Colorful Home Accessories | Afternoon Artist

I’ve never been a fan of winter with its stark landscapes and gray skies. I prefer sunny days and the bright colors of spring and summer. Perhaps that’s why I was so drawn to these Pantone metal storage boxes. They come in nine colors–I chose turquoise, mimosa, and macaw green. I plan on using them to organize my art supplies since my collection is growing rapidly.

I also treated myself to two Ottlite Slimline task lights in white–one for me and one for my daughter. The Ottlite is compact, adjustable, folds for easy storage, casts a pure white light on my paintings, and eliminates shadows so I can paint late into the night. At $35.99, it’s also affordable.

In addition to the storage tins and task lights, I also purchased two Guerrilla Painter watercolor boards. They also serve as paper stretchers to keep my watercolor paper flat while I paint. They just arrived yesterday; I can’t wait to give them a try.

Last weekend my mother and I spent the afternoon shopping for porch accessories. The first blooms of spring are popping up here and there, and I’ve got a serious case of spring fever. I can’t wait for warmer weather. So what better way to pass the time than to spend an afternoon with your mom shopping for pillows, rugs, and accessories in fresh, sun-drenched colors?

We were able to find everything we needed at Pier 1 Imports. It’s a color lover’s dream store. There were plenty of fun outdoor accessories in every color imaginable. For this shopping spree, I took a photo of my inspiration rug with me (remember the tulip rug I posted a few weeks ago from GrandinRoad.com?) and used it as a guide. I grabbed a variety of pillows and accessories and arranged them in the back of the store, adding to and editing the mix until I found a pleasing arrangement. I asked my mom to guard my growing collection of items while I shopped so no one would grab a pillow out of my haul–I couldn’t allow that to happen.

I still have to buy some spray paint to paint the porch furniture. I’m thinking a sunny yellow-orange would be scrumptious. It’s going to take several coats of paint to cover the grape color the furniture is currently sporting. And I need to either find or make a wreath to match to hang on the front door.

It’s a bit windy for spray painting today. I’m hoping for better weather tomorrow. Check back soon to see the completed porch. I can’t wait to see it all come together and enjoy my first cup of coffee on my new spring porch.

Here are some pictures of my porch booty: