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.
Remember when it used to look like this?
Well, it’s definitely looking pretty happy these days.
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).
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).
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).
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.
I’m obsessed with the door color that we ended up with, so Clara was right!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Psst- Wanna know where we got something in our house? Just click on this button:
Michele says
That is soooo cute. This post makes me smile. Great job all around. I thought of paper pom-poms immediately when you said you wanted to put something under the canopy. With all of the fairy lights in the canopy, these might be a nice flat juxtaposition.
http://www.houzz.com/paper-pom-pom-little-girl-ceiling/p/42
YoungHouseLove says
That would be fun too!
xo
s
Laura & the Shell says
It looks great!!! Can’t wait to see the pendent hung up under the canopy!
Rachel M. says
The raindrops are superb!
My three year old was playing with legos in the car and I overheard her telling them that “that was not acceptable.”
I love when little kids use big words :)
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo
s
Mari says
I love the way the wall and the entired room has turned out and that Clara has had a big part in it. Can’t wait for the day Clara’s decorating book comes out.
Anne says
Oh, my gosh, that is so sweet. Love it!! Love the pink door. What a loved little girl! :)
Karen says
Milano Red = your niece’s desk?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! That must be what it’s from!
xo
s
Katharine says
Like another commenter, I wasn’t completely sold on how the rug was working in Clara’s room. Now, though? I really like it! With the addition of the raindrops, it looks a lot like puddles on a road, which is one of those fun, happy accidents!
Bethany says
I love the raindrops but the door is my favorite! The inside of my front door is almost the same color. I’m obsessed with it. Everyone thought I was insane when I said I was painting my door (I have a small apartment and will have to repaint when I leave) but now I get so many compliments on it. I feel like a decorating genius everytime I see it. Door twins, holla!
YoungHouseLove says
Door twins for the win!
xo
s
Natalie @ Wipes Are Not Weapons says
Oh my goodness that pink door is just the icing on the cake! I love it!
Your Clara room posts make me so anxious to buy a house. We’re still renting, but my daughter Layla’s room is my favorite room in the house. It’s always the first one I complete when we move! I don’t even KNOW what kind of craziness will ensue when I get to paint! ;)
Lauren says
It looks amazing, the bed looks so sheltered now.
Will the birdcages come back into Clara’s room? I relly liked those in the last house.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I’d love to bring those back in – most likely along the wall where the crib is once we remove that (maybe with her kitchen under there?).
xo
s
Tricia says
This looks so sweet! It cracks me up every time you show your kitchen because it is just SO ugly (no offense, I know you didn’t panel it)! The dark wood paneling is so intense and your style is so much brighter and happier. Can’t wait to see that incredible transformation!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, you should see it in real life. Oy!
xo
s
Christy Niebaum says
I think the red/pink door is my favorite part! What a fun surprise. I love the way the open door plays off the pink inside the closet.
Our house projects this weekend were not as fun as Clara’s room, but I’m excited about them. Finally got my hubby to install new baseboards in our basement to match the rest of the house. They’re so glorious!! The white (Popcorn by Behr) really pops off the grey walls (Gentle Rain by Behr).
While he did that, I put on my Crafty McCrafterson hat and made some fun fall decor. I drew some fall designs and phrases on some tin cans I’d been saving and then punched out the designs with little holes. They’re currently in the garage for spray painting (used what I had on hand – orange and gold), but will be ready for tea lights tomorrow! I made three total – a pumpkin, “Give thanks” and “Fall”.
YoungHouseLove says
So charming Christy!
xo
s
Donna says
I love it! What a fun room for a child. It has a Dr. Seuss-y vibe. Can’t wait to see what you do with the nursery!
Kristen F. says
This is SO adorable! I think my favorite thing is the pink door! Great job Mama.
Shannon says
So cute! The raindrop colors really tie the room together!
Laurie says
I love it! The paint outside is SO cute! Clara does have very good taste in color. I’m impressed.
Ava says
We put up board and batten in the living room. Thanks for your great tutorial and the linked posts. It turned out great. All that is left is the painting!
Emily says
Love it! Ikea is selling those paper star lanterns right now in gold, silver, and white (or at least my Ikea in Seattle is). That might be cute under the canopy.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Emily!
xo
s
Lorelei L Reed says
oh my GOSH…the raindrops look (to quote someone VERY important) “magnificent”!!!!! and I AM one of the 900 that suggested them outside the canopy…and your workmanship is not to be beat!
my project on the weekend? A sketch as reference for a painting I’m doing for the American Bouvier Rescue League that happens on ebay in Nov…my sketch came out SO well that I did’nt want to chance it by trying to make it bigger…so off to Office depot…A Bouvier is big and shaggy a cross btwn a sheep dog and cookie monster, so the drawing had a lot of shaggy wiggly lines…when the worker enlarged it he said (no so kindly) What is this…a MAP???
geesh…sure hope the painting comes out better and recognized as a DOG!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, it sounds awesome to me Lorelei!
xo
s
Susan says
This looks lovely! Great colors, great closet door, what a fun space for Clara. I think a light under the canopy would detract from the magical twinkle lights. How about a mobile of origami cranes or something similar to the other popular wall treatment (#8 in your original post)? They would be colorful, light and airy and not overpower the twinkles.
Keep up the great ideas!
YoungHouseLove says
That would be fun too!
xo
s
Camille says
Love it! So cute! :)
Rachel says
Love this. It’s probably one of my favorite things you’ve done. Then again I’m in Seattle, and so maybe I just have a thing with rain.
Have you thought about something like this for the main door into Clara’s room?: http://www.peoniesandbrass.com/search?updated-max=2013-06-21T08:00:00-04:00&max-results=3&start=21&by-date=false
I like the idea of painting just the front inside edge of her door (the part of the door that’s hidden in the door jam when the door is shut) the same dark pink as her closet door. It’s a fun surprise that brings just a hint of that color to the other side of her room, but it’s only visible from inside her room when the door is open (assuming you only do the front inside edge).
YoungHouseLove says
That would be so much fun!
xo
s
Taylor says
It turned out so cute!!! I made these for over our old bed (yes I’m a 5 year old girl at heart haha) http://www.itstaylormade.com/2012/06/mini-fabric-lamps.html
Maybe you could string them up in a ball shape to make a diy lamp over the bed? Ps I’m in love wih that door color! Good job Clara :)
YoungHouseLove says
Those are so charming! I LOVE them!
xo
s
Maz says
I think it would look super cute with a star shaped lantern like this one hanging below the canopy!! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lampshade-lantern-colourful-decoration-christmas/dp/B00EME4VJ6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382978291&sr=8-2&keywords=star+paper+shades
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Maz! Love that!
xo
s
Susan says
Love love love it! And the door is perfect. :)
I do think that the curtains suddenly look out of place. Too serious for the space now, maybe?
Amanda says
This seriously came out infinitely better than I could have ever imagined! Loving her new room!
Rachelle D. says
This is the cutest idea ever! I am so crossing my fingers you are having a boy for a purely selfish reason–cute bedroom ideas for my 2 boys.
megan says
Absolute perfection!!!!!!!!!! YAY for pink doors! now i’m gunna have to steal that idea for my daughter Olive’s room!! Thans for the inspiration! now if only I could solve my pesky over the couch décor problem!! come help me! haha
caroline [the diy nurse] says
Absolutely stinkin adorable. The door, the drops, and the fact that Clara has opinions at that age about design! So precious
Erin @ DIY on the Cheap says
Love this! So, so cute! Now I’m itching to paint a door. :)
June W says
Super love it!! :)
Julie S says
This is a fantabulous project!!! And I do love a pink and navy color scheme for a girl’s room.
Kate says
Love this!! I’m feeling inspired to tackle our 3yo daughter’s room in our new house now. I was just wondering if you considered making a true stencil–that is, the outline of a raindrop rather than the raindrop itself–that you could tape to the wall and then fill in with paint using a roller. You did a great job, but I wouldn’t trust myself to have such a steady hand with the brush!
YoungHouseLove says
I definitely think making a true stencil would work if you had thick plastic or acetate on hand (I wouldn’t trust cardboard since paint gets around the back of a stencil sometimes and it seems like it would be harder to wipe it off cardboard than plastic – so you might have muddled edges).
xo
s
erin says
It’s gorgeous! I want it for my own bedroom, and I’m 31 :)
For the lantern under the canopy, maybe DIY something like this?
http://www.kootutmurut.com/2013/03/30/diy-origami-lamp-shade/
I’ve made a few and once you get the basic idea down, it’s not too difficult.
And I *love* that you are letting Clara decide on things for her own room, even at her age. You guys are such cool parents!
YoungHouseLove says
Love the link! Thanks for sharing Erin!
xo
s
Carrie -WorthPinning says
Really great door color. The girl is destined!
Julia says
I love this! Looks so sweet and reminds me of the Art On Wheels mural at the Street Art festival site! Great job!
Kerily says
So glad you went with the outside the tent option. It looks FAB. I had a polka dot wall as a little girl, very fond memories.
Megan says
I LOVE how this turned out! Such a bright and happy room. And I think it’s hilarious that you had all those paint colors already on hand :)
Stephanie says
That door is amazing. Really. It is such a great pop of color.
Our house is a little strange. All the rooms have vaulted ceilings of varying heights, which makes painting walls very hard. We’ve instead done some accent walls, but maybe a couple punch colored doors will do the trick!
Monica says
I was kind of blue today, and when I saw the final results of this it made me light up feel so very happy – colorful raindrops BEST.THING.EVER – just too cute…Clara is such a lucky little girl.
And that door color!!! Gorgeous.
LARY@Inspiration Nook says
It looks great. Such a pretty room! You win mom of the year award by painting them one by one, I thought it was contact paper.
Katherine says
Love the room! Tell me what the adorable stuffed animal is that is on the bed in the after picture!! Love all that you have done with your houses, I currently rent but am creating the best collection of ideas and designs for when we finally buy – thanks for all the awesome inspiration!
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that little penguin cute?! It was made by a reader for Clara at one of our book tour stops. It’s a penguin dressed up like Burger!
xo
s
Brittany says
that look so fun to paint. It turned out beautifully!
Victoria says
Adorable! Love the rain and the protection the canopy provides. Clara is so clever. She definitely has an artist’s eye. The dark pink door is so beautiful and the whole design looks so good together. I’m so impressed with Clara’s choices. The fact that she designed this and that you worked with her to give her something that she loves and that you love brought a little tear to my eye – so sweet and loving. Love it!
Robyn T. says
I am the grandma of a teenager and even I would love this room for my own! It would be nice to have Clara’s opinion on a few of my projects. HGTV should give her a show of her own. It could be an hour of “Ask Clara-voyant”!!
YoungHouseLove says
Ha!
xo
s
Elisha says
This is re-inspired me to save up for new doors inside my house and paint them black. I so needed this. Thanks!
Tarynkay says
The skimpy canopy does make a lot more sense with the raindrops outside of it- it is more like an umbrella that way. And it is a cute idea, that Clara can be all cozy and dry under her umbrella. I love the painted door, too.
Sara says
I just love it!! The pink door MAKES the room. :)
Stacey C says
Love it! Is it okay that I’m jealous of her room? A pink ceiling, those curtains, a pink door and colorful raindrops!
YoungHouseLove says
Totally ok! I am too.
xo
s
Kat says
Seriously, the door looks amazing. I’m sold on painted interior doors ever since Sarah Richardson did it in her country house mudroom. (remember those awesome red doors?) Actually, I can’t believe this is your first go-round in that dept. I vote for more painted doors in this house! And the raindrops turned out so so cute. Well done! (oh and I love that soft puddle of curtains you got goin’ on there)