How Embarrassing
Hi! Thanks for all your great comments and suggestions on our guest room. You guys are the best:)
And before I show you some really embarrassing photos, notice anything different around here? It's not much, but I finally figured out how to make outer wrapper of the blog wider so the content area and sidebar are not smooshed together like they use to be. Yay! Look, negative space ---------- >
Ok, so remember our office/studio? We just started transforming it from the boys bedroom it used to be (previous owners) to a cool, calming work place for P and I. I'll admit, its slow going. Just to remind you what it used to look like and so that I can feel better about myself that I've actually gotten something done, here's the before again. Yikes.
We took down the wallpaper border, primed and painted the walls Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue. Love this color!!
Awesome. Way better. One thing accomplished. We do have a slight problem now though which I think I mentioned before. The sellers were not very good painters. So even thought the red is gone on the walls.....aaaah! Its still everywhere on the trim and baseboards! I mean, seriously, look:
(This is not the embarassing part...as this was not my fault!) So I guess while we are in painting mode and the furniture is still in the middle of the room, we should repaint the trim. Doh! (As you can see its a bit dirty and beat up too, so I'm sure this will help make the room feel fresher and more updated anyways.)
Here's where I need your help. I love to paint but have never tackled trim before (this is, alas, not the embarrassing part either...no shame here, I've never painted trim). First off, we have no idea what "white" color is used throughout the house on the trim, moldings and baseboards. Great. Any ideas? Should I just start over and try and choose a color that best matches what we have? And since I'm going to have to tackle the entire room, hopefully you won't be able to tell if its slightly different than the rest of the house?
Ok, so once we have a color, any tips for how not to get paint on the carpet? Do you suggest a special brush or can I just use the same kind I would use for cutting in/corners on the regular wall? Any advice in general?
The walls have been done since like the beginning of July. It is now the middle of August...oops. I will hopefully start this project soon (uhm, that term is relative and means anytime from next week to the end of September!). In the meantime (ok, well really only last night which is why I decided to blog about it today), I've started to deal with the mess that is the rest of the room. Like cleaning, organizing all my art supplies, paper, finding a work space/table, etc.
Here's where we get to the embarrassing part. As in, I can not believe I'm about to show you this. You might want to cover your eyes (but not until after this next pic). If you noticed in the original office/studio space, I showed alot of up close shots of some of the details in the room. Like this:
Lovely, no?! You're probably thinking "Wow, this girl has good taste. She's so organized. Why does she need that much ribbon?" Well, I didn't show you any far shots of the room because I thought you might run away screaming and never come back. Because if I had stepped back and taken a pic of the whole room it would have looked something like this:
Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! Nice new wall color though, huh? Geez, that fresh paint looks great. Too bad there's red paint still showing along the baseboards. And a whole bunch of crap on the floor!!!! OMG, I'm so embarrassed!!! But, I wanted to show you this so that when this room is eventually "done" (you know, like sometime in 2014) you will appreciate how far its come:)
I swear that its really organized chaos. Bwa ha ha ha!! How in the world does P put up with me?!
So, I obviously need to get organzied. And buy some more storage boxes and shelves and other organizing type stuff. Help!!!! How do you sort through all this and figure out a good system? Wow. Painting the trim is sounding so easy compared to this!!!
And before I show you some really embarrassing photos, notice anything different around here? It's not much, but I finally figured out how to make outer wrapper of the blog wider so the content area and sidebar are not smooshed together like they use to be. Yay! Look, negative space ---------- >
Ok, so remember our office/studio? We just started transforming it from the boys bedroom it used to be (previous owners) to a cool, calming work place for P and I. I'll admit, its slow going. Just to remind you what it used to look like and so that I can feel better about myself that I've actually gotten something done, here's the before again. Yikes.
We took down the wallpaper border, primed and painted the walls Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue. Love this color!!
Awesome. Way better. One thing accomplished. We do have a slight problem now though which I think I mentioned before. The sellers were not very good painters. So even thought the red is gone on the walls.....aaaah! Its still everywhere on the trim and baseboards! I mean, seriously, look:
(This is not the embarassing part...as this was not my fault!) So I guess while we are in painting mode and the furniture is still in the middle of the room, we should repaint the trim. Doh! (As you can see its a bit dirty and beat up too, so I'm sure this will help make the room feel fresher and more updated anyways.)
Here's where I need your help. I love to paint but have never tackled trim before (this is, alas, not the embarrassing part either...no shame here, I've never painted trim). First off, we have no idea what "white" color is used throughout the house on the trim, moldings and baseboards. Great. Any ideas? Should I just start over and try and choose a color that best matches what we have? And since I'm going to have to tackle the entire room, hopefully you won't be able to tell if its slightly different than the rest of the house?
Ok, so once we have a color, any tips for how not to get paint on the carpet? Do you suggest a special brush or can I just use the same kind I would use for cutting in/corners on the regular wall? Any advice in general?
The walls have been done since like the beginning of July. It is now the middle of August...oops. I will hopefully start this project soon (uhm, that term is relative and means anytime from next week to the end of September!). In the meantime (ok, well really only last night which is why I decided to blog about it today), I've started to deal with the mess that is the rest of the room. Like cleaning, organizing all my art supplies, paper, finding a work space/table, etc.
Here's where we get to the embarrassing part. As in, I can not believe I'm about to show you this. You might want to cover your eyes (but not until after this next pic). If you noticed in the original office/studio space, I showed alot of up close shots of some of the details in the room. Like this:
Lovely, no?! You're probably thinking "Wow, this girl has good taste. She's so organized. Why does she need that much ribbon?" Well, I didn't show you any far shots of the room because I thought you might run away screaming and never come back. Because if I had stepped back and taken a pic of the whole room it would have looked something like this:
Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! Nice new wall color though, huh? Geez, that fresh paint looks great. Too bad there's red paint still showing along the baseboards. And a whole bunch of crap on the floor!!!! OMG, I'm so embarrassed!!! But, I wanted to show you this so that when this room is eventually "done" (you know, like sometime in 2014) you will appreciate how far its come:)
I swear that its really organized chaos. Bwa ha ha ha!! How in the world does P put up with me?!
So, I obviously need to get organzied. And buy some more storage boxes and shelves and other organizing type stuff. Help!!!! How do you sort through all this and figure out a good system? Wow. Painting the trim is sounding so easy compared to this!!!
Nice color though! I would repaint the trim in that room and not worry about matching the rest of the house (but try to get as close as possible--there are so many shades of white but just get close and be done)
ReplyDeleteas far as the carpet...when I have painted trim that had carpet next to it (have hardwoods now, lesson learned), I have just put some wide paint tape down, getting it as close to the wall and subfloor as possible. Make sense? then, paint away. since your carpet is light and you're painting white, if some DOES get on there, it won't be too noticeable, but have a rag handy too. GLuck!
Haha! I love that you showed us this!! It's a gorgeous wall color! Does it have more blue tones or green?? Maybe you could just narrow it down to a few whites & hold the paint swatches up to the trim to see which is closest??
ReplyDeleteHow pathetic am I - that this picture made me sigh with relief?? All of the photos of your gorgeous home make me feel like an awful homemaker in comparison. But now I'm thinking that I have a good excuse in that we live in a two bedroom apartment with four bookcases full of books and nowhere to put them other than in our living room. Which makes it look cluttered.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me feel more human. Since this, believe it or not, is probably way more common than you think. Bravo for having the guts to show us, though! =) Beeee-oooo-tee-full wall color. Love, love, love. And I agree with the "Grits"... just lay down wide tape and use a brush designed for getting close to edges. Maybe keep some paint thinner nearby?
Hahaaa I have a room that looks just like this! We just leave the door shut all the time! :)
ReplyDeleteLove the new color!
ps- how did you get the white space in blogger??
I feel you on the junk piles! There's a good reason the blogosphere has never seen my breakfast room ...
ReplyDeleteGet an agled brush when you do the trim -- much easier to control and won't leave you with (as many) random strokes from wayward bristles.
my bad -- *angled
ReplyDeleteWhew --I'm actually kind of relieved as I was thinking you were way too organized and I was feeling very inadequate and totally UNorganized.
ReplyDeleteFor trim at our house, which is an older home, we use Sherwin Williams Dover White. Not too bright, not too creamy, just right I think. Wow -- that red was something else! Have fun!
Janet
I love to paint (yes, I'm weird). I always use oil based paint on trim and doors. It's much harder wearing and scrubbable. I use a small artist brush (like teeny tiny) to paint the top edge of the trim. It takes much longer but in the long run I make less mess and I don't have to apply painter's tape which in itself is a time consuming job. As for protecting the floors, I tape newspaper to the floor. Does that help?
ReplyDeleteI love your paint color. Don't despair, a project always looks chaotic until it is almost completed. It makes for better before & after photos.
I used to be scared of painting trim but have found that it's really no big deal. I have yet to contend with Clifford red though, but I think you might be able to lightly sand off some of that intense color before applying the white. I actually make more mistakes when I try using the tape on the wall, so I free hand with long, purposeful strokes with a quality angled brush. You just have to get a feel for it, how much paint to load on, which angle works the best, etc., and don't be timid!! And though I hate primer, it really has made a difference with the trim I've painted. (I was going over this hideous dark seafoam green, not red- red is tough!! Sorry!!)
ReplyDeleteOur home doesn't have carpet with high nap or pile, so it hasn't been that difficult to get close to the edge of the trim without painting the carpet as well; if yours is high, then I probably would tape it down to avoid stray hairs and fibers from getting painted onto the trim as well as paint on the carpet.
I use a semi-gloss for trim - I don't really like shiny paint, but it is much more durable. We also don't always use the same color for trim (bright white works with some wall colors, but sometimes a calmer white is better), but do stick to the same sheen.
I hope that helps!! I have no doubt that no matter what you do, it will be fantastic when you're finished, and the comment about the better before and after pics is right on!! You were just trying to get a more dramatic before, right? Good luck!!
Lol - you guys are seriously cracking me up!!! Thanks so much for embracing my so called "dirty underwear" and not being appalled! Yay.
ReplyDeleteJanet and Tina - you are awesome!!! Oh, I'm totally the worst "homemaker", but I do know how to quickly clean up whatever room I'm going to take pics of so you think my house is always clean:) Plus there's always selective cropping:) And my priorities are not always straight - last night I got home from work an hour early, but instead of putting away the laundry, emptying the dishwasher or cleaning the pretty nasty bathroom, I decided to start organizing the office!
Thanks for all your tips on brushes and taping, newspaper, paint. I will definitely be taking y'alls advice.
Court - the paint looks more blue during the day with the natural light and slightly more green at night.
Aja - Ha! The door to this room is always closed whenever we have company. and I never show it to anyone even if I'm giving them the "tour". As for the extra white space, it has something to do with changing the width of outer wrapper in your html code. I followed this tutorial:
http://www.threecolumnblogger.com/2008/09/three-column-minima-layout-version.html
for adding a 3rd column to my blogger Minima template. The third column is actually invisible now since I haven't put anything in it yet, but it also helped give me more "white" space and content room. Hope that helps:)
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteOh this makes me feel so much better! Your home looks like perfection, so I just assumed every room was spick and span. I totally understand the value of a good crop and cleaning up the room that I have to photograph that day. haha! I'm so glad I'm not the only one out there. Thanks for sharing your room. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product. You have impecable style!
-Emily
timelesspaper.com
I'm breathing a sigh of relief!!! Girl, you and I must've been cut from the same cloth! I started blogging about my "kitchen before" pictures back in early July, and I thought it would keep me motivated to get the whole kitchen done. WRONG-O!! I'm still in the BEFORE stage of my kitchen!! It's so nice to know you are as well. There's strength in numbers!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful room, by the way! I really LURVE that color!!
I love woodlawn blue too! It's such a gorgeous color.
ReplyDeleteThat room? That unorganized chaos? That's what my office looked like "before" too (and still on some days when I have a project going and I'm too lazy to keep it cleaned up).
You'll get 'er done and imagine how easy it's going to be when you're supplies are all organized and you know that everything is in it's place.
I don't think anyone is going to notice the trim isn't the exact same white, do you? Really? I'm not the exact matching my white trims in each room kind of girl. Sometimes I want creamy, sometimes stark, bright or cool. So - just freshening it up and being white is going to be so pretty!
Now get busy! :) I can say that since you already know I luv ya, right?
Funny - we have the very same problem with paint on trim in our house. How hard is it to tape, people? Even though it's not our fault, it's not very appealing to the eyes!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, I have a room just like that in my house! As far as painting the trim around carpet, I always tape off the carpet overlapping the trim a smidge at the bottom and then take a spatula or trowel and jam the overlap under the baseboard. Then you can paint all the way down onto the tape without getting any on the carpet. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWow Paz, so you really are human? :) I love that picture, your home is always postcard perfect. I don't have any tips on not painting the carpet, I am sure that is tough not to do when painting the trim. Pulling up the carpet is probably not a good option either on the sides. For the trim, our builder used SW Creamy. Don't let the name fool you, it really is white, it's a soft white and it's really a great color for white trim. They also sprayed the trim color on so you don't have any brush strokes which was a nice touch. Not sure if you can pick up a sprayer or not but just thought I would suggest it. I love the new blog look, I ended up finding a template on line, I really like how it turned out. Have a great weekend!!
ReplyDeleteKaren
Hee, hee! Thanks so much, you are making me feel way better about this! Its so good to hear that lots of you have a space like this in your house too, thank goodness!!
ReplyDeleteEB - good call on the spatula or something else to jam the tape down under the baseboard! I'm definitely going to try that:)
Karen- yay! Going to check out your new layout now. Thanks for the SW Creamy rec.
And now I'm also running off to check out your kitchen, Amy! Good luck with it:)
Here's a great source for painting your trim. http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/06/how-to-paint-trim-like-a-pro/
ReplyDeleteThank you for showing us that! I have spaces like that in my house and you just made me feel so much better! I take a lot of those up-close photos, too, that leave out the giant mess in the middle of the room. I'm sure it will be beautiful when you're done. Thanks for stopping by A Penny Saved and leaving a comment!
ReplyDelete