Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Red Hot...Maybe Not!

One of you should have warned me about red paint.

You know I've been working on the kids room. It started off easy, I scoured the web for a cute unisex comforter set -- found. I looked for furniture -- found at a bargain, first order denied, second set finally arrived. I chose primary colors with a modern twist then to my surprise I couldn't find a simple dark red shower curtain. Terri tried to help me out even offered up one of her own. Thank you Terri. By that time I had decided that if I could find a nice print I'd make a shower curtain. How hard could that be? It wasn't hard at all. I found the pattern at IKEA and once I realized that I'd have some fabric left over I decided why not make curtains for the windows in the bedroom. Two valance later I had a few more scraps so why not go out buy some fabric, use the scraps and make a valance for the bathroom window too. I won't tell you how far I drove to get a few more yards of this trim I fell in love with.

I never set out to make a shower curtain or window treatments and I definitely never thought about painting. I don't even paint my nails, I go to the salon for that. Well, I called my friendly contract who always fits me in and he said it would take almost two weeks before he could paint. Uh...that just won't work. The furniture was due to arrive Monday morning at 10am. I sat around on Sunday and kept thinking to myself, "Self...I said, don't even think about it you don't know how to paint." I lay on the floor in the kids room looking at the white walls and remembered what my mother always said, "Nothing beats a failure but a try."

I went to Home Depot and met the AlD (for short) the female paint guru. OMG! I took samples of the fabric and knew what I wanted to match. She went on and on and on and on and...well you get it. She went on about paint and drying time. She questioned my color choices and why I was so insistent on painting. She impressed herself with her ability to use to the color match machine to match my color so perfectly. Then she said, "You know with RED paint you have to have a blocking primer." At this point I just wanted my paint but she had to show me the color chart about what happens when you put red paint on white walls, how you have to wait hours between coats. Whatever, I just got up the nerve to paint and she is now trying to rob me of my right to completely mess it up.

I did it! By the time I finished painting the room it was really late at night and I only hoped that it would look reasonably could in the sunlight. Well, I finished the yellow part of the room and bathroom before the furniture was delivered. Today I have to tackle the RED that requires a coat of stinky gray primer and two coats. Thank goodness it is only the trim.

Here is a picture. More to follow.


4 comments:

hazel said...

Good for you for sticking to your guns. You'll get so much satisfaction from painting yourself. (I confess, in addition to giving you my sincere kudos, I am convincing myself to repaint my kitchen myself).

I LOVE the striped fabric. Can't wait to see the room when it's done.

kn said...

Oh my gosh this room is going to be gorgeous!

I paint all the time - I really hate it but it saves a lot of money. Anyway, good for you.

Q's room has a multicolored block (like a quilt) and french blue walls and it's lasted from babyhood and he still likes it. We change art work but not walls or curtains.

This can last them for such a long time!

Great job Mama!

Gracie's Mom said...

Sewing your own shower curtains, painting the room, my my Valerie, I am really impressed. The room looks great can't wait to see the finished product.

Anonymous said...

Wow....that's a lot of work. It turned out very well. Good for you! Now, all you need is 2 giggling kids in there and you're set!

Jan

Original Court Date: April 18, 2009
Final Court Date: May 18, 2009
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