My Grandparents had a house in Dale Avenue that I absolutely adored. After my Grandpa’s passing, I found myself thinking about this house a lot. How it looked. The colours. Where the furniture was placed. How I would try to roller skate up the incredibly steep hill in the garden and skip on the lower patio. I mainly remember the living room, where I would sit on Gran’s beautiful ciel blue, chippendale replica recliner chair. The chairs came as a matching pair, but it was Gran’s that I would sit on to watch the television. Quite a privilege since Gran liked to keeps things neat and clean, a way of being that a young child often isn’t!
As I reminisced about this house, I was drawn to drive by it one day. I briefly sat outside it in my car and thought about these memories. I obviously didn’t go so far as to peer inside but I was pleased to see the monoblock driveway my Grandpa carefully laid one summer as well as the rot iron gates leading to the back garden are still intact.
Why am I telling you all this? When it came to painting the kitchen, I had come across Gran and Grandpa’s ciel blue Denby candle sticks and clock that once stood in the Dale Avenue living room. The colour was so striking and prompted me to remember this old house. I just knew at that point that I wanted to replicate this colour in our kitchen.
Previously, the kitchen had been the same colour as the rest of the downstairs. I lightish pink colour that matched in with tiles. Over the many years of stove top cooking, the tiles had dulled in colour and the walls were looking tired. I wanted a colour that would be inviting and happy, but different to the rest of the downstairs. I didn’t really think about the tiles or the colour of the worktops. Only that the blue of the candle sticks felt right.
During this process I had to disappear to London for a couple days and my husband kindly went to BnQ to get some tester pots. On my return home we found one colour ‘blue thistle’ was way too dark while matt ‘ciel’ was too light. What to do… Well, after taking another trip we decided ciel might be the best way to go since a darker colour might appear a too dark once it was up in the whole kitchen. We have always gone for matt paint as neither of us particularly like sheen or sparkle, but the ciel silk finish seemed to be more of a perfect match (based on the colour in my minds eye of course!). And that was it decided. Out with the credit card where I also purchased a roller!
It took me a whole day to transform the kitchen. I wanted to make this a neat and tidy job, but remembered my first painting effort in the flat had been a disaster. This time I did my research and watched professional painter videos to make sure my technique was sound. Brush painting was fine but painting with the roller was hard work and I didn’t seem to be able to get quite as even a coverage as the man in the video. I guess this takes practice. In any case, painting the room with three coats gave it the perfect finish overall.
Now when I walk in the room I am reminded of my Grandparent’s Dale Avenue house and it makes me smile. They were so lively in that house – Grandpa working in the garden and Gran hand washing clothes in the sink. I am pleased to have a happy memory of the two of them now represented in my home.
Before:
After:
So, how did I achieve this look?
Well, I recommend watching some painting videos. Here was the series I watched and attempted to replicate: https://youtu.be/3HSuqwi_CY8
Ciel silk finish: https://www.diy.com/departments/colours-premium-ciel-silk-emulsion-paint-2-5l/183714_BQ.prd
Wall roller: https://www.diy.com/departments/harris-id-vanquish-9-roller/203485_BQ.prd
Paint brushes (Grandpa already had a set of Harris paint brushes)
Sheet to cover the floor
Paper towels in case of any spills!
Research Adventures 