Munch's new room is fabulous. I've shared a few images here and there but I am very excited to finally share some of the details. We have started 2017 with a mission to update Munch's wardrobe because she has grown so much... in all areas. Yo, nobody warned me about the things that grow on little girls... nobody... I know what you're thinking and I know I was once a little girl but still. I'm struggling to remain composed but every time I look at her, I notice something else has 'sprouted.' It's frikkin' awkward and I will prob wind up sharing the roller coaster of emotions that comes with a pre-pre-teen and with being the mom of a pre-pre-teen. Anyhoo, I digress. My kid is ten years old and she wears a size 12. Her legs are longer than I planned for them to be so donating clothes and refreshing her wardrobe and telling her to wear boots with certain short pants and purchasing under garments... and purchasing NEW under garments and deodorant and then STRONGER deodorant... UGH. I need a moment.
Two claps for my Jane the Virgin fans.
via GIPHY
You get my point. Sorting clothes means I've spent some time in her new room. I realize the space, while it is much smaller than her old room, functions very well. She loves her space. Heck, I love her space. We both enjoy it but it hasn't always been that way.
When she first saw the room, Munch loved the bold accent color. I didn't mind the color but, for the furniture placement we had in mind and the overall decor we planned for the new room, it didn't work. The small room has character and surprisingly, despite its location on the back of the house, it gets a lot of natural light. This was the only room on the top level to receive a paint job from the previous resident and owner. I knew I needed to paint the entire top floor but didn't want to spend a lot of money selecting different colors (i.e. gallons of paint) for each space. I chose a multi-dimensional neutral color. It's a brown-based gray and it is so versatile! Depending on the light, it can appear gray or greige or tan or cream... it's cool and warm, neutral but makes a statement... it's really awesome and I am so happy with the choice!
You can see the color against antique white in the above photo. In the case of Munch's room, I knew the neutral color would brighten the space. Using a bright neutral color is a tried-n-true trick to make small spaces appear open and larger. Another paint trick is to create visual interest with stripes.
You can see the tape for the stripes in Munch's room in the above photo. Vertical stripes in a room can give an illusion that walls are taller. In Munch's room, I decided to get a gallon of the same paint color in high gloss and to use vertical stripes as an accent behind her bed. It was subtle until the sun was shining then, it was AMAZING!
You see the evidence. I was worried the transition from her large room to the smaller one would require major adjustment but the kid LOVED it as soon as we finished! With the walls done, we were able to put the furniture in place and to begin building the design of the room. Just because I love a good before and after, check out the awesome transformation of the space with PAINT alone! Guess what? these images are unedited; the difference is just that real!
Things to note when painting stripes in a small space:
- BE INTENTIONAL: avoid overwhelming the space with stripes by choosing an accent wall.
- BE PRECISE: there are many tools to ensure your lines are straight.
- TOOLS MATTER: get the right tape. We used a high quality tape but have since fallen in love with frog tape for jobs like this.
OH, I almost forgot, we added two horizontal stripes on the closet/entry wall for added visual interest and to incorporate a faux built-in idea I had.
Can you see the horizontal stripes in the mirror? It was just two stripes in the high-gloss paint. I'll share more about that idea later this week!
Techniques like this don't have to be left to the professionals. YOU can add visual interest and detail to enhance your space. YOU can do small things to have a big impact.
Let's make 2017 the year to MAKE our places what we want them to be!
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