Tuesday, March 22, 2011

A Striped Risk


Well, my hope had been to have the kids' play room finished by the middle of March, and we are getting closer and closer to the end of the month.

I wish I could tell you that I'm done, but I'm not.

But I sort of have a good excuse, and I'm really happy with the progress I've made.

You see, back in mid-January, I was right on track, having made the curtains:


And then, at the end of January, I continued to be on schedule with paint.

In the shadowy mid-day, the green was beautiful. 

 

But at night, when the florescent lights burned bright, the paint was electric!  I mean, every time I walked upstairs at night, my eyes were on fire!


I hated it.

I had wanted bright and cheerful, not neon.

So I knew I could either repaint everything a different shade of green or take a major risk and try my other idea:  Stripes!

Using this room as an inspiration...

2009 Texas Idea House

I decided to take the plunge.

I pulled some colors from the curtains and bought some sample-sized containers of paint at Lowe's.  Then, I started taping off stripes with no real plan in mind.  (That is some real risk, my friends.)

I did a few stripes each day, partly because the paint needed to dry between stripes, and partly because it was time consuming, and I'm too busy to spend all day in my kids' play room!


When I was about halfway done with the stripes, I started to get really nervous.  The walls still looked pretty neon, and I wasn't sure I was loving the stripes.  And the bad thing about stripes is, once you've painted them, you're semi-committed.  I mean, it is only paint, but because of multiple layers of paint on each stripe, the wall gets uneven, so you can't just paint over them without sanding drywall.

I decided to trust my gut and keep going.  (I was just glad it was my house and not someone else's!)

Well, I am so glad I trusted my instincts!  When all was said and done, it was so worth it!!


Now that the paint is complete, the curtains are in place, the pillows are done, and the new lamps are on the shelves, I'm in LOVE!


It all ties together, it is bright, colorful, and cheerful without being neon, and it looks clean and contemporary.

I love the way the white furniture pops against the walls, and I love that the hints of red tie in subtly without making the room look Christmas-y.  I can just see a large white frame of some kind between those windows!


Sometimes it is important to trust your intuition, even when it's scary.  And sometimes it is okay to get a little behind schedule.  I'm glad I did, because the risk paid off.


I still need to figure out the lighting, find just the right pieces to hang on the walls (that may take a while!), and finish accessorizing.  But we're getting there, and I couldn't be happier.

What risks have you taken lately?

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(I'm linking up to National (Not Really) Take a Risk Day on The Nesting Place.  Go check out some risks that others have taken, too!)

12 comments:

  1. This is so fun! I love the stripes. Looks like a cheerful playroom to hang out in! :-)

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  2. So fun and fabulous. Glad you went with your instincts too.

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  3. Came over from the Nester to say how much I love your stripes! They definitely add some fun to the room as well as tone down the neon green. Congrats on the successful risk!

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  4. Oh my heavens! This is the coolest idea! I love that you took the risk and painted the stripes. They look so good! I think a big white frame with a black and white picture of the kiddos would look great (but that is pretty expensive). Also- maybe a big huge framed corkboard so that you could hang up their artwork?

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  5. Stopping by from the RISK party! :) The room looks so pretty and cheerful! What a great job you did... the stripes look fantastic!

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  6. Love them! I think it looks like a super fun room :)

    xo

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  7. This is so cute! I love the stripes!

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  8. Everything looks great! I love your ideas! What about using various sized white canvases to paint the kids sillouhettes (in color), print their handprints and footprints and assemble them in a semi-organized collage, bound by a white frame? :-)

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  9. The stripes look wonderful, I painted some in my 5yr old's room and she LOVES it. Just enough punch to jazz up a space.

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  10. I like Katie Jones' idea of a Black and White of the kids in a white frame. It would look great against the stripes! Here's a link to a blog that I follow:
    http://iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com/2011/03/superhero-bedroom-part-4.html
    She had a Black and White picture printed as an "engineer blueprint" at Staples for only $2.99 for a 2ft. by 3ft! It would be worth a try! And you could even do something fun like she did in Picnik (have you ever used it---I LOVE it!)

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  11. I am so glad i stumbled across your blog! as an Interior Designer by profession i LOVE seeing other's ideas and works-in-progress! even though my professional work requires more floor plans and computer work i love checking out decor ideas for my own home. and your striped playroom - AWESOME - such a great job - so fun and interesting and cheerful - i love it! *hope to keep up with your blog from time to time!
    -a designer mom in MD

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  12. shut up. I am so going upstairs next time I come to the house. LOVE it. I had a stripe in our old house in our bedroom. It was such a pain to do and I really liked it, but I cannot imagine multiple stripes. i wanna come play in that playroom! I know the kids love it. :)

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