anthro comes home...

it was so nice to see the response to our bathroom project yesterday, thanks so much for all the nice comments. i quite simply can't paint another bean today so it's not 100% done but i figured 90% was close enough to share the details. so, here are the paints i used to create the anthropologie wall in my bathroom (i'll share tips from the team who made the actual mural below, too). all paints are by benjamin moore :

• base wall color: homestead green (ac-19)
• dark blue bean: blu spa (2052-40)
• green bean: prescott green (hc-140)
• light blue bean: quiet moments (1563)
• pale white/blue bean: yarmouth blue (hc-150)
• green blue bean: covington blue (hc-138)
• brushes used: thin artist brushes from the hardware store no larger than 1/3 inch thick

before you take on the project let me say: this thing is taking me for-ever. it's taken easily 3-4 hours a day for 3 days and it sorta kills your wrist to do all these beans. but the basic technique is outlined right here in a flickr slideshow. i took advantage of benjamin moore's super cheap color test pots and just picked a handful that were in the same color family. i watered each tiny pot down with maybe 2-4 drops of water and then just went for it. what i learned: don't add more than a few drops of water or you'll have drips all over the wall, it's ok to have beans that aren't perectly shaped, do all of one color at once rather than doing it by row- this was the fastest method for me.

i actually heard from the artist behind the actual anthropologie mural and she said she and her team:

"We did a rough base then made a stencil for the bean shapes. Drew the shapes in and then painted it in with a three or four color variation. We paint everything on the floor, so it is easier not to worry about the dripping. If you don't like the major variation you can always water down another darker coat and do a wash over some of them, so you have the memory of more color."

it takes a lot of time but if you have a small space that needs a punch of color i really recommend it. this was one of the best projects i've done in a while.