What did YOU do over the holidays?
Really? Fun!
Me? Oh, the usual…ate too much…drove too much…got a little jiggy with metallic paint…
Let me back up. I haven’t yet confessed to you that I went on a bit of a decorating bender at the end of 2011.
It was precipitated by a force-fed renovation project involving a falling-off back porch…so not what I want to spend money on! So unsexy! So…so NECESSARY! Anyway, in some kind of cockamamie rebellion, a purchasing flurry ensued, which culminated in a Christmas present to myself: new wallpaper for the foyer.
Nina Campbell's Paradiso wallpaper, through Osborne & Little
Honestly, isn’t it gorgeous? It’s not the most original idea – I’ve seen at least one designer photographed with it – but ever since my friend Iantha Carley used it in a design house (more here in Michele Ginnerty’s au courant blog, My Notting Hill, I knew it had to be in my life somehow.
Iantha Carley's boudoir at the 2011 DC Design House (photograph from My Notting Hill)
It’s not up yet, but soon, Gentle Readers, soon! It’s in the living room, in a box, all ready to go.
Anyway, in anticipation of the wallpaper, I realized that the front hall radiator simply would not do in its current gunky overpainted icky dull white state. And doesn’t it make more sense to paint the radiator BEFORE putting up the wallpaper?
Of course it does.
As usual, we made it a family affair.
Oooh - they don't actually look like they're having much fun, do they? Well, it was fun for ME!
We used Modern Masters metallic paint, which is what we used on the dining room radiator last year, despite the paint store people’s STRONG recommendation – nay, warning – that we not do that.
(Listen. Until RustOleum comes up with more inventive shimmers than “Designer Metallic,” I felt I had no choice. And it hasn’t flaked off yet. So there.)
Ruthie was more game than the others, and she decided that while we were in painting mode, we should do away with the hokey seashells on her tub. This was taken before we moved in -
Even though all the fixtures in the room are brass, I couldn’t help but paint the claw feet silver. Gold felt tacky. Unlike seashell tiles, which are tres sophisticated 
. At least they’re old…
Yep. Just another typical holiday season at bossy color’s house. Hope yours was great – Happy New Year!
Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She’s also the creator of the “bossy basic,” a one-time service to jump-start the interior design process in your home.
I juST discovered this paint a month ago after having the painted stairwell railings in my house that were painted white stripped? The railings were silver and had lots of great hand hammered detail which I didn’t want to hide. After trying rub and buff and then paste wax my paint store recommended this. Besides begging water based it has great opacity. We used the English brown as a first coat applying with foam brushed and then rubbingnoff excess with a rag. The next day we used bronze which was semi-opaque and stippled it on lightly with a dry brush. It cures to the touch in a week and totally in 30 days. The best part is that it is easy to touch up if the railings get singed. Just an awesome product.
Excellent info, Lisa! Thank you so much!
The metallic paint looks great, indeed, together with this gorgeous wallpaper. What I’m a bit worried about though: Will the radiators become hot? And will the paint then gas out any substances? Does it smell when getting hot?
Hi, Eva! This is the funny part: the radiators DO get hot, but so far, there have been no fumes and no flaking. (We did our DR radiator a year ago, so I have a year+ to go on.) It’s the big fear, of course, but so far, so good. Thanks for leaving the comment!
I really like the color combination and most especially the wallpaper design. It really caught my eye. I love it! Thanks for sharing it!
Thank YOU for the kind words!
Hi, I just finished using the same wallpaper in my powder room. I purchased it at Color Wheel in McLean. My salesperson said another person just ordered it as well. So, there’s at least three of us in the DMV with this beautiful wallpaper. BTW – I also saw it at the Design House last spring. Can’t wait to see your project done.
Thanks, Sharon! Looks like it’s going up next week, so I’ll be sure and take pics when it’s done! Thanks for the comment.
I think painting the radiator with Modern Masters is perfect. I was just thinking about the right paint color for a radiator last week for a friend…and I’ll point her to your blog, Annie. Modern Master paint is excellent paint. I actually met the owner in Los Angeles in 2010…and have used MM a number of times! Love it. It is a well known and trusted brand in the painting industry.
The only problem with old radiators is the multiple layers of paint. If you have kids in the house and you start sanding the radiator…most likely, it will disturb the old lead-base paints. Lead is never a good thing, but especially around kids. Love the photos and ideas!
Thanks so much for this comment, David. I’m glad you’ve had good experiences with this product – and I agree that once you start scraping, goodness knows what you’ll unearth! Best of luck to your friend and her radiator – hope this helps!
Did you think about doing a radiator cover? There are some gorgeous ones around now. It used to be that you could never find them.
And I have very fond memories of painting our old clawfoot tub. since it was the 70′s, it was bright green and screaming yellow!
You know, we DID consider it, but I didn’t want it to become another surface for junk. You know how that happens
I would give big bucks to see your old claw foot!!Thanks so much for writing.
Hey, that paint isn’t going anywhere and it looks SO good! I can’t wait to see your wallpaper in there with the sexy new radiator.
Ha – it IS kind of sexy, isn’t it? Funny you should mention that word: the other day I was trying to give my 7-year olds a g-rated definition of the word ( because they hear it a lot thanks to hot 99.5 fm), and after a while, ruthie looked at me and said, “so Mommy, were YOU sexy at one point?” I thought it was hilarious. Anyway, my friend, thanks so much for the comment! Great to hear from you.
I absolutely love that wallpaper. And, actually, as far as radiators go, yours is looking fantastic.
Tiffany, you made my day! Thanks so much!
LOVE the wallpaper – I remember it from the show house! Can’t wait to see the ‘after’. Also love the whole family gets coralled into your projects -fabulous! Love the blue bathtub -who chose the color??
Was a great treat to see you New years day, btw!
Stephan, thank you so much!! It’s looking like Tuesday is the day, so I’ll keep you posted. Great to see you, too – sorry we didn’t get more of a chance to chat! I had one eye on the girls and the other on my next drink… Happy New Year! xo (oh, and Ruthie chose “Patriot Blue” for the tub. I might have gone a little darker, but, it’s her tub, and it’s only paint…
)
I’m really liking wallpaper (in other people’s homes)
. So I can’t wait to see it in yours. Happy New Year!
Oh, Nichole – YOU TOO can have wallpaper! You’re that bold, I know it! Thanks for the comment, chickie, and Happy New Year to you, too!
I love that wallpaper. I was thinking that’s what Iantha used and then scrolled down to see the pic. Also loving the tub in that new gorgeous blue. Very similar to my front door color. Happy New Year! Michele
Thanks, Michele! (And I misspelled your name in the post – sorry about that! it’s fixed now.) So great to hear from you, and so glad that you like that WP. I can’t wait to see what it looks like! Happy new Year to you, too!