Oh. My. Gosh. 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint with primer and I am done painting the living room! I have finally covered up that strange army green/gray/brown paint. Thank goodness our landlord seems like a flexible guy and gave me permission to paint because I would not have been able to live with that original color!
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I don’t have anything else done in the living room but I wanted to show you how nice the walls look 🙂
This is going to be my cozy reading area! Love my squishy Ikea Ektorp Chair! I still have to hang the mirror, find an ottoman and I think I have a neat idea for the lampshade. I don’t have curtains yet (these are different style windows from our old house so I haven’t been able to repurpose too many of my old window treatments).
My china cabinet is empty. I just pulled out my boxes and boxes of china out of the back of the garage. I need to find my red and white Christmas transferware. I labeled all the boxes I packed but my husband some people did not!
The books are on bookshelves but need to be arranged. I just unboxed them last week – couldn’t deal with all the boxes being in the living room. I don’t like disorder!
I’m so glad that big job is out of the way! Now I can concentrate on organizing and decorating our home!
Here’s the color the walls were when we moved in. You can see why it took so many coats of paint. Going from dark to light is never easy!
So glad I painted!
What a huge difference! I love that color, can you share what it is?
Hi Penny, Left you a comment on your blog but in case you don’t see it. It’s Bistro White by Valspar.
LOVE the new paint – what color is the new paint?
Hi Cheryl, Thank you!
The paint I used in the living room is Bristro White by Valspar (Lowe’s) in a satin finish. I used the Signature line which is their mid-range price point paint with primer. I chose satin because the windows are long and narrow (small) and there’s a front porch that blocks the sun in the front of the house. We get sun at the back of the house but I felt the room could use a tiny bit of sheen to bounce the light around (also why I have that huge mirror next to the window).
Thanks for sharing – we have recently downsized to a smaller home – while the colors are neutral, they are too dark. This might be just the color I’m looking for!!
Well worth the effort($), Manuela! Really “blesses” your home what you’ve accomplished!
Hugs and happy dish-hunting,
Kelley~
Oooooh, very pretty! It just brightens and lightens everything up. I just bought the same red and white pillow covers from IKEA too!
I have a question about those red and white covered books that you placed the plant on. Did you use fabric or scrapbook paper to recover them with? I just think they’re so cute. thank you!
Hi, Thanks and I hope you come back to see the answer to your question since you didn’t leave an email address. 🙂 I made those books with a combination of fabric and wrapping paper (scrapbook paper would work too but get the larger size one otherwise you’ll have to piece paper together to have enough to cover a book). Here’s the link for the fabric covered ones. https://acultivatednest.com/2013/04/diy-fabric-covered-books-as-part-of-your-decor/.
The freshly painted walls, the chair with colorful pillows and the green mirror make the room very welcoming.
Seeing your stack of books made me smile – I have most of those books too!
It looks wonderful and I can see why you needed to paint. I am sure you can truly enjoy the living room now! Have a great week 🙂
I remember those original walls ! You must be SO happy, proud and relieved to have that done and it looks wonderful . I think you should take a day and collapse in that comfy corner! 🙂
Hi Deb, so relieved that’s over since I have so much unpacking to do. No rest for the weary! 🙂
Hundred percent improvement. Wish I did not dislike painting so much.
Enjoy your evening.
Thank you Glenda! Yes, I’m not as fond of painting walls as I used to be. Painting furniture is fun to me. Walls not so much. Especially one’s that take this many coats of paint. My husband wants me to paint the tv room which is a dark gray but that’s going to have to wait until sometime next year (I’m hoping he just forgets about it)! 🙂
Oh, it looks so much better! Can’t wait to see more!
It certainly looks much brighter, Manuela! Come do mine! : ) I actually have to get a move on picking a color for our master bedroom (and probably the bathroom, too), as well as the open floor plan living and dining rooms. I think there may be a good cut off point for the kitchen. My neighbor just had some painting done so I have to ask them if they were happy and get the phone number. The ceilings are too high here so I won’t even attempt to tackle it myself.
I love the new colour! It looks so much brighter and you will enjoy your cozy reading corner with that beautiful chair. Love the pillows and the aqua framed mirror too! Have fun decorating. Pam
It looks fabulous! You certainly have that magic touch (but I already knew that!), the room looks great! Where did you get that great red pillow? I am smitten!!
Thanks so much Kim! That red pillow is from Ikea. Love that place!
I like the color you used. It’s so hard for me to pick colors.
Love the new color! One rental we lived in had one bedroom painted a Pepto-Bismol pink. It was horrible. Thankfully, we were allowed to paint as the previous tenants had done as well. LOL Ivory paint never looked so lovely as it did when we finally covered up that pink!
We have tan walls in our living room–we didn’t paint it when we bought the house 2 years ago. It’s not bad but I want a shade of white to lighten up the room! Maybe that will be one of my next projects.
Manuela, everything looks so pretty and bright! I can see why you chose to repaint over that old color. It’s so much prettier now. The colors you use are going to be great with that backdrop.
Looks a lot brighter and happier!
Soooo much better! That’s a lot of work but at least you won’t feel like you are trapped in a cave this winter. Lol
True story: I was just thinking this morning. (Yes, I think before 6:00 AM) about how dark this house felt when we bought it and how I tried to lighten it all up. I love your new color, and it all looks so good already. Wonder if your landlord knows how blessed he is to have you sprucing up that house…?
OH MY GOODNESS, that looks awesome! The green certainly wasn’t YOU:) Enjoy your day dear friend, HUGS!
You are so ambitious – seriously! I know what a huge job painting is and I am so lazy when it comes to do something like that. Especially in a rental house, I would’ve just left it the ugly, dark color! It does look so much lighter and brighter though. Now I wouldn’t ever want to move again! 🙂
Looks good! So light. I’m more and more attracted to light than the darker colors.
Glad your landlord is ok with painting.
Soooooo pretty!!
I didn’t know you moved. I love the new wall color. Fresh and bright.
Hi Kim!
Yes, we sold our house and we’re renting until we decide where we want to go. Our daughter is finished with school and is completing an internship. So we’re sort of waiting to see where she lands with a job before we buy again (don’t want to be too far from her)
Thanks for stopping by!
Looking good! It’s so fun to see your rental become You!
Don’t you love the selection of red and white papers, pillows, decorations, etc. that are available during the holiday now?!
Thank you! YES!! I love all the red and white things that are available now
Nothing like a nice, fresh coat of creamy white! It looks so much better. Love your pillows too.