BLUEBIRDS AND MANDOLINS

When we moved into our lakehouse, everything was dark. Walls, floors, beams, furniture, even the curtains! Of course I was into the "primitive country" look for a few years. When black became popular, I was right in style! Now that I like the "white" look, most everything in my house has been painted. I still have a long way to go before it's all transformed...but that's part of the fun. I am amazed at how the painted bead board makes the dining room look so much more cottagey.

The old farm cupboard on the left is now white. I'm in the process of painting the dining room chairs white, and am so happy with the way it is starting to look!

The valances used to be black, with a window pane pattern. I wanted something that would relate to the lake, so I used sail cloth for the new valances, and added the wide stripe that matches the upper part of the opposite wall.

Since I work 32 hours a week at the pharmacy, it's taking longer than I'd like to get things finished. Hopefully the dining room will be finished by the end of May. Chairs are my least favorite things to paint, and maybe that's why this seems to be taking so long....

My husband wasn't real thrilled with the idea of having the woodwork painted over...but he's getting used to it.

When the chairs are all painted, I'll post another before and after picture.

In the meantime, I'd better start stirring the paint.