The Accidental Bedroom

When we moved into our home, everything was builder white. The counters. The carpet. The walls and trim. The linoleum. EVERYTHING.

Slowly, we changed our Clorox house. After a couple of years, we painted our room a lovely shade of periwinkle.

Bedroom #1


We enjoyed that for a while, and then I wanted something a little more cheerful. So Jesse painted it soft yellow for my birthday.

(That was the ultimate gift because he hates to paint. He hates every. single. stroke.)

Bedroom #2 (it looks a little extra yellow because of the lighting)





I loved my yellow room. A lot.

It was one of the few rooms we decided not to paint before the carpet was installed.

Then came the disaster. The night before the installers came to do the second half of the house, I got out the touch up paint. I put it on the spots that needed it, then watched it turn brown. I tried not to panic, and grabbed a newer gallon of the same color. Brown. I shook the paint and shook it and shook it and Jesse shook it. Brown. By now, it was about 11 pm. We had already had too many late nights for this project, but we were in big trouble.

We did NOT want to paint our room over new carpet. The only thing we did have was some green paint I had picked up off the mis-tint cart, so we tried it on the wall. We decided it would do, especially since we could get the room painted that night. We stumbled into bed around 6:00 am--but we were up by 8 to put on the last coat (after I grabbed another gallon at the paint store). The installers showed up at 9:30 and practically carpeted while the paint was still wet.

This had to be the worst moment of the whole project.

But we love how it turned out.

And the last shall be first...

At one point during this whole process, we agreed that our master bathroom ought to be repainted. Although I was rather fond of the periwinkle color, I was in the minority.


(here it is in our master...)

So while at the paint store one morning -- on one of my emergency runs -- I saw a gallon of Devine paint marked down from $45 to $15. I snapped it up, even though it may not have been the first color I thought of. Little did I know that it would end up being not only the bathroom color but also our bedroom color after the touch-up paint fiasco the night before our room was carpeted.

Unfortunately, we also didn't know that "painting the bathroom" was just the start of what we would do in there. And all because of a mirror. But that story will have to wait for another day.

After a couple of gallons of paint, a new granite counter top with new sink and faucet, an experiment in tiling, painting the old cabinets and adding some new linens and art, we now have Master Bath 2.0 in House 2.0.

Where did we go?

In case a carpet guy ever offers to include moving furniture, demolition, and debris removal in the total price, just bite the bullet. Or else you may end up doing this:



This is what you realize you need to do BEFORE the brand new clean carpet gets put in. Just remember that the night before the installers show up to do a room, you will discover at midnight that your touch up paint does not match your walls anymore. And you will be grateful that you picked up the discounted Devine paint and just pray you won't mind a green room...



Just try to find a place to sleep in my room... I dare you!



Away with the old, awaiting the new...



This is what you may find yourself painting on your walls after 13 years of living with "builder white."



Before and afters to come... I promise, Jolene!