on a metal door. When you do get your Crestview door, will you keep the storm door? I would love to get rid of ours.

Laura said...

Hi Kathy,

Would love to see how the Crestview turns out... Didn't know you could insert into a metal door? I would love to remove the storm door but it's so darn functional. Great for cross breeze. I have yet to source out a cool mid century version.

Kathy said...

My father in law who is a super duper handy man, says inserts in a metal door are doable, so I'm hoping we can do it with the Crestview ones. I love the cross breeze that the storm doors create too, but hoping a phantom pocket screen door will do the trick.

Anyways, great blog. Nice to see MCM fans in Calgary. :)

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