Quantcast

Bower Power

· 87 Comments

SUPRISE! We Painted Will’s Room!

OUR 2nd HOUSE

DOUBLE SURPRISE!  We did it over a month ago!

Yeah…we did.  Remember when his room looked like this?

Pink Salmon Sushi walls.

And then my mom came over and helped paint over it with plain white.

She’s a champ.

And then it looked like this…white walls with tan trim.

The tan trim drove me crazy.  I am 100,000,000 percent certain without an inkling of a fraction of a doubt that I am not a fan of colored trim in my house.  I am also certain that it’s fine for other people…just not me…can’t take it…it makes my OCD kick in and I become a crazy person.

So even though the neutral color scheme here was fine…it just wasn’t my cup of sweet tea.

So we broke out the ole paint deck and chose a new wall color and decided to repaint all the trim in the room.  Eventually the whole house will get the white-trim makeover…but it’s gonna be like a celebrity conviction and take a while…so one room at a time for now.

All the furniture got moved into the center of the room…and Will got relocated to his pack-n-play for sleeping…I’m sure not the most comfortable situation ever…but neither is sniffing paint fumes…and we figured he’s probably gonna be doing plenty of that as a teenager so we should save those brain cells for years to come 😉

Jeremy worked on rolling while I used the white paint to work on the trim.  I’m a fan of just simple semi-gloss base paint in pastel white for trim…it’s easy for me to remember come touch-up time and it’s nice and clean looking.

Me and my arch nemisis – the step ladder.  I may have cried.  I don’t know why…but literally I step on it now and have visions of a broken leg…with the bone puncturing through my skin into my other leg.  Now you know why I don’t like heights.  It’s the dang imagination getting in the way.

Jer rolls.  I cut in.  That’s the game plan.

(insert gutteral noise here)

Oh and did I mention that the sushi got smeared on the window trim…and other assorted areas?  Yeah.  Them previous owners did a bang-up job 🙂

The wall color we went with was a tan…it’s Martha Stewarts Sisal.  It looks completely neutral in this room…not too golden (like most of these photos indicate) and not too green…but a true nautical tan.  It’s nice.

It took us four days to paint it all – the trim got three coats…the walls three too.  For some reason, I was being a perfectionist in here…maybe because I loved his last nursery so much and I have this vision of a different but equally awesome space for him here too.  Not quite as themey though.

Here it is after the first coat – sorry about the night time photos – it was the only time Will slept long enough for us to work in there.

OH and remember how our trim was tan?  Yeah…apparently so are all the ceilings.  Gross.  Now I’m gonna have to work on those.

Lo and behold, I bring good tidings of great joy!

Yup…four days of painstaking trim work and a crazy sleep schedule and we finally completed the room.

And since we did it over Thanksgiving break (you know…between work, blogging, and hosting 13 people) it was sort of an ode to one big thing that we are really thankful for…our little guy Will.  It’s funny how not getting pregnant in ten months of trying will make you grateful for the one baby you have already…even if he struggles with sleeping through the night.  every.  single.  night.

Anyhoo – back to the room…

The walls are now tan with high contrasting white trim…clean white trim.

And I have big plans for an accent wall – kinda an ode to his old room…that sported the pallet wood wall…except this time I wanted to create something a little less rugged…and maybe a little more dapper.

The changing table will probably stay where it is…it really works in that location.  I need to work in a bunch of stuff over it though…art and color.

And we desperately need toy storage (that’s up next and it is soooo exciting!)…

The tall wooden wardrobe will go.  It’s just not as functional for him now.  His little jackets are just too long and it really makes better sense somewhere else…I don’t know where yet…but not in here.

Okay – and here is the last photo – the one with the closest representation of the color of the walls.  Doesn’t it look good with the carpet?!  I love it.   And yes, this little wall is the location for the future toy storage.  I told Jeremy I wanted a toy chest but modern…something that Will couldn’t get hurt closing…and that could also be a place for books…and nick-nacks…and for driving his cars.  And I think he came up with something JUST PERFECT.  Stay tuned because tomorrow will be the grand reveal.  The last day of the year is the perfect time for Will’s big surprise!

0 Shares

Comments

  1. I love! I am looking forward to seeing what you do with this room. My son’s is basically a carbon copy of Will’s and I am at a loss on where to go from here. Will and James are almost the same age too…James will be 2 next month.

  2. This cracked me up HARD! : “Eventually the whole house will get the white-trim makeover…but it’s gonna be like a celebrity conviction and take a while”.
    So true….love your comparisons. lol…I laugh out loud ALOT when I read your posts 🙂

    Will’s room looks AMAZING!! good bye awful color. If the previous owners saw your blog…what would they say about your AMAZING transformations?…I bet their nodding their heads at all your great transformations….I’d like to think so. What were they thinking with everything they did? 🙂

  3. Hey Katie B…just letting you know I’m thankful you are ridding the world of tan trim one room at a time. Also I may be a stranger but as a fellow Jesus lover (holla!) I wanted to say I’m praying for you as you try for baby #2. I’m sure when aunt flow visits each month it’s heartbreaking so I just wanted you to know I’ve got your back.

  4. Yay, I can’t wait to see it all come togther! The white trim paint is about a million time better!! I have never heard of tan trim before – crazy! xo Kirsty

  7. The white trim looks so much better! I love that tan color you chose too. . . I always have such a hard time picking the right shade of tan, so thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to see the toy chest you and Jeremy created for Will 🙂

  8. I noticed “redo Will’s room” was checked off your list and had been wondering if just the primer coat was it for that task. It looks GREAT! Can’t wait to see what surprises you haev in store for Will’s storage.

  15. LOVE where this is going Katie!! This room definitely looks like a “Bower Power” room! 🙂 Great taste!

  17. My name is Tiffany…and I’m a white traim/tan wall a-holic. So naturally, I love it! So clean and fresh!

  18. It’s funny that the tan trim didn’t look that bad (in the pictures), but now that the trim is nice and white, the tan was gross!! And not to be all up in your biz-ness, but have you tried a Clearblue ovualtion monitor? They are pricy (around $150), but they are supposed to be the most accurate at determining ovualtion. I just got mine and will be using it within the next few days, so I don’t have a testimonial yet, but I know several couples who got pregnant using it. Good luck and we say a little prayer for you guys every day!

  19. Looks awesome! I can’t believe the previous owners lived with pink smears of paint on their trim! As if the wall color wasn’t bad enough…

  20. It looks great, I’m sorry that trim is bothering you so much, it must just be driving you insane since its in every room of your house. I loved wills old nursery so I know you are going to do a fabulous job of this one too. The color looks nice and it does look good with the carpet. Good luck, and I cant wait to see tomorrows post!

  23. Wahooo!!! Another tan trim room bites the dust 🙂 Love the new colors – so refreshing! And I cannot believe all that sushi on the windows – SERIOUSLY??? Whoa.

    Like many people have said, I am still praying for ya’ll as you try for baby #2. Good thing God is in control of timing, right? He’s got a plan way bigger & better than we know. And that is pretty dang awesome.

  24. It’s beautiful! I love that color!!! So much I am thinking of a room in my house where we can use it 😉 Good Job!

  25. Love the color! It looks great with the new white trim! I need to repaint all the white trim in our house, and I have been putting it off for too long. I think you might have given me the inspiration to get started!

  26. Coming from another mom of a Will born in April a couple years earlier… If your Will is like my Will- my son did not sleep all night until exactly 15 months old. Like clockwork. He moved up to the toddler room at the daycare and then slept. The time will come one day! And he has a great room to be awake in!

  27. It looks so great, Katie!

    I live in a cape in NH and when we bought the house all of the trim was dark, dark stain. It also drove me crazy! I painted all trim and doors in the house a creamy white…But, I must say it took a long time. It took me a full year to accomplish it. I took baby steps…..one door at a time…one room or area at a time. So worth it!!! It transformed the house…more light….more updated!!!!! So, painter that I am…it can be done. Take it slow.

    Good luck!

    Happy New Year to all of you.
    B.

  28. I love white trim! So clean and fresh looking! Oh I cant wait to see the toy storage yall have come up with! This Christmas was the first for our 6 month old daughter and now every room in my house has her toys. I need storage ASAP!

  29. Love the clean white trim! We just repainted our dining room, and the previous owners had painted ALL over the trim. Guess fixing that is our next project… and, our ceiling needs a fresh ‘do, too.

  30. Funny because I just posted last night on my (very small and relatively not-exciting) blog about our Thanksgiving. I’m glad someone else has things in the back log from a month ago. 🙂

    The room looks great! I’ve seen his old nursery ALL over Pinterest as more of my friends get pregnant with boys (also frustrating for me not having success in that dept after months of trying- praying for you with that) AND we have the same globe! The one on the stand? My mom brought it to me this summer to add to my collection and I might have screamed a bit. I got excited when I saw yours. The stand is almost exactly the same!

    Happy New Year to the Bowers! 🙂

  34. Nope – no theme in here..I mean, no real theme like the last time. This room probably will look boyish – but hopefully in a very dapper updated way. Sortof like a George Clooney meets Jonathan Adler 🙂
    xo – kb

  36. Wow, it’s amazing how much nicer the trim looks now! I’m in the process of painting all the trim in our house too, slowly but surely. I started in October and I only have 2 rooms done! One of my 2012 resolutions in to have it all done by October 1. I have to give myself time or I’ll end up being sloppy (like the sushi splattered trim). Seeing the transformation in Will’s room has given me an extra punch of motivation. Thanks!

  37. Katie, you had such a busy fall, I can’t believe you squeezed in a painting project. Host a wedding AND Thanksgiving? Check.

    Here’s hoping you can catch your breath and put your feet up to recover!

    (And I have no problem belatedly seeing your projects. I love reading your posts.)

  38. The room looks great!! Good job and I’m sure you are happy to check it off the ‘to-do list’ before ringing in the New Year. I’m sure Will will love his room for years and years to come.

  39. So exciting! Maybe Will couldn’t sleep well because of the memories he had about those salmon walls 😉

    I seriously cannot wait to see the big reveal. I’m *almost* finished with our little guy’s room. I’m trying not to go theme-y in there. It seems like everyone wants to know the theme and when I say I don’t have one, they look totally confused. Nurseries don’t NEED themes people!

  40. I love the color! Your mom is awesome! Can’t wait to see the storage project.
    Happy new year! Thanks for all the work you do on your blog. You always makes me laugh.

  41. Hi Katie,

    Your tan and navy combo is fantastic! It makes me think of linen summer suits with vests…and then Will in linen summer suits with vests!

    On that note, there’s so many reasons why Will might still be waking up at night: bad dreams, hungry/thirsty, too much naptime during the day…I found that having a routine at bedtime and cutting naptime during the day helped my kids. WARNING: cutting naptime should be done slowly and in small amounts, otherwise you get cranky kids that fall asleep at weird, inconvenient times!

    What really helped me get pregnant was a BBT thermometer for $8 from RiteAid and http://www.fertilityfriend.com. They have an app for charting your temps that also predicts fertile days, ovulation, next period…it helped me learn my body’s rhythm (which you’d think I’d have figured out after the first 3 kids, but no, lol). Until you figure out the rhythm, may I suggest just spending *ahem* time with your husband once every 3 days, rather than waiting for ovulation?

    And I know it’s hard to say, but don’t worry about getting pregnant if you can help it. Children are just as stubborn about *getting* here as they are about everything else once they come 🙂

    XOXO.

  42. “Nurseries don’t need themes, people!”

    EXACTLY! The “theme” is that it’s a nursery! I’ve never been asked what the “theme” is for my kitchen or living room or bathroom…

  43. I also prefer white trim throughout the house. Our house had ultraglossy trim in a gray-ish white, so we’re slowly repainting everything in a warmer white. It makes such a difference!

    I definitely prefer the tan over the sushi in Will’s room!

  44. I must inquire because the pictures are a tad misleading. Did you finish painting the ceiling white? In a few of the pics it looks like you did, but some of them look tan and I’m not sure if they’re just shadows.

  45. Looks so much better! But, listen, my son is 15 months and struggles to sleep through the night too. No suggestions but I have to admit…I feel better knowing someone else has these issues!

  47. It looks so nice and clean now!
    I’m with you on the tan trim. I always thought our trim was white, but after painting the walls again we decided to do the trim in glossy white and it makes such a huge difference! Now I can’t stand the sight of the unpainted, tan trim.

  48. Wow! It’s amazing how paint can make such a huge difference. The room looks amazing! Can’t wait to see the toy storage. I am really struggling with something like that for my baby boy’s room (he will be two in February).

  50. Looks great!! After the progress on that room I’d be motivated to paint every waking moment if I were you:) working on trim every single day. Things like that light a fire under my arse. And I think you should just move that wardrobe into the other room that you’ll eventually use for the next babe:) positive thinking…that’s my advice. lol

  51. The room looks great! Love the nice neutral color and the white trim is a big improvement. Can’t wait to see what you come up with for toy storage, I’ll be waiting anxiously for tomorrow’s post!

    I’m sure you’ve heard stories like a million times but I wanted to share my journey with you. I was so anxious to get pregnant (both times around) and it seemed like it would NEVER happen. We tried for 13 months the first time with no luck. Then my grandma was very sick and all of my focus went to her and how she was doing and guess what…I got pregnant! I got pregnant when my focus had finally landed on something else and I was more relaxed about the whole thing (it was actually the farthest thing from my mind). I actually found out I was pregnant on the day we had her memorial service and I immediately remembered the verse that says “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away”. I truly believe that while he chose to take my grandma home, he gave me a beautiful gift in return (my amazing son, Zachery). Then several years down the road we wanted to try for baby #2 and I (foolishly) thought it would be so much simpler the second time around. Yeah, it didn’t work that way! It took us 14 months that time (and many emotional breakdowns) to get pregnant and again it happened when I had totally given up and stopped “trying” so hard to make it happen.

    Sorry to ramble but I just wanted you to know that I believe God has a plan for all of us, and I’m sure His plan for you includes another baby to love and cherish. It will happen, maybe not on your time schedule but on His. So don’t give up!!! Just try to relax and focus your attention to something else and I’m sure you’ll have your wish very soon!

  52. This looks great! Can’t wait for the big reveal tomorrow. Just curious – was the bedroom door white or tan (like the trim), and did you paint that too? If you painted it, do you have any tips?

  53. Hard work pays off! Looks fantastic! 🙂

    I haven’t backread comments, but the book “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” and the website fertilityfriend.com have been very helpful to my group of mommy friends. Good luck!

  54. I’m all for sushi but not on the walls. I have day dreams (a lot) of having a similar house like yours. I foresee stacked stone, rustic beams, big porches with rocking chairs and a monstrous fireplace(s). My husband grew up on the side of a mountain (literally) and I grew up in a log cabin that my father designed and built with his four brothers and father. Ruggedness is in our bones. Right now we’re saving our pennies and waiting until my husband is done with the military (no use buying a home if uncle sam is going to move us all about all hokey pokey style). I love watching your home transformation! I can’t wait to see the final result of Will’s room. I’m stuck on what I want my son’s room to look like. He’s only 15 mos. Is it too soon for leather club chairs?

    I hope a new year brings a new baby for you, Jeremy, and Will. I’m having trouble dipping my toe back in the amniotic pool so to speak but that doesn’t mean I can’t be a cheerleader for your family! Best of luck and have a safe and happy 2012!

  55. Great color! I love some white trim also, the brighter the better. So clean.

    I have 18 month old twin girls and we are desperately needing toy storage also. I’m excited to see what you came up with.

    Keeping my fingers crossed that you have a bun in the oven soon. I know how hard that is.

  56. Love the new colour! And the white trim looks fantastic! Can’t wait to see the focal wall and toy storage!

    I just have to say that the photo after you explaining about all the furniture being pushed into the center of the room- the crib totally looks like someone is laying on their side mooning us. I got a good laugh about that!

    Good luck on the baby front and all the best in 2012!

  57. His room looks amazing! I am a fairly new reader and love your blog! Our son’s nursery (he’s 14 months old) is almost the same color tan and we decorated with old barnwood (which reminds me of your old nursery). Love it!

  59. I sneaky little bacon-adoring-salmon-hating girl… 🙂
    I have been waiting for this post! I bet Will loves it. With a toy chest he can actually practice throwing stuff in 🙂

  60. LOVE this contrast. Any suggestions on painting baseboard trim with carpeting? I’m so terrified of getting it all over the carpet. And do you typically prime first? Can’t wait to see the dapper little boy room you have on your way 🙂

  62. haha…you are fast girl! Good for you finding it on your own. I really appreciate that. More than you’ll ever know 🙂
    xo – kb

  63. I love white trim, yours looks so much better now! All the rooms in our house had ceilings painted a yellowish off-white, same as the walls- I guess it was easier for the builder’s guys not to do any cutting in. The original owners didn’t repaint anything except the dining room- baby poop brown- and the kitchen- red, slopped onto the trim. So, I’m kinda’ glad they didn’t go any farther. I’m excited every time I get a room painted, especially when the ceiling goes from dirty looking to fresh clean white.

  64. Katie,

    I loved Will’s nursery at your other home and cannot wait to see what you do with this one. We are trying for baby #2 also and I understand the frustration!

  66. I notice that Will wears Luv’s. I also had our 1 yr old in Luvs. I Luved the price of them and hated the lack of absorbency compared to Huggie’s. I noticed that after the switch, my boy was sleeping longer, only waking up once compaired to 3 to 4 times a night. I also notice that his skin was drier in the morning after having them on all night. Anyway it might be part of the solution. A dry tooshie helps me sleep better too! Not that I wear diapers! 🙂

  67. I notice that Will wears Luv’s. I also had our 1 yr old in Luvs. I Luved the price of them and hated the lack of absorbency compared to Huggie’s. I noticed that after the switch, my boy was sleeping longer, only waking up once compared to 3 to 4 times a night. I also notice that his skin was drier in the morning after having them on all night. Anyway it might be part of the solution. A dry tooshie helps me sleep better too! Not that I wear diapers! 🙂

  68. haha – we actually put Will in whatever diapers we have a coupon for 🙂
    ANd yes, we noticed that Will needed to sleep in a disposable – the washing of the crib sheet and the multiple clothing changes just wasn’t working for me 🙂
    xo – kb

  69. Great improvment! I noticed you are now using a different dresser for your changing table. Did the dark one not hold up well? My husband and I have our first child on the way, and we’ve been super busy dresser shopping…

  72. OMG!!! You crack me up! I especially enjoyed snorting water out my nose at the lines “… gonna be like a celebrity conviction and take awhile…” and the reference to Will’s teenaged years to come… Oh my! How I appreciate your humor! Cheers to 2012 and please don’t ever stop posting!!! 🙂 (Also, I really love the color you picked for the room. It’s so warm & inviting yet clean & “grown-up”.)

  73. So I’m a little new to the blog, and when I started to read this post I thought you had painted his room the salmon-ish color and I gagged.. but kept reading and was happy to be wrong! The finished room looks fabulous!

  74. So I’m a little new to the blog, and when I started to read this post I thought you had painted his room the salmon-ish color and I gagged.. but kept reading and was happy to be wrong! The finished room looks fabulous! You guys are an inspiration.

  75. Did you ever think about painting the ceiling as the “accent wall?” I’ve done this in several of my bedrooms over the course of 10 years and I get nothing but compliments! Just sayin’ since you have to paint that ceiling anyway…

  77. Katie, the trim looks really great. How did you paint the floor trim without smudging it on a drop cloth or getting any on the carpet? We have some super blue trim we’ll be needing to eliminate down the line and I’m weighing if it will be easier to just replace the floor trim, or try to paint ever so delicately.

  78. I use a trick with a wide drywall mud knife. I am sure that if you punch in “paint trim carpet” in the search box, it’ll be easy to find 🙂
    xo – kb

  79. Oh… I wanted to share this with you. A while back you were playing with the idea of using very vibrant rainbow hues to redecorate Will’s nursery. I found a tutorial for something that would be very cute in his room. It’s a monogram using crayons! Use a rainbow of colors or use coordinating colors for whatever palette you’ve chosen. I’m going to try my hand at making this. I’ll let you know how it goes. http://www.chiccheapnursery.com/2011/do-it-yourself/diy-how-to-make-a-crayon-monogram/

  81. Katie-
    I am sorry to hear that you are having trouble with baby number 2. As a person who is finally pregnant (with two!!) after nearly 2 years of trying – I know how hard it is. If you don’t already know about it – you MUST read this blog: http://www.999reasonstolaugh.com/
    It really helped me many days… and I know that you will appreciate the humor!

    Love the room – so fresh and clean….

  82. Looks great!!

    Okay, I know you didn’t ask for advice, but are we moms EVER really able to refrain from giving it when we think it might help??? I feel your pain – my son didn’t sleep through the night until he was THREE YEARS OLD. THREE. You know what finally did it? We put a CD player in his room and put a Mozart CD (some of his calming stuff, not the upbeat ones) on repeat all night long. It worked like a champ, and I was nearly sane again. (Except for the fact that right around then, I had another baby who didn’t sleep through the night until HE was three – and I forgot about the Mozart thing that time around. Don’t be like me.) It might work…it’s worth a shot!

  83. Okay, I didn’t read all the comments, so maybe somebody else already laughed over this, but I am cracking up that you had white walls and tan trim and switch to tan walls and white trim. Maybe I find this particularly funny because I am short on sleep, but there is something funny there. 🙂 I do seriously like the way it came out though.

  84. LOVE IT! I must say, in a few of those pictures, Will’s ceiling looked pale-blue almost. And, though, I know it isn’t… I think it would look great. Just sayin’… 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get the latest via email!