The deed is done! Rockport Gray is all up in this hizzy.
We love how much more things like the extra thick crown molding and the trim around the doors and windows pops now that the color is deeper and more… sleepy? Can you describe a bedroom color that way? In love.
It’s such a mutating color. Sometimes it looks lighter and grayer.
And sometimes it looks moodier and more mocha.
We think it looks especially good with our cheap-o Ikea curtains (Vivan panels for $9 a pop) and other crisp white things, like this old side table from our first house’s den and the white lamp shade on our floor lamp.
So yeah, we likey the new vibe in the bedroom.
Basically the room looked kind of soft and sweet with the light gray-blue walls before…
… but they were kinda similar to the walls in our first house’s bedroom (which we did love, but after 4.5 years with it we thought it would be fun to try something different).
It also felt a little too blue when you factored in the blue in the rug, the headboard fabric, etc. We just wanted something with a little more oomph. See how these side by side shots show how much more the molding and the fabric on the headboard pops? Now they stand out and say I am molding/headboard, hear me roar.
These vertical images might help you see the molding effect more easily (since they’re not as small). Doesn’t the trim almost look like it has been beefed up and whitened in the picture on the right? It’s all thanks to the contrast that the deeper and less airy color brings. Seriously, I didn’t repaint the molding or anything.
As for the process, we basically spackled any nail holes that we weren’t going to be using anymore (like the ones that used to hold the art up over the bed when it was on the other wall) and then sanded them so they were smooth.
Then we moved a lot of stuff out of the room, and covered the remaining furnishings that we pushed into the center of the room with plastic drop cloths):
We taped off the crown molding too (since on a step ladder I’m less steady handed). But I can freehand all the trim around the windows, doors, baseboards, and outlets without tape – so that saves us time and tape.
It’s amazing what an instant difference the new paint on the wall was. But it took us about five or six hours of prep/painting to get to that point. It’s a big room (16 x 16′) and we were also painting the entire sink nook (which is like another small room that’s attached with tons of windows and doorways to cut in around). So we just put on some music and got down to business. Painting business. Not funny business.
There was some of this (I’m the cutter-inner in the family and John is the roller):
And some of this (we actually painted the ceiling above the sink nook a color for the book photoshoots back in January, so we finally got to repaint it back to white while we were doing the walls):
As we mentioned, the room is 16 x 16′ – and we actually used less than a gallon of paint for this entire paint job (including the sink nook). Maybe around 2/3rds of one? Benjamin Moore paint (this was Rockport Gray in their Natura base, which is VOC free) has great coverage, so when we used Olympic to paint this room for the first time we used the whole gallon since we needed two full coats, but this time we only needed one coat and a few touch ups as a second coat instead of a full second application. Oh and we went with an eggshell finish for anyone wondering (it’s nice and matte but still a bit more durable and wipe-able than flat paint would have been).
There was still the same amount of house chaos even though we only needed one coat of paint this time. Because of course when you paint a room, at least one other room looks like complete insanity since all of the stuff from the room that you’re painting gets dumped in there. Like our living room in this case:
For those wondering where Clara was, her grandparents graciously offered to take her to the playground, lunch, and the library while we got this done. So thankful! We’ve definitely painted rooms while she napped and it has worked (like the bedroom when we painted it the first time) but it’s usually just a lot more choppy because we both work hard for the two-ish hours that she naps and then one of us has to watch her while the other one works (ex: I continue to cut in while John watches Clara after she wakes up) and then we switch (I watch her while he rolls).
Here was our little setup to catch the process on our laptop’s camera (which has a longer battery life when plugged in than our Flip HD, which can only record for an hour). Oh yes, we’re high tech around here. There was ottoman on side table action (we used iMovie to make the video, which comes free with most Macs and has easy settings to speed things up):
So whoop, there it is. Darker, moodier paint that makes us wanna sleep. Haha. And kinda makes us want to paint a whole lot of other rooms in darker tones since it’s amazing how much more substantial the molding looks. But when we stop to think about it, ultimately we like the balance in the whole house’s current palette, which consists of:
- some light neutrals – like the soft gray in the living room and dining room
- some happy tones – like the grellow in the kitchen and the light pink in Clara’s room
- some deep saturated colors – like the dark teal guest room and the back of the dining room built-ins
Should be fun to see what colors we end up with in the completely untouched sunroom, playroom, hall bathroom, and guest bathroom though. In the meantime, what are you guys painting? Anyone diving into darker colors? Or lightening up with something soft? Feel free to name your favorite wall color of all time – it’s always interesting to hear what you guys are loving.
Debbie C says
I love grey walls! We have light grey in our master bedroom, but I may need to paint the main wall a little darker as our new headboard is too close in color. By the way Sherry, your hair in the cutting-in by the window pic is very Hollywood glam. :D
Chrissie says
That looks stunning, I love how the rich grey makes everything stand out so much more. It’s like how the colours of flowers and plants look deeper on cloudy days!
Seeing this transformation is also making me a bit more confident about going for a slightly moodier blue-grey in our living room – I initially pictured something brighter and breezier, but it the paint chips showed pretty quickly that that wasn’t going to be a good fit for the space.
Katie says
Haha…that’s what it would be like if vampires were painting a room!
Lyn says
love that colour! Great job guys! Does anyone know if I can get Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray in Melbourne, Australia? Or a similar colour in another brand? Dreaming of painting my bathroom in that colour…love it!
YoungHouseLove says
Good question. Any Aussie’s that could lend Lyn a hand?
-John
Robyn says
LOVE! I have a serious addiction to gray, and I think you made a fantastic choice :-) It really makes the little details of your room pop!
Jennifer says
You guys are hilarious! So today was day 2 of painting whole lower level in Sherwin Williams Popular Gray. If I had made a time lapse video there would have been some obvious swearing, armpit scratching and probably a moment of wtf! But in the end it’s gorgeous, glorious and super graytastic! thanks for the inspiration and your super cute attitude!
Rosemary says
Have y’all considered painting the bedroom ceiling a very light teal/blue similar to what was on the walls? I think it would be really pretty!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we actually mentioned that in this post! Could be fun someday!
xo,
s
Stacey says
Love the new look!
We did something similar in our living room and bedroom (It is a little darker than yours, called “Elephant Skin”, I think) when we bought our house a couple years ago. And I agree, the darker color really does make the trim pop. We painted the ceiling a very light grey, which makes the crown moulding pop even more, and no one ever thinks about it being other than the normal ceiling white.
I also do the cutting in while my husband rolls!
cherise says
oh so good!!! Loving that new color and how it pops the pattern on the fabu rug! It’s so scary to try a dark color but I had a moment of utter insanity recently, painted the living room a dark teal and am elated with the results! Love it more every day.
2 questions:
1. What’s the trick with that brush? I bought the same one for cutting in and it was such a disaster! I put it down after about 15 seconds and switched to another. Now hubby and I tape everything and we’re not having much success with that either.
2. How do you manage to stay married through the painting process? :-) We’ve painted 2 rooms and a hallway and fought the entire time. We just finished the living room which nearly ended in tears. Mostly me freaking out when the tape didn’t quite work and dark teal paint bled onto the ceiling! With an entire house to paint, we’ve decided to go the pro route the next time or we’ll be divorced by the end of it.
ok 3 questions…
3. What to do about the paint on the ceiling?! I ‘d rather not install crown moulding but thinking I may have no choice. And who wants to repaint their entire downstairs ceiling to hide a couple teal splotches in one room? Oi! The adventures of open concept house DIYing.
Did I mention the awesomeness of that new bedroom color?!
YoungHouseLove says
1. I think it’s a combination of loading it well (not too much paint on it, that can be a nightmare to control) and practice (six years of painting has made me much better than when I started). I actually made a how-to video for cutting in with that brush, so check out our video page for that (see the video button on our sidebar?). Hope it helps!
2. Practice and good music. And food in our bellies. It never ends well without good music and full bellies. Haha.
3. We have been lucky enough to inherit the ceiling paint from the previous owners (they left it in the basement) so we just touch up any oops moments on the ceilings, but since we tape off we don’t have that many of those- once again I think with time you get a lot better and it all comes more naturally! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
kate C. says
So jealous! this is exactly the color I wanted our bedroom to be… but somehow the color we picked ended up much lighter. Oh well, I suppose we can always repaint it and now I know what color to choose! Someday…
Wendy B. says
Love your style and your bedroom is great with both colors. I’m commenting cause I noticed something cool in one of your pics. In the pic that shows your bed covered in plastic right after painting…the still wet paint on the left wall by the window looks like the profile of a little girl looking up. I just thought that was kind of cool and wanted to let you know. Keep up the good work…I really like your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Jessica says
Love it! We painted our “movie room” (aka my husband’s man cave) last week a dark pewter gray and we are so in love with it! And can I just say, you look gorgeous in that shot of you cutting in!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw Jessica, you’re sweet. Maybe that’s my good side! Haha.
xo,
s
Liz says
wow, I like it! it’s funny, because normally I am all about the blue, especially greenish-blues like you had, but we did something similar to our master bedroom a couple years back. we went from the baby blue the previous owners had painted (so, so bad) to a slate gray. it’s so much moodier and so much more appropriate for adults.
keep up the great work!
Kate says
Wow! So pretty! I can’t get over what clean painters you both are though! My husband and I are currently painting our whole house room by room and I swear I’m a huge mess, the drop cloths on the floor are a huge mess every time! Wishing I had your skills… :)
Your daughter is absolutely adorbs btw. My hubby and I couldn’t stop laughing at her subtitled video. The hubs response – I want one! Just like that!
Christine Witt (Brush Dance) says
It really looks fantastic – it’s a much “richer” color than the blue. I LOVE the timing of the paint can shake in the video – so funny.
PennySmith says
While working on our new/old house, I have discovered my molded lightweight Rubbermaid stepping stool is awesome for painting ceilings all around. I can easily move it along with one hand (or kick it) and step up and be steady cuz on the top cuz it is wide on top… Not sure if your tall enough Sherry, but it was SO much better then the stepladder I used before! I HATE to tape! This solved that problem for me-with regular height ceilings. :)
http://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-FG420200BISQU-Bisque-Two-Step-Stool-/dp/B007UTPYWS/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1343195168&sr=8-24&keywords=rubbermaid+step+stool
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Penny!
xo,
s
Ashley C. says
I’ve been a real sucker for a good gray room lately, so I am LOVING your choice! It looks fantastic. :-)
My favorite color choice I’ve made is one I was almost too chicken to make. About 2 months after we moved into our apartment, I got fed up with having plain white walls and painted the entire living room / dining room (which is one big area) Glidden’s Candy Apple Red. It took forever (1 coat gray primer and 2 coats of paint in most spots, but a couple of walls took 3 coats because they wouldn’t even out!), but the end result was SO worth it. We get compliments from everybody who comes in. It might be too intense for some people to live with 24/7, but we kept everything else neutral (white couch & trim, brown side tables and throw pillows, etc) and we absolutely adore it – so much, in fact, that we’re already planning which room will be going red in the house we’re currently buying. Our bedroom is the front runner at the moment, but we’ll see. :-)
Of course, moving out means we’re going to have to paint our beautiful red walls white again, which is going to be a suckfest. I’m wondering if our security deposit is actually worth it! lol
CrayolaJW says
I have to say I was sceptical, but seeing the darker tone in action has totally converted me.
Kel says
I’m loving the new colour :) I have been an Aussie follower of your blog for some time. Your blog has moved to my first check in every morning!!! x
Christine says
WOW! You guys rocked this change and made an excellent choice! I used this color in my bathroom and it looks awesome! Now I think I’ll take it into the nursery with some bright yellow! Great job! Looks fantastic!
Katy says
Love the color!!! Where did you get that gorgeous rug?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s from a local lighting and rug outlet here in Richmond called The Decorating Outlet. We got it on clearance because it has a hidden hole in it!
xo,
s
Cathy says
Love the bedroom and all it’s uniqueness. Am brand new to this site. Is the bedroom chandelier from IKEA? And the metal art over the bed? One more thing I missed. Did you paint the ceiling? If so, what paint. I am so happy to have found you! Blessings
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, the chandelier is Ikea and the mirror over the bed is from Hobby Lobby. We didn’t paint the ceiling, but we’d love to give it a soft blue tone someday.
xo,
s
Kalene says
I’m a new follower to your site, & love it! I really like the new wall color in the bedroom. I’ve been looking at gray colors for my office. What is the color you had on your beroom wall? I think it is so pretty & need a inspiring color for my new laundry room. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
That was Carolina Inn Club Aqua by Valspar. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kalene says
Thank you so much! And for the fast reply!
Nikki says
This looks muuuch better! Look at you two, branching out and creating the perfect home. =) Fabulous job. I always like slightly darker walls in a bedroom, I find it allows the furntiture and accessories to shine
Christie Ann Bieber says
Ironically I painted my masterbedroom this weekend too! Still have to finish the molding, which was previously a stained wood, now going to glossy white. The room was a pretty saturated sunflower yellow. Now it is Kilim Beige from Sherwin-Williams. Soooo much happier with it! The closet needs to be painted as well. It is also that horrible yellow – even the ceilings. Speaking of ceilings, I love your light fixture! I wish there were more fun fixtures with ceiling fans & lights.
jen says
Those flexible brushes are the best for cutting in… i think it’s wooster that makes them… (i’m the cutter-inner) :) Love your blog, rooms look great!
Kristin F says
Thank you for putting the side-by-side pictures in the post, it made me a convert on the change! My first thought when I saw your change was “Noooo! They finally went with a color!Why change it?” But I agree, the gray is moodier and brings out the blue tones in your other pieces better. I love Rockport Gray, was a finalist for my LR. Ultimately went with Stonington Gray, but Rockport still calls to me. Gotta love BM paints, they are my go-to colors.
Rhonda S. says
I love your bedroom! Just so cozy, moody & dreamy! It would make me have happy sleep too! Question, I notice the BIG, beautiful rug in the bedroom & livingroom, where did you get them? I can’t seem to find anything of that nature in my area of Oklahoma!
YoungHouseLove says
The green rug in the living room is from jossandmain.com on sale and the bedroom one is from a local lighting/rug outlet called The Decorating Outlet. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alyson says
We are considering painting our 2 story foyer, upstairs hallway AND kitchen Rockport. We already have bright white trim everywhere. Would you recommend the color for this vast of a space??? EK!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’ll be a nice moody neutral!
xo,
s
Dianne Painter says
The Rockport Gray is just beautiful, so clean and calm. I want to paint our master bedroom a color similar to your guest bedroom. I have this color in my head, a combo of teal, peacock blue and china blue in high gloss. Shiny ceiling? Yes, please! Question: Do you think such an intense color in the master is a good idea? I would have no problem painting our guest crazy shiny blue, but having trouble thinking if it would work in our master.
YoungHouseLove says
It sounds so pretty! I would give it a try, maybe in just a corner to make sure you love it. I bet you will!
xo,
s
Amy says
What’s funny is that I’ve had grey paint chips on my bedroom wall since April. Right now it’s a mid-tone blue color from the Waverly colors (I was hoping for it to feel really cozy and relaxing, but it’s more like I feel like I’m drowning in the ocean) but I was thinking a nice warmish grey would be nice and instead of going crazy with color, focusing on neutrals with texture…
dana828 says
LOVE IT! That’s actually pretty much the color I was going for in my bedroom last year, but while the sample looked gray on the wall next to the blue that was already there, once it was finished it looked alot more blue, and I hate it. Now I REALLY want to get going on repainting!
My favorite paint colors are the dark gray in my living room (Ralph Lauren Spun Twilight), and the deep turquoise in my son’s room (Behr Tropical Waters).
hagandaz says
We just renovated our basement and used Rockport Gray on the walls and Manchester tan on the ceiling. I worried it would be too dark but it is warm and cozy and perfect. It works great with the dark cork floors we had installed and the dark wood of the pool table. I highly recommend this color!
S says
That video was awesome! I never even knew you could paint from the bottom up! lol
Pamela Darmofalski says
I love it! Our kitchen and living area is this color too! Our shed will be this color after this weekend too. GREAT WEBSITE!!! love it!
Jackie says
Love the color. It adds depth that the room wasn’t getting with the blue on the walls. Great choice.
Kelly says
I love the gray! What a great change. What was the name of the paint color you had on the walls before – the light blue-gray color? I love that as well and may use it for my small small extra bedroom. You guys are such an inspiration :)
YoungHouseLove says
That was Carolina Inn Club Aqua by Valspar. Hope it helps!
xo
s
Jenelle Ricci @ Del Mar Designs says
I love your new room color! I was in love with it before when it was the blue – when I first started to read the post I was skeptical about the grey color but seeing the finished product… I am in love! You are right, it definitely makes everything in the room POP! Awesome stuff.
AmandaonMaui says
I think the color is very sophisticated and beautiful. I love the way it changes over the day. I may have to copy this color for a future room.
BTW, I saw your bedroom rug in a magazine at the doctor’s office. It was advertised at around a thousand dollars. I love it in your space, and it looked good in the inspiration room as well.
Kate says
Very nice! It really makes all the colours pop!
Jackie Toye says
Love the old and new color. My interior is painted with Glidden’s Olive Wood. Looks similar on my computer. You’re correct, the neutral color gives you the Green Light to add color.
Jaime says
Oh my goodness, the rug is amazing!! Where is it from??? I have an accent chair that has almost the exact same pattern.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s from a local outlet called The Decorating Outlet here in Richmond! Got it for $250 thanks to a hidden hole in it! The tag says Rizzy Rugs if that helps.
xo,
s
Erin May says
I love the grey! I would never have thought that such a slight color change would make such a huge difference.
You guys are kind of insanely productive.
Steph H. says
I love your silver fan! Do you remember where you got it? I totally have to have a fan while sleeping at night, but my bf won’t let me keep the ceiling fan on.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks! That was from Bed Bath & Beyond a while back (by Hunter I think).
xo,
s
Natasha says
What is the name of the song that you have on your time lapse video?!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s called “Get On” by Sirius.
-John
Jackie says
Dear Sherry,
Do you think I can match rockport gray to olympic paints? BM paints are over my budget big time.
Thank you and btw, i love Burger.
Jackie
YoungHouseLove says
Most likely. Lowe’s and Home Depot both usually have these paints stored in their systems, so you can ask the guy at the Lowe’s desk to look it up. It won’t necessarily be a 100% match, but should be pretty darn close.
-John
tim says
random question, I know by your source list that you got your duvet (not cover, but duvet) from Ikea, but which one did you buy and what size? I was looking and not sure where to go with it. We have a queen size bed, but not sure what will work best, plus they have different “levels” of duvet type. Help!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s a king (our bed is a queen but we like a king duvet so it hangs down a bit and we have more to share). I don’t remember the name, but it was around $49 I think. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Candice says
I LOVE the rug! We’ve done our living room in Edgecomb grey and want a big, poppy rug… Can you tell me where you got it?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from a local outlet but I think it’s for sale on shadesoflight.com.
xo,
s
Erin says
Where did you get those indigo blue sheets? I’ve been searching high and low for that exact color! My bedroom is also painted grey, very similar to this color. I love it, makes the room feel so cozy.
YoungHouseLove says
HomeGoods! Love them.
xo,
s
Anna says
Okay here’s a question… I heard that paint needs a long time to cure and that you’re not supposed to put anything on it, like pictures, in that time. How is that you guys manage to have everything back up so quickly? 28 days sounds like a long time to me so I’m wondering if it has to do with the kind of paint you’re using or…?
YoungHouseLove says
We just leave the nail holes in the wall and paint over them and the paint dries within a few hours (Ben Moore paint is what we used, but all the paint we have ever used has dried by the end of the day) and then we hang stuff back up on those nails at the end of the night. Hope it helps!
xo,
s