Navy and White Powder Room and Painted Ceilings

Navy and white is a classic combination for a reason and I've always been attracted to the calming nature of deep dark blue and contrasting simple white.

You might remember that we added shiplap to our small powder room a few months ago.  And, despite knowing I wanted navy in this room, I somehow talked myself into doing something different and painted the shiplap a pluff muddy brown.  Have you ever done something like this and regretted it?  And, did you live with it or redo?

I'm sorry to say this isn't the first time I've done a redo just a few months later.  We once painted an entire condo Benjamin Moore Yellow Highlighter because I saw a swatch in a Pottery Barn catalog and figured if Pottery Barn recommended the color, it had to be beautiful.  Oops.  I will say, I've tested all paint colors using swatches ever since.

Anyway, this tiny room kept pleading to be repainted and this weekend, thanks in part to the Sherwin Williams 40% off all Paints sale, I gave in.

I stuck with almost all of the same art and other finishes.  How could I not love the copper towel and toilet tissue bars?  I did spring for a couple new hand towels from Target though - I love how they pop against the dark blue.

Paint colors are SW In the Navy in flat on the walls and SW Pure White in Semi Gloss on the shiplap and trim.

Also, since we were painting, I thought we'd go to extremes and take on two painting projects in one weekend.  It was supposed to rain all weekend.  It didn't.  The rest of the family was not thrilled about missing out on two perfectly good boat days.  Live and learn.

Anyway, my obsession with painted ceilings continues and the back hallway was the lucky room this time.

The color is SW Cay, flat, cut 50%.  It's a tad lighter than the porch ceiling on the other side of the pictured back door.

Buck loves it, by the way, he says he feels right at home.

Benefits of a Buffet

Have you ever hosted a meal in your home and it felt like everyone was stepping all over each other in the kitchen?  Sometimes, that is half the fun of having everyone over.  Other times, if you're anything like me, you might find yourself wishing you had just a little more space.  Queue the buffet (or sideboard)!

A buffet will help optimize your space, by allowing you to store a few more things in cabinets or drawers and by giving you an option to spread out snacks, cocktails or desserts when you're entertaining.  People often setup beverage stations on their buffets - I've always loved that idea.

Our very handy brother-in-law made us a gorgeous floating wine bottle holder when we moved into the house.  It found its home over our new buffet today!  What do you think of the air plants?

Source list (including select affiliate links) -

• Indoor/outdoor buffet: Celadon
• White flower pot and ZZ plant: Abide-a-while
• Tiny flower pot and succulent: Whole Foods
• Lamp: Pottery Barn
• Govino Wine Glasses
• Similar to our wine rack

Painting the Porch Ceiling Blue

Gallavant through neighborhood streets of Charleston and you're bound to catch a glimpse of a porch ceiling painted blue.  According to The Southerner's Handbook, the tradition of using 'Haint Blue' for porch ceilings, as well as front doors and even trim, is closely tied to Gullah culture.  Gullah wisdom suggests that haints (vicious ghosts) are unable to cross over water, so the blue paint color acts as a barrier to keep the spirits out of the home.  The book Very Charleston suggests that sky blue ceilings also deter bugs from nesting - I'll report back with my personal experience in a few months.  I'll be able to do that because I painted the ceiling on our small back porch this weekend.

I love the charm of any painted ceiling, but especially those painted blue.

Here's the before shot showing the simple wood beadboard painted white.  It was fine, just missing the character I knew I wanted for this back porch which looks out to the woods.

Choosing the right blue was a must.  I wanted something a little bit more vibrant and slightly turquoise because I knew it could stand up to all of the nature surrounding the porch.  I choose SW, Cay, and I love it!

My motivation for this project was reignited when I visited the Smart Home in Palmetto Bluff last week.  The designer for that home chose a dusty blue, which makes for another interesting choice.  Here's a picture I took during my visit -

Thinking of painting your porch ceiling blue?  Consider these colors options -

Left is SW Piazza Blue D-CR075, the most traditional choice for haint blue.

Middle is SW Cay 6772, my favorite and what I chose for my porch.

Right is SW Resolute Blue 6507, a little more mellow bluer blue.

HGTV Smart Home 2018 in Palmetto Bluff

Today was an absolute treat, friends, because I got to tour the HGTV Smart Home.  The home is Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton.

How can you beat a visit to a gorgeously decorated home, filled with all kinds of cool technology, nestled in one of the most charming coastal communities in the lowcountry?  Add a visit with the sweet and incredibly talented designer, Tiffany Brooks.

I asked Tiffany how she starts with a project like this one.  She let me know that she does a lot of brainstorming and sketching.  For this specific home, she started in the dining room.  She knew that she wanted it to be different, and began with the elevation of seating around the table.  Instead of armed chairs at each end of the table, she choose the most wonderful, plush blue ottomans.  She selected drapes that tied in with the blue, the color that also inspired the kitchen cabinets.  The rest of the details started coming to fruition from there.

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

You can, of course, enter to win this stunning home and read even more about the design, technology and community here.

Love home tours as much as I do?  Check out my posts walking through the 2013 Coastal Living Showhouse on Daniel Island and the  2014 Southern Living Idea House.