Young House Love

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Painting The Ceiling Pink In Our Daughter’s Room

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.

Claras Room1010

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).

Claras Room8

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.

Claras Room1

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).

Claras Room2

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.

Claras Room3

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:

Claras Room

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.

Claras Room5

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.”

Claras Room6

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.

Claras Room7

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.

Claras Room99

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.

Claras Room11

This cute kid makes any picture better though, so big ups to my girl for making this shot.

Claras Room1212

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!

Claras Room1313

What are you guys painting? Any clean walls + playful ceilings going on?

Comments

  1. Kristi@Chatfield Court says

    At the risk of making myself unpopular… I’m not loving the rug with the white walls and pink ceiling. I love the ceiling and the walls (and the rug) but not sure I like them together. It just doesn’t seem like the rug goes with what you are trying to do with the room(I know you said that it might not stay). Just my unsolicited opinion. LOL

    Kristi

    Reply

    • Stacy says

      I agree… I LOVE all the pieces individually…I’m not sure that it looks like they “go” together. Obviously, the room isn’t complete yet, so I’ll patiently wait to see how it gets put together :) Most importantly, I’m glad that Clara likes it!

  2. Marilu says

    Love how the room is coming together. Love the pink! Did you consider doing the ceiling in a lighter blue to compliment the rug? It looks like there is more blue in the room than pink. But knowing how creative you are, I’m sure you will tie everything with the artwork. Love the canopy idea!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think we’re generally fans of rooms with a few accent colors layered in there, so all blue on the rug/curtains/ceiling might have been too much for us (plus Clara loves pink, so we thought giving her a pink ceiling and a pink closet would be lots of fun for her. I think we like that 80/20 rule (use 80% of one accent color, and 20% of another) so that feels sort of like what’s going on with the blue and the pink (blue is the dominant accent color, while pink is the secondary player). I definitely don’t think the room looks anywhere close to done, but hopefully once we get the crown up, finish the canopy, and hang some art we’ll be closer to something that feels balanced & complete.

      xo
      s

  4. Allisen says

    I see from your old pics that the left window in Clara’s room is almost against the wall. How did you handle that with hanging the curtains high and wide? Did you hang it wider on the right side, and do the other window normal? Or did you hang narrow than you usually would on both windows? We have a window like this is our master bedroom, and I could use some tips.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just went as wide as we could go before it hit that corner and we used a rod that didn’t have a giant finial to cut into our curtain-hanging-space. Seemed to work, although if I had magical powers I would totally move that wall over a little to let that window breathe more!

      xo
      s

  5. Anna says

    I love the new wall color! Especially with the pink ceiling! I am actually just about to start making over my little girls room to give it a “bigger girl” look and I am doing white walls as well! I’m so happy that you chose white walls, because it confirms my vision which is exactly what I needed! You guys are so talented, everything you do looks so good!!

    Reply

  7. Brandy says

    Do you think you will paint her daybed since you decided to go with white walls or find a colorful bedding? I know you’ll share all the details, I just always wonder about white walls with white furniture.

    Reply

  8. Carolyn H. says

    We actually have the same crib. Are you going to try it with the toddler bed conversion rail/kit that was included, or are you just going to lose the crib altogether when it’s time?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think we’re going to try to get her to sleep in the daybed and phase it out of her room all at once, just so there aren’t two transitions (from crib to toddler bed to daybed). Who knows how it’ll actually play out though!

      xo
      s

  10. Donna says

    Love the navy/teal rug with the navy spot curtains in that room. Just the right amount of color. The only thing I’d do yet is hang art on the walls. I’m always moving stuff around in my house. Keeps things fresh even if you haven’t moved in a while :-)

    Reply

  11. Christy says

    Such a sweet and playful room! I am so curious to see how Clara’s taste evolves over time just like your’s and John’s has. It will be so interesting in 6-8 years when “tween” Clara has definite and firm opinions about her what she likes and how she wants her room to look.

    Reply

  12. Rita Crane says

    How sweet is this?! I love it! :)You guys have sure made some headway considering how short you’ve been there!

    P.s. First time posting on your blog, But I have been a fan for two years. You guys are the best! :D

    Reply

  14. Kim says

    Looks like your walls are pretty smooth. All the places I’ve lived (both rented and owned) here in Dallas have textured walls and ceilings, probably from the notorious foundation issues here. We just moved into our new house and I’m brainstorming about painting (which will come once we feel remotely settled… or at least when we have more than one week’s worth of clothes unpacked) but I’ve been concerned about the paint highlighting the texture too much. Our house was built in the 1950’s and it has an interesting/mid-century modern circle texture on the ceilings. I don’t really know how to handle it… leave it white or attempt to paint it. Have you guys dealt with textured wall/ceilings?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I would use flat paint on those ceilings, because it hides imperfections and something shiny might be all “loook at me!” while something flat makes it an interesting background detail that doesn’t fight for that much attention. You could totally go with white flat paint or some subtle colors I think – just as long as it’s not super bright (that might be a little too crazy looking mixed with texture, right?).

      xo
      s

  15. Karey says

    Is it me or are you taking less chances in this house? I love the transformations all the same, but it feels so much safer and more…dare I say it, bland this time around? I know it’s early and your taste is great, regardless. It just seems less personal/fun/crafty/quirky/something??? thus far. Feel free to tell me to stop being impatient.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think it’s just early days so there aren’t any “finishing touches” which usually add the quirky/fun cherry on top for us – although choosing such a bright front door color had a few readers saying “ahh! too crazy!” and knocking out the ceiling in the sunroom felt wildly risky to scaredy cats like us, haha! I think all of our houses feel sort of like oatmeal in the first 6 months – we’re just getting things back to “normal” during that time (stripping old wallpaper, painting trim, working mostly with furniture and accessories that we have) and then we get to layering in more risky/unexpected stuff in the “refining” years afterwards. Should be fun to see where we end up!

      xo
      s

  16. Karey says

    I totally agree, it’s all in the details… maybe I’m just waiting for more color to match your cheery personality! I am in LOVE with the door and the veranda was genius. Still hoping some cute wallpaper or to-die-for tile will soon make an appearance. :-)

    Reply

  17. Peggy McKee says

    I realize the rug is 9 months old, so you feel stuck with it. But as others have stated, it shouldn’t be shedding so much.

    Have you considered informing the store or manufacturer–maybe e-mailing a photo of the pink fur-balls? IMHO the rug is defective. Maybe you can get either a refund or a credit towards purchasing another.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Peggy! The site clearly states there’s a “all sales final” policy, so I’m not sure I’ll have much headway on that, but others have given me a few leads for how I could de-fur it, so here’s hoping something works! Heck, if I figure something out I think it could be helpful for lots of folks with sheddy rugs, and it would make us less nervous about new rugs since we’d know “the cure” so I’m weirdly excited about the challenge!

      xo
      s

    • Jen S. says

      It is definitely worth contacting J&S or the manufacturer if you think the rug might be defective even though they have an “all sales are final policy.” Although it is a totally different company (same premise though), I contacted Rue La La on an “all sales are final” sale regarding some defective shoes and not only did they take them back (several months after I purchased them) but they were awesome about it. Just a thought.

    • Alison says

      That’s a good way too describe it. That rug is too heavy. Doesn’t look much like a 3 yr. olds room either.

  19. Jenny says

    Ah I love it! Her room looks so great. We’ve got a horrible shedder in our son’s room, too. It’s the pits. We’re actually shopping for a new living room rug because the one we have is perfect for his room. Paint is next, thanks for the inspiration! xox

    Reply

  20. Phoebe says

    This makes me TOTALLY rethink the wall/ceiling in my little girl’s room. She’s 3.5, and her fav color is green, and our house has slanted ceilings in the bedroom (official term?). I was thinking of a mint green wall and a white ceiling, but now i’m thinking the reverse would be much cooler! What do you think? Do you have any favorite minty/seafoamy green colors?

    Reply

  22. Brenna says

    Is there a spot you guys can add one of those sweet ceiling light shades you had previously to add another pretty color point to the room? Looks great and I’m sure your kiddo loves it!

    Reply

  24. Stefanie says

    LOVE it! My girl’s room needs a little update, but I just can’t seem to find the time – that and anytime I bring something in there to see how it works on the wall or in a certain spot, she wants to play with it and then it all goes haywire!

    On another note – you mentioned all your favorite blogs have better photos (as if). What are some of your favorite blogs? Just curious. I’ll find some I like, then i’ll lose interest after a couple posts. Yours, and The Bloggess, have been the only ones who have stuck. Any you care to share?

    Thanks! Keep up the good work!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Stefanie! If you check out the box on our sidebar that says “Search” there’s a tab on that called “blogroll” and it has a bunch of blogs I love! My Reader is FULL these days. I love it.

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They’re all in her six-drawer dresser except for her shoes which are in the closet along with a few dress-up outfits, so it’s mostly for playing thanks to her big dresser!

      xo
      s

  28. Yourhouseblitz says

    I think that blue rug should go in another part of the house. Like the office, or dining room. I really liked the previous color combo. all the reds, pinks, navy blue. The chevron bedding and curtains. Since the old one was snagged , perhaps a white shag from Target. I have one in my daughters room and they love the softness..

    Reply

  29. Anna, Sydney says

    Not sure if my browser is acting up but it looks like a couple of ads have dropped out. There’s a large empty space between your top “About” box and the “Search” box. Then another large empty space between the “Our 2013 Paint Color Picks” box and the “Our Book” box. I know the ads are important to you so thought I’d tell you just in case it’s not my browser.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tip Anna! Anyone else having this issue? I had it yesterday but then they came back. We’re transitioning some of our ads throughout this month, so it might just be acting glitchy?

      xo
      s

  30. Kayla says

    I’m sorry, but I think this room is just a little too neutral for my taste in a little kid room. I like the pink ceiling a lot, but would have loved to see a light teal or other fun color on the walls. Everything is different, and I am very glad you are happy with it!! =)

    Reply

  33. Erin says

    I think I’ve been watching too much Dexter, that’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the picture of the room covered in plastic.

    Reply

  34. Linda says

    I painted our dining room ceiling pink about a dozen years ago. (I don’t have a daughter and my boys refused to let me paint anything pink in their rooms – go figure!) I still love it as much today as the day I painted it. Clara’s room is delightful!

    Reply

  35. Kaesey says

    We have a painted ceiling! Our living room has pale blue panels. It was the first thing I painted when we moved in, and I still love it. (There’s a photo of it here http://kaesey.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/mini-tour/, kind of hard to see the panels but you get the general idea.)

    Clara’s room is lovely! Our kids’ shared room is cute but so haphazard. Must work on that.

    Oh, and don’t worry about the crib thing – she’ll let you know when she’s ready. =)

    Reply

  40. Zhaleh says

    Love the idea of a closet playhouse! One of my friends had a long closet-one side with clothing rods and the other side with windows cut out and working shutters. My inner little girl is still envious.

    Reply

  41. Koliti says

    Hi Sherry! I am loving that manual photo of Clara’s perfectly pink closet with her mobile! My heart is filled with joy to know she is enjoying it in such a happy space :)

    Love the decor tweaks. How about a call for artists to fill up some of Clara’s “white wall space”? A friend and I have been painting wood and making art lately…..

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw you’re so sweet Koliti! So glad you saw the mobile! She loves it and her pigs from her dollhouse climb it and slide down it daily! As for the walls, that’s such a sweet idea – although we have so many sweet photos and art from her last nursery and her big girl room, so our cup runneth over with stuff to bring in! Can’t wait to see what ends up where!

      xo
      s

  42. Jamie says

    I can’t quite make up my mind about this. I think the pink ceiling is sweet and I know there’s color in other things in the room, but my problem with white walls is that the walls, trim, and doors all blend together and feels so plain and boring.

    Reply

  43. Dani says

    LOVE IT! I’m not overly fond of pink so the little touch on the ceiling and wardrobe is a nice compromise to living in the Barbies Pink Playhouse like most girls rooms end up.

    I noticed the nice photos :D You’re doing well! I’m a pro photographer and still find shooting interiors to be tricky sometimes.

    Ca’t wait to see another sewing post from you Sherry, they entertain me to no end :lol:

    Reply

  44. Haley says

    We painted our daughter’s big girl room this weekend, and now we are in the same position of needing to add details, like crown and other special touches. Your house is looking gorgeous! I love seeing it slowly turn into your taste.

    Reply

  45. Chez says

    Too funny- I am reading this post while sitting on the exact same rug you just moved to Clara’s room- and – I painted an accent wall in my daughter’s room the same BM Pink Cadillac when we moved in a couple of months ago. Great minds! ;) Clara’s room is looking awesome!

    Reply

  46. Sonia says

    Hi Sherry and John. Love the room, you are off to a good start! about the crown molding, i hope you consider some thicker/chunky trim (not sure what the right word is). Jenny at little green notebook combined multiple types of trim to create her new door trim. it would probably be a bit of an investment, not a budget solution, but probably worth it in your forever home.. good for resale value too, you never know.. best :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I loved that post of hers! We are going to go with the same trim that’s all over this house (it’s super beefed up – in fact it involves a baseboard and crown so it’s double thick). We’ve never tackled the whole layered-trim thing, so we’ll have to see how it goes!

      xo
      s

  50. Kodi says

    Your pictures look great! Yey for manual! And if it makes you feel even more like rockstars, photography is my living so I’m probably pickier than most people who read this blog! Annnnd, of course, the room is gorgeous.

    Reply

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