Beige walls…no more! Although, Chris never referred to our walls as “beige,” he is glad they are gone as well. “Well, honey, if they aren’t beige–what color would you call them?” I would ask. To which he replied, “I don’t know, yellowish-with-a-touch-of-brown.” Tomato, tomahto I guess. The festivities began when Greta took her morning nap and I started prepping the area. I took down all of the pictures, curtains, mirrors, guitar, etc. and moved everything away from the walls to create a huge mess:
And then I spackled all of the hundreds of nail and screw holes from previous tenants. Ah, the perks of renting. Once it dried, I sanded the spackle smooth. Chris came home a little early from work and we started painting around 4. I took on the task of detail work and cutting in (this brush was AWESOME! I didn’t even take off any light or plug plates. Truly magical.) and he rolled on the paint like there was no tomorrow. Of course, we took turns on Greta duty, but for the most part she was happy to just watch us paint and dance and sing to Jack Johnson/Dave Matthews/Dashboard (those guys got us through it). We ended up getting Benjamin Moore’s Whitestone color-matched to Olympic No-VOC paint at Lowe’s. We totally recommend it, too, because there was no paint odor at all. We didn’t have to crack a window open in below freezing weather, we didn’t have to worry about little Greta-girl sucking in fumes, and it is environmentally friendly as well. Not to mention, a gallon of Olympic paint is about $21, compared to Benny boy’s $41+ price tag. It was no contest.
So, between playing with Greta, taking a time-out to get her to bed around 6, our pizza break around 8–we finished up at 10:30 pm! Exhausted, but thrilled with the results.
KISSY ’cause we’re done. Delirious from staring at walls for hours. |
Our wood grain Shaker cabinet fronts were designed for busy, high-traffic homes like ours. Clad with durable textured thermofoils, this line is compatible with Sektion, Akurum, Godmorgon, and Besta cabinets from IKEA. It's the perfect, practical way to add the warmth of wood to all the rooms of your home.
We have teamed up with Loloi to create a line of rugs that are as affordable as they are beautiful. This collection houses a great mix of traditional and modern rugs, in cottage-y colorways, as well as vintage-inspired beauties that you’ll want to roll out in every room.
We partnered with Stuga on a line of hardwood floors — The Ingrid is really livable, and the color is very neutral. It doesn’t lean warm or cool, it’s that just right in-between. We have really loved putting it everywhere in our house. It’s the best jumping-off point for design, no matter your interior style. In addition to being beautiful, Ingrid is really durable — we have three kids, and we always have a home construction project going on. Ingrid stands up to it all.
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Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
A reader recently asked me if I’m starting to fully embrace traditional style and whether we still consider our house to be a “modern Colonial” and why. It was a really great question and so timely — I had really just been thinking about my approach to this home and how my style has changed […]
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Hi, Julia! I gave it a shot: http://ow.ly/3PkLJ
Looks great!
Your place looks awesome Julia! Have you ever read that blog “betterafter.blogspot.com? You should submit your before and after photos. You have quite the talent in interior decorating, I must say. ait looks so clean, modern, comfortable, and fresh. Love it!
It looks awesome! It’s amazing how much of a difference paint makes!
go you!! woo hoo!!
That looks so good and I have decided that if I ever get a house I would like you to decorate it for me!!
YAY! I can’t believe how fast you guys painted and got it done! It is AMAZING with just a simple color will do to brighten up the space. If we decide to stay in this apt, I think we’ll ask, but as of now, we don’t even know if we’re staying in the STATE! ahhhh the joys of being in school with an ambitious husband!