Wait, let me start from the beginning.
You all remember Operation: Organize that was a part of my resolution smesolution, right?
The biggest part of that starts here.
Jesus H. Christ look at that fucking mess! There is shit everywhere and it's driving me up the damn wall. So, why start with painting you ask?
Let me tell you.
75% (if not more) of that crap you see is crafty things, sewing projects, and scrap booking shit that needs put away. It will all be stored neatly in my beastly-soon-to-be-marauder's-map cabinet. But that thing weighs a gagillion pounds. So before I move it, I'm painting the walls so I don't have to move it again.
Get it now?
So here is the plan. The paneling will someday be removed, but I have a fear that it is glued on and that is a project I'm not willing to tackle just now. So paint it is. But how do you paint over paneling that you aren't sure is real wood?
First step: Sand that shit!
It was recommended that I use a fine grit just to get the glossy coating off. But since my final objective was more of a distressed look, I thought I'd go a little grittier.
60 grit baby!
It's hard to tell from this picture, but the right side is sanded. I love the scratchy lines that the sand paper made. And I'm guaranteed that the glossy coating is GONE.
Just for giggles, here's a pic of me sanding dressed as a gangster.
I couldn't find my paper respirator thing, and well I have allergies and so I ....oh never mind!
Moving along...
Next step, clean up!
I vacuumed and then wiped down the wall. This picture doesn't do it justice, but that cloth was filthy! Blech! I then gave it a few minutes to make sure it was nice and dry.
Next step...paint!
A little trick I pulled off of Pinterest (I believe it was originally from a Martha Stewart post). That's a rubber band, if you can't tell from the pic. Keeps the can SO much cleaner!
Half way there!
And done!
Some things of note.
1. No, I didn't use a drop cloth. I live on the edge.
2. The real reason I didn't use a drop cloth is because I didn't paint the bottom trim.
3. I didn't get even coverage and that's the way I like it. It's supposed to look old-timey, retro, distressed...whatever you want to call it. So I did not soak my paint brush and I haphazardly finished my brush strokes so that the grooves created could be seen. I did this on purpose and I love the effect it's left.
4. I wasn't super careful about cutting in on the top or bottom because the walls and the trim will eventually be painted. I just need to decide on a color.
That's where you come in. Help me decide on a color for the upper wall!
I'm thinking of something in the blue family but I'm open to suggestions. The only problem?
This isn't a room that is shut off from the other rooms in the house. It runs right into the upstairs living room (fucking split levels!) so I need this room to flow with whatever I decide to do upstairs.
My initial thoughts were something in the green family up there but I'm also entertaining something more earthy and brown.
My only stipulation is that whatever color I pick for downstairs cannot make the room darker. It was like a friggin cave with that paneling and I don't want to go back to that. My furniture down here will be darker colors so I'd like something bold for the walls.
I'd love to hear your suggestions, and what you think of my newly painted wall.
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