We did it! We can put three big ol’ check marks next to “paint the walls” and “paint the closet” and “paint the ceiling” in Clara’s room. It was definitely a bit of a painting marathon, but how sweet is the soft pink up there on the ceiling? It’s Pink Cadillac by Benjamin Moore in their eggshell finish. In some of these photos it’s pretty subtle, but in person it’s soft-but-noticeable – so while it’s not the entire room’s focal point, it’s a fun layered detail in the room. We thought clean white walls would complement the fun ceiling color without fighting too much with all of the color and pattern in things like the rug/pillows/curtains, so we went with BM Simply White in eggshell, which is also what we use for trim and doors in a glossier finish. Here are some other popular whites for walls and trim.
We also used some leftover ceiling paint in the closet, just to add something in there too. Someday I want to add a built-in bench in there and I even think about doing something interesting to the slanted ceiling (little cedar roofing shakes could bring out that “indoor playhouse” vibe – and maybe even some playful wallpaper on the back wall could be fun).
Oh and you’ll notice that the rug and the curtains from the living room have migrated up here. Clara’s pink rug was shedding like a maniac (the new hardwoods made the giant pink tumbleweeds especially noticeable) and Clara loves playing on this blue rug (she pretends the light blue parts are the ocean for her toys/dolls) so we rolled it out up here to see how we liked it. When we plopped everything down after moving we figured a bunch of things would find their way around the house, so it’s fun to see things making the rounds, and now this woven rug is in the living room – although the jury’s still out on whether we like it there for the long haul.
But let’s rewind to the room all prepped (we moved everything into the center and covered it with a few plastic dropcloths). Remember those old stripey walls from spraying the doors before we installed the hardwood floors? Well, we decided we didn’t want that primer/paint “flashing” (meaning that it could show through the paint if we didn’t prime) so we took a minute to prime just the areas that we worried about that happening.
Here’s that area all primed along with the ceiling painted (we painted the ceiling first, then moved on to priming just select areas of the walls where we worried about bleed or flashing).
Then we broke out the white paint for the walls. I grabbed this shot so you can see the difference between the yellowed old wall paint, the cooler toned primer, and the Simply White wall color.
Of course we’re still missing a bunch of things on the wall, like something I’m halfway through sewing for over Clara’s bed (COUGHcanopyCOUGH) so I can’t wait to get that done and hung – along with some other art and eventually a light fixture that we’d love to add too. But it’s already a huge improvement not to have the old yellowed walls and to finally be rid of those stripes from spraying the doors! And it’s certainly a far cry from the room full of blue trim that we started with:
We’ve also been trying to work on our photography skillz (picture us both laughing and blushing as we say that since we have such a long way to go) but we shot all of these after photos in manual for the first time! They’re definitely not perfect, but we’re slowly getting the hang of it… I think.
Clara is in love with her pink ceiling. When she came in and saw it she said “now when I’m sleeping I can look at the pink and the pink can look at me.”
I love that it’s a balance of crazy and calm in here, thanks to the fun mix of patterns (in the pillows, curtains, and the rug) combined with the white furniture and the white walls to sort of temper things so the room isn’t too wacky.
Here’s a shot from the closet, looking back at the other side of the room. That wall above the crib definitely needs some art, although Clara seems close to being done with her crib so we might just wait until she’s outta there to move it out of the room and then decide what will live on that wall, which will definitely inform the art above it.
Ooh look, I focused on the book and blurred the alligator. I feel like I should make myself a construction crown that says “Photoshoot Skillz In Da House” … and then promptly crumble it up after checking out my other favorite blogs, which all have infinitely better photos.
This cute kid makes any picture better though, so big ups to my girl for making this shot.
Oh and if you look closely you’ll see that we didn’t quite get into all the cracks where the wall meets the ceiling since we’re planning to add some crown molding – hopefully pretty soon!
What are you guys painting? Any clean walls + playful ceilings going on?
Amanda says
I definitely like that you moved the rug from the living room up there. Way to use what you have! The curtain pattern next to the rug pattern makes my nose crinkle up a little. Those white walls make me crave curtains in a bolder color.
Autumn says
Where did you get Clara’s crib? The drawer underneath looks handy.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Autumn! Here’s that post for ya: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/02/nursery-progress-crib-notes/
xo
s
Angel says
We haven’t painted any ceilings yet but I’ve been wanting to paint my daughters bathroom ceiling a pink or coral for months. Her bathroom has the glossy black and white tiles on the walls so I think putting a pop of color on the ceiling will be fun. Do you think a quart suffices for painting a ceiling or does it soak up the paint and need several coats? Any tips on actually painting overhead?
YoungHouseLove says
Ours soaked up so much we used almost the whole gallon on the ceiling and the closet – but the closet is extra deep and the room’s pretty big. I think maybe two quarts could do it (which is usually still cheaper than a gallon) but sometimes I just like to spend a little more and know I have lots of extra paint for other things. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Laura says
I love the crisp white walls with the hint of pink ceiling. I also really like that you are using the rug from your old master bedroom in Clara’s room. This rug makes a real statement in this space. I can’t wait to see what art you are going to put up on the walls.
Maddie says
LOVE! What a fun, fresh space for Clara. Very excited to see what direction the closet takes – love the playhouse idea!
Maddie says
Also, congrats on shooting manual! Totally scary at first but like anything, once you get used to it, you’ll be all “can’t believe we weren’t doing this all along!” I bet you could sweet talk KB into giving you some free lessons ;)
YoungHouseLove says
That girl’s too fast for me! Seriously I watch her snap away and get all hyperventilate-y. Haha!
xo
s
Kelley says
I decided to paint our kitchen cabinets. Never in a million years did I think I would do that. While I’ve seen many “before and after” photos–so many of them looked horrid. Old dated cabinets + paint = old dated cabinets with paint on them. It just never seemed like enough of a transformation for me to be convinced to do it, ya’ know?
But I found a transformation kit and holy smokes. What a difference it made!
But after painting those cabinets….I am not touching a paint brush, roller or paint pan for a long. long. long time.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I know what you mean! Sometimes you just need a nice long painting break!
xo
s
Meredith says
I’ve been reading your blog for a few months now and I can’t even tell you how much of an inspiration you’ve been to me to try more DIY projects myself instead of batting my eyes at my husband (who has always been super handy) to “help” me :)
Nothing like scaring the pants off of him when I was using the saw one afternoon (which he taught me to use) without him! Good times.
Anyways, I am in love with the bean bag! I’ve been searching for a white one for my daughter’s room and am wondering if you can give me any information about where you got yours?
Thanks for the daily motivation/inspiration/laughs!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Meredith, you’re so sweet! The little pouf is from joss & main. Good luck with everything!
xo
s
Noelle @ noelle mullins design says
Such a sweet room! I love that there is room for a little play table :) so adorable!
Greta says
Is there a link on your blog about the cute chairs and table in Clara’s room? They are perfect for the space!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Greta! Here’s the post about the chairs and here’s the one about the table!
xo
s
Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says
What a great update! I love how Clara’s room is the perfect mix of fun and colorful but also sophisticated. Not too girly and kid-like but still so her. What a fun idea to paint the ceiling!
Emylee says
Hey there! Looks great, love it all. Question: (because its kind of hard to tell in the pics) does your white trim stand out enough against the white walls? Do you think it’s good to go the way you did and just choose different finishes for the two or picking two different whites? My mom is moving into a new place soon with beautiful (but could be touched up) baseboards and crown molding but icky dark walls. She’s wanting to paint all the walls white to start out clean. We have been debating on which white to go with on the walls and/or do we also reprint the trims? Thanks for your input!
YoungHouseLove says
It seems to be more common to pick the same white (in semi-gloss for the trim/doors and then in a flatter finish for the walls) so that nothing looks yellowed or mismatched – this way they just layer in and it all “goes” automatically.
xo
s
Momcat says
The pink ceiling is fantastic! I love that light blush of pink in a room. I’d paint my laundry room pink (it’s very small), but since my dh DOES HIS OWN LAUNDRY (yes, that’s what I said!), I’m not gonna tempt fate by making the room pink!!
That pic of Clara reading on the bed…. that should make it into your 2013 family book.For.Sure.
Doll says
We’re getting ready to close on a house, and I swear I wish I could call you and pick your brain for hours. Really…..
How do you two not have your own HGTV show?
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Doll! We have been approached to do a few shows with a few networks but we’re all “ahhhhhh! no thanks!” about it – we’re just happy to hide behind our laptops and blog the days away :)
xo
s
Lauren says
Those curtains and that rug are soooo much better! Looks like a step in the right direction!
annie z. says
You did an awesome job on her room! I love how you used the pink in the closet also. Great tie in to the rest of the room. She is a lucky girl!
Elaine says
It looks great! Such a vibrant, yet soothing room all at the same time. Love the painted ceiling :)
Juliet says
Her room looks great. It’s so bright, and doing the ceiling in a different color is a creative idea. I love how happy the pink makes her. I’m working on the ceiling of our attic master bedroom. It’s exposed knotty pine boards that are well over 20 years old, and not very good quality. I hate them and have been painstakingly filling knots and gaps with ready patch as well as trying to patch and seal a water damaged skylight. Next week, I don a mask and goggles and sand it all down to prepare for primer and paint. There’s just so much, I’m exhausted just thinking about it all… Oh, and the dust! It will be all worth it, though. Having the whole space white, will bring in so much more light.
Vickie says
In the pictures it seems that the new rug covers most of the floor. Do you know if there is an ideal amount of hardwood that should be showing around an area rug? I don’t have hardwood yet (I hope to soon) but I think I would like more of the wood showing. Is that a big no no?
On another note, I love the splash of pink in the closet and on the ceiling. And this is coming from someone who just recently painted a pink bedroom to a beigy gray color … my little girl is now grown and married so was about time I guess. :}
YoungHouseLove says
I generally think if there’s about a foot all around you’re good (which is what we’re at in here). Of course two feet can be great and you’ll see more wood, but I think if the rug will almost touch the wall on two sides or all four sides it could look cramped and if it’s too tiny like a floating magic carpet in the middle of the room with nothing on it, that could look weird too. Hope it helps!
xo
s
decoratica says
I love it! I would also look at the pink ceiling while sleeping, is sooo cute…
Patti says
Perfectly pretty! I’m surprised how much the white makes the room … everyone poo-poos white but it looks smashing in here. Oh and don’t give up on the pink rug! We had a wool rug that shed like crazy for a few months, but after repeatedly walking on it and vacuuming it eventually stopped shedding.
Laurie says
Oh my gosh, SO much painting going on! I just painted my kitchen this weekend, and will be painting a bunch of other rooms next month.
You have me thinking though; I had a little paint bleed under the Frog tape onto my ceiling. Maybe I can just cover it with crown molding? My ceiling may be a little low for that though…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I’m a huge fan of “cover that up with something!” – good luck Laurie!
xo
s
Terresa says
Ack! You’re sewing again:). I always get so excited to hear your sewing exploits, they are usually pretty entertaining! Hope it’s going smoothly
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh man, it’s a good thing you can’t hear me cursing from here!
xo
s
Abbey says
Do you guys have any tips for getting better coverage when painting a ceiling? Do you think the brand of paint matters, or the types of roller you use? We have painted our bathroom ceiling a couple times and I am still getting some unevenness!
YoungHouseLove says
We like BM paint for the coverage (we often do less coats with that since it’s thicker) and we just use a smooth surface roller and try not to put too much on (drips!) or too little (bare spots). Good luck!
xo
s
LMN says
I’m curious about the white on the trim and walls in a different finish. Is it noticeable? Does it make a difference?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s actually a pretty common thing in a white room for the trim and doors to be the same color, just a semi-gloss finish. We did it in our half bathroom and liked it, so we did it up here too!
xo
s
B. Hess says
Love shooting in Manual! My professional photographer best friend told me to start shooting in Manual the minute I bought my camera last year. Now it’s like second nature, and you have so much control over the pictures!
And the room is looking great!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s such an awesome idea! I bet you got really good right away!
xo
s
Michelle says
No painting ceilings in this house. The builder was in love with the popcorn ceilings. Us, not so much. But until we can afford to have them sprayed and want to deal with the mess of scraping them, they stay. :) We did paint the laundry room closet and my son’s closet and installed different shelving system. :)
Needle little Balance says
I´m a huge fan of white walls combined with colorful accessoires so I really like your light color choices lately (hall and living room). I also like that you toned down the pink with navy pieces and aqua. Any chance that the canopy will be turquoise? That would be awesome!
YoungHouseLove says
I definitely think there will be turquoise in there somewhere!
xo
s
Michelle says
Ok… part of my message disappeared. Computer issues. I wanted to say how I love Clara’s room and love the subtle pink on the ceiling. It’s a bummer about the rug, but the one you have in there looks wonderful in there! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Michelle!
xo
s
M.C.@ ThousandStoryKitchen says
I know it will be great- wait, so – is the pink rug out of the picture forever? Seems too new to do away with! Also, I was wondering about that C on Clara’s door- I’ve been wanting to do something like that on my kids’ doors…Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks MC! That’s from Anthropologie about a year ago in their clearance bin, but I think they still have them!
xo
s
Tiffany says
I feel like everyone is doing super neutral walls these days with crazy bright accents. I’ll be honest I am not so sure the super high contrast look is for me, but I am glad Clara likes it.
Bummer about the pink scheme though. Her room is now so blue I feel like she just up and changed her mind with the new house.
Jeanna says
I’m so proud of Clara for being ready for her big girl bed full time!! I was nervous too when I decided to go for it, and my son was great about it! She seems so comfortable reading on her big bed, I have a feeling she will be fine :) Also, completely off topic, but can you please explain something to me? I was reading on another blog how the homeowner picked a color for her walls that she loved, but she had it lightened by 50%. I am so confused. Why would you lighten a color by a certain percentage, and not just pick a lighter color on the paint strip?!
YoungHouseLove says
Sometimes on a swatch things don’t just get lighter they get a little greener or a little bluer or the formula changes a bit so the undertones are a tad different, so if you do a half-tint (50% more white) it’s that exact color, just substantially lighter!
xo
s
rfmainer says
where is the rug from? Love it.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! It’s from a local decorating outlet in Richmond (called The Decorating Outlet) but we’ve seen it on joss & main too!
xo
s
Cindy says
I love the splash of pink. I did that in my girls closet too, it made a little quite area for the oldest to escape too.
I’ve been painting too, and used a bit of the left over pink to accent behind toy shelves. I’d thought about adding color just the ceiling when I finished painting my basement, but frankly was too lazy. I am constantly amazed by your energy!
I’m not nearly as far along as you are with finishing the room, but here’s where I am so far.
http://cindyriddle.blogspot.com/2013/09/floored.html
YoungHouseLove says
Looks awesome in there Cindy!
xo
s
Andrea says
Love the room and can’t wait to see what else happens.
Do you keep Clara’s clothes in her closet or are they just in the dresser? We have a similar shaped closet in our daughter’s room that I would love to create a play/reading space also, but is it awkward to do that and also store her clothes in there?!?
YoungHouseLove says
Her coats are downstairs in the coat closet with ours and all of her clothes are in the dresser, so other than shoes (those are in the closet) it just has some blankets and her dollhouse and other fun stuff. A big six drawer dresser definitely helps to store lots of stuff!
xo
s
Lauren says
Hi! I love the pink ceiling and white walls! So much fun! I am getting ready to update my little girls room and start on a new nursery for our baby who will arrive in January. Can I ask where you got those polka dot curtains? I love those for a kids room!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Lauren! Those were either TJ Maxx or HomeGoods!
xo
s
Natalie says
Way to go on the manual photography skillz! I took two semesters of digital photo in college and STILL preferred to use the preset modes until about 2 years later. It’s taking practice, and I still revert to auto on occasion. But so proud of you guys for taking the plunge (and teaching yourselves!!!) The natural light shots of Clara’s room are precious.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Natalie!
xo
s
S says
I rarely comment but had to do for this update. I love the fact that you updated Clara’s room from that pink catastrophe from House2. Nothing went together in the old room. This one feels young and fun. I’m also so happy that you’re finally expanding your photography skills. Too often your photos are blown out and the colors aren’t quite right (yet we always see the ‘adjust your monitors’ excuse). Sorry, but it’s not ALL of our monitors, it’s the photos.
Great job on the update and photo skillz.
Andrea says
I love that you chose white for her room! I am a huge LOVER (aka my pin boards are FULL of it!) of white rooms with color injected elsewhere. My extended family doesn’t understand :-) Looks like we both started out with the same dingy colored walls. Isn’t it just so automatically calming to paint over it?!?! I swear after I repainted each room it would “quiet” the house a little more instead of the dirty beige screaming at me! Haha, does that even make sense?!
YoungHouseLove says
Totally! Love me some quiet walls!
xo
s
Jo @ Let's Face the Music says
I had the same idea a few days ago to paint a bedroom ceiling pink. Pale pink. And here you are with how great it will look. I’m also looking for pale, pale pink king size sheets. The rest of the room will be charcoal grey and blue, blue but I’m sure Clara and I agree that “I can look at the pink and the pink can look at me” (when I’m sleeping, of course). Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds so pretty Jo!
xo
s
Whitley S. says
That pink ceiling and closet are absolutely adorable. I LOVE THEM. I love that you guys take the time to make Clara’s space just as special as the rest of the house and it definitely reflects her. :)
Kristin H. says
Im sorry if you guys have answered this a million times, but is there any reason you’ve switched to using all Benji moore paint instead of color-matching Olympic (I think that’s what you used?) paint to BM colors? We’re closing on our 1st house soon and after not having my own walls to paint since high school it’s the thing I’m most excited for in our soon-to-be house (picture me planning colors on the Benjamin Moore app at 3am!). I value your guys’ opinions so much I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss it if there was a reason for the switch :)
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve tried almost every brand of paint over the last 7 years (a lot of Glidden in the beginning, then Behr and Valspar, and then Olympic which was followed by Benjamin Moore). I think we go through phases, haha! Although BM is more expensive, many commenters told us that once we tried it we’d never go back. It has great coverage and awesome colors (along with a No-VOC formula), so it’s just the one we’ve liked best for the past few years (we used it a lot in our previous house and loved how it went on and held up). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kristin H. says
Thanks Sherry! Definitely helps :)
Heather says
I can’t help but feel like you being a little dishonest by leaving off the part that you have a ‘paint collection’ at Benjamin Moore. Yes, they have good paint (though I’d say Sherwin Williams is better) but I thought you guys were all about being transparent. Maybe say that you like their paint so much that you have partnered with them (and likely they are a sponsor of the blog).
YoungHouseLove says
You’re completely right Heather – we like their paint so much that it was a dream to end up partnering with them! But whenever we use their paint it’s because we buy it with our own money and believe it’s worth it (we’re under no contractual obligation to use their paint, and we’ve been buying it since before we ever teamed up with them). They’re not sponsors, but we do have the color collection with them that’s clearly marked on our sidebar (and which we’ve blogged about) so it’s no secret, but when someone asks why we use their paint it’s not because we have a collection with them – we’ve used it for years thanks to hearing from our readers that it’s awesome, and the coverage and range of colors is the best we’ve found after 7 years of painting things!
xo,
s
Jaimee says
The room looks cute! Wondering if you are planning to leave the curtains pooled or if you will be hemming them? I love the look of the fabric pooling on the ground, but in my own home I have always found it so impractical – a perfect place for dust bunnies to hide and the kids love to play in them so I am always afraid they are going to pull the rods down! Perhaps I just need to be a better house cleaner. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
I think I might hem them a little but leave them a smidge on the long side – they definitely will get dirty and beat up if I leave them this long though!
xo
s
Kristin says
Too much white for my tastes. I know you’ll put up art, but the crib and bed are both white. We have the same crib and are renting right now and the walls are white and I HATE it everyday. I wish we could paint.
Ginger says
I love what you are doing with Clara’s room. Especially the curtains… I have followed you through all 3 houses and you guys do an amazing job!!! Can’t wait to see all the things you guys do with this one. :)
I was wondering if you could give me a few tips on how to get my blog out there! I stopped and started it and now I’m back and really would like to build a following so there is an exchange of ideas! Any tips???
http://buildingsandcastlesinthewind.blogspot.com/
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Ginger! This is a full blogging FAQ page full of tips on how our blog grew, how we make money, etc: https://www.younghouselove.com/photo-gallery-2/about-2/blogging-faqs/
Good luck with everything!
xo
s
Laura & the Shell says
LOVE the pink ceiling – miss the pink rug. I think it would look so nice under the pink ceiling. Any chance you’ll drag it in there just for a picture??? Sorry to hear the rug is becoming a problem though. I thought that was a good suggestion a previous poster had about having it professionally cleaned. Maybe call a place and ask them if that works? I at least call and ask before spending the money. In any event, the fresh paint is awesome and It’ll look so nice and tidy once the crown molding is up. Yay! Can’t wait to see it all done!
YoungHouseLove says
We’re definitely going to give it the ol’ college try before giving up on it! Will keep you posted!
xo
s
Sara says
I love this room- I have a 2 yr old girl and we are expecting a baby boy in December. They will be sharing a room, so this gives me some ideas on how to create a gender neutral room that’s still fun and a little girly! (We will probably forgo the pink ceiling, but maybe opt for a robins egg blue).
Lorraine says
We used the same pink color in our new baby’s nursery. Check out the photos on our little blog if you want to see what painting the walls would have looked like. It really is the perfect pink!
Paige @ Little Nostalgia says
So does this mean the windows in the living room are naked? (Scandalous!!) Or did you have something else to put up?
Love the ceiling. LOVE. We actually need to paint our kitchen ceiling because it’s weirdly yellowed above the stove, and now I’m thinking a fun color will be better than white…
YoungHouseLove says
Naked as a jay bird! Haha!
xo
s
Christa says
I love the idea of a canopy over the bed. I just did that in my 8 yr old’s room. She loves it, it’s like her own little hideout even though you can see right through it. Can’t wait to see what Clara’s looks like.
Sharon Sprague says
I just so much about this makeover. The subtle pink is just such a sweet and pretty accent. I just love how Clara’s “C” pillow jumps off her bed. And the curtains are definitely a big fave of mine! Nice work!