I write for My Colortopia, and they’ve just put out a fun color quiz. I took it and my results were pretty accurate! No pink, but they’re probably not recommending that to anyone (because I’m the only adult that wants pink walls, ha). I’ve embedded the quiz below in case you want to give it a try. Let me know if it was accurate for you too (I’m curious!).

I have partnered with Glidden/ Akzo Nobel Paints to participate in the My Colortopia program but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

© 2012, published by Making it Lovely as Color Quiz | 42 comments

I’m happy to be in such good company too! There are some great bloggers contributing. I’ll be adding a new article every month, and my first is already up: Tips for Choosing Paint Colors. Take a look if you’ve ever wondered about the nuances of picking the perfect shade.

I have partnered with Glidden/ Akzo Nobel Paints to participate in the My Colortopia program but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as My Colortopia | 15 comments

I think it’s looking really cute. Let’s take a closer look at each of the issues I addressed…

The Rug Vs. the Chair

The existing zigzag rug stayed, and I managed to find an affordable used Eames Management chair. In pink, no less! I would like to reupholster it someday, but I can rock the eighties’ dusty rose for a while.

The Computer (and the Wall Behind it)

The old computer that was sitting behind my new one (a silly thing to do) is now in the basement, and I’ll be setting up a desk down there for it eventually. I cleaned up the cords beneath my desk and from the desk to the printer behind me as well.

I chose art to go above the computer that could actually be seen, and moved the mirror (that was half-blocked) to the adjacent wall. The bird painting is by Amy Ruppel, the portait was from Paul Ferney, and the wall sculptures were discussed here.

Storage and Organization

I had to empty the huge shelving unit to paint the wall behind it (what a pain in the rear that was). The good thing about that though was that it forced me to rethink the way I put everything back. I was able to go through a lot of the books and things that I had on the shelves, and I pared it all down. Then I added some matching baskets along the bottom to make the toys look nicer, and I didn’t need to do anything further to organize my things.

The Curtain as a Closet Door

The curtain is gone! A door was fitted and hung for the closet, which cost more than I had anticipated and took a third of the budget. I love it though! A curtain for a door is fine, and a lot of people like that solution, but a true door feels more polished and keeps the kids and cats out. I painted the door the same color (“Snowbound,” #SW 7004 / LL17, semi-gloss) as the rest of the trim .

The Window

I painted the window white as well and chose to hang simple curtains from IKEA that match the wall color. I also planned to add a sheer roller shade, but my usual go-to (Enje shades) are unavailable right now.

Painting the Trim and the Walls

I used the new line of paint from HGTV® HOME by Sherwin-Williams for the office. The walls are “Contented” (#SW 6191 / LL12, flat finish) from the Livable Luxe collection, and I painted all of the trim “Snowbound” (#SW 7004 / LL17, semi-gloss), a white from the same color collection. The wall color is that hard to define color between green, blue, and gray, and it seems to be popping up everywhere these days. The color was a bit of a departure for me, but as I narrowed down my paint swatches, I kept finding myself drawn to it.

Lighting

The old ceiling fan that came with the house had seen better days. I still love the Jonathan Adler light that I chose for my former studio (now Eleanor’s room), so I picked up another to swap the office ceiling fan out for.

A Place for the Kids

I spend a lot of time in my office, so I was sure to include space for Eleanor and August to play. The small table and chairs are light enough to move them out of the way, but Eleanor loves coloring or playing there.

There you have it!

I love the way the office turned out. The office in our old apartment was pink, and when Brandon and I moved here, I chose the exact same color to quickly get my office ready. After nearly a decade with a pink office, I’m still getting used to the new color but I’m loving the white trim and the closet door. It feels good to have the space freshened up.

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as My Newly Redone Office | 121 comments

Just before we went on holiday I found out that I had it all wrong with the interior of my home. I needed to change it but it felt so much time and effort wasted, I almost felt guilty to all the hard work we had put into it. But I decided after a big swallow that I needed to make things right…

Yvonee has been working on making changes that will make her happy. Can you relate?

Painting the trim is helping in my case. With each room that I finish, I’m more certain that it was the right decision for me. The second floor and the basement are done. Brandon’s office already had white trim when we moved in, and I’ve added the kitchen, dining room, and my office. Soon I’ll tackle the living room and front entry, and the painted trim project will be complete.

Brandon and I have no plans to move right now. The house is always changing in little ways, but I do miss the flurry of new decorating that takes place when you first move into a home. I’ve been thinking about that more and more lately, and I’m coming around to the idea of making some changes. Someone wants to buy my orange Astrid chair, and I’m thinking about selling it and getting this one to replace it. I still think about finding new chairs for the dining room too.

What if I treat this house like I would if we had just moved in?

The color palette of my home has a lot of muted color. Maybe it’s time to go a little more bold? More bright? (I say as I sit in my newly painted muted green/blue/gray office.) I know I mentioned recently that I feel like I need to shake things up a little, and Brandon’s on board too. What do you think?

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Thinking of Making Some Changes | 67 comments

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Painting My Office | 23 comments

I started to make some changes to it last year. I rearranged the furniture, brought in a pretty mirror and a crazy zigzag rug, but that’s where the progress stopped. I was going for a kind of granny chic look, remember? Then I found out I was expecting (and I had zero energy), and we also started on the basement remodel (yes, I still need to finish my studio and the playroom too). Then I had my baby (sweet little August), and well… work on the office kind of stalled.

The room is more than just an office though. You’ll see in the video below that it’s also where Eleanor and August spend much of their time playing, and I would like the room to feel cozy and happy. Want to see how it looks right now?

To recap, these are the main issues I’ll be addressing.

• Either the rug needs to go, or I need to reupholster or replace my office chair. They don’t match, and since I do like the rug a lot, I’ll probably switch out the chair. The Eames Management Chair is still the chair I dream of owning, but they’re very expensive and I don’t want to buy a knockoff. I’ve been watching eBay and Craigslist, but I may have to keep looking for an alternative.
• I need to move the redundant computer and clean up the cords on my desk.
• Storage and organization: Yes, please.
• I’ve had a curtain for a closet door since we moved in to this house in 2007. Our house is 100 years old, so nothing is standard. We’ll need a custom-sized door, which is why we’ve put off fixing it for so long.
• The window needs curtains and a new shade.
• I’ll be painting the trim white, and painting the walls. The HGTV® HOME by Sherwin-Williams colors are grouped into 8 collections to make it easier to choose colors that will work from room to room in your house (I liked the Livable Luxe and Traditional Twist collections). There are a lot of nice greens, but I’m leaning toward a light, creamy neutral for the walls, along with painted white trim.
• It’s time for the ceiling fan to go. It’s not terribly ugly, but it hasn’t been working well lately and I’d like to replace it with a prettier light fixture.

Now, about those two giveaways…

• Need some color and design help in your house? Enter the What’s Your Color Now? sweepstakes for a chance to win a $5000 home makeover from BHG.com and HGTV® HOME by Sherwin-Williams!
• I also have a 4GB Flip MinoHD camera to give away (so you can make stellar videos like mine, ha). Just leave a comment on this post to enter for the camera (one entry per person). This giveaway is open to US and international entrants, and will run through June 30 at midnight CST. One winner will be chosen randomly on July 1.

Good luck to you in both giveaways!

p.s. How much do you think it would cost to reupholster an Eames Management Chair? Say, if I found one from 1986 with really awful fabric?

July 1: Congratulations to Jennifer, winner of the Flip camera! And remember, there’s still time for everyone to enter the What’s Your Color Now? sweepstakes.

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Working on Where I Work | 473 comments

The other two greens (‘mossy rock’ and ‘okra’) are both from the Martha Stewart line at Home Depot, but I’d have them matched in Benjamin Moore’s floor paint. I’m going to use IKEA’s Stockholm Rand rug for a little punch too. As you can see, this paint decision has been weighing heavily on Eleanor as well.

(unedited photo here)

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Basement Floor Paint | 149 comments

Plus, I do love blue with red, so I think the color will look beautiful with our red washer and dryer. I’m having Martha Stewart’s “Cumulus Cloud” color-matched to Benjamin Moore, but if you’re looking for an existing B. Moore color, it’s close to “Fanfare.” A nice grayish blue.

I’m also painting the storage/tool room in this color. It will look great with the olive painted floor! The only room I have left now is the half-bathroom — I have no idea what color I’m putting in there.

*Update*
Benjamin Moore’s “Whirlpool” is an even better match than “Fanfare.”

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Laundry Room Paint Color | 41 comments

I still need to choose colors for the laundry room (something that will work with our red washer and dryer, which you can kind of see in this lovely picture), and the half-bath (with its very short ceiling and lack of windows). I had a dream that I painted the bathroom orchid, like the Crayola crayon color, but I don’t know if that’s the way to go in reality. And maybe a creamy white for the laundry room? I think a robin’s egg blue would look nice too, but I’m not normally a big fan of blue.

Any suggestions?

© 2011, published by Making it Lovely as Basement Paint Colors | 56 comments

Here’s why I decided to paint the wood trim, and here’s what the room looked like before. Still to do:

• Paint the wall above the picture rail and the ceiling. Probably the same color as the background of the wallpaper.
• Paint the doors.
• Paint the trim in my office and in the living room.
• Find new window treatments. Maybe simple white shades?
• Either get new chairs or reupholster the ones we have. The fabric isn’t very practical for our expanding family.
• Remember to flip the handles on the buffet back the right way before taking pictures next time. Eleanor likes to flip them all up, and I hadn’t noticed until I was editing the photos!

Before and after shots:

© 2010, published by Making it Lovely as The Dining Room with Painted White Trim | 128 comments