Whew! What a job it is to makeover a room! After staring at my daughters purple n white bedroom for 3 years now. I decided it was time for a change. I love painting and doing reno/diy stuff. Just the thought of making something pretty again inspires me to work hard! You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it!
So I don't have a real before picture, I apologize for that but I simply forgot. But from this pic you can imagine there was a wall border separating the purple and white. It had little flowers on it and was peeling off in places due to Lucy :). Here are some before pictures...
As you can see she's a destructive kid and decided to tear up her blinds. Ugh kids! That's her working on her tool bench. I was also washing her sheets she got sick thru the night- poor thing.
Another wall...
So first thing I did was clear the room which sucked but I recommend going thru old toys and clothes then :).
Next I mixed up a mixture of fabric softener and hot water in a squirt bottle. I used it to spray the border in sections and let it soak for about 20 minutes. I then began peeling and scraping. I used a plastic scrapper tool to scour the wall that I bought at Walmart. Because her walls are textured it took me awhile to get it all off. The key here is to keep it wet, its much easier to pull off.
Finally as you can see from the pics it came off. Then I went thru and removed all the nails/screws so I could fix the holes. Whoever lived here before us went nail crazy I swear! I fixed the holes first by using a hammer and tapping the holes in. Then I sanded lightly to remove and loose pieces. After that I used drywall mud to put a thin layer over the holes. Be careful not to put too much putty over it because it will make for more sanding and longer drying time.
Let it dry at least an hour. The mud will look white when dry. Apply second layer if needed and mine did.
Time to sand! Using a piece of fine sandpaper lightly sand over the holes to create a smooth surface. I didnt make it totally smooth because her walls are textured. I made it blend :). I think it worked out well. I apologize for not taking pictures I was focused on getting it done Lol.
Once you have everything sanded the way you like you'll need to wipe down the walls to remove dust and dirt. I used a damp rag. I also vacuumed the room to get any dust off the floor.
Next, tape off your walls anywhere you don't want paint! It's very important not to skip this step and take your time with it making sure your lines are straight! It sucks when you realize you screwed up because you didn't take the time to tape correctly. I used green painters tape but they also have it in blue.
Time to prime! Always prime! Even if you don't think you need too- do it. It could affect the overall color of the room. I recommend Valspar high hiding primer! Use it anytime you are going from a dark or bold color to a light color. The good people at lowes can help you figure out how much you'll need. There's a equation to figure it out. 1 gallon gave me 2 coats and her room is about a 8x12 but she has high ceilings. Using a brush, roller or whatever prime those walls! Get all the cormers
Let dry according to manufactures instructions usually an hour before applying 2nd coat if needed.
Once you've primed-its time to paint! Make sure you have your floors covered with drop cloths for easy clean up. I should have said that in the beginning! Lol! Using a roller start painting in a large M or W fashion. Do not paint straight up and down or you will see the lines. You want it to blend. Do as much of the walls as possible with the roller then go back where you started at and using a small brush or trim painter do all edging. I used this little gadget that I picked up from lowes.
Its pretty handy I liked it. I'll definitely use it again. You can buy refills for it which is nice! Clean up is pretty easy too.
I applied 2 coats of paint and voila! Pull off the tape carefully and admire your work!
I used Valspar in Ancient Stone. I love the color and were actually painting most of the inside this color. It just works for me :)
So what is your next home project??
Danielle Marie
