House of Maevie | Residential Interior Design Raleigh, NC
Aye, 2024 is here, and I did not make any specific New Year’s resolutions. But it is the year I am finally going to do something. Something I have been thinking about for so soo sooo many years. Drumroll… writing a blog! Ok, that was obvious, but my first blog writing sentence needed some pizazz.
I have always enjoyed writing but never considered myself a writer. That changed in a classroom at a local community college in Hawaii. I was in my early 20s, newly arrived in the US from Europe. I took a journalism class to improve my English. My final feature article was voted best in class, and I still remember the surprise and the boost of confidence. Until that outside validation came along, I would never have called myself a “writer.” English is not my first language, after all. At university I wrote lengthy Art History research papers and slowly got more confident in the language. Then came design school, and my own business. But the idea of writing something about something I care about has always lingered at the back of my mind. I figured there are so many better writers and funnier bloggers out there. So why even try?
But as time goes by, you care less and less what people think. You focus more on what brings you joy. So at the end of last year, I said to myself, what the heck, why not? Why not do something just because I want to try it, because it’s something fun and also challenging? Even if nobody reads it, I get my busy mind a bit uncluttered. And with this sentiment, I am going into the new year 2024…
After 14 years on the West Coast, we bought our “forever” house in sunny North Carolina. That was the summer of 2022. I started thinking about how to make it my home. For years I had wanted that feeling of a forever home, and designing for one feels so much more exciting. But now that the moment had come, I felt the pressure. With everything, you start with what you know to be true and figure out the rest. One thing I knew: I wanted it unique and charming, not too construed. Organic, in a way. My inspiration came from period movie sets, especially British ones, with their laissez-faire, slightly chaotic charm. I noticed that a lot of historic homes have a colored trim. It’s a signature color on the baseboard, the window and door frames, the crown molding. The trim package goes on and on. I was intrigued …
Painted Trim: Low Costs (if you DIY) but High Impact
Painting is really the first and easiest thing you can do in between larger renovation projects. You still get a sense of change and accomplishment. A newly painted room feels so different, fresh and clean. I wanted my house to look unique but, unfortunately, our house was anything but. The exterior was charming, a white farmhouse surrounded by magnolias and sweet gum trees. But inside it was rather boring and, well, early 90’s style… ugh…
But the ceilings were 9 feet high. The windows were a good size, adorned with plantation shutters, and they have pretty views. There was potential here.
For weeks I poured over images and tried out different hues for the trim. I was stuck between two ideas. One was a gray-blue, reminiscent of houses in the south of France. The other was a darker shade of taupe, for a more subtle tone-on-tone look. I loved them all and couldn’t decide. Then I saw THE picture: a kitchen with green French doors by Russell Taylor Architects. Major “Paris in the Spring” vibes. That was it. I considered every sage green color on the face of the earth. They all seemed too green, too yellow, or too something. Then I stumbled upon French Grey No. 18 by Farrow and Ball.
The color didn’t seem exciting on the paint swatch. Maybe it was the name. I am a sucker for beautiful paint names, and I am not a fan of gray. Hence me not even considering it before. But I ended up trying it and immediately knew it was the one. The hue was soothing but fresh, and neutral enough to go with all the colors I liked. I tried a few different sheens and ended up going with a semi-gloss. The glossiness added an interesting juxtaposition to the muted tone. The combination is both neutral and fresh at the same time.
I felt adventurous, sure I had just discovered the holy grail of trim color. So I started painting the trim in the kitchen. I wasn’t sure I wanted green trim in the whole house. Would it work everywhere? Would it limit my tile selection in the bathrooms, or my Christmas decor? Still, I figured I would start there. BUT then I remembered the shutters. Beautiful wooden plantation shutters, the ones I always wanted. Duh. They had to be part of the trim color, professionally spray painted. I paused, mustered up some courage, and hired the painter. Sage green shutters it is. Many rooms later, I marvel at how easily painted trim transforms a space. My house doesn’t look boring anymore. The sage green gives it a real British cottage feel. The gray-green is a cooler hue that suits the warm worn oak flooring and the new antique brass door hardware.
So here is to doing something new this year and being adventurous with your design choices.
Cheers to 2024 and more sage green shutter moments !!!