I cannot tell you how uncomfortable this makes me, but I feel we can trust each other so I am going to do it anyway.
I am going to show you my closet.
Hold your breath.
Let’s be honest. There has never been a time in my life when my closet wasn’t at least a little bit messy, but this was out of control. The walk-in closet and pantry are the some of the things I loved most when I first saw the place — and here I was, letting it go to waste.
What’s worse, I stopped using this lovely, giant closet for my everyday clothes and let it become a big slush bucket storage unit. Each morning, as I ferreted through various laundry baskets around the house, my closet was used to store winter coats, old blankets and a selection of unused cat carriers.
This method of storing things almost made sense back in my old teensy apartment, but not here. Not now. Not with this fabulous space. And not with an empty basement, that’s for Hell sure.
So last weekend, in a fit of Olympic enthusiasm, I tore it all down. Everything. It’s going to take a little while until I can show you the finished results, but they are in the works.
While everything was down, I decided to give it a good scrub and paint one of the walls moss green. Don’t ask why. I was still high on painting doors (you’ll see those soon too – lots of painting at Casa Peaches this time of year). I thought I would take advantage of an empty space and slap some paint up there. And gosh, what would it take to do a small wall like this? A pint of paint, maybe two coats? A couple hours to dry with the fan going?
Eight coats.
Let me repeat that: IT TOOK EIGHT COATS OF PAINT.
Actually, that’s a lie. I painted that patch with eight coats to estimate how long it would take to get the results I wanted (EIGHT COATS), but I ran out of paint and weekend after 4 and a half coats. I should have run out and got more paint but I don’t think anyone will see it after I’m finished, and honestly, I didn’t want to throw more money at something that should have been done and finished already.
Stay tuned. The paint is now dry and I’ll be working away at the closet again this weekend. Hope to have something finished to share soon.
Happy weekend 🙂
Wow. I think 3.5 coats is a lot, let alone 8! What does Martha make green paint with? Bog water?
Yes. Really expensive bog water sounds about right!
I can’t wait to see the finished closet! I am afraid to go into my closet. I think something is living in there. Last time I had to open the closet door, I was attacked by year-old dry bunny poops and shotgun shells.
Closet envy! 🙂 Not that I need more space to fill, haha.
Oh, that makes me want to clean out my closet, darn you!
A few of my countertops and my desk looks like your closet did before you cleared it out! Maybe they could use a few coats of moss green paint too! Great job. Can’t wait to see how you fix it right up. Now, where is all the stuff? In a pile on the floor? (just curious…. 🙂
Oh, Peaches – my whole bedroom looks like your closet ‘before!’ tip: I watch ‘Hoarders’ to help with any resulting self-esteem issues. Lovin’ the green wall – every closet needs one! And it’s only slightly ironic that the paint can has a ‘color performance’ label smack in the middle…
Martha herself used to order all her paint from Brandman’s in New Canaan, CT. She would give them the color swatch and they would make it up in Benjamin Moore paint. Best gluten free breads are from Kinnnickkinnick in Canada. Available at some health food stores. They have just come out with a soft white bread and buns. I used to order the Sunflower Flax bread by mail. They deliver it to your house for $10. They have great donuts. You can eat them frozen. Impressive closet. Try to collect tablecloth hangars from the dry cleaners. They are great for hanging tablecloths and large pieces of fabric.
P – hate to distract you from your lovely closet overhaul, but I recall you mentioning you’ve gone gluten-free? I eat paleo, so I keep an eye out for delicious desserts. Since paleo/gluten free are practically kin, thought I’d send a recommendation your way: Trader Joe’s Chocolate Coconut Milk Non-Dairy Ice Cream is THE BEST THING EVER.
*ahem* what I mean to say its.. DANG, this stuff is quite tasty.
In short, yes. At least with darker colors. I used a pale grey with this brand it came out fine. It does run thin, regardless. Very little smell though — so that’s nice. And I like the colors — but I think next time I’ll use the paint swatch and have it mixed on another brand. Smell or no smell, this was crazy frustrating!
You are so right. Especially when it comes to reds and saturated colors, and even medium tones spread out over a big solid wall (where mistakes show the most). I just thought, for this small of wall, imperfections wouldn’t be that big of a deal. I have painted with dark colors before…but this? This was crazy. I may have just as well been using a bucket of watered down tempra paint. No bueno!
so what you’re saying is, don’t trust Martha Stewart paint?
One of the best lessons I ever learned for painting a light wall a dark color: dark-tinted primer. Slam that stuff on pretty thickly and it will save you a few coats and get nicer coverage.
I’m a HUGE fan of Behr paint. It has always been good, but now even comes with primer built in. Did a high ceilinged dining room with dark paprika on end wall and a golden dijon on the others with a 3 color ceiling and trim. (Sounds weird, but looks great) All in ONE coat with Behr. Really, they don’t pay me to say this, just passing along my experience. As far a closets go, I only have a couple of tiny ones, you give me a serious case of closet envy. I always use the walls there to try out new faux finish techniques (including one of your favorites, gold leaf) so my closets are very colorful!