We’re back from our week at the beach and excited to dive back into things! We were so lucky to have great weather and even got to squeeze in some window shopping and a thrift store trip, so that stuff’s in the hopper. Other than that we were beach bums and pool bums just soaking up the sun. Allow me to keep it real and mention that there were three kids under the age of four, so there were also meltdowns and even a cookie-tossing incident, but it was a great trip. We really loved Destin!
Back to the salmon living room walls that are no more.
After rolling back the carpet and covering a few things with dropcloths to protect them from flying paint (doesn’t usually happen, but ya never know…) we ran around spackling all of the wall holes. Turns out there were a bunch. We just used Dap Crackshot and sanded it with a sanding block once it was dry and wiped/vacuumed up the dust before moving on to the priming step.
As is the usual for the painting duo that is John & Sherry, I cut in around all of the crown, trim, windows, and door frames while John rolled. In inside-out painting clothes of course. Here’s the primer coat going on:
Since this is just a colored wall that we’re bringing back to a lighter and more neutral tone, we didn’t need anything heavy duty when it came to the primer (no stain-blocking or oil-based stuff was necessary since it’s not like dealing with potential wood-bleed). So we just used what we had leftover from priming some of the blue and mauve doors and trim upstairs.
In fact this entire project was a $0 update since we decided to go with the same paint color that we used in our foyer (Edgecomb Gray by BM, which is actually more of a creamy greige tone than a gray) since we still had enough leftover to complete the living room – but more on why we chose that in a minute.
Thanks to the primer coat, we only needed one coat of paint. And since it was just the upper portion of the room that we were painting (along with the fact that there are a bunch of doors/windows/built-ins that cut into the “wall area” in here), we thankfully could rely only on our leftover paint.
It’s definitely not a risky choice, but it’s such a breath of fresh air to see something pleasant and neutral after living with salmon walls for the last two months.
The coolest part is how much wider the room feels now that the color sort of recedes instead of saying “hiiiiiiii!” like the pink walls did.
Here’s the other side of the room where we’d love to eventually create a nice wide doorway in the center that leads to the kitchen, with built-in cabinets on each side (sort of like the opening between the office and dining room in our last house). We’ll probably use an accent color on the back of the future built-ins, and since we plan to whitewash the brick on the other side of the room, there will be two nice “focal areas” going on (so we didn’t want the wall color to compete or make things too busy). We have even debated using a soft blue color on the ceiling between the white coffered beams. Should be fun to see where this room takes us!
And since here’s a little sofa shot, I thought I’d toss out another update for you guys since we’re always being asked how we like our Karlstad from Ikea. Still love it! After a few years with a dog and a kid it’s still going strong. We can’t vouch for any other type of cover (ours is the dark sivik gray) but it’s super durable and washable. Check out our poor console table though – we still need to shorten it and make it interlock correctly since we just sort of mashed it together from the extra long version that we had at our previous house (back when our sectional was configured to be a lot larger). Hence that earthquake-lookin’ crack going on behind the sofa.
But back to the living room walls…
… we’re so happy we devoted an afternoon to de-salmoning them right before we hopped in the car for our road trip. It was totally worth the time and leftover paint to come home to such a lighter sight.
Perhaps the most upgraded view in the house is this one…
We still have a lot of wood trim to paint and three different floors going on, but at least there’s one less room full of wallpaper, no more blue trim, and the living room has been de-pinked.
The funniest thing to us is how differently Edgecomb Gray can read when it’s next to wood trim vs. white trim. See how it looks darker in the foyer thanks to the contrast with the white trim? Meanwhile in the living room from this angle it almost looks off-white against the wood – so of course we’re more anxious than ever to keep on painting in there.
We have a devoted post all about this paint color if you want to see more photos of Edgecomb Gray in our house & read why we love it so much. You can also check out our round-up of experts’ favorite white paint colors.
Meg says
Looking good in there! I just have to say – maybe i said it before, I don’t remember but I LOVE your slate floors in the foyer and really hope they stay!
Danie says
Crazy how different the same paint color looks soooo different in the two rooms!!! Can’t wait to see how the rest of the living room shapes up! :D
Manda Wolf says
I must be weird I kind of liked the salmon color, *smiles*. But the light and bright color looks much better. I am having an issue with you guys right now though… all these new house posts is really making me want to start over in another fixer upper *grin*.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, be careful! It’s addicting. Just don’t go to any open houses…
xo
s
Manda Wolf says
Might be to late… we are going to do a drive by on a house I found on relator.com on my lunch break after work.
ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
Your vacation looked like so much fun and you have some great shots of Miss Clara! Love the Instagram updates!! And yes, the new color is 10x’s better! Are you painting the trim white, I’m assuming? What are your plans for the fireplace?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s all in this post for ya :)
xo
s
Tina says
I must be sick in the head because I kind of miss the salmon. But then I don’t have to live with it everyday. Super excited to see what you are going to do with that brick.
Brittany says
Sherry and John – random question: Where did you rent a paddle board in Destin? Going down next month and I love paddle boarding!
Thanks!
Brittany
YoungHouseLove says
We got it from the Dolce Vita company which is technically in Miramar Beach. It was right next to the whale’s tail restaurant.
xo
s
Diana Buchanan says
Yes, it did seem like the salmon pink was kind of a face talker (in that it says “hiiiiiiiii!!!” when you walk in). I didn’t want to say anything buttt yeah…obnoxious!
Loving the updated color of the non-salmon variety!
Jenny Hillman says
I’d love to see you paint that brick floor, ala the Little Green Notebook blog. You could go gray to tie in with the slate!
Looks great, guys. :)
YoungHouseLove says
We wish! It’s laminate faux brick (plastic) so it won’t take paint like real brick wood. Jenny’s brilliant and I LOVE her blog.
xo
s
ann says
Answering Sara from about RE: word work color that worked with the redwood beams. We ended up using SW Relaxed Khaki on the walls, and then went back to SW and got the lightest color on the Relaxed Khaki card, Panda White at 50%. I knew the tone from the Relaxed Khaki worked, so I knew enough not to mess with it. I tried BM White Dove to no avail. I tried at least 15 different paint colors, and I am NOT that kinda girl! Ha!
Sheena says
Wow! What a difference! Great color choice…logging that one away…Edgecomb Gray, Edgecomb Gray, Edgecomb Gray……
Kirstin says
Random couch question – do the cushions fall off?
My biggest pet peeve with our current couch is that the cushions will slide off the base as you sit on it, so we are constantly shoving them back in. It looks super tacky, especially when we have guests over. It has moved to the top of my list of priorities as we evaluate buying a new one.
I love the style of this couch and have tested it at the store for comfort, depth, and the other criteria, but couldn’t tell on the cushion part.
YoungHouseLove says
They all stay in place! I had to align the velcro strip on the bottom of the chaise since that one used to slide, but not anymore.
xo
s
Ashley says
I’m so excited to see you tackle whitewashing your fireplace! We just moved into a new house and I’ve been contemplating doing the same to ours.. maybe seeing how yours turns out will give me the courage to take the plunge!
erika says
Looks great! Salmon walls are the worst…my last apartment had them, and it felt like living in a nursing home until I was able to paint.
Now that you’ve lived in this room for awhile with the furniture from your last house, how is the scale of the furniture feeling? If you could wave a magic wand and change things for free, would you ideally want a smaller couch/ottoman/console, or does this feel good? It’s hard to tell from the pics whether it’s crowded. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
It feels great! It’s hard to capture it in the photos but there’s a door to the sunroom on the window wall so there’s a nice amount of breathing room/walking area where the rug ends (maybe about 4′ between that and the wet bar?). We’ll have to do an updated house tour video soon because that seems to capture what photos can’t.
xo
s
Liz says
Do you plan on doing a post about your vacation? I would love to know your recommendation on where you stayed and activties as my family and I are planning a trip to Destin next year.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’re getting a lot of questions so we’d love to share our road tripping adventures like we’ve done in the past!
xo
s
Andrea says
I love the difference a little paint can make! I also love hearing about your sofa – which I really like. I’m a new-ish reader so I’m happy to hear where it came from. I’ve always wondered if Ikea sofa’s were up to scratch, and since most of our other furniture is Ikea…maybe I can talk my husband into getting rid of the giant red Germany sectional (that honestly no one loves) and getting some a bit more beautiful!
Bailey says
SUCH a huge improvement!! You have to wonder what the last homeowners were thinking with that salmon paint… eesh! Also, the color combinations of your couch pillows are just to die for!
xox
Bailey
http://akabailey.blogspot.com
Diane says
Glad you had a refreshing vacation!
I like the lighter color in the living room but, when you look at the picture, I feel all I see is the bright fireplace. I think after the white wash of the fireplace it will have a much different look again.
Mary says
Not sure if this has been addressed (since I didn’t read through all the comments!) but do you usually use primer before painting a wall vs the paint with primer built in? What’s your preference/suggestion? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
If we were buying new paint we might have gone that route, but in this case we were just using what we already had on hand. Although come to think of it, when we primed our guest room in the last house before going really dark with the walls, we used separate stuff. Maybe we just go with what we know?
xo
s
Dena says
Can’t wait to see what you do in the living room – I have the same house from 1989 – big 80s brick fireplace, pine wood paneled walls – and I was debating whitewashing or painting the brick. Same goes for the kitchen!
Lisa says
After reading the intro about all the kids you were on vacation with, I automatically read “we really loved Destin!” as “we really loved Desitin!” Maybe because I’m knee deep in diapers for a newborn, but it really made me laugh! Glad you guys had a good time!
YoungHouseLove says
Bahahahaha!
xo
s
laurie says
Clearly this is a Monday because I’m distracted from all the good information you offer by the phrase “cookie-tossing.” As in throwing food or throwing up food? Never mind, I don’t know why I’m asking for details. I’d prefer to think of flying food.
Why didn’t I think of turning my painting clothes inside out? Instead I got paint on my favorite work out pants. Which was bad enough but it also happened to totally be in the shape of a male body part. I’m not imagining that is what it looks like. Everyone I ask (in hopes that I can still wear those pants to Home Depot) sees it right away without any suggestion from me.
Ugh! I’m a repulsive commenter today. Back to my coffee…
YoungHouseLove says
Comment of the day. I’m laughing out loud at the “everyone sees it” thing.
xo
s
Amy in Austin says
We finally made the decision on Gray Owl for our master bath and all of the living area, and are really happy with how it looks so far (only painted the bath). I do the cutting in, and he rolls- but I noticed you didn’t tape the living room. Are you just extra careful with the brush? I taped the heck out of our space and am now wondering if I’m wasting my time. Any special tips/tricks? The living area will be our next big project, and the thought of all that taping makes my head spin.
Love of all of your projects!
YoungHouseLove says
After 7 years of painting since we moved into our first house I think I’ve just gotten more steady-handed about it. I also love a short handled brush (gives me more control). So I’d give that a shot and only tape off if you feel like you’re moving even slower or getting paint on trim/crown, etc. I slowly just tested the waters until I was steady enough to go sans tape over the years.
xo
s
Carla Yielding says
Could I get your advice on painting 1970’s paneling? Primer? What kind? Sanding
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s a post about that: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/08/how-to-paint-wood-paneling/
xo
s
Carla Yielding says
could I get your opinion on painting 1970’s paneling? Sanding? Primer? What kind? any help you could offer would certainly be appreciated. Thank you!!
Maggie Wallace says
Interesting about the way the paint colour changes! around 2 years ago we did extension and renovation on a 50’s semi-detached that is very Art Deco in feel (planning permission was granted in the late 30’s so looks as if they just used the original plans when they came to build in 1955). Whole place was re-plastered and it was a case of choosing paint immediately! (rolls eyes!) So we went with plain white everywhere (except tiled bathroom and shower room) just for ease. It’s very noticable that at the back of the house the white has a decided green tint reflecting the trees at the end of our garden, but the front (SW facing) has a much more creamy look. The living room runs right through the house, so it’s interesting watching the light change through the day. :)
Tiffany says
What kind of paint did you use? BM or did you colour match to a different brand?
Can’t wait to see if you whitewash!
Thanks a bunch!
YoungHouseLove says
We used BM Natura (it’s no VOC). We had it leftover from the foyer.
xo
s
Lexie T says
Love it! We whitewashed our brick and it was SO easy! And it only took an hour. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Now that’s what I like to hear!
xo
s
Carmen says
Just saw this on pinterest and thought it was your living room! (before reading the post)
http://pinterest.com/pin/194288171397739697/
Love how it’s moving along so far! & Looking forward to what you’ll do next!
YoungHouseLove says
So pretty!
xo
s
Staci @ My Friend Staci says
So interesting to hear the masses divided on the wood trim/beams/everything. Usually I’m on the wood trim train… LOVE to create a vintage vibe… but in this room it’s just so busy/crazy with the rug, the brick, etc! I actually liked the wood better with the (barfy) salmon. Maybe that’s why so many old homes have dark paint colors?
Anyway, can’t wait to see the brick and trim lighten up in here. It’s so much more “you!”
Aimee says
This looks to be a very traditional-style house built in a straight-up and timeless Colonial design, which is probably why the original owners/builders went with a traditional dark wood finish. What was once the family room (a fairly newfangled concept for its building date, as you didn’t begin seeing those in new homes until the 70s)incorporated an Early American vibe in its design.
And when I say *early* I mean EARLY, as it evokes the early 1600s by adding wainscoting, chair rails, thick moldings etc. The late Tudor and early Jacobean palettes – we do have a British influence, after all – were saturated in jewel tones for walls in wealthier homes. Whitewashed plaster for the masses above their woodwork, as paint was far more expensive then and the deeper the tone, the more pigment was needed and the more expensive it became (much like clothing dyes of the era).
Our ancestors managed to get by with very little sq ft until the 1970s; most *mid-century modern* homes are less than 1000 sq ft and have small rooms that *fit* the scaled-down furniture trends of the era.
This family room would’ve been the equivalent of a *great hall*, which was beginning to go out of vogue by the end of the Tudor era and probably would have been jettisoned for the trendier front of the house *reception room* had it been built in the era it’s *faking*. It would have been the gathering place to entertain guests while smaller rooms were for the family itself.
This house, if it had existed at the time, would definitely have been considered a wealthy man’s home by its sheer expanse of square footage alone. Its walls would have been painted rich, pigment-drenched colors like garnet, sapphire, emerald, topaz, amethyst, peacock blue, the defining deep *Tudor green* – a chip or two closest to 80s hunter green, with no blue undertone in it.
Only the lower classes lived with a neutral indoor palette. If you had money, your deep jewel walls told visitors that. Dark woods do look best when paired with dark wall colors.
People of the Tudor and Jacobean eras embraced color vividly after centuries of living with stone, slate, wood, and whitewashed plaster interiors. Textiles were also applied directly to walls then in the form of rugs (too precious to be walked upon), tapestries, and woven, patterned fabrics – think of it as early wallpaper. Glass was expensive and a lot of heavily draped windows was another way to subtly broadcast one’s wealth.
They’d think modern people were crazy to let their heat out the windows by leaving them uncovered to let the light stream in and fade expensive textiles and paints. They’d also turn up their noses at a neutral palette. When paint and fabric caught on for home decor back then, it caught on in a huge way, on both sides of the pond. The American Colonial palette with its deep colors isn’t that different from what was fashionable in England at the time.
I personally like elements of brick, stone, and warm dark woods in a home. But we all know they’re going to put white paint over it all. There’s no mystery reveal coming here. I’d like to see it preserved but I’m not holding my breath.
Heather says
I’ve been following your blog for years but seriously you guys need to stop pretending that a painting post is a huge reveal. Any reader can find how you 2 paint…..it was through exact same details in your hall post.
Your blog is not evolving, your content is stagnant and you show no signs of wanting to change, improve your skills or design sense. So boring….
Wendy T says
But seeing the un-salmoning was worth it! Heather, with love, be patient…
Kim R says
Even a before and after is post-worthy. And I think they’re covering the whole process of how their HOUSE is evolving. It may be a slow process, but how many DIY things do you do in a week?
Also, why should their design sense change? Does it always have to change all the time? I like something now. In 5 years, I may like the same thing. Nothing wrong with that.
BTW, changing houses seems like a pretty big change to me.
hjc says
And for every person who thinks like Heather, there’s a hundred people who want to hear it all again and who love every detail. John and Sherry are documenting their progress, not trying to ‘pretend’ anything. The cool thing is, you can choose whether to read a post or not if it’s not up to your entertainment standards.
Aimee says
I don’t know – it’s a totally different type of house when held up against the previous two, even though they all seem to have some interior features in common. What worked in a mid-century ranch may not work in a more traditional style home. Evolvement in conceptual design could be a good thing.
I wouldn’t put *skills* in that category, though, Heather. I think John has come a long way there.
Colleen says
This room is looking great! I have a question about Karl for you guys. We had the Ektorp sofa for a couple of years and while we loved how comfy it was, I hated how the cover always came unvelcroed from the frame. I had to fix it almost daily, especially in the back. Have you guys found that to be a problem with yours? Thanks! We’re building our dream house soon and I’m already on the lookout for a giant sectional :)
YoungHouseLove says
Weird! Ours didn’t do that. I don’t think we’ve ever fixed the cover from the frame since we bought it except when we remove it to wash it and are reattaching it. Sounds like a defect like it’s a wrong size or something.
xo
s
lynne says
hey, not to be a downer but as a fellow karlstad owner in the same dark grey i can tell you that having it in a window will lead to fading! ours has been there for a few years and is definitely looking a little worse for wear. just a head’s up! i’m taking it in stride, looking forward to picking out a new cover someday! i love the lighter grey linen-look one but not sure my small children will cooperate with me on that. i’ve also thought that dyeing it might be an option too, since it’s cotton… maybe as a last resort.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip! That large window isn’t an exterior window – it looks into our sunroom. So our living room doesn’t get much light like the other windows (for example, we don’t have a glare on the TV). Here’s hoping since it’s not an exterior window it won’t fade as much- but great pointer for folks thinking about putting it in front of an outside window!
xo,
s
Nancy W says
I find that when faced with a color I totally hate (like that salmon pink) it’s easier to paint it neutral first, and then “upgrade” to a bolder color later after the room starts to come together and I have a better idea of the direction I want to go rather than go from one bold color to another. Do you feel the same way? Do you think this is a long term color or do you expect to change it again once you make some of the other changes you have planned for the room?
YoungHouseLove says
I think since we have plans to add color to the back of the built ins and to whitewash the brick and maybe even do a soft blue on the ceiling we like the neutral walls, but who knows where we’ll end up!
xo
s
Jeanna says
So glad you were able to get away, and come back refreshed! I feel calmer just looking at those salmon free walls, I’ll bet you guys are just giddy :) And I can’t wait to see the fireplace wall whitewashed, it will be such an improvement. Painting the planked walls should go even further in lightening up the space, but I too think it would be a shame to paint all of the wood in that room white. The quality of the woods used in your home (from the pictures anyway) looks very, very good, and I would hate to see every inch of it painted. Especially those beams……….. stunning!
Courtney D says
We just bought our very first home and I’m loving reading along with the work that y’all are doing! Already stealing ideas from the old houses too (bamboo blinds in the laundry!). Is there a timeline for whitewashing the bricks around the fireplace? We’re considering the same thing…would love some advice from YHL!
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love to do that this week or next week for sure! I’m researching a few different methods right now…
xo
s
Mom@work says
About that blue ceiling……several years ago, my sister hired a painter to repaint several rooms in her house. She had chosen a gorgeous blue for one of the ceilings, and the painter just flat refused to do it. His reason? “Everyone will talk about you!” Guess she was just ahead of the curve. Anyway, one more reason to go the DIY route!
YoungHouseLove says
No way!! That’s hilarious!
xo
s
KathyG says
I’ve been painting a lot of years too, rumor around my house is if you stand still too long I just might paint you. lol I love the smell of a freshly painted room. Just painted my morning room SW Pavillion Beige. Love it. I do cheat and use the tool for the ceiling. It probably takes as long as cutting in, or taping, but it’s a really sharp line, and I’d rather patiently clean off the tool than tape any day.
KathyG says
P.S. Apartment Therapy has a great cutting-in Video today!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like my idea of fun. Off to check it out!
xo
s
Karen says
Just when I discover Young House Love, you guys went on vacation! Ahhhhh. I was in withdrawal last week. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Karen! So glad you found us!
xo
s
Jennifer says
Let me just say, that I really missed you while you were gone, and that I wish you guys would post at least twice a day. My job is borrrrringggg…I literally check your guys site on instinct when I sit at my comp a couple times a day…hoping there is a surprise new post that you guys sprinkled in there. But alas…10:00 is my favorite time of day thanks to you!
Keep up the good work!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jennifer! Some folks seem to like hanging out in the Forums if they have time to spare – and of course today we have an afternoon giveaway (we share an afternoon post on Wednesday as well). Oh and Young House Life has a new post today too!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
Hey what type of primer did you use? We need to paint over some “bright” walls with a light color and love the idea of one coat primer/one paint.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s called Aqua Lock Acrylic Water Based Primer. Hope it helps.
xo
s
Teren S. says
The room looks great! I was wondering how many coats of primer you used? I’m getting ready to tackle my master bedroom which was painted yellow and a rust color under the chair rail, by the previous owners.
YoungHouseLove says
We just did one coat of primer and one of paint. Sometimes it takes two coats of paint if you’re going dark though.
xo
s
SM says
A huge improvement from the salmon but not quite crazy about the color. It looks so much prettier in the foyer then it does in here. I am sure that it is the wood trim and the darker room making it look that way but I was hoping for something a little different.
Lyndsey Neita says
LOVE the new paint color! I have been on a neutral kick myself lately. There are so many options when it comes to accessories! I have a question about the couch. I have the same couch (and cover), and I was wondering about Burger’s hair. Is it noticeable on the couch, and how hard is it to remove it? I am in the process of getting a new pet, and the light hair vs dark couch concerned me a bit.
YoungHouseLove says
Burger’s hair is a lot lighter than the couch, but he doesn’t seem to lose much (his whole tummy is bald and he has really short hair) so if you walk into the room you can’t see it at all, but if you lay down on the sofa with your face really close you’d probably see some.
xo
s
Liz says
It looks a lot better! Can’t wait to see what you tackle next :)
Katrina says
Can’t wait to see if with the trim painted and the fireplace washed. It is going to look so big! I like the idea of the ceiling in a soft blue too. I think that would look great. This is going to be such a huge transformation. Can’t wait to see more.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Katrina!
xo
s
Jennifer says
Love the new look! Excited to see the white washed brick and painted trim when that happens.
Theresa says
Destin? Great, tantrums and all! (we took our kids when they were little) Living room? So much brighter, love it! You guys? Happy you had a lovely vacation, but dang, I missed you!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Theresa! It’s nice to be back in the swing of things!
xo
s
Meredith Walsky says
I love the BM Edgecomb Gray color. My husband and I, when we first got married, painted over his bachelor pad dark gray bedroom walls with it! We recently switched apartments with his parents (we own a two-family house) to accommodate our expanding family and his parents had “terra-cotta” (aka salmon) walls upstairs. Two coats of primer and new BM paint, here we are.
I love your blog and am constantly looking to your posts for advice and suggestions. Thank you for sharing!
Meredith
I love your bulldog! Aren’t they the best?!?! I couldn’t imagine our family without ours. Enjoy your vacation!
Meredith
1, 2, Eyes On You!
Heidi says
Have you ever or do you ever consider leaving the wood trim wood toned? Maybe stain and poly it? I love white trim, but with your great beams in the living room, wood trim might look amazing.
YoungHouseLove says
Painted wainscoting and slatted wood and trim just seems to be our preference (many rooms that we pin/tear out of magazines have that) so we’re sold on that look, but I always say never to paint brick or wood unless you’re 100% sure you want to go with that since it’s so hard to undo! Basically wait until you can’t stand waiting another second to paint it and only then should you grab a brush! We’re going to wait on doing our beams I think, just in case one we do all the trim and wainscoting we like the raw wood look on the beams to balance the wood floor…
xo
s