Hey Friends!  Hope you have had a happy weekend.  It’s been a busy one for us, and we’ve been down to two boys this weekend (they are with Nana & Papa)!  Life seems extra quiet with one little boy, that’s for sure!

We are so excited that the “heart room” can no longer be named the “heart room”.  It’s been painted and we couldn’t be more excited.  We went with Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter.  It’s a great color, super neutral and light, and like a friend told me, “goes with any color”.  I’m excited to start the process of making it a bedroom.

So just as a review, this is where we were a few weeks ago:

And then this is where we were last week

And here we are today (it’s a gloomy day, so I can’t get the most bright shot so I had to use artificial light):

 

Unfortunately,the carpet in this room is a little bit of a buzz kill.  Fingers are crossed that we may be doing something major about that (like hardwood flooring) soon, so I just have to be patient.  In the meantime, I’m hopeful that the furniture will distract me from the ugly carpet.

What we’ve done:

*removed nasty wallpaper (thanks Mom!)

*removed popcorn ceiling

*added lighting & extra switches

*patched ceiling & walls

*painted ceiling & walls

Next up on the list:

*paint closet (still not done because I can’t seem to remember to stop by the paint store and pick up paint).

*stain & seal lots of trim, hang door and window trim (baseboardtrim has to wait for the new flooring)

*add a window seat (Nathan & I are pinning designs and discussing size and shape)

*furnish bedroom (first up–refinish a bedframe)

*closet organizer (I have my mind set on a pretty detailed closet set-up, so it will have to wait a bit till we have the funds)

When I went to the paint store to pick up paint for this project I explained to the helpful folks at Johnston Paint & Decorating that we were working with walls that had been pretty roughed up by wallpaper removal.  I was concerned that the paint we normally use would show every scratch and imperfection.  Nathan and I worked very very hard on fixing these walls and ceilings, but with so many random scratches, it’s easy to miss stuff.  The gentleman at Johnston really encouraged me to try Benjamin Moore’s Aura paint line (which is one line up from what we were using, the Regal Paint Line), as he said we could go from unfinished drywall (basically what we were dealing with) to finished walls in 2 coats, no primer.  In most other rooms we have done a coat of primer before 2 finish coats.  Even though the Aura is more expensive, he said it would save us paint, not to mention time.

We went with matte finish, as the more scratches and imperfections you have, the less they will show with a dull finish.  The more sheen, the more the light will reflect and show the finish imperfections.  BUT typically, with a sheen, you get more ability to wipe down scuffs, fingerprints, etc.

Johnston said that the Aura Matte is very wipeable and it touches up great.  We are hopeful…but nervous.  Because this is a boy’s bedroom.  My boys are not exactly dainty, and I know that matchbox cars will be “driven” up and down these walls, legos will be thrown, and I want the paint to be able to hold up.

Our Review:

We loved the paint.  It was worth the extra money because it had GREAT coverage (so in the end didn’t really cost more).  Two coats, from drywall to finish was all we needed.  We love the matte finish, and it does a great job at hiding imperfections (my OCD side is holding back from fixing the little problems I’ve found).

BUT….

We will have to wait 6 months or so to find out if it wipes down well, and if it touches up well.  I’ll try to remember to update you on these things once some time has lapsed.

So that’s where we are.  I’m getting excited for the fun part: decorating!   Woot woot!  Goodbye wallpaper, popcorn ceiling, goodbye 1980s!  Slowly you are dying in my home!

Thankful for all the help of my mom, Nathan, and this guy, who is ESPECIALLY “helpful” these days.

XOSJ