plan c

I returned to Danielle's condo this morning to create the linen faux finish to serve in place of the grasscloth covering that was our first (and best) vision for the 21-foot wall. I would love to say that the project went beautifully--I took my trusty "assistant" Alex along with me--and that we achieved a look any professional faux finisher would be proud to call his own. Not so much. The wall looks like an afterthought; it has no relation to the rest of the space, and the work looks like something our two year-old could have done (although he would have a hard time reaching the top of the nine-foot wall). Thanks for nothing, horsehair flogger.

Although I was a bit distraught at first--because I sold Danielle on the whole idea and boasted I would have no problem creating it--I've gained a little perspective and realize it's a learning experience. It's only paint, after all. So now I guess my challenge is to come up with a Plan C for the wall. While I was standing in the living room watching the disaster unfold before my eyes (the paint drying did not help the effect in this case) I focused on what we could do with this giant wall. And then it kind of dawned on me that maybe the answer is not to give the wall some sort of texture and try to make it a focal point. Maybe we should try to make it fade into the background and concentrate on the amazing city view that the perpendicular wall of windows creates. Isn't that the point of having the condo in the first place?

So Plan C, at least as it stands at the moment, is to paint the wall the same color as the rest of the living room and make it a wall of function (hello, TV!) versus a point of interest. If that makes any sense at all...