Friday, May 13, 2011

63 May Challenge: Project "Projects" {Boy's Bedroom - Part 3}

I don't know how I made it out of there alive.  Or sane.  In fact, I am going to be brutally blog honest... stripes are not my friend.

Rewind.

We are purely crazy in the Jones casa and felt that we had to do what we can to quickly complete the half finished boy's bedrooms before we start moving our house around to finish the lower level.  And as you may recall, I left you with half taped walls...


A couple of days later... we finished taping around the whole room!


The hubs measured all of the stripes down from the ceiling and from about the same point of the ceiling to ensure they were all perfect and straight.  Good man!

I had read some tips online about painting stripes on textured walls, and they all mention to paint a small coat of the under-wall color, over the edge of the tape to create a seal/lock, which won't allow the new color to get underneath the tape when it goes on.


So I did!


{It's weird how the different times in the day the walls look different shades of blue...}

Once I waited for the paint to dry, I started rolling on the second color, Pittsburgh Paint/Primer combo, Cityscape.  I have to mention, the first blue was a satin, the next lighter blue was also a satin finish.  Satin + Satin = Satan.  OK, no more negative Nelly, but it wasn't a great combo.  Even with built in primer, the stripes had to be two coated.  Boo to two coats.  This didn't make this gal happy.  Two boys in limbo of a finished room makes for too much commotion.  So, in the end, this project took FOREVER since I mentioned, I wanted it done in 10 minutes.

And as much as I totally wish I would have gotten this moment on film, I didn't, but I can't leave out the fact that I was standing on a small chair to paint the higher stripes, and completely fell off, right into the paint tray below.  Yep, paint splashed everywhere, kid's sleeping in the rooms down the hall, the hubs was at golf league, and I was left standing there on one foot, contemplating my next move and giggling at the chaos that had just went down.  I eventually hopped all the way to the closest bathroom, praying that I wouldn't trip or tip over before finding the bathtub to wash up!

When Bryan returned home from golfing, together we whipped out the rest of the painting and got both coats done in one night, including the inside of their closet.

Then, came the moment of truth.  The part I was biting my finger nails over.  The tape pulling.  It was either going to be pretty, or the opposite.  It was either going to make me grin big, or give me waterworks.  Go BIG or go home....


Oh my greatness, it was pure perfection!


Incredibly straight stripes on awfully textured walls!  Enter GIANT sighs of relief!!!

Once the paint was dry, I couldn't wait to get the outlet covers back on and hang the curtains to gain a better feeling of the room!


Do I dare say it?  It's the hub's fault actually.....  he said it reminded him of jail.  Jail colors, jail stripes, just plain jail...

However, I know the magic that textiles and furnishing and artwork can do to a space.  Most rooms in my house had me nervous at first, but by layering in multiple elements, they always have a way of magically pulling together and working themselves out.  Fingers crossed that happens here!

And what kind of mom would I be if I neglected to deal with the fact the kids have been sleeping on the floor for two weeks.... of course, there are absolutely worse things, but I couldn't wait to get those mattresses up off the ground and onto some new single beds.

The bunk beds, were HUGE.  They swallowed the itty bitty room whole.  The room is actually only 9 x 11.  That's like a sardine can.  And I know I am absolutely a crazy lady for thinking that two twin size beds can fit in a sardine can, but I have an awful hatred towards bunk-beds.  I just can't stand them.  I know they are a practical space saving solution and have been around for eons because they are practical in offering needed space in a shared bedroom.  However, and it's a big however.  I L O V E laying with the kid's at night.  We chat, sing, read and snuggle.  At bed time or in the middle of the night, I adore those moments more so than any other.  But it's not so easy with bunk beds.  The poor kiddo on the top bunk never seems to get as much snuggle time at night or in the morning, and it's not easy for me to even hoist them up there while they are half asleep....  And I can't for the life of me figure out how to make the bed on the top...

So I absolutely refused to reconsider bunk beds as the new option, although, my husband begged and pleaded with me. 

Considering we are always on a limited budget, the first place I headed to was Ikea to look for a bed frame/headboard combo.  When did beds get so expensive?  Furniture stores and even Target were crazy prices, and as much as we would have typically gone with a DIY version to save boatloads of moola, we have limited construction space as the garage is all lower level storage at the moment.  Time is also a giant factor.  Ikea was the only place that could offer somewhat reasonable prices... so we went with two of these guys...


I am the first to admit they aren't the most attractive bed.  But here is our logic.  I will be spray painting them at some point.  I will just say that now.  Or even adding a solid slipcover to the headboard?  If only I knew how to sew.  However you want to slice and dice it, they are modifiable {biggest win for me}, yet offer inexpensive off of the floor mattress support.  Not to mention, for the teeny tiny room, they are pretty compact options as well, and high enough off of the floor that we can come up with some incredible under bed storage solutions.

Because my man knows I can fix curtains all by myself, he also trusted me to put together the new beds... Before you know it, I will feel like I can use crazy power tools, re-tile our ugly back-splash or even demo a giant wall in the house....  stay tuned as I grow into my big girl pants....


Here is what the room looks like in this very second of the day....


What I love... the stripes are slowly getting better as items are being added to the room.  The red with all the blues is GREAT.  It feels brand new and fresh!  The different patterns and textures are F U N!  The boy's adore it, and that's the most important part!


What I don't love?  We absolutely have to find some box springs to raise the mattresses even higher and make the beds feel more substantial in the room {we didn't have box springs with the bunk beds, so we are currently without}.  There is no artwork on the walls {YET} to break up all of the blue.  SO much blue going on right now.  The room is small {that won't be changed}.  The carpet is the worst, must remove and find some sort of hardwood {someday}.  The dresser will have to be removed and the closet will have to be completely utilized for clothes.  I need to get creative in storing the rest of their toys and books and belongings in the space...


We are lucky that we plan on adding a playroom back into the lower level, and I like the idea of keeping the bedrooms more for relaxing, sleep and quiet time... so the limited space isn't as much of a factor when it comes to play, but more when it comes to storage.  I love a good challenge though, that's when I am forced to be the most creative!

For now, I found an old white cabinet from downstairs, to use for some of their books and a lamp...


But we have a ways to go!

So that's how the room is coming to fruition!  And I do actually have a secret crush on the stripes and I probably wouldn't be so bitter about the process of getting from A to B, f I wouldn't have lost my balance on that chair... chuckles!

There is still so much more to do, but it's already quite the transformation.  After days of deliberation, I ended up ordering this light fixture, and I can't wait to see what that brings to the space!  I am still on the hunt for a giant world map and we need to get the closet designed and installed this weekend.  But these things don't happen over night... so stay tuned for more project fun!


Before:




After:



So what do you think so far?  What do you love and not love?  What are your feelings on bunk beds?  Love 'em or the opposite?  Anyone else feeling accomplished this month?  Any fun projects in the works for this weekend?


I decided a little challenge would be fun! This month we are getting all those projects done!  Any project big or small counts!  Wanna join?  Take photos and blog about your awesomeness as you go!  I am hoping to do a giant, "We did it!" celebratory post where we can all link up our project completing success stories at the end of the month!

63 comments:

  1. I love the new stripes! Looks great!

    www.ashleyfalkenburginteriors.blogspot.com

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  2. Oh Jen I LOVE it, i love canvas with the airplane, the stripes the red pops of color and the beds, everything compliments each other very well

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  3. IKEA has a great world map!

    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70119430

    It is very high quality, I saw it in the store last weekend, I thought is would be great in an office to!

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  4. I love the tip about painting a 'sealer' coat with the base color. I have tried stripes & just end up getting so frustrated because on a textured wall ... well, you know! :) Thanks & looks great!

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  5. Jen, I think you did an incredible job. It just amazes me how the stripes work so well with the linen and bed. I know you are going to come up with something incredible for the artwork.

    I am with you on bunk beds...they are very awkward (had to deal with them in college...boo!) As far as accomplishments...the hubby and I are just happy to have two coats up on our upper cabinets. We will continue to work on them throughout the weekend. I cant wait to be done with my kitchen because I'm itching to get into another space. Anyway have a great weekend and again, great job!

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  6. OOo... I really like those stripes! And the bedding looks perfect in the room!!!

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  7. Love the stripes...we too have the same textured walls and now you're giving me all sorts of inspiration to do something really amazing in my room as well as the boys room!!!

    Thanks for sharing I think you're pretty awesome!

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  8. I like those beds. Much better than bunks. I think they would look great painted red. They'd really pop and I like how the horizontal bar echo the stripes on the walls.

    I'd also suggest some bright white outlet covers which would better match the woodwork and ceiling. The woodwork looks white from here and the outlet covers look like more of a cream, and replacing them will make a big impact.

    Lovely job.

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  9. What a transformation! You've worked so hard. I'm totally with you on not preferring bunk beds. I hate climbing up to the top. Also, often, you can't actually sit on the lower one, which is a pain. I think you made a great choice.

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  10. You TOTALLY should paint the beds that bright red! That would be sooooo cute. I love this room. It is totally inspiring me. I have 3 little men and they need a cute place to sleep!

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  11. YOU GO GIRL! I LOVE IT! I SERIOUSLY think your new beds are so cute and perfect for the boys. The srtipes are to die for. Love the pillows and the pop of red! Awesome job! Oh and I'm glad you didn't land on your head in the paint. That could of been BAAADDD! Heehee!

    Jennie {CInnaberry Suite}

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  12. Wow Jen! Great work. I love it. And I absolutely postively cracked up at the thought of you falling into a paint tray...only because I did that when we were doing this house. Luckily my husband had covered the hardwood floors with painters paper. And I agree. Bright red beds would be ADORABLE in that space.

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  13. It looks AMAZING in there! You have the most awesome sense of decorating and organizing. If you lived in Indiana, I swear I'd hire you!

    I love the stripes! I couldn't even get up the courage to do ONE stripe around my boys room, so there's one painted wall and 3 plain walls with no stripes. Sigh.

    As for bunk beds, we just bought my nephew's bunk beds for our two boys. They can be stacked or used as two separate beds. I'd hoped to use them as two separate beds, but they swallowed up the small room. The only way we could make it work was to block entrance to half of the closet. I'm amazed that you made it work in such a small space!

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  14. That looks great. It really made it seem like an "older" room. :) I love the crisp look!
    ILoveLucyJean

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  15. I love the new stripes. And you know what? I've had tons of people ask where we got Vincent's bed, but because it's a hand me down, I refer people to the same IKEA beds. I really think those beds would look fantastic painted a bright, fun color. A fire engine red would be perfect in your situation. Can't wait to see what else you do. :)

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  16. I SO wish I knew about that little paint trick when I was painting the stripes on my Isaac's wall. Now I know for next time! Although, I secretly want to redo his room now...

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  17. It sounds like your sagas in painting are similar to mine :-) So cute that you shared that! It's also hilarious that you shared your husband's comment about jail; as soon as I read it, I was thinking "He's right!". But I LOVE your design work, and am looking forward to what other fabulous ideas you'll come up with to complete the transformation!
    I think you're brave posting your progress in partial stages! I've been working on a re-do of my kids room too, but I was afraid to post pics until it was completed (idk why). I'm hoping to "finish" this weekend, and post the reveal Monday on www.heartandhaven.com

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  18. I love the stripes! You're right, they did turn out amazing on textured walls! I have to say I'm a bit surprised that the taping trick worked so well, we always have issues with the tape peeling off some of the new paint when we tear it off!

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  19. I love it so much! I can't wait to see the final finished product! I also can't wait to see what you come up with for under bed storage. I am in need of some good ideas for my son's bedroom! :)

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  21. I absolutely love it! Funny how your hubby said the stripes remind him of jail. My hubby said the SAME thing about our half bathroom we painted with stripes.

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  22. What an amazing room! I love the stripes and agree that the walls totally change when you start adding things into the room. The red adds a really nice pop!
    I love the look of bunkbeds but am not a fan in reality. I'm sure at least one of my boys would end up with some kind of serious injury!

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  23. LOVE it!
    I always LOVED blue and red for a boys room! I love the blue bed spreads too and especially that stripped wall :)
    Lots of Love
    Ashli

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  24. The room looks great! I have seen great giant maps at IKEA...I actually wanted to use one in my son's bedroom at some point.

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  25. I love the room. The beds will look fab when painted red or maybe even yellow. Great little tip on painting stripes.

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  26. It looks wonderful so far! Perfect for your growing boys. Not too young looking but still playful enough to be a kid's room. Can't wait to see what else you add to this space.

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  27. LOVE it ... you've done a stunning job! Can't wait to see what storage you create under the beds ... :)

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  28. Loving the colors and those beds!

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  29. LOVE it!! I'm so glad you mentioned painting the tape with the color underneath. I just painted one dark brown wall in my living room and could not get the line straight at all. The wall was too bumpy, even with the tape. I'm going to try it your way. I think it will work for me. Thanks so much!!

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  30. Love it! I love everything about it! The stripes turned out great. It really made the room look more grown up. It's coming along so nicely. Thanks so much for the tip for those perfect paint lines. We tried the frog tape thinking that would solve our problems, but it really didn't. Now I feel like we finally have a solution. Thanks for sharing!

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  31. Oh Jen - I swear we are long lost sisters! I've been trying to decide how to do my baby boys room for a few months now (I've learned my lesson on designing everything around a nursery and instead thinking ahead to what it will look like as a big boy room!) A couple years ago I ran a little online home decor site and held onto a few vintage style transporation items, just in case I had a boy. The colors are red and dark blue.. and I was thinking grayish blue stripes on the wall would be perfect. :-) What's funny is that even after reading about your awful painting experience, just seeing the pictures makes me want to do it anyway! I was always worried about stripes on textured walls... love that yours turned out so perfect! (By the way, if you decide you could incorporate a round metal railroad sign into the room... I'll totally send one to you. I have an extra. :-) I'll have to find a picture - but it's dark blue with a red X and distressed to look vintage.)
    As always, thanks for the inspiration!

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  32. It looks great! I actually like the bed frames, they are boy-ish. The stripes came out great.

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  33. Jen,
    May I just say, that in my opinion, IF you can paint stripes as perfect as those ones, THEN I firmly believe you could SEW a perfectly straight seam/hem/stitch! :) Trust me, you just need to get a sewing machine. I found mine at a garage sale quite a few years back and I have LOVED it!! I guarantee, with your talent, YOU would be great at it!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the stripes!! More than adorable! AND I'm with you on the bunk beds. My two middle guys share a room and I purchased twin beds that can either be set up as bunk beds or two singles. I chose to use them separately.
    DaNita

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  34. It looks wonderful! I love the color palette you chose and it is such a "big kid" room now!!! yay! <3

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

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  35. looks great! I think a slipcover of white with red or yellow piping would look awesome.. or maybe blue and white check piping?!?! I don't know why, but I'm feeling like some yellow accents would look great in the room. I'm thinking of doing the slipercover thing myself on y boyfriend's little girls bed... it was a craigslist find that isn't too pretty.

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  36. Jen! It looks SO GOOD! I absolutely love it! I have no idea how to decorate for a boy (my last baby is our only boy and just over one) and you have given me some great ideas for when he grows out of the nursery. I'm so impressed at how perfect your stripes look. AMAZING. Any color you decorate with now is really going to pop against the blue. Great job and thanks for sharing. I love the way you are posting the whole process and not just before and afters. So much fun reading your blog!!! :)

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  37. The before looked good, but then the after was even better. It looks so calming and clean now.

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  38. Oh Jen, I love it! Does not look like jail at all to me, esp with the furniture and the red items, it has some kind of maritime feeling IMO! You did a great job!

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  39. This is amazing! You are fabulous.

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  40. I like the stripes - love the colors. Really like the headboards - light - probably make the room seem larger - w/ two beds. Re: bunk beds - the concept is good - but I hate them - I bought them once for my two sons, and had the store come get them a couple days later. Very difficult to make the upper bunk - and the way boys roughhouse, I was afraid someone would fall.
    Weekend project plans include finishing mosaic project I started a couple weeks ago. Three concrete mushroom heads for garden - looking drab - created some bling w/ mosaic. Also covering a large frame using mosaic and will put a mirror in the frame for front porch space. Will grout today or tomorrow - turning out great!

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  41. I have this world map in my office: http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?startat=/getposter.asp&APNum=2882605&CID=654CFACB2D0140F1AD389EE7B5933C18&PPID=1&Search=world%20map&f=t&FindID=0&P=1&PP=11&sortby=PD&c=c&page=1 I don't know if it's large enough, but it's three feet wide by 2 feet tall and you can find a frame easily. And for $6 or 7 bucks, not too shabby. Or this one for a more fun color palette: http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?startat=/getposter.asp&APNum=5072095&CID=654CFACB2D0140F1AD389EE7B5933C18&PPID=1&Search=world%20map&f=t&FindID=0&P=1&PP=28&sortby=PD&c=c&page=1 Or this one which comes in a 55 by 39 inch for $17: http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?startat=/getposter.asp&APNum=408975&CID=654CFACB2D0140F1AD389EE7B5933C18&PPID=1&Search=world%20map&f=t&FindID=0&P=2&PP=28&sortby=PD&c=c&page=2 Or, for a more modern look, a vinyl decal: http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/interactive-art/ Just a few option for you. I would continue to look at Allposters.com Can't wait to see what you do. :)

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  42. I love how the room is turning out. It's just the style I want for my twin sons. They're only 18-months old so I have some time and look forward to the final reveal.

    If you're looking for a cheap no-sew way to dress up the headboards, use bedsheets. Twin-sizes are pretty cheap and big enough to give you extra fabric. Just drape over the top or weave into the rungs. If they slide off (and with boys that's bound to happen), add some velcro or simple ties (they can be hand sewed or glued).

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  43. Love the room. The beds are really cute. You don't even need to know how to sew to cover the headboard. On the Nate Berkus show, he just draped a Dash and Albert rug over the headboard and it looked great! I say if it's good enough for Nate, it's good enough for me. I tried to find a picture, but could not find one. I've also seen a quilt draped over with ties sewn on the sides so you can secure it.

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  44. It looks WONDERFUL! Love the new beds. Have you used the same quilts just turned the other way? The colour of them looks lovely.

    Really like the red. Like the ideas of painted the beds red OR the slip covers with red piping! Maybe you could photoshop your pictures to see if you like the idea?

    Give sewing a go - it isn't that hard and it looks like you can do anything you want to.

    Next time please set up a video camera on a tripod to catch any "accidents"!!

    Birdie

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  45. I think it looks great already! The twin beds make sense - I can see why you wanted a change from the bunks. And I agree that the Ikea beds aren't the most gorgeous beds ever made, but they look sturdy and also your accessorizing makes them look just fine. Slipcovering the headboards is a great idea. I think you could sew it (if you have a machine) but if you aren't so sure, I'd be happy to whip up some slipcovers for you. I'd just need the dimensions.

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  46. Love the stripes! can't wait to see the bed makeovers.

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  47. The boy's room looks amazing! The stripes are just perfect! Great paint tip. I will have to try it. I also love the bed linens. Where did you get them? I have been looking for something similar for my son's room, but everything is either too expensive or the material is very cheap looking.
    Awesome job Jen!!!!

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  48. It looks so good!! I just saw this tutorial and thought of you and your ikea beds! http://www.organized-design.com/search/label/ainsley%27s%20bed

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  49. This is very similar to what I want to with my boy's room (9'x 10'). I plan on getting the bunk beds that you can unstack and stack, just in case we end up with two or three boys instead of just the one we already have. That way I can have them unstacked and placed similar to yours or if necessary stack them and add a trundle under the bottom. By then the oldest will be too old to want to snuggle. :) I plan to do the same with the girl's bedroom (9' x 9') as well.

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  50. Love love the stripes! This room is fabulous! Can you tell me where you got the pillow on the beds? Esp the the striped ones? I {heart} them!

    Thanks

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  51. Great job! Looks fresh and perfect for a cool boys room. You will have to give the dish on where you got all the bedding the perfectly coordinates in the space.

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  52. We must have been painting stripes at the same time! My hubby and I are moving and I went up to the new house to paint my son's room before we bring the furniture in and let's just say I was disappointed in paint and primer as well! I bought the Behr brand and thought one coat would do it, NOPE! So glad to know I was not alone! =) I love the way your room is turning out, thanks for inspiring me to decorate/organize our new home!

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  53. OMG! You are brilliant. I love love love this to death. I have two boys and we have been scratching our head over what to do. This. Is. Perfect. This will be my summer project. Oh, thank you for the inspiration!!

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  54. What a fantastic transformation. I know you say you are not done, but it looks great. I LOVE the stripes. Great color choices.

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  55. hey i love the stripes and am about to do it for my sons room which paint brand and color did you use cant seem to find that perfect blue not too baby and not to adultish... if that makes any sense

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  56. @Anonymous,
    I used Behr's Premium Ultra Paint/Primer in WindSurf for the base blue color and Pittsburgh Paints Paint/Primer in Cityscape.

    Thanks so much and best wishes with your painting!!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  57. Hi@ I'm loving this room and my son is in love with the bedding. Would you mind sharing where you found it?

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  58. @The Lady of the House, Thanks! The bedding was found eons ago at Target, however, it's very similar to this: http://www.target.com/Room-Essentials-Quilt-Navy/dp/B003VL0R5S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=navy%20quilt&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-3&qid=1309639667&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Room%20Essentials%20Quilt%20Navy&node=1038576|1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576|1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0

    Thanks so much!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  59. It looks like Ikea has discontinued those beds-- boo! At least I can't find them online... How sturdy are the ones you have? Have you seen anything similar elsewhere? Thanks!
    -Sandy
    sj_unk(at)yahoo.com

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  60. They are pretty sturdy and we really like how high they are off of the ground {great for under bed storage} and how they don't take up a lot of floor space. I haven't seen anything similar, but I will keep my eyes peeled.

    Thank you!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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