Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

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Have you seen the movie, Paddington? It’s a beautiful movie. To me, the best part was the decor in their house. It was vintage and fun and really spoke to me. Their entryway had this tree, which I loved from the moment I saw it:

And I’m not giving anything away here, but the tree changes as the story progresses – with the leaves falling and returning as the story goes. It’s magical.

In our breakfast room, we have tall walls. I have had a hard time figuring out what to do with these walls, because even the biggest artwork or signs we have looked small in scale here.

When I saw the tree in the movie, I knew. I needed a tree.

Now, I have never painted a mural before. I’ve painted rooms, I’ve spray painted many things, but I’ve never done a mural like this.

Here’s what I needed, in terms of supplies:

– I printed the picture of the tree from the movie. I knew mine wasn’t going to be exactly the same, but it would be a good starting point.

– I used Benjamin Moore paint from Ace Hardware. The colors I used are:

Tree Trunk: Saddle Brown (a sample pot was all I needed).

Leaves/flowers: I picked one paint chip card with the following colors: Red, Tricycle Red, and Red Tulip, and got a sample pot of each. I wanted to have similar shades ranging from light to dark.

Wall color (for touching up): Agreeable Gray (SW7029) in Benjamin Moore’s Natura line.

– To paint the branches and cut in at the trunk, I used my go-to small brush:

Wooster Shortcut Paint Brush (Q3211)

Wooster Shortcut Paint Brush (Q3211) [More]

– I used these “spouncers” to make the leaves:

– For the rest of the trunk and on the wall, I used this brush and a roller:

Purdy 2in XL Glide Paint Brush (144152320)

Purdy 2in XL Glide Paint Brush (144152320) [More]

I started by drawing the tree on the wall with a pencil. This took MANY tries before I got it right.

Then – when I got it how I wanted it – I started painting the trunk.

I cut in with the small brush along the edges and then rolled the big part of the trunk. Then I used both brushes for the branches (depending on the width of the branch).

The idea was to paint the trunk and branches first, then touch up the wall paint. Then I’d paint the leaves/flowers. (I’m not sure if these are leaves or flowers. Doesn’t matter – I love them no matter what we call them!) I knew that the wall paint was going to need touching up because of the eraser smudges and paint drips.

One problem:

I used the wrong paint!

I assumed – and you know what they say about that – that the wall color was the same as that in the kitchen. It certainly looked the same.

Except it wasn’t. And I ended up with what’s on the wall, above.

Take two. Got the right paint and painted over the first oops coat.

Then I painted the flowers. To do this, I used the spouncers and just “pounced” circles where I wanted. I started with the darkest shade, then the second-lightest, then the lightest. Then I went back and added darker or lighter flowers where I thought they were needed.

Finally, it was finished. And I cried.

I was trying to figure out why I cried. A friend who paints said that she often cries when she finishes painting something because it’s emotional. You pour your heart and creativity and energy into creating what’s in your head and when what’s in your head shows up on the wall/canvas/paper, it’s a beautiful thing.

I believe it. I had a rush of emotions when I finished this. The tree made me so incredibly happy, not only because it turned out exactly how I had pictured it in my head, but because it represented so much of what I want in my home: brightness, fun, creativity, being willing to take a risk, following your heart.

To really finish the breakfast room, I ordered red chairs from Overstock.com and they fit perfectly in the space. (Our 15-year-old breakfast room chairs we had were from Pottery Barn, but were really not comfortable and, honestly, a little boring.) The white painted cabinet holds our dishes and is from an estate sale.

Every time I walk by this tree or we sit down to eat, I smile. It brightens not only this room, but my entire day.

Thank you for stopping by!

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