We’re back to share phase two of our big sunroom makeover with you guys. After painting the dark daybed white and bringing in our old guest room dresser and mirror for the first phase (which we affectionately refer to as our work-with-what-you-have phase) it was time to add two things to accentuate what we already had going on in the room. Paint and curtain rods. Let’s delve into the paint category first. See, we had been dying to paint the sunroom ceiling an inviting aqua color for a while, especially since it’s a tradition in the south to have a light blue ceiling on your porch (and we figured we’d enjoy the color even more in the sunroom). Here’s what we started with – a ceiling that was the same tan tone as the walls in the sunroom since the day we moved in:
When we’re selecting a paint color, the first step for us is always to tape a few swatches on that plane (in this case the ceiling) so we can look at them in different lighting situations. After staring at them a few mornings, noons, and nights in a row we decided that Tide Pools by Behr was the one we liked best (it was semi bright but not too heavy and there’s no way it would be mistaken for white no matter what the light was like in there). So we grabbed a gallon of it in exterior satin semi-gloss paint (since the sunroom is an indoor/outdoor room that isn’t heated or cooled and we wanted a glossy pool-like effect).
I was actually on baby duty so John did this whole project on his own. All it took was some Frog Tape around the perimeter of the room to keep the wall color from bleeding onto the molding along with a small stepstool, a paint brush (for the edges), and a roller. Note: using a rod extender can ease the strain on your back but John must have been feeling unstoppable so he opted to rely on his long limbs instead.
Here’s the room after two coats of luscious semi-gloss paint (again, we used Tide Pools by Behr). We love the sheen and the pop of color. And the room looks sooooo much bigger and airier since it literally feels like we removed the ceiling and are now looking up at the big blue sky.
Oh and our tip for a nice crisp perimeter would be to remove your painters tape as soon as you finish your last coat of paint (if you used any- I prefer to edge with a brush but since John went it alone he didn’t trust his hands so he taped things off). Removing the tape right away ensures that nothing dries and pulls when you remove the tape, therefore resulting in a cleaner edge. And don’t forget to firmly press your tape down as you apply it since paint can easily bleed and seep if you don’t have a nice tight seal.
But now it’s on to the curtain update that we tackled. This is one of those why-the-heck-did-we-wait-so-long things. Look how crisp and polished they look:
A while back (waaaay back) we mentioned that John had McGuyvered the curtains (Vivan by Ikea by the way) into each corner with some twine and a few nails (scroll up to the first picture in this post to see how they appeared to float in place). But we knew hanging dark streamlined rods around the room would not only add some handsome hardware and tie into the deep color of the door frames, but they would also bring in a ton of function (for example, we can now pull the curtains along the rods, which comes in handy for diffusing light when we’re doing things like shooting Clara’s weekly photo).
All it took were some simple curtain rods from Ikea (these, but we didn’t put the finials on, so they have a much cleaner look). Of course they weren’t long enough for the 20′ length of the room, so we just mounted two of them right next to each other so they’d meet in the middle of the wall to create the look of one continuous rod.
And as for how we made the corners feel uninterrupted, we simply mounted two rods so that they could be extended a bit past the bracket to touch each other and mimic the shape of the corner.
Once we extended them so they touched and pulled the curtain panels along with them, it created a totally seamless corner curtain panel (here you see two curtain panels hanging, one on each rod):
Oh and one last thing on the agenda was to hem those Vivan panels from Ikea, since they were all waaaay too long and sloppy looking on the bottom. See? Messy.
We prefer not to use Ikea’s hem tape (the curtains come with some that’s webbed) so instead we spend a few bucks at Michael’s for the iron on hem tape that we love – which is called Heavy Duty Heat N’ Bond. It’s important first to wash all of your curtains and dry them so you know how much they’ll shrink up (quite a bit usually- be sure to follow the washing and drying instructions). Then hang them on the rod and note what length you’d like to hem them. We like when ours aren’t hugely pooled but they’re not hemmed right above the floor either (so they graze the ground for a nice breezy and casual effect).
So there you have phase two of our three phase sunroom mini-makeover. The greatest thing about our transformation is that so far we’ve only spent around $20 on ceiling paint and $40 on four extra long curtain rods from Ikea since everything else was stuff that we already had lying around.
Of course we still have phase three up ahead, which is definitely going to be the most major change in the room so stay tuned. We can’t wait to spill those beans…
And speaking of phases, are there any mulit-phase projects that you’ve taken on or that you have on your to-do list? Sometimes breaking things down into nice bite-sized portions is a lot easier and less stressful. Do tell!
Psst- Don’t forget to check out our post over on BabyCenter today. We finally figured out the alphabet magnet situation for the magnetic wall that we created for Clara in the office/guest bedroom/playroom. Check it out here!
Christine says
Looks fantastic, I’m in love with the blue ceiling! Now, if only mine were covered in that beautiful spackled popcorn…
Lesley H says
LOVE the color choice. It totally makes your green and blue accents POP – but you knew that right? Great work with the curtain rods too. I have a funny corner in the living room I’ve been wondering how to deal with – when can you come over?
I find making changes in stages the only way to go – for budget, time and energy effeciency. Plus it’s nice to see some small successes along the way. Right now it’s a shuffle to free up a kitchen cupboard for my own ‘decor store’, a redo of the corner cabinet and a new glass door. Fun!
Lesley H says
I spy and interesting bunting hanging in the tree outside in the photo of John painting. Did you make it? Fabric or paper? A future DIY for us? Please spill :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lesley H,
It’s actually been hanging since this old post of yore: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/07/fab-freebie-the-grass-is-always-greener/
Love it! So fun!
xo,
s
Erin says
Love those curtain rods! I have the same one :) There are so many ugly and expensive rods out there that I was overjoyed to find these beauties at IKEA. I am planning on using the same rod in my guest bedroom, but without the finials, since the window is too close to the wall corner (and now I know what they look like without the finials ;) ).
Taylor says
I love the aqua ceiling, and the curtain rods make such a difference!
I’m not, however, personally a big fan of the tan walls with that color ceiling. Maybe it’s just the picture or my monitor, but the tan paint looks a bit dark and clash-y. Did you consider re-painting the walls as well? It seems like a color similar to the lighter stripes in your half-bath would brighten things up.
Of course, though, as you always say, as long as you two love it, enjoy it!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Taylor,
It’s probably just the picture (or your monitor) if the walls look dark and clashy. They’re a very soft tan tone (very similar to the color of the light tan walls in our den, living room, office, etc). We’ll try to take better shots of everything for the big reveal so you can see how light and soft it feels in there! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ashlee says
In an unrelated story, would it be completely crazy to paint my kitchen in a flat finish? My walls are not in the best condition (that is euphemistic for ‘completely busted up’)…The color is a “chatroom” by Sherwin Williams.
YoungHouseLove says
Not completely crazy but pretty crazy. We would suggest at least a satin or eggshell finish or it’ll look marred and stained pretty much immediately. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ashlee says
Cool, thanks. I have repainted this same kitchen 4 times in 4 years, and never been super happy with the results. This is going to be the LAST TIME, so I want to be sure it is perfect. Or close.
Michelle says
Do you guys have room dimensions anywhere on your site? Would sure come in handy when seeing if something that fits in your house may fit in mine. Thanks, love your house!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Michelle,
Yup, just click our FAQ tab under our blog header for that info! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ashlee says
P.S. Great job on the sunroom!
Oonafey @ Little Pink House says
It looks amazing. I really love the way the ceiling color reflects the colors throughout your home and the accessories sprinkled throughout.
We are having our house painted next week and I need to find a color for our porch ceiling to coordinate (or not completely clash) with BM Mohegan Sage and BM Dove White trim. It’s currently aqua and I was hoping to keep it a blue/aqua/sky tone… Any ideas?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Oonafey,
We definitely love our Tide Pools color, but our suggestion for findng the perfect tone would be to tape a bunch of options up on your ceiling since the lighting can vary a lot from the lighting at our house. Hope it helps! Good luck!
xo,
s
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
Love it! We will be doing the opposite in our sunroom. The ceiling is white and the walls will be a blue/green color. Have decided on the color yet. We don’t have a real roof it’s that white wavey plastic roofing. It keeps the room very light and airy. We just had the roofing replaced and painted the exposed beams white to match the plastic white roofing. Step 1 in a very long step process for this sunroom of ours.
One question: At one point the sunroom was an open 2nd floor deck, previous owners “Enclosed it”. So it still has the wood floor decking look. What would you put down to close off all those spaces in between each board? We are thinking thin plywood, then maybe rug tiles. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
We will get there at some point, because we still have other projects like our laundry room. ;-)
And thanks for the great inspiration for our sunroom. Love yours.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jen,
Ooh plywood and rug squares (like Flor tiles) would look really cool! Anyone else have ideas?
xo,
s
CarMaj says
This sunroom looks really great – so far! Great job!
Camberley, The Bella Life says
I have pink paint swatches all over the ceiling in my office. Paint (or wallpaper) on a ceiling is one of the easiest/cheapest ways to dress up a room. The only problem with the above post? You’re making me second guess my pink color choice. The blue is wicked awesome. ;)
-C
candace @ thecandace.com says
I love this post! I’ve adored your sun room for a good long while (one day, I’d like to have one of my own) and now it’s even better (which, I did not think was possible)!! The blue ceiling is gorgeous!! If I didn’t have crappy popcorn ceilings (I know, the horror) I would be painting them a fun color tonight! Great job – it looks wonderful!!
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
You inspired me to look for pictures online for more inspiration and I just came across this little Q&A from you on Making It Home blog. Very cute. And there is your sunroom again. Love the Q&A.
http://making-it-home.blogspot.com/2009/05/blogger-q-sherry-from-this-young-house.html
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jen,
Fun! That interview really brings us back. Thanks for sharing the link!
xo,
s
Mel V. says
I thought the tan walls looked a bit clash-y too – glad to hear it’s just the photos and my monitor!
The ceiling looks fabulous. I wouldn’t have had the guts to try that, but I love the result. I’ll have to keep it in mind in the future, although I don’t think I have your color picking skills! Fortunately sample cans are cheap…
nikki says
I LOVE IT! I’ve never painted my ceilings any color other than white, but I think I need to! I think the blue is refreshing! I love the blue against the green of your lawn. I’ve seen several people wrap the color on their walls up to the ceiling, and I really love the look.
Vivian says
Hi guys!
Quick question – I know you recommend taking the painter’s tape off while the paint is still wet… but if most walls require 2 coats of paint, doesn’t that mean that the first coat will have dried (and possibly leaked) by the time you pull off the tape after the second coat? I don’t think I’ve seen you re-tape after pulling off the tape from the first wet coat. By the way, the blue ceiling is fabulous.
Thanks!
Vivian
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Vivian,
Since the second coat of paint will we-wet the seams where the paint meets the tape it should keep it from getting to hard and pulling hardened paint off when you remove the tape (which results in a less crisp edge). As for leaking, getting high quality Frog Tape and pressing down hard as you apply it is the best way to avoid that. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kate says
I also thought the wall color looked really clashy, but I agree that it’s probably my monitor.
My entire decorating style is just little tweeks all the time. I never redo an entire room all at once, so my place is always a “during”, haha.
jeff_williams says
If the curtain rods use threaded finials then you could just get a piece of threaded rod to join two adjacent rods on the same wall and ditch some of the extra brackets (even if they may be hidden behind the curtains).
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jeff,
Great idea! Ours aren’t threaded but it’s definitely a great solution if they are!
xo,
s
Erica says
Update looks wonderful! Whole new feeling to your sunroom. I love how your little changes go a long way….
Alexandra says
My monitor must be fine because I LOVE the tan color with the blue. Do you happen to remember the name of the color? We’ve been meaning to paint our sunroom, and it will happen much sooner if I don’t indulge in my usual month-long: “What about these colors?”
YoungHouseLove says
It’s Lyndhurst Tan by Valspar. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lauren K says
I absolutely love the blue ceiling! I was at a beautiful house in Nashville that had a robin egg blue ceiling on an outdoor screened in porch. It was the first time I saw something like that and it was just breathtaking.
I have been wanting to find a way to hang curtains in my sun room but the window is more than 190 inches. Do you think using two rods would look okay? I also need to use a valance to cover up the ugly valance box that came with the vertical shades. Would this work? How does the valance fit over the brackets that are supporting the rod?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lauren,
We definitely think the two rods would work. As for the valance box we’re not sure how you can tackle that without standing in the room and trying a few things so that would be our advice. Just play around and see what works! Good luck!
xo,
s
Traci says
I didn’t think that room could get any better, but I just love that pop of color. I can’t get enough of the blue color pops :)
Love your site and have gotten many inspirations from it. We recently remodeled our bathroom and I have been so busy but have been wanting to send you pics :)
I am in the beginning stages of creating a blog geared towards fashion/clothing and was wondering if you could share what program you use to create your mood boards? Is it photoshop or polyvore? I did a search in your archives, but couldn’t find anything so thought I could maybe catch you here…sorry I know the ques. is not related.
Can’t wait to see what else you guys have in store for the sunroom.
Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Traci,
We use Photoshop- you can see more info on our FAQ page. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mary @ stylefyles says
awesome!! I love the color of the ceiling, and the curtains are just lovely, with the gentle pooling at the bottom.
Rachel @ The Avid Appetite says
I love your white curtains and want to do white curtains in our bedroom – we have a loft and our windows are 120″! My question is – can you see into your sunroom through the curtains if they are closed? We face a courtyard and would love to have breezy white curtains that let some light in, but don’t want the neighbors taking a peek whenever they feel like it!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rachel,
We’re not sure the Vivan panels would offer 100% privacy, so why not layer them with some bamboo blinds (we hung two next to each other in our living room to create the look of one long one since it’s such a wide window). They look great with the white curtain panels. You could also hang white faux wood blinds as an alternative to the bamboo blinds for full privacy. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
K (Barking BabyMama) says
I can’t believe how much impact the ceiling has now! It totally opens up the room! I was a little apprehensive about this idea, and then I saw that after photo – WOW! I wish I had a sunroom so I could be a copycat!
Carey says
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! I would be out there all day! A great book, some tunes, and a cold drink? That’s all you need. :)
Carolyn says
LOVE it! The room looks fantastic! Can’t wait to see phase 3 :)
Carolyn
Jocelyn Stott says
You’ve done it again – looks beautiful!
Christina says
I *love* the way the ceiling looks! So open and airy…and beautiful.
Most of our projects are done in phases. For one it’s easier on our budget and two it’s easier on our busy schedules!
christi says
I love the sunroom ceiling color! So bright and cherry yet calming. I painted our bathroom ceilings over the weekend — I need to photograph them now! In our guestroom, I used the same rods and didn’t add the finials, either. They worked great.
Funnelcloud Rachel says
Aren’t porch ceilings painted blue in the south to ward of ghosts?!
Anyway, I LOVE this – your ceiling looks beautiful and the whole room looks so relaxing – what a difference! I wish I could paint some ceilings in our house a color other than white, but our house has a really open floor plan (and low-ish ceilings), so no can do.
Also, impressed by John painting the ceiling with the short roller! Painting ceilings is one of my most hated and back-pain inducing tasks. (Which is why I make my husband do it!)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s what we’ve heard! Also there’s a rumor that they ward off bugs like hornets somehow. Don’t know if it’s just an urban legend though.
xo,
s
Unplanned Cooking says
I love those windows. Nothing beats natural light.
Keighley@BellaLife says
I love that you guys are not afraid of bold colors. I would have been totally intimidated with that blue however it turned out bangin! Is there a particular reason you used semi-gloss? Do you just like the sheen?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Keighley,
Yup, we wanted it to gleam like a glossy ocean. Also since it’s an
outdoor room the semi-gloss is more durable and wipeable. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Chris says
Any thoughts on painting a stippled ceiling a color besides white? My sunroom ceiling is lightly stippled and while I wouldn’t do the gloss on it, I would love to do a sky blue color… Do you think it will work?
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe a flat finish would work? We’d definitely give it a try!
xo,
s
Dana @ House*Tweakingq says
I hope you stenciled the concrete floor like you have hinted at doing in the past. Can’t wait for Phase 3!
Tiffini S. says
I’ve heard of that whole painting the ceiling blue thing. I thought it was for mosquito control, myself. But oddly enough, here is another spin on that. Crazy, eh?
http://www.squidoo.com/haintblue
Carrisa says
Tide Pools is the color I painted my master bedroom. I love it. And your ceiling too!
Vonda says
Looks great. I love the ceiling and hints of blues in the pillows to draw it all together. So relaxing.
I was reading the other comments: Here in the south, robin’s egg blue porch ceilings supposedly trick birds and hornets/wasps into thinking that it is the sky so they won’t build nests. I changed from a dark ceiling to robin’s egg blue on the front and back porches and have not had bird or wasp problems since. So it looks like it works!
Paula M. says
LOVE that color choice and the sheen you picked. As you say, it creates a lovely sky or reflected-pool effect. Great choice!
I like the fact that you’re painting the ceilings of your place. On the one hand, I think white ceilings look good if they have molding around them for demarcation and contrast with a painted wall — but if there’s no molding, the contrast between ceiling and wall can be jarring.
Myself, I’m currently wrestling with the worst-case scenario, which is heinous popcorn or cottage cheese type ceilings in a 1970s condo, and weighing whether to get it all scraped off (after the obligatory asbestos check) or drywalled over. So I really envy a SMOOOOOTH, painted ceiling! :)
Sarah@StyleandCentsability says
The blue on the ceiling really finishes off the space. Love it!
Side Note: I have been following you guys ever since we moved into our new house (6 months ago). My carpenter husband and I have a lot in common with you and your projects.
You can check out our before and afters…
http://styleandcentsability.wordpress.com/category/before-and-afters/
Briar Oak Wife says
Looks great! Unfortunately, the style of our house is a bit too traditional for this idea, but I love it in a sunroom like yours!
Carolyn says
Hooray, I’m so glad you didn’t go for ‘sensory deprivation white’ for Clara’s magnets!!! she will be well acquainted with the colours pear green, grass green, sea blue and teal. haha ;)
bunny says
I’ve been waiting for a ceiling post! Love the colour, you guys are the masters of colouring rooms and ceilings. You absolutely obliterate breezy, airy style and assimilate it into your own – you always hit the perfect scheme! I’ve got a decorating problem in a different style than light and breezy – I’m wanting to redecorate me and my fiancees room, it is rather small, and I want to give it a dark broody African/worldly look, with masks and drapes (like a Moroccan marquee tent) but I’m stuck on the colours and the ceiling especially. The skirting is going to be dark wood/stain, and the walls an orange or red (burgundy or even purple, depending) and the accessories terracotta or light blue (still undecided). I hate the look of a room in block saturated colour with white trims and ceilings for the most part (I think it looks like a dolls house if you don’t get it right), but I can’t decide on a ceiling colour other than the white it already is without making the room look even smaller/dank, as it would be with a dark brown or traditional African appearing ceiling in a small British house. I’m close to covering it in tribal rugs and pashminas. Can you guys help, especially with Sherry’s amassed collections of swatches and inspiration rooms? Please…?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Bunny,
We’d slide a shade or two lighter on the color swatch that you’ll be using on the walls and use that for the ceiling. It’ll still feel light and lifted but it’ll coordinate with the walls so it doesn’t look oddly stark up there. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kat says
I’ve always loved a blue porch ceiling, but I never knew the Southern folklore behind it! In fact, this past weekend, the ceiling of my newly built porch looked just like yours with Behr swatches taped to it! Just waiting for this week’s heat wave to end so I can get rolling… Here in Fredericksburg (VA), there’s a home in the historic district with Monet’s “Starry Night” painted on the front porch ceiling; it’s absolutely breathtaking.
Jen K says
Semi-gloss paint, never would have thought of that! Love it though! I am filing that idea away for the future. Thanks!
Kristi says
You know, I think the Internet could really benefit from a John and Sherry video simply showing how to paint. I know it sounds silly for such experts like you, but I wasn’t allowed to paint rooms growing up. So the whole thing is Greek to me. I tried to paint one room in my house after we bought it, and I wound up with a huge mess. It also took forever! Clearly I’m doing something wrong! Pretty please make a helpful little video?? :D
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kristi,
We actually have a post full of painting tidbits so stay tuned!
xo,
s
Megan says
We are tackling our upstairs remodel in stages. It keeps me a little calmer as it has taken over two years to do the entire project. The majority of the steps are done (tear down old drywall/paneling, rip out old insulation, frame four new walls, have professionals install spray foam insulation, new wiring from a professional electrician, brand new drywall (soooo smooth!), sand drywall, and put two new HVAC supplies so we can have AC and heat!). Next up… prime, paint, trim, clean, and move back upstairs! :) We will FINALLY be able to enjoy 1/3 of our house without burning up in the summer and freezing in the winter. If you all haven’t checked out spray foam insulation, it’s AWESOME!
Jill Young says
My grandparents farmhouse had a light blue ceiling too, and I have often said when we build the house of our dreams, it would have a blue porch ceiling too. I always heard it was to keep witches and spirits away.