Transformation of the Master Bedroom

We've lived in our house for nearly 4 years. When we bought the house it needed a lot of work. We knew we could do the work a little at a time and decided it was worth it to get the space the home would give both inside and outside - it sits on an acre which we have loved and which has also brought plenty of projects. We have been slowly checking off those projects - sometimes I have to take time to remind myself what we have finished because I get discouraged looking at what still needs to be done.

Anyway, it is finally time that we are getting to the master bedroom! Woohoo! Painting is not hard to do - there are a few tricks we have learned over the years that make it quicker and easier though. It is worth paying more for better paint. You will pay more up front, but you can do a good job with less coats and it lasts many more years on the wall without chipping or looking dingy. So pick a color you like since it will look good for 8-10 years. Use the green frog tape that they have recently come out with. It really stops the paint from bleeding under so you can have a nice crisp line. Put down plenty of drop cloths (old sheets work fine) and use good rollers and brushes. Again these will cost you more upfront, but will give you better results and you can rinse them out and re-use for many painting projects.

We needed to paint the ceiling since the previous family had attempted painting, but left it very streaky and in need of a second or third coat. They also didn't leave any color match paint so we just started over. Thankfully, my husband is tall and could paint it pretty easily with just an extension arm on the roller. 

The room had been the pretty, aqua blue color that is so "in" right now. I didn't mind the color, but it was flat paint which shows every fingerprint and doesn't wash up well. It also was streaky and needed additional coats, but, alas, no color match paint was left. In the end, I chose a whole other color scheme.

We tried out a few colors behind my night stand and decided on two - a darker green/gray color for the bottom third and a lighter color for the top. I already have a couple of bedspread options that will both look really good with these wall colors.

My goal is a light, bright feel to our room. I think we're getting there. My kids all love a chance to help - they were troopers. It feels good to have kids getting old enough to help.

Here it is painted with chair rail added. The colors look so crisp and new. The next step is crown molding. I'm getting excited at how well it is coming together! With the help of my husband and kids, we saved a few hundred dollars by doing the work ourselves. More pictures will come as I get it all completed. My job is all the calking and filling of nail holes - my husband passed that to me many years ago. He claims it is because my fingers are smaller - I think it's mostly that I have more patience for the finishing details. Whatever the reason, I'm just grateful that he's so willing to help me out. (Even with all of his help, it still takes way longer to finish than I ever hope since that rest of life has to happen too.)