Living Room Painting

Living Room Trim Progress


I spent yesterday filling nail holes with wood putty, sanding, caulking gaps, washing, taping off the floor, priming, and painting. I have one more coat to go today on one half of the room, and then the trim in the living room will be done! After that I’ll begin the task of making our house look less like a disaster.

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  • LisaInIllinois
    February 20, 2012 at 10:01 am

    I hate the mess involved in painting! We are repainting the master bedroom and the upstairs is a disaster! But, it’s worth it in the end. Looks lovely!

  • Elisa @ What the Vita
    February 20, 2012 at 10:23 am

    It’s amazing how painting wood trim white makes a home look NEW! Am trying to convince mom to paint her wood trim white :)

  • Karen
    February 20, 2012 at 10:30 am

    It looks lovely. Congratulations.

  • Mallory
    February 20, 2012 at 10:39 am

    It looks fantastic!

  • casey
    February 20, 2012 at 10:41 am

    wow. even in the mess I can see the beauty of the white trim! looks so good!

  • Kate
    February 20, 2012 at 10:45 am

    Looks great so far! Did you use a special camera lens for the pictures? Otherwise you must have been crammed into the corner to get such a wide shot!

    • Making it Lovely
      February 21, 2012 at 1:04 pm

      I was crammed in the corner! But I also have a wide angle lens. ;)

  • Aleigh
    February 20, 2012 at 10:56 am

    I have a question about your lighting choices, Nicole. I love that you have so much modern lighting in your home, even though it’s old. I live in a 75-year-old bungalow and the ceiling lights that came with the house are not original, but are in a sort of cheap (and ugly) arts and crafts style. The entry, kitchen, and living room all open up into one another, so I’ve been hesitant to change them since they match–seems like if I change one, I need to change them all. I don’t have super-high ceilings, and my furniture is a mixture of traditional and modern…but I’m completely stumped on the lighting choices. I need a ceiling light for my entry, one for my living room, and a chandelier/pendant for over my dining room table. Do they need to be cohesive? How do I find three lights for three different areas that complement one another? Help!

    Aleigh

    • Making it Lovely
      February 21, 2012 at 1:12 pm

      This is a great question! I think the lighting fixtures should all work together, especially if you can see them from multiple rooms. That said though, it’s totally fine if they don’t match. Change the one that bothers you the most, and see after that how you feel about the rest.

      I’ll try to put a post together with different lighting options (one of my “Let’s…” series with 10 or so choices)!

      • Aleigh
        February 22, 2012 at 8:18 am

        That would be AWESOME. Thanks, Nicole! —Aleigh

  • Nicole
    February 20, 2012 at 11:20 am

    It’s looking fantastic! And thanks for sharing your ‘in progress’ photos… helps to see that even you (your house always looks amazing!) have a mess on your hands mid-project ;)

  • Cristina
    February 20, 2012 at 11:30 am

    It’s looking very nice! I love the sharp contrast between the white baseboard and the wood floor. Looks great!

  • jbhat
    February 20, 2012 at 11:41 am

    Ugh, painting. The results are always worth it, but the process is awful. There is always so much more to doing a good paint job than standing there with a brush. Good for you for tackling it. It’s so pretty.

    jbhat

  • Caitlin B
    February 20, 2012 at 11:53 am

    Oh man, that pic of the paint can/brush is freaking me out! Don’t get it on your pretty floors!!

  • Molly the Waffler
    February 20, 2012 at 12:00 pm

    I almost didn’t recognize your living room with the couch pulled forward! The trim is looking great.

  • Sarah K
    February 20, 2012 at 12:13 pm

    It looks great!

  • Lydia
    February 20, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    It looks so great!!!!

  • Your Mother
    February 20, 2012 at 12:22 pm

    It looks great!

  • annie
    February 20, 2012 at 1:05 pm

    Looks fabulous!

  • Marianne
    February 20, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    I love it! I can’t wait to see side by side before and afters as I think the difference will be astounding. I love wood tones but I like them in a moderate amount. Love the white!!

  • Tiffany
    February 20, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    Wow. I love it.

  • Amanda
    February 20, 2012 at 2:34 pm

    That really does look gorgeous. I love it! Makes it look so fresh.

  • Miss B.
    February 20, 2012 at 3:28 pm

    You have such beautiful large windows, I never noticed that, but this angle you can see they are everywhere. I am always thrilled to watch you work your magic!

    • Making it Lovely
      February 21, 2012 at 1:20 pm

      I never had a wide angle lens before, so I was never able to capture so much of the interior until now.

  • Puck at cottageofstone
    February 20, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    I didn’t want to like the painted wood… But I love it!

  • Carrie
    February 20, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    Oh, I love it! It’s amazing how a simple (albeit time-consuming!) change can make such a dramatic difference.

  • Jim
    February 20, 2012 at 4:52 pm

    Looking pretty good so far…love the wooden flooring!

  • Wrenaria
    February 20, 2012 at 5:00 pm

    Pretty!

  • Christina W.
    February 20, 2012 at 5:46 pm

    it looks really good! your wall color is so pretty with the natural light coming in through the curtainless windows, also. i think most of the pics of it on here have been lamp lit!

  • modern jane
    February 20, 2012 at 5:58 pm

    Ahhh! Such a good decision! I love it.. especially with you paint color! And I’ve said it before but I still love that rug!

  • j strepelis
    February 20, 2012 at 5:59 pm

    Wow! I always thought your living room was lovely but quietly serene. the white creates a totally different -bright energetic-sharp affect. Great and well worth the work

  • Jaimie
    February 20, 2012 at 6:18 pm

    Wow, I love your trim. Our house’s trim has no character, but that’s not surprising, since it’s a mid-90’s generic builder. I’m also painting my trim and doors white. It was an awful yellow-beige when we moved in. The process is tedious and takes forever, but it is SOOOO worth it. It’s a breath of fresh air.

    • Making it Lovely
      February 21, 2012 at 1:15 pm

      Ugh, that yellowy beige was so ugly and prevalent. White is so much prettier.

  • Erin
    February 20, 2012 at 6:21 pm

    Looking great! Thank you for sharing pics of the mid-project process. :)

  • jessibee
    February 20, 2012 at 7:12 pm

    It looks so nice and fresh! The white trim really brings out different aspects of the pink wall color too. It looks even MORE lovely now!

  • elizabeth@lovelylittleparties
    February 20, 2012 at 8:44 pm

    this looks great! It’s incredible how such a small thing as paint can make a huge difference!

  • Sandy
    February 20, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    The white trim looks so much better!!!! I’m so glad you went ahead and painted it. It is so fresh and bright. Changes the whole feel of the room. It must just make you smile when you walk in the room!

  • emma
    February 21, 2012 at 5:45 am

    Your house a disaster ??? Don t be so hard with you
    You are such a inspiration for many of us. :D

  • trouble
    February 21, 2012 at 7:51 am

    Your room is so cute. ^ ^

  • Jessie
    February 21, 2012 at 8:12 am

    It looks beautiful! I love white trim!

  • Megan
    February 21, 2012 at 9:37 am

    The trim painted white makes it look like a new room! Good eye!

  • Amelia @ House Pretty
    February 21, 2012 at 10:42 am

    The prep and clean-up is always the worst! It’s looking great though!

  • Jillian@TheHumbleGourmet
    February 21, 2012 at 11:02 am

    I adore crisp, white trim. It looks fantastic!

  • julie.
    February 21, 2012 at 11:07 am

    It looks AMAZING and so much better. wow!

  • Ali
    February 21, 2012 at 12:48 pm

    Amazing transformation! Way to go!

    ~ Ali

  • anna
    February 21, 2012 at 10:38 pm

    Nicole – It looks fabulous. Question: you may have answered this a long time ago but where is your TV console from? We’ve been looking for something similar with wood/white finish.

  • Krystal
    February 27, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    I love the pendant light you have hanging in your living room… I want one, where did you find it? What’s it called?
    Thanks.

    • Making it Lovely
      February 27, 2012 at 5:56 pm

      It’s a George Nelson Saucer Pendant. Ours is an original that came with the house, but they’re still being produced and are available at various places.

  • Paula @ The Pretty Bee
    March 4, 2012 at 4:46 pm

    Ugh-what a mundane task! It looks great, though & the details are well worth the effort. I’m doing the exact same in my own home–Bright white baseboards & doors!

  • Tarah
    April 3, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    I love the color of your walls! What is the color? Ive been on the hunt for the perfect pink, its hard :)

  • Cindy
    June 14, 2012 at 8:44 pm

    Hi Nicole – I love the white trim! My boyfriend and I are moving into a new house we just bought and I want to paint all of the trim white, however he wants to keep the wood trim. It is dated 80’s trim and not nice looking at all , don’t get me wrong, I love antique wood furniture and I even owned a log cabin at one time, so I do like wood, but this house would look so much nicer with all white trim – How can I convince him of this? any suggestions would be appreciated as this is quickly becoming a heated argument with us . . .

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    August 26, 2013 at 7:00 am

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  • Megan Asbrock
    August 8, 2016 at 2:14 am

    I really like the choice of colors for a family room…first impression is very calming. I am slowly redoing the trim in our very woody circa 1981 colonial and I am curious about the concept of painting trim off whites or nude hues in lieu of the Classic white…have you tried this Ever? I wonder if you use an alternative color choice for the trim, must you now do this throughout the house….are there aNY rules regarding this type of paint technique?

    When I saw the photo of your living room it almost looked as though you painted your trim some sort of pale pinkish off white and Ithe looked great…I really like the pallet choice for this liv8ng space…very clean and relaxing….though I can’t find the right color, I know the mood I want the colors etc to stimulate….

    Also have you discovered any interesting paint palate websites …how did you get the inspiration for this color combo….. sorry for all the questions!