After collecting art for Xander’s room, my next step was to decide on a paint color. I gave Xander a few options using things he would appreciate and understand. “Do you want red like Spiderman? Green like Hulk? Blue like Captain America?”
Green it was. He was thrilled to be repping Hulk AND the Ninja Turtles. I began pulling some images of spaces I liked to confirm my vision and be further inspired.
Xander’s room started out really neutral. Pretty much a blank slate.
Because I wanted him to be a part of this process, we headed to Lowe’s together to pick out some paint swatches. Lowe’s now carries Sherwin Williams paint: I couldn’t be more excited about this! Their HGTV Home collection includes all of my favorite shades, and I love that I can now make a paint run at 9:30 p.m because I never seem to buy enough the first time.
Again, with kids it’s all about giving them choices. I picked out a bunch of greens and Xander got to choose what he wanted to take home and see against the walls.
Did you know that a room’s directional light greatly effects color? Thanks to my friend, Brittany, I learned that before choosing a color for this room. Xander’s room faces north, meaning the walls need warmth to combat the cooler light coming in. We chose several shades to get samples in, tested on different areas of the room and came up with Rainforest Canopy. It’s a very true green, with enough yellow in it to feel warm and cozy, yet still energetic when the light hits it.
Because this is the attic space, the wall/ceiling situation is tricky. I could have made all of the walls the green and had your typical paint job, but I wanted to do something a bit different. So, I continued the line of the shorter walls all the way around the space. First, my mom and I thanks, Mom! painted the ceiling and top of the tall walls white. This was definitely the most difficult part, as there was a good amount of cutting in, and painting over your head is a real pain in the neck. Literally.
After letting the paint dry for 24 hours, I used my favorite level and tripod to tape off the bottom part of the walls.
An uneven drywall job put some hitches in this step, but I did my best to fudge things a bit when necessary.
And then I took the white and went over the bottom of the tape. This ensures that the green won’t bleed through, leaving a clean tape line every time. Once that dried I rolled on two coats of the Rainforest Canopy and I love the result.
The warmth and energy of the green next to the crisp white feels fresh, and the sharp line between the two is modern and relaxed against the more traditional furnishings.
I’ll be back next week to share the rest of the space and talk more about mixing juvenile and classic pieces, including the gallery wall.
*This post is in partnership with Lowe’s but all thoughts are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Makerista possible.
angela | the painted house says
I adore your choice with the wall color and application–you are a smart one, Gwen!
Emily A. Clark says
This looks great! I have a room with very similar lines that will be going a very similar color of green soon ๐ I just looked, though, and my ceiling is way more slope-y so I guess the line thing would probably end up making it look squatty for me. I love this look, though. So smart ๐
Jennifer@The Chronicles of Home says
The green looks brilliant – the color and the application of it with the white above. This would have been such a leap of faith for me…my youngest has been saying she wants a purple room and I was balking because I felt like it would be too much…but you have me reconsidering with this bold and gorgeous paint job!
Sarah Rojas says
Love, love, love! The paint color and the gallery wall are amazing! You knocked it out of the park as usual!
Natalie Land says
OMG! I just finished my son's green room last week and showed pictures on my blog. It was so hard to find little boys rooms in that colour and I am so excited to see this room.
http://landhousereno.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/the-green-room.html
I'd love for you to take a look and suggest if I should go with curtains like yours or roman blinds and what colour. I find greens so hard but my son is green obsessed so it HAD to be green.
Thanks,
Nat
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says
i love this space! sawyer's room is a mix of classic, midcentury, americana, and some star wars thrown in for good measure, with pops of red(his favorite color). i wanted to keep it all about things he loved without being TOOOOOOO much of a theme. it's a little more star wars than I'd like I think, but I have a happy child who loves to play in his room and that is worth it!
Meg / peachesandcake.com says
Wow it looks so fantastic! I love how you cut off the line of green paint, and I really need that level!! Putting that on my Christmas wish list this year. ๐
Laurie from Laurie Jones Home says
I seriously love this space! The room turned out fabulous!! The green looks great!!!
Gloria Feeley says
SO crazy, I'm doing a wall to wall floor to ceiling gallery wall in my son's room too and felt a little crazy about wanting to put art so low on the walls but it looks great here! I keep picking up spray paint and fixing mattes to make it all work. Probably start hanging today!
(i just commented on IG, don't worry I always stalk you)
Arielle says
So, so good. You have such a great eye!
Refashionably Late says
Gwen I love how this turned out! I love how you choose such bold color choices for projects! I'm trying to incorporate more color into my home. ๐
Beth of designPOST Interiors says
Clever girl!! Love green in this way!
Brittany Cramer says
Gwen, this is SO GOOD! The gallery wall is stellar. I am so glad you did the full wall, it's a thousand times better than a small random gallery. PS thanks for the shout out!
tnic says
This room is awesome! You are amazing, I cannot believe how clean and modern this looks yet so warm and cozy. I was wondering if you would consider in a future post talking about how you select your colors and bedding, especially, in bedrooms. I find it so hard…do I start by choosing the paint color, but then the bedding options are limited, or start with the bedding, but the options are overwhelming. I am so stuck on my own bedroom, and would love to know more about your thought process.
Emily Kuhlman says
I love the pictures of you guys picking out paint samples together! Adorable!
Stephanie says
This looks great Gwen! My son's room is green too. I love what you did with the white; I've been toying with a similar idea of white up top and black lowers in my office. Lucky boy you have!
Kirsten Wareham says
I always love everything you do!!!
Kristin@bliss-athome.com says
Such a great color Gwen and I love seeing your little guy selecting paint with you. I think you gave his space grown-up sensibility that will last, but balanced it perfectly with enough kid to make it his. Great job friend! xo
Brynne Delerson says
This is just awesome! I love that color green and the way you chose to tape the upper portion of those walls! The room is so classic but also so fun!
Seahorseluvr says
This is totally bitchin' girl! I love, love that you thought outside the box and put pictures all over the wall.
He is one lucky dude!
theclosetter.com says
This is such a beautiful idea for a little boys room, I absolutely adore it ๐
Nkem Okechukwu says
When i painted my kid's room in green, i tot i was been crazy but nah! You nailed it with the color choice
Megan // Honey We're Home says
Gwen, I'm dying over this room! I love how you painted the walls and I can't believe you even got all of that art hung already! I can't tell if grandma made the cut! ๐ we are redoing my son's room now too and this is giving me lots of great ideas! he's obsessed with the Hulk and loves playing Hulk smash- I think our guys are close in age. James is five, birthday in March. ๐
Margaret says
I love using my kids input, my daughter has said "pink" over and over again (I'm so not a pink kind of girl) so we are using a very pale coral pink on her walls. Not my first choice, but it's her room and I want her to love it.
rsquaredinteriors.com says
I love the room! Cannot wait to see the rest of this space. The way you came down with the white was a really good idea… probably wouldn't have thought of that.
Claire Brody says
obsessed Gwen!!
Mary Duffy says
Nice job!
SHERRY HART says
Jaw dropping color….and application! The room is fantastic.
Saher Elsaharty says
Love how you extended the ceiling color. It makes the space look so much bigger!
Albertina M. Cisneros says
It's wonderful Gwen!!! Love, it!!
Karolina Barnes says
Wow, what an amazing room! I think green is not an easy colour to pull off but with the white balance it so well.
Patricia says
Great result Gwen, and thanks for the valuable tip to paint over the bottom of the tape, I didn't know that trick! I've painted my hallway a deep dark hue of green (http://noglitternoglory.com/2015/01/18/home-renovation-green-hallway/) but I also love the fresh and youthful vibe of the green you chose, especially for a kid's room!
Bethany DeVore says
This looks so good! I love how you only did the green partially up the wall, I think that makes such a difference!
Jan Elizabeth says
What a beautiful transformation. I love the colours and how you incorporated your little boy's taste, yet mixed it with more classic choices, things for his imagination to grow on.
Joseph Anthony Alizio Jr. says
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