Project Updates

Let’s step back and recap: We are unfortunately way over budget, but hey, we’re ahead of schedule! We should be done by May 1. We had a lofty goal of $2,500 for our bathroom renovation, but we’re currently around $3,200. This was our ambitious plan, but we realized all the little things we forgot to take into account along the way: Nails, screws, bags of mortar, caulk… That stuff adds up fast! We do have returns to make which will hopefully bring some balance back to our universe. In the grand scheme of things, that’s still extremely inexpensive for a whole new bathroom that we DIY’d. We’re almost done, and we don’t expect to exceed $3,500.

Knockdown Ceiling

The knockdown ceiling is looking great!

I gave it two coats of primer and one coat of bright white ceiling paint that I had leftover.

Here’s an up close view of the knockdown texture effect.

Priming and Sealing

It’s not exactly rocket science, but here’s a little video of us priming the walls (two coats) and sealing everything with waterproofing goo.

Easy, right?

We bought a five gallon bucket of this primer to hit the ceiling and walls a few times. And don’t forget – the other side of the bathroom (the laundry room) is going to need a new wall.

Picking a Paint Color for the Bathroom

I wouldn’t call myself the paint whisperer, per se, but if you want to call me that, it’s just fine with me 😉  I really really love picking colors for rooms. Who doesn’t? I have no method for doing this; it’s completely on a whim. And it always seems to work out. I think people second guess themselves so much when choosing a paint color that they get wishy washy and end up playing it safe. Yes, you want to live with it for awhile, but it’s only paint! Everything is changeable. Go bold.

We’ve had great luck with Pittsburgh paint colors in the past, so we stuck with the brand.

I originally fell in love with the bottom one, and Joe liked the Simmering Smoke one. So, we met in the middle. We both loved the second to the bottom called Tattle Tail.

Here’s what she looks like. Mmm, that fresh paint smell. (Low VOC, don’t worry ma)

It’s a warm, chocolately color that should pick up colors in our tile. That’s a hint!

I love painting. We’ve found painter’s tape to be cumbersome, so we freehand the edges now. My cutting-in technique isn’t mastered yet, but it works! Sometimes I use a tiny brush and even Q-tips to get it just right.

Two coats later. Needless to say, we love how it turned out. Here is a shot in natural light.

Here is a shot at night with our soft overhead lights.

It’s very warm. The biggest thing I think people worry about when painting a small space is making it look smaller. The perception is that if you paint it a dark color, it will look smaller. But from my experience, this is far from the truth. I’d rather have a small room envelop me than feel washed out. The same goes for wall art. If you use bold wall art, it seems more confident rather than hanging dainty pieces that only call attention to the fact that the room is small. </rant>

What are your strategies, tips or tricks for choosing paint color? I’d love to hear everyone else’s methods!

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