Master Bedroom Makeover: Paint

After a long day of painting (9-6 with a one hour break to run out and get my new BFF), the master bedroom is fully painted and looking lovely!

I used Benjamin Moore's Crystalline from their Affinity line, which I color matched to Olympic's No-VOC paint (from Lowe's). I got two gallons (it's a big room!), and each gallon ran me about $23. Yes, it's a bit more expensive than regular brands, but we were able to sleep in the room last night comfortably and without worrying about what we were inhaling. And less than $50 for a room makeover is not too shabby, in my opinion.

The color is a soft aqua, which reads as either more blue or green depending on the light. (It looks much more grey in the colors I snapped because my camera sucks.)

Here's some more glamour shots.

I am so happy with the final product; it's really serene and beachy feeling in the room now. And let's face it, anything is an improvement over Navajo White. Oh, how I loathe you Navajo!

Now that the room is painted, I have a list of other projects I want to do to complete the room:

• Make a DIY headboard
• Make a linen bedskirt
• Paint fireplace white
• Rip out paneling
• Do something about the shelves on either side of the fireplace...
• Replace baseboard with something sexier
• Crown moulding
• New light and electrical plates
• Get a round or quatrefoil mirror for over the dresser
• Art, art, and more art
• Find some nightstands and bedside lamps

How come every project just kicks off about 10 more? Oh well. I do want to bask in the glory of having painted my first room. (Only 8 more to go!) And I thought I would share with you what got me through 13 hours of painting in 36 hours.

First, and most importantly, something to distract me and keep me entertained. My top pick is This American Life - I think I caught up on every episode since we moved - but a good Pandora station will do in a pinch.

Second is a good roller. I like Purdy rollers, along with a 10 gallon bucket with a painting grate to roll off excess paint. My husband turned me onto this, and it is a huge improvement over painting trays.

This little guy is a welcome addition to my painting repertoire.

The hubs scored it for free, but I saw it at Home Depot yesterday. It's a great tool for painting around our windows and in between doors and walls.

Oh, and meet my new best friend. (Sorry, Jack.)

He's the Premium XL Tight Spots 2" Angle Short Handle Brush. He comes highly recommended by YHL, and you can get him at Sherwin Williams for a mere $5. Seriously, it's the best $5 I have ever spent! It took me 2 hours to cut in the same room that it took 5 hours to cut in the day before! The bristles are stiffer than the 2" brush I had been using, and the short handle did not make my hand cramp up like all the other brushes I have used. I refuse to paint anything without it now, and I am not dreading painting the rest of the house the way I was on Tuesday.

So what do you think?