Young House Love

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A Giant Rooster In The Kitchen

Me.

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I’ve actually been hiding this $12 HomeGoods find in our playroom for… oh… five months? So it was about time I attended to him. Yup, this guy’s part of the self-imposed initiative I like to call the “Dude Get On That Already” challenge, since I’ve solemnly vowed to use it or lose it (aka: use it or craigslist/donate it) when it comes to all the things we’ve been hoarding in our full-to-the-brim playroom.

At first glance you might think “he’s a fine looking roughly weathered white & tan rooster” (or “you need ceramic animal rehab” which could also be true) but I thought his distressed white finish was a little more country than my usual crisp & modern ceramic animal tastes, so I decided that giving him a coat of new color would be just the thing. And I wanted to pick a pretty daring color, just because… well, he’s a giant rooster. Don’t want him to take himself too seriously now do I? So after standing in the spray paint aisle for at least ten minutes weighing all the bold and bright options (and singing Jingle Bells to keep the bean entertained), I grabbed Rustoleum’s Painter’s Touch in Aubergine (satin). And I was plum excited to use it. Groan. Sorry, the puns just happen. It’s a gift and a curse.

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If I really wanted to be an overachiever, I would have used some spray primer (that always helps paint “grab on” when you’re spraying slippery things like ceramic) – but because the can said “two times the coverage” I figured I’d try my luck without it and just go back and add a layer of primer if things went haywire. Luckily they didn’t. I just did my usual thin misted coats routine (read more on that here). Check out how crazy things were looking at first. If you’re spray painting lightly and thinly, there’s not good coverage until the third or fourth coat, so the first one had him looking a little… hot pink:

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But after two more thin and even coats, coverage was good. And Jarvis was aubergine. Oh that’s his name. Everything with a face deserves a name, don’t you think?

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He looks pretty fun in front of the light avocado walls in the kitchen.

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Oh and in case the scale wasn’t clear until this photo, he’s giant. Like a foot and a half tall. Who doesn’t want a giant aubergine rooster named Jarvis waiting in the kitchen to greet you in the morning? Cock-a-doodle-do to you too, Jarvis.

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Although if I’m being honest, I’m not 100% sold on the color. It’s fun, but I’m not sure as the kitchen comes together if he won’t get a few more coats of another bright color someday. Say yellow… or slate blue. So I’ll keep you posted. Plum is fun, so who knows – it could totally stay.

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What do you guys collect and stash in a spare corner/room/closet only to look at it months later and feel crappy for just leaving it there? These “Dude Get On That Already” projects are small, but they’re making me feel pretty good for some reason. Maybe it’s the whole “every little bit helps” thing? Or the fact that we’re inching towards clearing out the playroom which means it’ll be a blank canvas for paint and curtains and a rug and furniture and accessories. Wheee. It’s almost like that dream when you find an extra room in your house. Except we’ve always known it was there and have been filling it with weird stuff instead of discovering a secret wall or staircase that leads to it. Am I the only one who has that dream?

Psst- Jarvis is second to none when it comes to giant roosters… except for Beyoncé. If you haven’t read the funniest post on the internet about her yet (salty language warning) check that out here.

Comments

  1. JanetL says

    I’m really enjoying these posts. They’ve inspired me to work on my to do lists. Although, my projects have been more about trashing/donating than painting/creating. :)

    Reply

  2. JSi says

    Too fun, I have the same rooster, although, still plain white, in my kitchen! I got him at Marshall’s for a spectacular $6 a few weeks ago!

    Reply

  3. Brenda says

    I’ve heard you talk about maybe incorporating plum into your home for some time now. Is this the first plum piece in your current home?

    Reply

  4. Emily says

    I gotta admit, when I first read aubergine I wasn’t so sure about it, but seeing him in the kitchen, I LOVE that color! It totally suits him.

    Reply

  5. Jenna says

    OMG, first reading through this post I envisioned a 4 foot something giant rooster (you can’t tell size from the first couple photos) and I kept wondering, where on earth would Sherry put a giant 4 foot rooster in the house? But I get it and of course, love it.

    Reply

  7. Cara says

    I LOVE HIM. Seriously. I’m totally going to rip you off on this one! (I went to the original USC so roosters are kind of a big deal in my house.

    Reply

  9. Ashley says

    I like him! I also like the Ultra Coverage spray paint very, very much. I’d used Krylon to spray paint frames and it took me forever, literally. Like 15+ coats. But the UC was 3 coats and done. I don’t know what your fave spray paint is (and I know you’ve used more than I have), but if there’s anything better than the UC– let me know!

    Reply

  11. Jen says

    I’m glad you’re doing the “Dude get on that already” challenge – it inspired me to do my own :)

    My first “stash” includes lots of yarn. I made a scarf last weekend, which helped me get my momentum back and I made serious progress on the blanket that has been half finished for several months!

    My other “stash” is all of the parts needed to make an Ana White table. A few months ago I bought all the wood, cut and sanded it, stained it, and then shoved it in the closet to prep the house for visitors. They’ve been sitting there ever since :(

    This weekend will be THE weekend I finally finish putting the table together – I’ve been procrastinating because I have to learn how to make pocket holes, which I’ve never done before. Hence, my love of the DGOTA challenge!

    Reply

  13. Meg says

    I love Jarvis so much! At first in my mind I was pronouncing it Jar-Viss (imagine a Texas drawl in there). But once he took on the purple color I read it as Har-Vee (with a Latin accent) like he turned into some salsa dancing/Zumba instructing rooster with the aid of a few “thin and even” coats of paint. He is fantastic… or should I say muy fantastico?

    Oh, Lord, I’m so sorry for my awkward comment.

    Reply

  14. Ashley Jensen says

    Hmm I have these two metal angel wings (one of each wing) that I bought at Hobby Lobby over a year ago. I have no idea where to hang them. I keep pulling them out of their cabinet and walking them around the house to see where they would look best but no luck yet. I feel an idea coming on soon!

    Reply

  16. Cheryl says

    Wow — that Jarvis is lookin’ GLAM !!! Love the color. And thanks for linking the Beyonce post again — just the funniest thing EVER!!

    Reply

  17. Aubree says

    I was wondering when homage would be paid to the purple in Sue the Napkin! Nice job with the conversation piece. As always, follow your gut, but be wary of the “go-to” shades.

    I have a craigslist dresser that got sanded but then forgotten in my garage. Whoops!

    Reply

  18. Julie says

    I love hidden room dreams, although all of my subconscious hidden rooms seem to feature horribly dated shag carpeting and heavy drapes. I’m just not sure what that says about me!

    Reply

  20. Michelle says

    I have that dream quite a bit…finding these great rooms in our house that we didn’t know were there…rearranging furniture just so and voila, our living room is huge!…dreams where I look out the back door and someone rebuilt our 98 year old garage for us overnight…

    No, you are not the only one with the dreams! I’m always a little sad in the morning when I wake up :)

    Reply

  21. Kim @ Yellow Brick Home says

    Ha, this is awesome. I actually have a giant 2′ penguin sculpture I made in art school. Over time, his nose and one of the wings has chipped off, but I saved the parts. It’s been on my to-do list for ages, but I want to glue him back together and paint him a bright, fun color!

    Reply

  23. Carla says

    I’ve totally had that dream. More than once. Always such a bummer to wake up and realize it’s not true. I wasn’t sold on Smurfy the candlestick’s turquoise color at first either, but when I added a little more to the room in the same color it all came together, so maybe you just need more plum/aubergine in the kitchen. In theory the two colors are great together.

    Reply

  24. Larita says

    I just don’t understand how people find awesome things like this at thrift stores and flea markets – I’m so jealous! I totally want a giant rooster, though I would have painted mine burnt orange. The purple is pretty sweet though! What a fun idea1

    Reply

  25. Janet C says

    Very cool! I think it’s funny that every other animal has been painted white. This one was already white and he got painted purple! He’s awesome.

    Reply

  26. Amy says

    HOLY CRAP. the link at the bottom of your post was the FUNNIEST thing i have ever read. I’m dying to know what other blogs you read, now that i’m HOOKED on the bloggess! (and, how on EARTH do you have time to read any other blogs, what with your crazy life and all?!).

    Anyway, thanks for the link. and the post. and everything you guys do. you’re awesome!

    Reply

  27. Connie says

    So… he’s a Giant Rooster, right? And his name is Jarvis… so you could call him Jay for short… like Jay Z… like Beyonce’s counterpart… Beyonce the Giant Metal Chicken? Did I take this too far?

    If you’re not set on aubergine… perhaps you could paint him Blue… like Blue Ivy… but then the universe might explode.

    Reply

  29. Theresa says

    I totally have had that dream, multiple times! It’s always disappointing to wake up and realize that the extra room does not actually exist though. They’ve always been cool, secret passage-y type discoveries in the dream too. I think it’s my subconscious telling me to move to a bigger place haha.

    Reply

  30. Wendy says

    I really like the color. I think it pairs well with some of the other bold colors in your house! And Jarvis is a fun name for a rooster.

    Reply

  32. Design Love says

    Just as you wrote your not 100% on the color, I was thinking the same thing! Not a fan, it looks cheap to me! I know you’ll do better.Seems to be good spray paint though!

    Cindy

    Reply

  34. Nikki Olson says

    Holy Rooster! I bought the exact same Rooster for 20.00 this weekend at TJ Maxx. I saw it sitting behind the registers when I was checking out. Can you believe someone would return her. I am so glad I didn’t pass it up!!!

    Reply

  35. Dara says

    I am loving Jarvis. Especially in plum, however I do like the idea of the slate blue! He reminds me of my love for garden gnomes that I have laying around the house. I think I might pull them all together and have a painting party with them. Painting them all different colors that compliment each other. Oh, I also wanted to tell you that I you and your fabulous blog on my blog post yesterday. It was regarding the gift tags of Burger from Christmas last year and how we did it this year, with great response from everyone. check it out. http://darasnoplacelikehome.blogspot.com/2012/01/tag-youre-it.html

    Reply

  36. Meredith says

    I totally sent the link about Beyonce to others in my family when that story first made the web; it actually became a thing at my aunt’s work. If someone says they have a funny story, they’ll say, “but is it ROOSTER funny?”

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha- definitely not product placement – although I wonder if they’d be sad that we spray painted over their logo. Haha. You know we love to use what we’ve got and that box was just sitting in the recycle bin… haha.

      xo,
      s

  40. katrina says

    Love the color! Does Sue the Napkin know about this? :P

    I’m surprised you didn’t go for a color similar to the indigo in your guest room, in accordance with Sue. This looks great!

    Reply

  41. Melody says

    Oh man, you’re rubbing off on me. I tend to lean more toward owls, though. My husband bought a white elephant at a resale shop for a Christmas party we went to, thinking it was a “white elephant” exchange. It wasn’t, but I loved the animal and brought her home with me.

    Reply

  42. Amanda says

    I’ll be honest. I would of preferred him white. Glossy glossy white. I guess I’ll wait and see where you end up ;)

    Hehe. Oh and I thought he was a lot bigger than that for some reason … like 2-3 feet bigger. So the “he’s big. almost a foot and a half” didn’t faze me at all. (is that the correct expression or have I gone completely mad?)

    OH! I’m so going to use my favourite “good bye” word (my friend always says Cheerio, and every time he does I want to say ..)

    Pip pip

    Reply

  43. Kim W Rily says

    I think we all have those things we need to get around to. When dating my husband, I was going to make us matching cross stitch Christmas stockings. I waited so long on finishing the first one, it became my daughter’s Christmas stocking, which she didn’t get till her 2nd Christmas (At least she was only 1.) And now, I’m still working on the matching one for her brother. Sadly, he will be on his 4th Christmas (3) before it’s actually done. I get motivated to work on it again around Halloween and then only find a few half hours a week to work on it and then the holidays are here and can’t work on it then so….

    *sigh*

    Reply

  44. Thad says

    Well, we currently have a pair of ceramic duck heads that we got at the thrift shop. They need a coat of fresh paint, probably white, since they are a dingy crackle finish, but they will be going up once we have decided where to hang them.

    Cheers!

    Reply

  45. Jill says

    OHHH EMMM GEEE I love him!!!! Please don’t ever chhhhhange him please!!!

    Did you realize that if you add an E on to Plum.. you get Plume…. as in plumes? plummage? aka feathers? featherage?

    MUAHAHAHAHA :)

    Reply

  47. Barb says

    I love the color – and the risk you’re willing to take using it. I do miss the detail of his feathers though. He looks a little “flat” to me, but maybe it’s just the photo.

    Reply

  49. Teresa says

    This little project makes me smile. It reminds me of my mother-in-law that use to collect all things chicken related. We would sit in her house and try to count them all. We would be doing okay until we’d get to the upholstery, which was covered in little chickens. We use to joke with her about her “cock fetish.” Sadly, I don’t think she collects them anymore. :(

    Reply

  50. Megan @ Two Live Colorfully says

    Okay the title + the first word of this post is hilarious!!! Picture me laughing out loud in a starbucks looking like an idiot! LOL

    I like the purple. It’s unexpected, but that’s the awesome thing about easy projects. Super easy to change in the future!

    Reply

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