An ombre wall (guest room progress!)

Hello all! How was your weekend? Oh people…we’re finally getting summer around here and it hurts a bit. Looks like we have another week of high temps and then things get awesome again. I knew it had to happen…and at least now that it’s hot I’m now completely ready for fall. I wasn’t before. ;)

So I’ve had a specific project on my to do list for years – paint the guest room. A fairly simple thing, right? A lot of projects take me forever but this one may win for being on the list the longest. This room was my stepdaughter’s room and our guest room, and I felt sorry for those who would come to stay:

I mean…I know.

It was completely adorable for a 13-year-old (we did this when we moved in more than nine years ago), but it was a little much for anyone else. The wall was actually kind of special to us – soon after we moved in she and about five of her friends did all the painting after I had taped off those squares. There was a paint fight, lots of laughs and they had a BLAST.

I got new bedding for the room a couple years ago but still never painted the room:

 

And like most guest rooms this space got the hodge podge furniture that didn’t really work anywhere else in the house.

I’m on a house-wide decluttering rampage right now, and it’s taking forever. I keep getting sidetracked by little (and BIG) projects along the way. That’s how this redo started – with the decluttering and organizing in here I shared a couple weeks ago.

For some reason I couldn’t handle this wall one. more. day. The great thing is, I already had the paint I needed to change up this pastel wall:

I bought the paint about six months ago I think? I had a look in mind for those squares. I wanted to try to keep them since I knew if I just painted the wall I’d still see the lines of the squares. And I really didn’t want to mess with sanding it all down – I just went with what I already had. What better time to finish this up then in my no-spend August? I had all the paint tools I needed, so I went after it.

First up – taping. This is what took the longest part:

You can see there how the paint job by the teenagers wasn’t perfect – I never fixed it. ;)

I used my trusty Frogtape and had to tape off each side of the squares – years ago when I did this I used a two inch tape but the thickest Frogtape I had on hand was about 1 1/2 inches.

It took a while because I was trying to tape off just right so I didn’t see any of the old color. I also had to tape it so the new paint would cover the seepage from the tape I used the first time I did it:

Like I said, this took awhile. But it was good, mindless, relaxing work. Sometimes not thinking much is a very good thing. ;)

And then I was ready:

Months ago when I picked out the paint I went through a ton of options. Originally I planned to go with a gray in this room but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. This room is SO bright and cheery, and it could certainly take the gray. (Not all grays are dark and dreary.)

I wanted it to be light and pretty. I wanted to work with the bedding too, but the green in that is more of a chartreuse color – not exactly something I want on the walls.

So I went with something that didn’t match just right and I don’t think the world will stop spinning:

Yes, all of those colors.

I went ombre:

Obviously I went darkest (Pond Reed) on the bottom and moved up. All of the colors are from Porter Paints (I had them mixed them in a cheaper paint):

(See the story of that nightstand-from-the-trash here.)

I REALLY love it. Keep in mind nothing else is done in the room so you are seeing this way in between, but I like sharing progress as it happens.

The rest of the room got painted as well, but first I had to remove my horrible trim idea from years back:

I was trying to do an easy crown molding look all those years ago, and it FAILED.  I’ve learned a few things over the years -- one, don’t use two inch nails to install trim. Two, don’t use Liquid Nails, ever. Ever, ever, ever. Did I mention ever? Unless you are SURE you will never change your mind. 3. Thin, inexpensive molding doesn’t look like crown molding, no matter how hard I try. Ever.

I just painted over the glue for now but I’ll have to do crown or something to cover it up later. Nice.

I painted the rest of the room the lightest color on the ombre wall, Dew White:

Here’s another tip – covering blue walls with a light paint will take two coats. Get enough paint. ;) I didn’t and will need to get more to finish up a couple of the smaller walls.

There’s lots left to do in here, obviously. Drapes for sure and paint the old dresser:

The nightstand that matches that dresser got a redo a few weeks ago.

The room as is is very…dewy. :) But drapes and art and accessories will help to tone that down a little. Thing is – I probably wouldn't use this color elsewhere in the house, but it’s just so dang pretty and light in there. I fall in love with it more every time I go in that room. 

I’ve had this little garage sale chair forever, and I don’t know why but I love it:

Well, the shape of it I love. Not the 70’s fabric. I was sitting there yesterday thinking I could totally recover this myself. I have totally lost my mind. I’ve done it before and said never again.

That little foot stool thing won’t stay, it’s just here till I figure out what to do with it cause I love it. I’ll also DIY a simple headboard at some point too.

My list is long but at least I finally painted!! HUGE project done. Even if I get nothing else done in here for awhile it looks SO much better:

My plan is to still add some dark gray/black in here to play off the light green and black combo that I love. It will also be some nice contrast. I think it’s such a fresh look and I hope I can make it work.

Can you believe I finally got this done? THIS is why I need to do no-spend months every year. I’m getting so much done. I do have a short list of things I can’t wait to go out and buy on September 1st though. Is this month taking longer than most or is it just me? ;)