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Painting A Closet Door Pink & Raindrops On The Wall

Let’s all join hands and sing “Raindrops & Rose Paint.” Yes, that’s a bad Sound of Music pun. Please forgive me, Julie Andrews. But just look at how festive Clara’s room is thanks to the addition of some bright raindrops that we painted on the wall and a watermelon pink closet door.

Painting Colorful Raindrops And A Bright Closet Door Title Card

Remember when it used to look like this?

Before Photo Of Daybed With Fabric Canopy In Front Of Blank Wall

Well, it’s definitely looking pretty happy these days.

After Photo Of Girl Reading On Daybed With Fabric Canopy And Colorful Door And Raindrop Mural

Although the door color is actually more true to life in this Instragram sneak peek that we shared yesterday (iPhone for the win). And the pink drops are easier to see in real life (they seem to hide in these pics for some reason).

Girl Peeking Out Of Colorful Pink Closet Door Next To Raindrop Mural Bed | Cinco de Mayo

How did we get there? Well, a whole bunch of photoshop-brainstorming here resulted in over 900 truly amazing comments and ideas from you guys. And then we shared all of our original photoshopped versions of the canopy wall with Clara as well as some new ones that we whipped up based on suggestions from you to see which ones she liked best. We never would have thought of all the things you guys came up with, and one that rolled in over and over again was the idea of putting the raindrops outside of the canopy instead of under it like we had originally done in this rendering (which was inspired by this this charming project).

Photoshop mock up of Potential Mural Of Raindrops Under Fabric Canopy Over Bed

We loved the idea of the canopy appearing to shelter Clara from the colorful little raindrops, so this new take on the raindrops was one of the extra ones that we photoshopped for her to see (along with some other fun ones involving constellations, some bold paint on that full wall behind the bed, a few different colors of paint on the closet door to the right of her bed, etc).

Photoshop mock up of Colorful Raindrop Mural Painted Around Fabric Canopy

And let me tell you, Clara’s a decisive girl. After about 2.5 seconds she looked at them all and said “I like the raindrops on the wall outside but I want them to be pink and red and blue, and I want the door to be pink – but not light pink. DARK PINK!” Which led me to making this photoshopped image for “final approval” from Clara.

Final Photoshop mock up of Red Pink Blue Raindrop Mural With Dark Pink Closet Door

I’m obsessed with the door color that we ended up with, so Clara was right!

Dark Pink Closet Door Cinco De Mayo Benjamin Moore With Raindrop Mural

In short, she’s a decorating genius (along with you genius readers and all of your genius suggestions). The cutest thing of all is that when she saw me painting the raindrops she said “Wowwww! Mom I really like it real! Even better than the computer!” And when it was all done (including the pink door, which she incessantly reminded me about until it was done) she walked in and said “It’s….. truly magnificent!” It’s is a quote from one of her favorite books (Room On The Broom) and it had John and I rolling on the floor. Seriously, it was the sweetest moment and I wish we had thought to record it.

The raindrops are actually just painted right onto the wall using a simple cardboard stencil that I made. To make the template for it, I used an old page from an activity book that Clara had ripped out and tossed aside (waste not, want not) and folded it in half vertically and just cut a half-teardrop-ish shape from it and unfolded it. I liked the scale and it was nice and symmetrical since I used the folded technique, so I traced that onto the back of a cracker box and cut it out to create a cardboard template.

Cutting Out Template For Raindrop Mural Shape Using Cardboard

Then I brought my laptop into her room so I could reference my photoshopped placement of the drops (although I didn’t mimic it exactly) and just traced the cardboard shape directly onto the wall with a pencil, randomly staggering them around that wall. There was zero measuring involved since I didn’t want them to be perfectly placed (rain seems to fall more randomly than that anyway) so I just stood back and checked out the wall and sort of eyed everything as I went.

Tracing Raindrops On Wall With Pencil using Cardboard Template Shape

I assumed we’d have to run to the store for some $2.99 test pots of paint in pink, blue, and red as Clara requested – but I looked in the garage at what we had, and was thrilled to find an old dusty quart of blue paint leftover from a few years ago (the color is called Tranquil) and remembered that we had some pink leftover from Clara’s ceiling (Pink Cadillac) and there was also about half of a quart of a bold poppy-red color called Milano Red from a few years back (don’t even remember what we used that for!). But if you don’t have a paint hoarding problem like me, three test pots would do the job for under $9 – so either way this is a simple and low-budget update, especially since you can make your own stencil for it!

After digging those out, I shook them up, and popped the lids off all three of them, and just laid them out on the white dresser top in her room to see how the colors worked in there (it helped to see them on a white surface since the wall is white so it gave me a good idea of how they’d work together – although paint dries darker so I knew the light pink would show up more on the wall). One happy accident about finding all of these colors in the garage was that they all had varying intensities (see how the red is the boldest one and the blue is sort of the mid-tone and the pink is light and soft?) which I realize now in hindsight might have helped the whole project come out slightly less busy than if all three colors were super bold and sort of compete-y with each other.

Open Paint Cans Of Three Colors For Raindrop Wall | Pink Cadillac | Tranquil | Cinco De Mayo

I was sold, so I called John and Clara up to see them and they both gave me the thumbs up and left before I could put them to work (smart people), so I dove into filling all of my pencil-traced raindrops on the wall using a very small craft brush.  I worked with one color at a time, doing all of the blue ones first (I consulted my photoshopped image but went rogue a few times if I thought a different color order would look better in some spots) and then moved onto the light pink ones and finished with the bold red ones.

Hand Painting Blue Raindrop On Wall Mural With Small Brush

Each color ended up needing two coats, so by the time I finished the red ones I went back in and did the second coat on the blue ones and then did the second coat on the pink and then the red. Total time spent tracing them onto the wall and painting = less than two hours. Oh and my favorites are the ones that drip into something (like the door frame or the canopy) just because their cut-off shape is so playful. It really does feel raindrop-esque in there now, and I’m so glad that Clara loves it as much as we do (she did admit that the red raindrops are her favorite, but she “likes them all mixed up like that because it’s like a rainbow”).

Girl Playing On Bed Under Final Raindrop Mural Over Fabric Canopy Bed

Then it was time to paint the door, so after holding up a bunch of swatches to try to find one that was slightly pinker and darker than the photoshopped image that Clara had otherwise signed off on, we headed to the store to grab a quart of the winning color: Cinco De Mayo. The hilarious thing about that color name is that I thought “since I have so much leftover paint that I can’t even remember in the garage, I should go through it to see if I have some of that color by some paint miracle” and I found one can that said Mardi Gras on it and totally did the happy dance and then my brain said “Cinco De Mayo and Mardi Gras are not the same paint color” (oddly enough they were kind of close except Mardi Gras was a little more neon).

So we ran to the store and bought a quart of Cinco De Mayo and it just took two coats (and a third pass of just touch ups) to get it done with a small foam roller and a small angled brush to get into the frames of the door (you can read more on door-painting here). We did both sides of the door just so that whether it’s open or closed there’s that pop of color over there.

Girls Bedroom With Colorful Raindrop Mural Around Canopy Daybed With Closet Door Open

Oh and to everyone who recommended painting that door, you were totally right! Initially I worried about the wall feeling unbalanced if we painted it, but the polka dot wall of curtains (there are four of them) to the left of the canopy seems to visually balance the bright door so it’s not an issue at all. I also worried it would look weird to have one colorful door in her room (that’s her closet door) while the door to her room (from the hallway) remains white, but it’s not a big deal in real life. I just had to get over my matchy-matchy thing (all of the doors in all of our houses have always been white)… but once I saw this one on Pinterest I was all over it. I’ve always wanted to make that closet feel like a little playhouse within the room for Clara, and the bold door is the first step to that.

Side View Of Colorful Dark Pink Closet Door Painted With Cinco De Mayo Color

Of course we still have a big blank spot over her bed (we think maybe hanging a white paper pendant might be fun, sort of like the lamp in the photoshopped version) and her room is still full of white walls everywhere else (we chose one of our favorite white paints). We can’t wait to hang some art, do some projects with Clara, and eventually get her crib outta there so we can have some fun with the wall where that lives. But it’s a whole lot happier with those raindrops and that colorful door in full effect.

Close Up Of Painted Colorful Raindrop Wall Mural In Girls Bedroom

What did you guys do this weekend? Any stencil making? Or door painting? How about cry-laughing when your three year old says “magnificent” – that might have been my favorite part.

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Comments

  3. Jenny says

    Love the pink door! LOVE Room on the Broom – I read that to my 3-year-old cousin about 9,000 times while she was visiting!

    Reply

  4. Erica says

    I love the raindrops! The color of the door is awesome too! My three year old daughter, Claire saw it and said, “I want that big girl bed!”

    Reply

  8. Angela N says

    So cute! It really pulls everything together.

    I have one question as I would like to stencil something in my daughter’s room when I change it out and I want to do it the right way. When you created your raindrop stencil, why did you use the actual raindrop, trace it with a pencil and then hand paint each individual drop? I would have thought using the other part of the cardboard with the raindrop hole, then using painters tape to tape that part to the wall, and then either using a roller or brush to paint the drop would be a little quicker as you would not have to worry about going outside of the lines and could use a roller or bigger brush.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think that would work awesomely as well! I have just enjoyed hand painting things for a while now (I don’t tape off, I just cut in by hand and actually love using a small brush for freehand-detail-work like this, but it could easily have worked the other way as well!

      xo
      s

  11. Betsy says

    Sherry, this is beautiful. I wanna see with fairy lights on. Also I love how the rug pulls in more. I’m feeling it. The door color makes me weak in the knees. Well done!

    Reply

  12. Emily says

    This is my first time commenting although I’ve been reading your blog for about a month & LOVE it!!! You have really inspired me with so many of your ideas. I loved your recent post about doing small updates before you can get around to affording the big “overhauls”. Such great advice! Clara’s room is adorable! What a precious idea & I’m so glad you picked this one. The pink door was an extra bonus & I adore the picture of her peaking out. My only comment would be that I’m not sure I like the rug in here anymore. It feels a little dark/harsh to me. But, of course, I’m not the expert :-). Thanks for all your great work & the fun I have everyday following your family via the blog!!!

    Reply

  14. Evelina says

    The red ones are my favourite too!
    Quick question: Do you have any tips on reviving old paint? Everytime I go to use some of our leftovers, I find them to be so thick and goopy. Do you just stir with a paint stick? Get them professionally shaken at Home Depot? I’d love to know! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I stir the heck outta them and just see if they work. I have encountered some super goopy gross ones that are too far gone, so sadly those go to the paint recycling bin (we have one at our local recycling center) since I have read about thinning them out with stuff but heard it’s not really a great way to paint since it’s compromised at that point.

      xo
      s

    • Evelina says

      Just wanted to drop back in and say how awesome you guys are for replying to nearly all of the comments I post. It’s one of the many reasons I keep coming back everyday! I’m sure you guys are so busy with everything and this gives it such a nice personal touch. If blogging was a school subject (which, btw, it should be!) then I’d give you an A+++ :)

    • KathyG says

      Adding a little bit of a paint conditioner like Floetrol can rescue a paint.

      Turned out really cute! Hoping you add a chandelier either a paper one, or a painted one on the wall!

  18. Kylie Helm says

    I’ve been dying to read this since your Instagram yesterday! This turned out incredible! I just LOVE IT! Clara is a lucky little to have such creative parents! I die at her little sayings…what a little comedian :)

    xo Kylie

    Reply

  19. Samantha says

    I love how it turned out! Clara has great taste :-) Once her crib is gone, it would be fun to see some of that door color on a piece over there, whether it is a dresser or a bookcase, or maybe just a couple of frames on her gallery wall. Oooh… all of the raindrop colors would be cute for frames dotting that wall and then you could fill in with photos and her own artwork. Y’all will probably come up with something even better, but I love the idea of carrying the color over there. And I’m cracking up about how she’s still loving her crib so much while you need to get it ready for the new baby. My girls NEVER would become friends with their crib, no matter how comfy I tried to make it.

    Reply

  21. Noelle says

    This is a great project for an apartment, slightly modified! Before I bought a house I NEVER put anything on the walls because I couldn’t imagine decorating beyond paint. Those teardrops could easily be painted cardboard and tacked on to the walls, or just different colored cardstock, how cute! You guys have such great ideas!

    Reply

  22. Kate says

    Love this! How creative! Had a question- where is the white bed from? Is it a twin? We r working on transitioning our little girl from the crib and need big kid bed suggestions that are modern but still fit for a little girl :). Thanks a ton!!

    Reply

  24. Lindsey says

    This is the sweetest, I really like how her room is coming together! I haven’t read any of the comments from the original post where all the ideas came in, but the colored door has inspired me to paint my daughters’ closet doors with magnetic paint and colored, possibly chalkboard, paint. We just moved, and at least once a week the 3.5 year old asks what happened to her old chalkboard wall, and I’m starting to feel badly about not having a new option yet :)

    Reply

  25. Mandi says

    Who knew Clara would be a natural-born designer? :) I absolutely LOVE this. I think the pink door is my favorite. I honestly never would have thought to do something like that.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I agree! I think I’d still love to add a shaker roof on the slanted part (I’ve been dreaming about that since the day Clara picked this as her room) and maybe some decorative wallpaper to that back closet wall, but who knows. I never thought the darker door would temper all that pink (actually thought it might amplify it) but it seems to have toned it down by contrast.

      xo
      s

    • Jessica says

      How would a shaker roof work in the closet? The ceiling is angled opposite — well, like a ceiling — not the same direction as a roof.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It would just be for fun like a playhouse roof with something on it as an accent. Sure, it’s not the top of a roof, but if it were a treehouse you might see the underside of the wood tiles from inside, so I’m going for that vibe (like how people hang a window inside with a window box, just for that playhouse feeling).

      xo
      s

  31. Trey says

    Given you stenciling ways of late, I’m surprised you didn’t use the box with the negative raindrop as a stencil! I’m sure the freehanding was fun though

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, yes I worried that the cardboard would be harder to wipe than plastic (and paint always seeps through to the back between applications) so I thought it might be messier that way.

      xo
      s

  33. Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate says

    That looks so wonderful, and I love that you were able to accomplish most of this project using paints you already owned. Clara is a lucky girl.

    I painted stripes on my son’s wall using supplies from my paint stash paint earlier this year, and it turned out fantastically! (I was inspired by Brooks from HGTV Star, did you watch that?)

    Here’s a link:

    http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/2013/07/goal-of-the-week-wall-stripes-completed/

    Like your old kitchen, my son’s forrest green bedroom is impossible to photograph, although it is cozy in person.

    I think those rain drops would look cool on the wall of a retail space.

    Katy

    Reply

  34. Tonya says

    I LOVE Clara’s room. It is girly without being too much so and perfect for her to grow into. Hope she likes it when she’s 10–because it really is fun and beautiful. I am new to your blog (I bow down to you Pinterest!) and appreciate the ‘real life’ and ‘real time’ in your decorating and remodeling adventures. You have inspired me to spruce up my little home. Even the smallest improvements can make a big impact. :)

    Reply

  36. Deborah Graham says

    Adorable! Clara is a very lucky daughter. Have you thought of making a stencil and painting the raindrops on the inside of the stencil? Seems like it would be easier than painting the drops freehand. I look forward to your blogs.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I actually thought about doing that first, exactly I worried about(paint getting on the back of the cardboard cutout and resulting in sort of messy and muddled lines. I like plastic stencils since you can wipe the back between each application but cardboard seemed like it might still soak up some paint that could transfer onto the walls.

      xo
      s

  37. fd says

    I once painted a holiday home kitchen in those colours one rainy holiday. I loved it but people were very love/hate about it. I wish Clara much joy there. My parents (owners of said home) didn’t seem to mind. I’m kind of sad the house has been sold and they had to paint the kitchen painted magnolia or something to get it on the market :-(

    Reply

  39. Gretchen@BoxyColonial says

    Those raindrops are adorable, and I’m in LOVE with the painted door. The before and after is so striking–how fun did that room get?! Now I want to paint all my closet doors pink. Well. Maybe not pink. But suddenly all my white doors look so DRAB.

    Reply

  40. Misty says

    omg. I LOVE this! LOVE. The door is totally my fav!!! Looks amazing! Well done Clara…..and you guys too of course ;)

    Reply

  43. suzy b says

    Love..Love..Love the door color…way to go Clara for choosing just the perfect rainbow colors. Already has that designers eye at a young age! Raindrops keep falling on my head..;)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      She’s about halfway through the transition but still sleeping like a baby so we’re grateful! She has 6 months until this baby comes, so we’re sure she’ll make the full switch with plenty of time to spare :)

      xo
      s

  46. Olivia says

    Love the raindrops on the outside – the designs on the inside of the canopy weren’t doing it for me, but I couldn’t figure out why. The door is an awesome color too. How great that Clara got to pick the design!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I just thought about that last week when I saw something on Pinterest! The only thing I don’t like about that is that she could bang her head on the swinging upper door part (it’s sort of like a cabinet door being left open all the time so she can stand up and jam her head into it). I thought I could create a way for us to clip it back against the wall when it’s open so it’s not free to swing, but I just worry about us being “on” that all the time (and forgetting sometimes and then hearing BANG!).

      xo
      s

  48. Willa says

    Congrats on the splendid, “magnificent” room!
    Speaking of moving from crib to big-girl bed–you’ll find when the baby comes that Clara (and the two of you) will suddenly realize how big she really is–my first two were two weeks shy of being four years apart, and I couldn’t believe how big the almost four year old seemed in comparison to the baby; she realized her age and size, too and seemed to mature a whole lot almost overnight. I’m betting Clara will suddenly think “Cribs are for babies.” and give it up right away!
    On another subject, which I’m a tad embarrassed to bring up since I know how many other projects you’re juggling now, I’m still waiting for your solution(s) to boob lights. I have a houseful that I can’t replace because everything I try works out to be too expensive right now. I love pendant lights, but none of my boob lights allow enough clearance for that. . . . I know one or the other of us will figure it out eventually, or I’ll get richer and just buy what I need–for now I just try not to look up if I can help it. . . .
    Blessings to all three and half of you!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Willa! Love the advice. And the boob light quandry is so frustrating! I’m with ya! We’ll share whatever we come up with as we go (we have a lot of need-to-be-flush lights to replace here, so it should be fun to see where we end up).

      xo
      s

  49. Addie says

    It looks so cute!

    Though I think it’s hilarious that this whole project started out as a way to fill that big blank triangle and now the whole wall is done… except for the big blank triangle ;) But maybe the pendant light will help!

    Reply

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