Nursery Remodel is DONE!
When we had our new carpet installed, we had to move everything so that it was not in the way of the installers. This meant that every piece of furniture in the nursery and our bedroom was shoved into the office in a tetris-like fashion, as the office will eventually have laminate flooring and not carpet. After the carpet was installed, I had a “brilliant” idea. Why put all the furniture back when we can finish the rooms first and then empty our office? So, over three months (whoops) and dozens of Home Depot trips later, the nursery is finally done! Scroll to the bottom for the side-by-side before and after photos!
Here was my to-do list for the room:
Remove: wallpaper
Replace: baseboards, carpet, light fixtures/switches, outlets, broken closet doors
Scrape popcorn ceiling and re-texture
Paint: walls, ceiling, vinyl window, trim, doors, closet interior, baseboards
Amazon Crib | Crib Rail Covers | Etsy Winnie the Pooh Book Quote Print | Etsy Winnie the Pooh Illustration (Left) | Etsy Winnie the Pooh Illustration (Right) | White Frames | Winnie the Pooh Stuffed Animals | IKEA Floating Shelves | Table and Chair Set | Circle Rug | Curtains | Curtain Rod | La-Z-Boy Recliner | Winnie the Pooh Changing Pad Cover
Paint Selections:
Walls: Behr Dolphin Fin (Eggshell)
After many, many swatches and samples (10 or 15 if I remember correctly), I finally found the perfect shade of gray to contrast our white trim. I wanted something that was a true gray, no undertones, but that did not darken the room. A little research told me that Dolphin Fin was the most popular Behr gray, so I skipped the sample and bought four gallons. I wouldn’t normally do this, but I was exasperated after buying four gallons of another color, only to find out it looked nothing like the sample—and I had painted two whole rooms before noticing this (I was hoping it was just the lighting as I was painting at night. It was not…). So, impulsivity took over and I jumped straight on the Dolphin Fin bandwagon. I don’t regret it one bit.
Primer: Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer
Before painting all trim and doors, make sure to sand and prime first! I made this mistake in another room and ended up with paint that just peels right off the previously glossy door and trim. I made sure to avoid this mistake in the nursery and it turned out much better!
Trim: Behr Ultra Pure White (Semi-Gloss)
I knew from the start that this would be my trim/door colors. I wanted bright white, and the Ultra Pure White (which happens to be the default base color) was as white as I could possibly go.
Doors: Behr Ultra Pure White (Satin)
Exactly like the trim, but slightly less shiny since it covers a greater surface area. My default sheens are eggshell for walls, semi-gloss for trims, satin for doors/cabinets, and flat for ceilings.
Ceiling: Behr Swiss Coffee (Flat)
I wanted the ceiling to have a slight bit of color so that there wasn’t too much stark white in the room. I also picked the creamy white so that it would provide enough contrast if I ever decide to install Ultra Pure White crown molding in the future.
Window: Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2x Paint + Primer (White, Flat)
After researching how to paint almond-colored vinyl windows, I came across an article recommending Rust-Oleum Paint + Primer spray paint, stating that it has high coverage and is long-lasting. I was desperate, so I jumped right in and it turned out great! So much better than the dated almond color!
Hardware, Baseboards, Lighting:
These handles aren’t 100% black, more of a dark brushed bronze. However, it looks basically black in person and they were about $10 cheaper than the other “fancier” options. That savings may have been worth getting a more modern-looking black handle, but when you add up all the handles in the house that need replacing (about 15 in total), that $10 really adds up. Our rule of thumb for this renovation seems to be to save money wherever possible in each room so that we can put that money towards the kitchen remodel.
I wanted something that looked a bit more modern to distract from the fact that we have not-so-cute flush hollow core doors. The old closet doors were totally busted, so I could have purchased nicer looking doors. However, if I did that, I think I would have had to replace the interior door to match. And if I did that, I’d have to replace the rest of the interior doors in the house…it’s a bit of a snowball effect that would have added a way too much to our budget. So, flush hollow core closet doors it is. I think the horizontal placement of the modern handles makes it look slightly better though.
The previous baseboards were dark wood and only a couple inches tall, which I think made them look extremely dated. I opted to go with tall modern looking 5” baseboards in Behr Ultra Pure White (Semi-Gloss) to match the trim color.
I love this ceiling fan because the blades are reversible—I opted for the all-black look to match the reset of the hardware. Plus, it was only $99, which is a steal as far as nice ceiling fans are concerned! I plan on having a matching one in the master bedroom as well.
