Saturday 13 August 2016

Decorating walls

I really am the last person to give advice about decorating walls.  I have the same problem in real life and small life - indecision.  I go round and round and get no where.

If I tell you the tiny hall (vestibule) in Dalton House has ten coats of paint you might believe me.  Worse than that, the finished wall (attempt five)  is back at its third incarnation - by mistake!

The hall was originally white - far too boring - so it became white above the dado and a soft grey beneath.  Incarnation three was a bright yellow called Jasper cane - a correct Regency colour.  Far too bright for me so I softened it with white and went again.  Still far too yellow so more white until it was just a creamy sort of colour - very pretty.  Off we go again with the tenth layer of paint.  Next day - Oh, poop, I used the mid yellow mix that I had done on round three.  Pulled out some hair and decided I was past caring and it would remain as it was.

What I do that is actually useful and might be worth a mention is lay out pretend bits and bobs against various wallpapers to see how I might want them used - all over a wall, above or below a dado, with or without a border etc etc.  Placing doors and trims and even furniture on them and taking a photo can really help.


door and trims just loose laid on paper

still don't know which I like best



Something else I like to do is put wallpapers in their rooms and take a photo of them.  This lets me see if the whole house looks 'balanced'.  I don't want some particular room 'shouting' above the others.




I think the dining room paper (yellow, bottom left) is a bit too zingy and I am considering using it in panels in some way to dilute it - otherwise there is a nice calm greenery-yallery feeling running through the house and, for now, I feel as though I have actually made a decision or three..


6 comments:

  1. Hi Marilyn! I can see that this laying out flat is an Excellent method when trying to decide on what to use on the walls. It makes a quite a difference to see how things relate to each other when they are formatted this way. I also like the idea of visual balance with each room too. A doll's house is unique in this way because unlike a Full-sized home, you see the entire space all at once so it should harmonize from room to room and from floor to floor. :)

    elizabeth

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    1. Hello Elizabeth, always nice to see you, My thinking entirely. All the rooms have to sit 'calmly' alongside each other otherwise one will grab our attention to the detriment of all the others. Marilyn

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  2. Hello Marilyn,
    I do the same thing! I can't imagine not putting the elements of a room flat...it is the only way to imagine the room properly. You have some gorgeous wallpapers and I am glad you are taking into consideration how the rooms work together. I can't wait to see what you choose. Keep up the great work.
    Big hug
    Giac

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    1. Hello Giac, I am a positive dolls house wallpaper store! Not deliberately I just can't ever make up my mind about the stuff. We just had our real house decorated and I must have had fifty sample papers - the whole house ended up with all the walls painted - again!! not a strip of paper in the place. Marilyn

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  3. That's a lovely selection of paper Marilyn (but will they stay, we ask?) I agree with your thinking regarding the yellow paper. It does stand out over the others but as you say, this could all change. In fact it may even have changed by now! Whatever you choose, the deliberations will be well worth it.

    Liking the little roundels on the doors by the way.

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  4. Thank you Irene - as I said to Giac if you saw how many wallpapers I have you'd faint! The little roundels will be set in the corners of the second floor door architraves (not plonked on top like these are. Rubbish height rooms on that level so can't tart up the doorways with additional pediments so all I can think of.... Marilyn

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