I am not kidding when I tell you that I have painted this headboard many times over!!! Anytime I am lucky enough to find it listed on a local sales page….I grab it! It offers a huge dramatic finish….no matter what direction I take the design. I can honestly say….this is the most fun I have EVER had with this headboard!!!
My client specifically asked for a “mermaid” headboard….queen size….and TALL! She also asked that I use the aqua color on it….as it is going in her beach house….and this color is carried throughout the home. So I began by color blending the three shades you see below….(top/middle/bottom….all blended into each other).
((I have painted this same piece of furniture 100x, you can see this same headboard painted in a neutral whimsical style here.))
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I then drew out my mermaid design….and painted her entire shape in white. I decided at the last minute that I wanted a deeper base for the bed…..so I added the navy bottom….and blended it into the color above it. I then sprayed the entire painted surface with water….allowing the paint to naturally drip and run. It was exactly the look I was after…..wet and salt-washed!
I continued to build and layer my mermaid…..adding colors and depth as I went. You can see the progression of her coming to life in the four photos below.
I LOVE her so much!!!! I really do!!!!
I wanted her hair to steal the show….and I think I accomplished that! I used the scrolls on the bed itself as inspiration for her curly hair!
I did not give her a face for two reasons. ONE…..I am awful at painting faces…LOL! Just being honest! TWO….I wanted her to remain sort of mysterious!
I photographed her in my breakfast room….and was mesmerized at the way the sunlight coming in the window just gave her life! And those drips!!! What a perfect opportunity to use the organic look of the water technique!!
I am really pleased at a detail that most people will probably just overlook! So let me bring it to your attention….LOL! I literally crammed white paint up into the crack where the flat headboard meets the gold trim. I just loaded my brush with a big glob….and crammed it up into that space…and then sprayed it with water and let it run. I love that it looks like its been sprayed with salt water splash for years!!! That is the exact look I was after!
I know I say it way too much….but I really mean it! I am so so so thankful for my clients!!! They allow me to paint freely….and they trust my brain to create something unique for just for them! I hope this mermaid brings a smile to the face of everyone that enters that beach house!! She sure made me smile while I was bringing her to life!
Thank ya’ll for joining me here today!!!!
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Here are the exact colors I used. They are top-quality mineral paints from Dixie Belle Paint Company These are all affiliate links of which I could make a small commission, so thank you, thank you! You can also find the Modern Masters metallic paints and more of my favorite products and tools in my Amazon influencer list here