I noticed something the other day. I was looking at my pinterest boards and saw that my Home Decor board had a trend going on. Almost all the rooms I had pinned had white walls. When we were renting I swore once we bought a home I would NEVER have white walls again. And the first thing we did when we moved in was slap a fresh coat of COLORED paint on walls. I always thought that white walls were sterile and boring. They screamed “Help me! I am stuck! I am a rental and can’t be changed!”
So why were all the rooms I pinned white?
Here’s the thing…..
I am stubborn.
Once I stand on my soap box and declare something, I stick to it even when consciously (or unconsciously) I change my mind. Remember my post about why I didn’t major in interior design? Yeah, I do that sometimes.
I decided if I have a board full of white room gorgeousness, I may as well have one room in my house that is white.
And if I hate it, and regret it. Guess what? It’s just paint.
I decided on Monday night that I wanted it white. As in noticed my pinterest board, had this epiphany, and made the final decision all in one hour. And by Tuesday morning the furniture was in the middle of the room.
Never mind that I have 4 unfinished projects littering my house and driveway…..
I painted the room yellow almost two years ago. It was on my birthday in the fall so I remember :) And while it was cheery and fun, I am ok with moving on. Plus, I still have a gallon of it in case I change my mind :P
Behind the couch there was a phone jack and the phone line that was tacked to the top of the baseboards. It has been painted over a bajillion times over the years. I have always hated it but I guess I was too lazy to do anything about it. I took the time this time, to rip that sucker off.
I chipped off the gobbed on paint that glued the cord in place. Then I sanded the crap out of the baseboards until the were nice and smooth.
After prepping the walls and cleaning up my mess, I put my PaintStick to good use! That first coat is always so fun!
I know some of you are panicking. I know some of you think it will be boring and sterile. And it might be. It might be a big fat fail. But in my mind I see a rustic, cottage-y room full of color. It may not be on the walls, but there will be COLOR!
Do you trust me?
What do you think about white walls???
I have the same trend going – every room I love, be it on Pinterest or in a magazine, always has white walls…We are moving to a new house in a few weeks, and it’s a trend I’m going to follow through on, at least in a few rooms…like you said it’s only paint and it can be painted over easily if I decide that I need more color – Can’t wait to see what you do with the room!!
Congrats on your new house! That sounds like so much fun!
For once I am actually on trend. Hahaha……had lots of colored walls, but every ‘re-paint job is bright white. Love it! So fresh and uncluttered. I have lots of color in other ways. Ways that are easier to change out when the mood strikes.
I need at least one room that I can change on a whim. White will do nicely for that :)
I so ready for some white walls too, so I can’t wait to see yours.
I have total faith in you, girl! I’m in the process of painting my whole office white, so we’ll take this leap of faith together! : )
Yay for white walls! I can’t wait to see your office :)
I love white! It’s calming, yet exhilarating all at the same time. Like you said, it gives you a wide open palette of color to choose from when decorating, including art you hang on those walls. I think it will be stunning!
Yes! I can change my mind anytime I want! Although this may not help me with my throw pillow hoarding problem….. :)
i went through every color in the rainbow I think…cuz I had my mind made up that I would have color. Then I walked into a strangers home once and fell in love. She had the palest grey? on her walls. Its called Whiskers from Porter’s Paint. It looks almost white until you put it against true white trim. It’s gorgeous! And very coastal. (I live by the ocean) I get compliments on it all the time! Its definitely staying. My rooms will still be colorful, but that color will come from the decor and accessories. I’m with ya -and I’m already diggin on your white walls! :)
That sound so pretty! And I am jealous that you live so close to the ocean! My husband and I just said today that sometimes we wish we could pack up and move to the Oregon coast :)
When we purchased our fixer upper – the first thing I did was rip out all the old phone jacks. My husband just looked at me weird. We were switching over to cell phones only – so who needs a phone line if you’re not gonna use it. Ripping them out was fun! We’ve lost interest n our remodel project it’s a little more than half completed. Once we started working outdoors that house seemed like something we could do later. Trying to find the motivation to finish this house has been hard. You’re blog helps – Love your Energy! -Carole at Garden Up green
I wish I could rip them all out too but we kept the one in our office. The one in the bedroom and family room though got tossed out :) I have to do the same thing as far as changing from outside projects to inside projects. It is hard to be motivated when you tire of the one thing. It is easier to get motivated for something new!
Once again, we have the same experience! I once declared “white walls are for apartments, they say ‘I don’t own this space and can’t do anything to it'”. Fast forward 15 years and lots of colors later, I’m adding a lot more white to my house!
HA! We are twins a lot aren’t we? Yes, they used to scream rental to me too. I hope I can pull it off they way it looks in my head and that it doesn’t just look the same as when we first moved in.
I have always been so afraid of white paint, my whole house is creams and browns which are so boring. I always look forward to what you are doing next and can’t wait to see your finish room :)
I just told my husband yesterday that I find it funny that most people are scared to paint their walls a color and here I am nervous to paint it white! HA! You and I are in that club together :)
I think you change your wall colors of your home as often as I change my living room furniture placement (um, a lot! and it drives my hubby crazy, haha!) Your “after” projects are always gorgeous, but I know the “in progress” states of construction are not always fun or pretty. How does your family manage with all the “under construction” projects going on in your house all the time?
I have been this way our whole marriage, even when we were renting. So I don’t think anyone here knows any different :) My husband grew up in a home where the decoration his mom put up when they moved in are the decorations that are still there……30+ year later. And the furniture never changed places. So it probably should bug him, but he likes small changes here and there. I guess I lucked out. My boys are going to grow up thinking this is normal. HA!
I love it! You can always add different colored accents around the room, and change it up more!!
I love light walls! I’m not super great with mixing colors, so I would rather have a clean slate to work with so I can add color in things that can be easily removed! I’ve very visual so I have to see things to know if I like it or not… repainting the walls every 2 weeks probably isn’t high on my husband’s to do list ; ) I LOVE the white walls!
I think it’s cute that you decided in one evening and by the next day your furniture was moved! Thank goodness I’m not the only one who makes sometimes quick decisions like that.
This is crazy! i just painted our yellow guest room a creamy white today, and then I read this post. Great minds think alike. I was so over the yellow.
I painted my bedroom white and I painted the ceiling black. With the white cove crown molding my brother and I installed and a beautiful silver and white pendent light fixture the room is very cozy. Most people don’t even notice at first that the ceiling is black.