Like everyone else, I have been busyand the summer is flying by. I long for slow, lazy days. I ache to sit by the beach and take a swim. But right now, that's not happening. So I indulged in a short, crafty project that took about an hour, spread over 2 days. The photo above shows a corner that is restful, serene,,,,and making me yawn. I found this old frame while at SuZanna's Antiques in Raleigh:

old frame, antique store, craft project, adding color to the room

I perused my many leftover cans of sample paint and chose Sherwin Williams' Gutsy Grape.

The next step was going to be to give it a top coat of black, then sand it lightly to let just a bit of the purple show through. But then a wonderful client and friend, Lynn Alker of Lot 7, gave me this amazing bouquet of Lisianthus and a dahlia. I propped the purple frame behind it to take a photo to Tweet for Lynn:

Lot 7, Raleigh farmer, micro farmer, purple flowers, dahlia

Once I saw all that decadent, royal, fabulous (not to mention gutsy) purple against my gray walls and next to my gray drapes, I knew the color had to stay.

home decor, interior design, using color, diy, fun with paint

I rehung the gorgeous birds, painted by Renee Treml (www.reneesartwork.com), so they fit inside the purple frame. Am very pleased with myself. $25 for the frame was the cost of this little diversion from my busy life. The result makes me smile.