before
March 29th, 2011
There is no after photo. Yet. So we’ll start with the before.
We are in the midst of remaking our kids’ room. This little 10 by 10 room has worked hard for us; first holding one little baby, then two, and soon the littlest baby (who’s not so little any more) will move in there too. Seeing as we have three kids, the whole redoing of the room is taking time–time being in short supply.
I’m lucky to have a carpenter in the family and not just a carpenter, but one that will drive down and build a bed just because I asked nicely (thanks brother!). So there is a new bunk bed and it’s pretty fantastic –I can’t wait to show you. And I’ve slapped some primer up on the wall, because the blue’s got to go, but I don’t have a particularly grand vision for how the whole room will come together. There are still many bits that need figuring out before the big revel can happen, not to mention getting the bits done.
I was thinking I’d ask you guys for some help along the way. Maybe do some during posts instead of one big Here’s the crummy before picture, and holy crap check out the AFTER! post. I think I’m going to paint the room white, because the room is so damn small, but a good white, a warm white. Got any suggestions. I think I might paint the dresser gray, maybe change the handles? Are you up for playing along (while I do the work, ha!)?
I like a nice white for a kids’ room. Then it’s really easy to change the whole feel of the room with new comforters or curtains. I’m a big fan of adding brightly colored textiles to really make a room feel fresh and new! Good luck, and have fun!
Meg, this is so much fun. Yes, please show us process photos. I like the idea of white and perhaps a fun color on the dresser. A fun printed sheet set or pillows will definitely keep it fun and kid-appropriate!
we LOVE playing along!
white will be great. i wonder if they have any of that cool “chalkboard” paint in white – for the kids to color on non-permanently… gray is so good to hide dirty handprints.
wonderful wonderful. and very exciting, really.
Benjamin Moore Decarators White and White Dove are excellent. The living areas of my house are a pale warm gray (Benjamin Moore Sandy Hook Gray) and while it probably is not what you have in mind for this project, I never resist an opportunity to talk about great it is at hiding kid filth.
i’m totally into white lately. add color with pillows and curtains and accessories. it’s so nice and bright- go for it! can’t wait to see after pics!
Yes, please! In progress shots would be wonderful.
I love that you are sharing how to redo a room that your kids share. Right now our two daughters share, and when the next baby comes around he/she will end up sharing with our son. Sometimes I wish that our kids were able to have their own, but our wish to stay in our smaller home that we love outweighs that desire. Anyway, it’s good to see others’ ideas and know we’re not the only ones whose kids share rooms.
i love looking at other peoples projects. Always so much fun! My go to white is 1W20-2 Jersey Cream. A warm white that looks great and never green here in the northwest. I think a white kids room is a great plan. That way you can swap out art, bedding and everything else when you want a new look. Good luck on the redo!
How fun! If you’re open to ideas, I’m always happy to brainstorm.
If you’re thinking of grey for the dresser, how about a “rainbow” of grey? Start by picking a dark grey that you like and paint the outside cabinet, then as you paint each drawer face mix in a little more white paint each time.
Oh please do include in the “process”! We have been working on doing some updating around here as we have three teen boys… 2 in one room and the third by himself. However we did break down and are having an addition built as all our family lives out of town. Plain and simple we want our family with us, not at a hotel. So our little 1250 square foot, 3 bedroom house is gaining an additional 400 square feet.
I think you color selection is spot on!! The white will most definitely make the room look larger and greys are such classic colors too!!! :)
With such limited space, you need to maximize what you have.
Looks like you have a changing station on top of that dresser. I would make fold down changing station. Since you have that carpenter brother, maybe he could help you out. here’s one from the DIY network.
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-build-a-fold-away-changing-table/index.html
Then you could put floor to ceiling shelves in that nook, either above the dresser, or moving the dresser (to the foot of the bunk beds?) and going all the way to the floor. I like those tracks that you can buy at a home improvement store. You can get brackets of whatever size you need and then have shelves cut from mdf (medium density fiberboard); they’ll do it for you right at the home improvement store, usually.
Looks like you are getting some great ideas. White is perfect for a small space. You can play with bright colors on bedding, wall hangings and curtains. Easy to change the mood also.
I love the idea of “process” pics. I also love the befores, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one using a Huggies box as storage. As for the gray dresser I think that would be very cool, did you see the gray malm bed on Ohdeedoh a while back? She covered it will a minwax finish that made it look lacquered!
i am up for playing along! i will try to research white paints for you. how exciting! (and lots of work too)
We too have an itty bitty closet-like bedroom–and it is, of course, our boy’s bedroom. It is probably pretty close to be being 10x 10–or maybe even a little smaller? I have been slowly reworking his room in my mind for a while too and plan to soon do a bit of redecorating…walls are currently a nice bright blue but I too was thinking white–although I have heard that with really small rooms sometimes darker colors are better because they add depth? I know, it seems crazy, like they might make the room even more cave-like than it already is…look forwrd to seeing what you get up to–maybe it will inspire me to get moving on my own kid’s room.
My favorite warm white is “snowfall white” from benjamin moore. I love, love, love it.
Can’t wait to see the during and after photos!
Hey Meg
I’d do the white- with an eggshell tint, and then treat the trim to a splash of color. Orange or a spring green, or maybe a rainbow? same on window (or maybe turn that into a door to somewhere new?-open up the room visually?) and dresser handles. dresser itself not so sure – Grey ? even less sure. But I can’t wait to see what you will make of it.
good luck….:)
We are all taped up and getting ready to paint, as well! Our white is Benjamin Moore “mayonnaise.” We have a 1958 ranch- I think the lemon-y tone in the white works well in our little mid-century place, especially with the gray Seattle weather.
Looking forward to following along!
I just painted my kids’ room blue! My 5-yr old got to pick the colour from a selection I presented and I knew she would want COLOUR! That being said, I think the white is a great idea as a nice clean contrast to all of the stuff that will end up in there. Bravo to not having a grand scheme for this room. The kids will have their own ideas, and it’s their space, so let them enjoy all their stuff.
I just painted my daughter’s dresser in Martha Stewart’s “Glass of Milk”…apparently Anna Maria Horner also fancies this shade of white, as she announced on her blog today it is the color of her new studio. It’s a bit of a warmer tone without being too creamy.
i love how the baby shoes are tied to that shelf.
and what’s better than white and gray together?! i am partial to a shade of gray called dover cliffs by ralph lauren (home depot), but it does have purple in it which may or may not be an issue. i’d do the dresser like a charcoal!
charcoal was my thought exactly!
Two boys and that tiny closet??? Can your carpenter brother expand the closet out to where the dresser is now? I agree that the dresser could be at the foot of the bunkbeds.
I think white would make the room look bigger, but it is definitely going to show the dirt from two boys! Light grey might be a good alternative.
You can find so many good ideas on the internet. Check around in Google Images or Flickr. Sites like Apartmenttherapy.com and http://www.ohdeedoh.com will also help. And the blog Knock Off Wood has tons of how to kids furniture and storage ideas.
Looking forward to your During and After pics!
Yes! Yes! Yes! I feel as though I *almost* complete so much, and don’t blog as much as I’d like simply because it’s not perfect. Seeing the process come together, in my eyes, is just as exciting.
[…] guys are going to think up all the good ideas for me, because I’m running low. Mostly I want the room to look big, even though it’s small. And be able to be full of kid’s stuff, while still […]
We had a very small 10 x 10 room that worked great for a baby room! When baby #4 came we moved the other 3 together – one bunk and one crib-sized mattress trundle. We didn’t do a lot to the rooms so they could adapt as they aged. We painted all the furniture white. But the old dresser we painted with wide blue and white stripes. I always loved that. We put a shelf around the perimeter with pegs underneath. That was largely the decor – knick knacks, dolls, boats, and hats filled the shelves and pegs. The bedding made up the rest. I look forward to seeing your ideas emerge!