White Out: A Master Bedroom Makeover
Well, I’ve taken the plunge… Very uncharacteristically of me, I’ve painted our bedroom white.
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OK, so that’s not actually our bedroom (honestly, I understand it belongs to Jessica Simpson). It is stunning, though, isn’t it? And yes, those of you keeping track, I did just paint my husband’s office this week, as well. Am I a glutton for punishment or what? Actually, I really do enjoy painting (be sure to read the first and second installments of my series on painting), but two rooms in one week while dodging two small children is about all this mama can handle for a while. But I digress… Here is a sneak peek into our bedroom now (with awkward angles so I can show you the color without giving too much away!):
It’s taken me over a year to decide on a color. When we moved in, it was actually a decent grayish beige, but the room is pretty large (17’x17′, I think) with only one small window. And that window gets almost no light because it faces our neighbor’s home just a few feet away. 🙁 So even though I’m usually drawn to richer colors (I have a thing about contrasting the wall color with the trim), I’ve whited out my room. And I love it.
I must say that choosing white is the hardest color I’ve ever chosen. And the awkward light we get in the room made it even harder. We finally landed on Aesthetic White by SW.
We already had textured white bedding pretty close to this from Pottery Barn (our is 10 years old, but it’s similar):
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And I recently bought these curtains from Ikea (at $20 for two panels that will pool on the floor, how can you go wrong?!?!), which have a white-on-white pinstripe that adds more interest and texture:
Via |
And I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to add more interest and textures to the room. Basically, I’m just bummed I didn’t do it sooner!
What sheen is your white paint? Did you chose flat or eggshell? I’m in the midst of painting our bedroom white. With the first coat it’s flat, but I’m not sure if I should paint the second coat with eggshell. Our bedroom is small with little light.
Thanks!
I actually used eggshell in this room. I made the mistake of using flat in much of my last home, and while I like the look, my kids left fingerprints everywhere! 🙂 For a small room without much natural light, eggshell would help reflect some and brighten up the space. Hope this helps!
Rachel, I stumbled across your blog when I was trying to figure out what went wrong with the SW Aesthetic White we tried in the kitchen and dining room. I love the photos of the spaces in your home that are painted Aesthetic White. What floored me was that in our kitchen and dining room and it looks really warm with a lot of beige in it. In your photo it looks so nice and white. Is it more of a warm white for you in person? It caused me to rethink our whole color scheme for the main house. Meanwhile we’re “camping” in the bunkhouse while I go through color anxiety. Love your blog. It gives me hope that I can make our new digs a relaxed, welcoming home for our family. Hope springs eternal.
We have A LOT of natural light in our home and in Southern Texas, we get a lot of sun. I think that makes a big difference. My bedroom is so bright. If you want a truer white, Simply White by Benjamin Moore is always a good pick. Paint colors can be so hard! I hope you settle on a color that you love soon.
Thanks, Rachel. We live in Central Texas, so we get a lot of light, too – depending on which room of the house we’re in. The kitchen, dining, and living room are north facing, though the front door is partially glazed and is south facing which helps with light in the living room. Thanks for the tip on ‘Simply White’ by Benjamin Moore. What color would you do for trim in a ‘Simply White’ room?
You could absolutely use Simply White as a trim color, in a different sheen if you prefer. 🙂