Hip hip hurray! The house finally feels like it’s getting put back together.

I’m so in love with my new board and batten wall. It was such a nerve-racking project. In the end I’m soooo happy I went through with it. It’s made a big difference in my front room. If you are thinking about doing something like it yourself, “I say DO IT!”

I wont type up a tutorial for you because there are already tons out there. But I’ll tell you the basics of what we did.

First you know that I made up some mock up photoshop pictures to get an idea of what style I wanted in my room. Thanks for all who voted. The grid style was the winner by far… so that’s what I went with but eliminated the bottom grid.  I think it turned out just right.

Second, I taped off the wall with the blue painters tape to get an idea of the exact height and measurements I wanted. I think I changed it 4 or 5 or 6 times and finally was so sick of it that I just went with it.

Next, I painted the wall white. I thought this would make the final coat at the end easier and it did.

As far as my supplies went, I bought mdf handypanel that was sized 1/4 in thick and 2×4 feet (I went thin because I didn’t want to have to beef up my tiny baseboards). This was the cheapest option I could come up with. It was only $5.68 for a sheet at home depot and I only used 2. With the help of a neighbor with a table saw we zipped the panel into 3 inch wide x 44 inches tall boards. I also bought 15 feet worth of window molding to match my existing trim and 15 feet of preprimed mdf trim that was something like 1 x 1/2 inches for the little ledge to top off my molding with. Also a tube of liquid nails and a tube of paintable caulking.

Next, I will tell you to measure twice or even three times and glue up your boards once because we had to redo some of the boards. Luckily we had some mineral spirits on hand and that wiped the liquid nails off the wall just fine. Whoo! Close one.

With the help of my good neighbor we got the boards up on the wall in a jiffy. What would I have done with out him?

The next day I caulked and mudded the seams best I could. Don’t look to close okay because it’s not a professional job at all. He he.

I was so excited to finally get the boards all painted! Yea! I might recommend prepainting all the boards and then touch up at the end but I dunno, it worked out fine to paint them on the wall and only took a couple hours for 2 coats.

I love my little ledge. I was unsure about it but love it now.

I’ve finished sewing a few more accent pillows too to go along with my Anthro inspired pillow. Wooh! Luckily sewing a square is a lot less intensive than putting up board and batten.

I think my front room is really coming together quite nicely.

Now, I shouldn’t have an excuse for picking the kids up late from school. Ha!

Now that I have freshly painted walls I figured I needed to get the frames and things off my floor and back onto my wall even though I was enjoying that clean wall feeling. My family needs their house back.

I’ve been wanting to change things up on the big old wall in the great room and now was the perfect chance. I’d seen so many cute wall collages and wanted to do something simillar.

Here’s some inspiration-

or something like this-

I tried really hard to find a Before picture of my wall because, of course, I didn’t snap one when I took everything down. The only thing I could find was a silly video that Emma and Isaac made back in the summer. If you watch in the beginning you’ll get a glimpse of my wall. I was super tired of the hanging vase and dusty shelves.

From 2011-07 (July)

I gathered all the frames that I thought would look decent in my gallery. I started by arranging and rearranging the photos on the floor. I’d seen this method but was too lazy to cut out a bunch of paper. I just went for it.

I was afraid of it looking too cluttery since this great room can get so messy is such a well used room. I took out the smaller frames and thought it looked much cleaner. I dunno, is less more or is more better?

And here’s the finished product. I made a few last minute changes once I had everything on the wall. I used velcro command strips so I didn’t have to bother with nail holes. Loved them although they aren’t the cheapest option. I bought some craft paint and painted the wooden frames and rubbed a little stain on them. The white scalloped one had 4 different colors happen to it. It was a bit frustrating because my little craft paint was the wrong color and I repainted it 4 times. It took up my whole afternoon but I’m happy with the way it all turned out.

Even the hubby made all the “appropriate noises” (as my mom says) when he came home from work.

I had an empty frame that I wasn’t sure what to fill with so I printed out a Valentines Subway Art. I thought these colors worked great with my new color scheme. I’ve always had my eye on subway art but had no where to put it. Now I can switch it out for different holidays.

You can grab it here too if you like.

So my next project is a board and batten wall for my front room behind my couch. If you are unfamiliar with the craze you can check out a some great tutorials and examples here and here and here. I was hesitant on whether or not I wanted to put in the extra work but now I’ve seen a ton of board and batten projects all over the internet and I think it can make a room look so great and put together. But of course I can’t decide if it should be a traditional low style or a high modern looking one or maybe even a grid style. Everyone seems to have their own little twist to it to make it look good in their own houses. Most the examples I’ve seen are higher up on the wall.

I whipped up some mock photoshop versions to help me get a visual idea.  I have this vaulted ceiling and partial wall on the left that make it difficult for me to know how it’ll feel in the room. Ideas?

Low: about  anywhere between 32 to 40 inches high, just enough to see it above the couch. Actually when I look at this picture, maybe lower.

High: 63 inches high, about my eye level.

or grid: still high but with the grid look

Whatcha think? Are you laughing at my photoshopped board and batten walls? Are you thinking about doing it too?

Want to vote because I’m such a poor decision maker?

Thanks very muches.

I can’t make a decision to save my life. My mom knows this. My sister’s know this and my husband knows this. I like to get peoples options.

So when I started paint my front room on Friday and was a bit hesitant on the paint color Erin and I had decided on, classic gray. I had to get every girls opinion on the planet. I had 2 neighbors come over, a friend who was dropping off her daughter for a play date and my mom all come in through out the afternoon and give me their options.

It should have been a clue that I was so unsure because later that night when I had finished painting, I hated it. It was just too white (lacked enough contrast with the trim) and gave off a blue cast. I had thought that it was a warmish gray color from the paint chip and couldn’t tell that it was going to glow blue from the samples I’d painted on the wall. I guess I should have done more research than just looking at paint chips.

So after some tears and a restless night of sleep, I decided that the worst decision would be to live with it. So back to the paint store I went the next morning. I bought 3 more paint samples.

Honestly, looking at this picture I feel a little ridiculous. I understand that it’s hard to tell much from the picture. I know the paint looks tan. Comparing apples to apple, yes?  But first of all, it’s crappy light and secondly, I need someone to tell me to stop using my junky 2 megapixel cell phone camera. (Where on earth is my real camera? haven’t used it in ages.) But have you ever had a paint disaster? It’s an awful feeling. Money wasted. Body super tired. Kids grouchy from mom painting all day. And husband not wanted to help anymore. Sigh.

With the paint samples, we, meaning only me and Jeremy (despite the fact that I wanted to call all my neighbors, sister’s and mom (again)), decided on Edgecomb Gray. (The far right square on the wall.) I had seen it in real life on a friends wall and it had great reviews online. It must be a good, safe, proven choice.

After a very long day of painting, I’m very happy with this beautiful, warm grayish neutral. It was a ton of painting. Not only did I paint the front room but the wall wraps around into the great room and includes the entry way. Big vaulted ceiling. Gosh, I’m tired and sore.

I do feel a little silly painting a neutral over with another neutral. Especially after all this work of doing it twice. I’d really love for it to look noticeably different and improved to others. In real life I think it looks different. My beige/tan color had a bit of a pink hue to it that I wanted to get rid of. The new paint does look great in my house, works with my blue/gray walls and really freshens things up despite the lack of drama. It feels so good I hardly want to put pictures back on the wall.

Before:

After:

My forearms are sore, my back hurts and I’m desperately tired.

On to the next project: Board and Batten wall.

Sorry for my absence. Apparently I can not multitask very well so blogging gets put on the back burner. My energies have been getting used up in other areas of my life.

So what have I been doing? you might ask.

I have been completely and totally obsessed with redecorating my front room. It all started with joining Pinterest. Have any of your lives changed because of Pinterest? Sheesh, mine has. Not only does it give me another reason to be on the computer but it gives me great ideas for cooking, sewing, things to wear, things to do with the kids, and of course decorating ideas. Lots things to keep me distracted from my blog.

So, after hearing that my sister in law found a very affordable interior decorator to help her get that put together look to her own house, I couldn’t resist checking her out for some of my own decoration dilemmas.

My front room has always been place for yard sell furniture and dusty old things that I don’t care to much about. The problem with that is that it’s the first room you see when you walk into my house. I don’t mean to be vain but I want people to have a good first impression when they walk into my house. I want it to be fun, inviting and well put together. I felt like it was time to spruce things up.

My house is very earth toned. I love earth tones. I am naturally drawn to browns. But I really want to add some fun color in the mix. I’m dreadfully tired of burgundy. On the internet I see lots of fun turquoise and oranges, bright yellow and greens. I can’t help but want that. Ahh.

This whole thing actually started in July when I was wanting a bright, fun painted old piano for my front room.

I was a bit stumped, though, on how to do that in my very warm, earth tones house. If I had one room all bright and colorful how would that look or flow with the other rooms. I didn’t know. I thought I’d have to pull down everything off the walls and start all over with a clean slate.

That’s why I enlisted the help of Erin.

She came over, checked out my room, talked about what I was wanting and created a vision board for me. Now before you look to closely at it, I think the hot pink art work is very distracting. It is not going to be like that in my room. You have to try really had to imagine those green. I told her I was happy to do things myself to save money and so she found some art work I could easily make my self. We’ve also picked out a different rung that I think is cuter and the modern chairs are going to be Grandma’s wingback chairs reupholstered for a little more classy look.

Things I’ve done so far:

1. bought a cheep beat up round mirror and painted the frame silver.

2. bought a new lamp, which I’m not loving and might return (unless I decide to do this to the lampshade)

3. I have also stressed and stressed over the pillows. I like her suggestions but was not in love. I have looked and looked all over the place. You can’t imagine what a big ordeal I’ve made out of it. Maybe I’ll write up a whole post about my pillow drama, but in the end I made a pillow inspired by this one and now am ready to get on with some of the other details and coordinating pillows.

The things I’m really excited about getting going on:

1. the board and batten wall against the couch wall.

2. painting the walls a warm gray color.

3. If I ever acquire a piano, painting it a cheery yellow.

4. I might attempt making my own curtains. Maybe something like this but in white.

So that’s it for now. It’s crazy how consumed I’ve been with it all. I’d love to have it all done in a month or so. Perhaps I’m nesting. Ya, let’s blame it on that. I always enjoy seeing before and afters so I’ll keep you posted about it if you’re interested. And maybe a anthro-inspired pillow tutorial. How about that?

Ta ta for now.