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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

138

One Room Challenge Week 3 - Painted Shoe Cabinet & Seating Update

Welcome to Week 3 of the One Room Challenge being hosted by Linda of Calling it Home.  You can see our plans here and last week's progress here.

Well, by now I should have more completed than a painted shoe cabinet.  But that is about as far as I have come over the last week.  I must admit, I am feeling a little nervous and anxious as the weeks roll by and things are moving slower than I anticipated.  The next few weeks are going to be buuuuuusy but we are still up for the challenge.


Before I get to the shoe cabinet, two quick updates to note before I change my mind about the two updates....

  • My initial fabric choice that was my driving color combo behind everything I am doing in both the kitchen and living area, is on back-order.  Like for quite awhile back-order.  This is really throwing me for a loop and has really prevented me from mentally moving forward.  Silly thing is that the fabric is being used for a total of two pillows.  That's right, fabric for two little ol' pillows is causing me to stumble.  So I started ordering more swatches and even more swatches... We need color!


  • Me wavering on the wall color is probably driving you all about as crazy as it is driving me.  Some days I LOVE it, some days I feel meh about it.  And I am quickly discovering that I am either awful with my camera, or it just doesn't photograph true.  Probably the first one, or the fact that the color has fifty various personalities.  Anyway, I am giving it about one more week of layering and if I still don't really truly love it, I am going to paint it.  Which is scary right?  The real problem is that I don't know what color I would rather have on my walls to pair with the already installed white cabinets and slate gray island and now slate gray shoe cabinet.  Some days it gets to me, but most days I realize that there are much bigger life problems than a silly paint color, soooo, moving on.


One thing I am sure about is that I totally dig our freshly painted shoe cabinet!

With the entire kitchen/living room renovation, we always planned on bringing in a couple new pieces of furniture, but also have to use many of our existing items.   The shoe cabinet and school cubbies (white credenza) both provide us with great storage and needed to come back into the space.  But now that we have white cabinets in the kitchen, I don't want all white furniture in the adjoining living space.

I decided to take a small risk and paint our IKEA shoe cabinet.  I brought our island door sample to Sherwin Williams and had them color match to their ProClassic Enamel paint.  The goal is to start marrying the two spaces, so the gray was my instant gut choice.  So happy with it!


Because I was so happy about the outcome of our painted dining room hutch, I followed the same steps and wasn't afraid of painting such a high traffic piece of furniture.  This paint goes on like butta and cures nice and hard for a durable finish.

To quickly go over those steps again, I started by giving the entire cabinet a coat of primer.  I prefer Zinsser Oil Based - Bond Coat.  No sanding required to get started is a thumbs up from me.


Once the primer was dry, I gave the cabinet two coats of the gray enamel.  I used a brush for a few of the grooves and used a small microfiber roller for the rest.  I find the microfiber rollers coat well and don't leave the small bubbles that come with foam rollers.



Two coats total and it was completely done.  I only painted the outside of the cabinet, I didn't see a need to mess with the inside where all the dirty shoes are thrown.  And I only sanded a few small spots where dust or puppy hair landed, otherwise, I probably could have done without sanding all together. 

As the second coat was still drying, I held the previous hardware up to the new paint color.  There was zero contrast between the two.  (Hardware was originally purchased here.)


So I grabbed my tube of Rub 'n Buff and a pile of cotton swabs and gave the hardware a little gold attention.


The hardware definitely paired beautifully with the gray.



The colors of the walls and cabinet in the images above are pretty spot on.  The moment I step away... not quite the same. #tipswelcome  Let's blame the lack of window treatments and not my photography.


I also realize that my mirror is hung too low.  I was thinking of adding a sconce above, but have since changed my mind.  So ignore the low mirror, it should be fixed next update.


Now, let's chat a bit about the room layout and the sofa.  Last week I had some questions regarding the sectional and our current seating plans.

When we purchased our sectional a few years ago, we purchased something we knew we would love regardless of the space and room it was in.  After we got it home, it became more and more clear that we preferred our new, smaller sectional to the larger leather one in the basement (due to comfort and style).  Our home has always given us layout challenges, divided kitchen wall or not, but no matter how I mapped it out I just couldn't make our favorite piece of furniture work with the new open concept.  It would either have to live tight to the backs of the barstools or tight to the window.  Once that wall came down, we were happy to move the sofa to our lower level and bring the old faux-leather sectional up to the garage to be sold on Craigslist. In fact, because the lower living area was basically a blank slate, we brought down all of our main level furnishings, including the chair, coffee table and rug.  Suddenly the basement felt lighter yet warmer and everything seemed to fit perfectly, like it was always meant to be.  Phew.


The sale from that sectional and storage ottoman was designated to fund the new sofa.  I looked and looked and looked some more.  Almost every sofa we both agreed on, measured to be too long for the space.  Because we already knew what we were looking for from our previous sectional search a few years ago, we decided to keep many of the same criteria, with the exception of possibly adding a tufted back and rolled arms this time around.   I finally narrowed it down to two options; one from Macy's and another from Home Decorators.  We went and sat on the Macy's option and it was comfortable but I wasn't sure that the upholstery would hold up because the display model was looking loose and "loved".  When Home Decorators had a 20% off upholstery sale plus a free shipping code on the back of their catalog, I decided to order it and hold my breath.


Although the couch looks small in photos, it is almost six feet wide and the arms take up very little of that space.  We have seated three adults comfortably, and the boys and I are all able to snuggle on it together without issues.  We will also have a chair near the window just as we did with our previous layout.  The new sofa leaves us with about three feet of open space near the window and almost four feet to the future island stools.  Plenty of room for the boys to run laps.



Being that we have two living areas, we are happy to know that we can use our main space for day-to-day shenanigans and for hosting friends and family with the open layout and amount of seating in the dining room and at the island.  Major family snuggle sessions and movie watching can happen in our lower level on our loved sectional.  Overall, we are pretty smitten with how it all worked out.

And as you can see above, the built-ins haven't been started yet.  Plans are drawn up and finger nails are being bitten but I am trying to remain confident in our DIY abilities. I also brought in our old coffee table which was ultimately going to be a deck table but I wanted to see how it would fit here.  I may end up using one of our round ones instead or changing the glass out with a wood or upholstered top.  Although the furniture still seems a little choppy, an area rug should be the piece to pull everything together.  Decision making is at an all time high the next few weeks.  Time to stock our new wine rack!


P.S. My boys are into playing Wheel of Fortune right now which I totally love.  P.P.S.  My eight year old believes that mis-matched socks are the cool "thing", which I also love because they were when I was a kid also.  Some things never change....


OK, I have jabbered enough today.  Let's take a long coffee break to check out all of the other amazing One Room Challenge participants below.







138 comments:

  1. I love your changes so far. Looks beautiful!

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  2. Looking good! I do really like the color but I am all too familiar with that feeling that it's just not right. Excited to see the built-in plans!

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  3. I think the cabinet turned out great! Beautiful colour. But I can see what you mean now about the walls, especially with the cabinet up against it. Have you considered an off-white? It will make all those beautiful fabrics and paints really pop out then.

    Antonella | LoveYourHomeBlog.blogspot.ca

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    1. I recently began considered the off-white option which is so odd for me since I don't think I have ever not put some sort of color on the wall. :) It will be interesting to see where things land, that is for sure!

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    2. I think Accessible Beige by Sherwin williams would be really pretty. It's a light gray beige. :-)

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    3. Or revere pewter would be gorgeous. I think a really pretty griege would look awesome.

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  4. The shoe cabinet turned out very pretty! Personally, I would leave the wall color. I think it looks nice and every color you try is going to be a chameleon. (Especially the light neutral tones.) You still have more layering to do and the walls will just fade into the background.

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    1. Thank you Jennifer! And that is definitely true. I agree it seems the more we add the more it fades away, making me like it more. But it also reflects and casts a slight blue hue on the furniture and I think that is what is throwing me off. I will give it at least another week. ;)

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    2. I, too, love the wall color! Seems like the perfect backdrop. I think curtains and a rug will bring it all together, as well as those built ins. Give yourself a paint break and leave the wall for now to see how it all comes together :)

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  5. I know how it feels to post half done rooms....hard! On the other hand we will all be amazed with the final outcome, By the way I think the wall color is really pretty so you should wait until the end before you make a decision!

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  6. Hi Jen! The living room is looking good - I love the color of the shoe cabinet. Can't wait to see what's next.
    xoxo
    Rachel

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  7. Love the gray shoe cabinet. It marries the two spaces together nicely and looks great against the lighter walls. The tufting on that sofa is gorgeous!

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  8. I love your room and the shoe organizer is perfect. I love the color you chose to paint it.

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  9. Everything is coming together beautifully! My advice about wall paint is to wait until curtains are up and things hung on the walls and see how that effects the wall color. Can't wait to see it finished! Mismatched socks were cool when I was a kid, too, and yesterday I saw a girl walking to the bus stop with different colored socks on so they are still cool here in Texas :)

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    1. That's awesome, lol. I wonder if there is an age limit on the sock thing... ;) And I agree the curtains will probably make a big difference in the lighting and overall feel.

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  10. Can u please post the formula u used for the gray paint. Thank u !!

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    1. Sure! I just uploaded an image of the side of the can here: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ltvOcD2Tpm0/VS6XIeeYFRI/AAAAAAAA8h4/72bxOU3hTxw/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B15%2C%2B11%2B42%2B01%2BAM.jpg

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  11. I love this piece !

    Your choice of color with those gorgeous dresser pulls is perfect.

    Not to mention that knockout blue vase !

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  12. Jen, I am right there with you on the wall color. I would go grey! The more pics I see of the space, and especially now with the island, the shoe cabinet and the sofa, the walls are pulling really blue. I think it's too cool, or light-toned or something... I can't quite put my finger on it. It's a beautiful color, but I just don't feel like it's playing well with the grey tone. Thoughts?

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    1. I am OK with it with the gray, I just have a hard time that the color changes by the second and puts off a blue hue on everything else... It is too bad because it really is a lovely color. And I thought gray, and still may go that route, but I am hesitant because I don't want the space to become too gray in the end, lol.

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  13. Hi Jen! The color on the shoe cabinet turned out beautifully and I love the gold hardware you updated! Honestly, I wouldn't say I'm a gold kind of girl but you are certainly changing my mind on that. I don't like to block windows either, mostly because in the summer they go up in the morning and down at night. My room is sort of like yours but I have a small wall where your hallway to the kitchen is so I'm watching to see how your final arrangement ends up. I really like your wall color as is but since I'm not in your home looking at it day in and day out, I hope you can settle on one that makes your heart swoon.

    Can't wait until next week to see the next update!

    Peggy ;-)

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  14. I'm just throwing this out there, but have you considered going to back to something in the green family like you had before? A spring green with warm undertones is an excellent neutral, and would coordinate well with the whites/greys/blues/teals/florals you tend to go with. Full disclosure: it's the color pallet I have in our home, and the touch of warmth in the green (we have SW gleeful on our walls) makes ALL the difference in the cold dark months, while still allowing the space to feel open.

    If you are struggling this much with the wall color, I think you might be trying to justify it (painting again will be a LOT of work).

    The space is looking amazing, though! I can't wait until it's all complete!

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    1. I have always loved green and do miss our old living room color, so thank you for the suggestion. I will have to look into it.

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    2. Have you considered a light yellow? It would really help the teals and pinks stand out, and contrast with the gray beautifully.

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  15. I think your wall color is like that internet dress that everybody saw as a different color because it would subtly change in front of your eyes.

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  16. Keep the color keep the color! It's sooo pretty. Not too loud, but not too boring.

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  17. Looks gorgeous! It looks like the cabinet's back legs are removed? (Or I'm just missing something from the pictures). Looks like this lets the cabinet rest flush against the wall...did you anchor it? Just curious as to how you did it!

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    1. Yes, the cabinet came without any back legs so it will sit flush against the wall. We had to add small risers to the bottom of the legs to get it up over our taller trim, but you can't see them next to the darker floors. Then, we screwed the cabinet into a stud and anchored it on the side where there was not a stud (all done inside of the cabinet).

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  18. I LOVE the walll color! It looks great with the floors :)

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  19. Love the updated shoe cabinet. Good choice! What color paint was the match? Would love to paint my office dresser something similar.

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    1. I don't have a specific color name since we had it color matched in the store, but you can see the paint code on the side of the can here: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ltvOcD2Tpm0/VS6XIeeYFRI/AAAAAAAA8h4/72bxOU3hTxw/s1600/Photo%2BApr%2B15%2C%2B11%2B42%2B01%2BAM.jpg

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  20. I absolutely love what you did with the shoe cabinet. After seeing your original post on it I had my eye on it for a long time! When we finally bought our first town home last year, it was the very next piece of furniture we bought after our couch. I aboslutely love it and its so practicle. I would have never thought to paint it and make it look so elegant!
    The sofa looks really great in the space too. We had also tried out the same sofa from Macy's when we were looking and decided against it for the same reasons.
    I'm also currently on a look out for 2 different rugs - one of the living room and one of the dinning room. So can't wait to see which on you select for your space.
    I'm loving your home remodeling journey and learning so much along the way! Thank you for sharing! :)

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  21. The shoe rack is stunning! Nice work. Loving the progress so far. So pretty.

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  22. I've been eyeballing this shoe cabinet for a while now but don't love the colors it comes in. Think I am sold on buying it now.

    This space looks amazing and you should be very proud of yourselves for all that you have accomplished in such a short time. It really is stunning Jen. Maybe you should come do my house next :)

    http://chelleslittlecorner.blogspot.com/

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    1. That would be fun, thanks Michelle! I need a break from our house, lol! ;)

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    2. Two years into owning the house and two "re-do's" later, my boyfriend will be so happy to hear we get to start the decorating process all over again. Lol :)

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  23. I really appreciate watching all of this unfold - thank you! My two-cents worth on the wall paint is that you should repaint. It really is not coming across that you love it to bits (compared to say, the new color on the shoe storage), and I think as time goes by, you'll kicking yourself for not going with your gut.

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  24. I think the mirror looks fine where it's at. Unless you have to duck down to actually use it that is. It looks like the room is off to a good start, I'm looking forward to see the full results

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  25. Gorgeous! And I love your Tieks peaking out of there!

    Her Heartland Soul
    http://herheartlandsoul.com

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  26. Love, love, love the sofa. It is fabulous. Can't wait to see more.

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  27. The shoe cabinet looks amazing! It makes me want to get one. Cannot wait to see your built ins! Also, I wish I would have learned about that primer sooner, hubs has been sanding vintage bamboo chairs for the past week - scared to even mention a no sanding primer exists!

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    1. Sigh... I have been scouring Craigslist for months for vintage bamboo chairs. Consider me jealous! :) Can't wait to see how they turn out!

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  28. Show cabinet looks beautiful ! Love the color ! Where did you get the hardware?

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    1. I purchased the hardware online a few years ago. I will look back and see if I can find the link, but I am not 100% sure.

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    2. Found them! And they also come in the brass finish if you prefer: http://www.atgstores.com/products/view.aspx?sku=4894116 xoxo!

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    3. If you don't mind me asking...
      What size hardware did you buy? The small or the large? Thanks!

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    4. Hi Catherine,

      I purchased the small hardware.

      xo!

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  29. You did an amazing job with shoe cabinet! I have the same one, and it needs little tlc. A question: you said you didn't sand it before painting it, but did you peel the white part off before putting the primer on or not?

    I'm very glad I came across your blog, looking forward to new posts!

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    1. Thanks Jelena! I did not need to remove the white finish. The primer acts as a bonding agent between the cabinet and the new paint color. Everything should cure up and be nice and durable.

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  30. What IS the wall color?

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    1. The wall color is Benjamin Moore's Quiet Moments. :)

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  31. Great job!
    I generally love, love, love neutral home décor and your blog is about the only "colorful" one I really enjoy looking at!
    I'm totally inspired by the rub n buff on the hardware! ha ha
    I also am contemplating a shoe cabinet but I was wondering how many pair of shoes does it hold? We are a family of six and we have a LOT of shoes around here(especially in the winter!). I don't want to purchase something that will be too small in the end.
    Your boys are quite swoonable by the way. ;)

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    1. Thank you so much Heidi! :) I appreciate your sweetness and that you stop by. Each row holds about four adult sized shoes and four to five pairs of kid sized shoes, with a total of four rows inside the entire cabinet.

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  32. I just wanted to say that I actually love where your mirror is hung. It actually looks like its resting on it and the set up looks really nice. I actually thought it WAS just resting/leaning on the dresser until you said it was hung too low.

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  33. Jennifer, inspiring work as always. I like the paint color on your walls, but I know exactly what you are going through. We painted our main level in Sherwin Williams Comfort Grey, and although I love it most of the time, I often find myself wanting to paint it all over again. Some days it's the perfect blue-grey, other days it's way too green. It just changes so much depending on the lighting. Anyway...good luck with the rest of the makeover. I love following along!!

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  34. Everything looks fantastic so far! We seem to mostly stick with geometric prints for pillows/curtains but I should branch out to florals! Looking forward to seeing what you pick there! And LOVE the big, round, blue vase. From Target, correct? I have the same one! I think I need to fill mine with tulips too! =)

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  35. Oh gosh, I want to come drink a glass of wine with you......or maybe even a whole bottle! A kitchen AND a living room....I'd be halfway to the looney house LOL! LOVE the choices you've made so far! I was actually putting money on turquoise when you said that you were painting the shoe cabinet, with the lovely dining room piece gone! But I absolutely adore the gray! Can't wait to see how the room is going to turn out, you guys are busy busy bees!

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  36. Love the sofa! And for what it's worth, I think the paint colour is fab but I know what you mean about not being 100% convinced! I painted mine pink (!!) and I really wanted a very soft colour but it's come out (even after diluting) a little brighter than what I was thinking... so to repaint or not to repaint? I'm thinking given the pressures of the ORC time frame, it's going to have to do for now! Hang in there though, you are doing great! xxx

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  37. Hi Jen! Loving the new sofa! Also wondering if you used an oil based paint in the gray on the shoe cabinet?

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  38. Ah I love those fabric swatches! And the shoe cabinet turned out lovely. You've made so much progress... I'm a little (lot) jealous!

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  39. Jen, the shoe cabinet turned out amazing -- it was lovely before, but now it has personality. The wall color looks fine to me, but you have to live with it, and you are not loving it... Once the room is all installed, the right color shade/choice might jump out at you...
    Tara.

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  40. I love the color you selected for the cabinet. It is striking and neutral at the same time.

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  41. I love how this turned out! So brilliant to paint it gray and add the gold hardware (well, repaint the hardware).

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  42. I had the same experience with the wall color of our last house that you're having now. It was actually a very similar color to yours as well. I wasn't sure if I liked it at first and kept going back and forth... but then laziness got the best of me and I left it longer than I'd intended (which was a total blessing in disguise). The thing was, once I moved furniture into the room and fully decorated the space I ended up LOVING it. I remember saying on more than one occasion that I was so glad that I hadn't repainted. For me, I think it was a matter of figuring out how to accentuate that particular tone. Now, I'm actually considering painting our new living room the same color! Haha! I guess what I'm saying is that the paint may end up surprising you if you let it stay a little longer. Either way, I have no doubt that the room will be gorgeous! :)

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    1. Thanks so much for the story and confidence Christina! The last time I painted an entire level without furnishings, I did end up repainting it after everything was in place. I am trying so hard to avoid that and really do seem to do better selecting wall colors last. :) But I appreciate the encouragement and advice. Fingers crossed I can make it work the way you did, because repainting would be no fun at this point. So happy to hear that you now love your original color. #succcess xo!

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  43. Love everything you are doing! Wall color is so tricky!! We just painted the entire interior of our house and I had the hardest time finding the right shade of gray!! 7 samples later... I went with your old color smooth stone for all of our main areas. Love it!! Bright, airy, perfect gray and perfect neutral without being boring!! So thanks for always sharing your colors lol and good luck finding your just right one :)

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    1. That is great to hear! Thank you for sharing, I am really happy you enjoy it. I have actually been toying with going back to the Smooth Stone because I did love it so much, and although I have talked myself into a case of "been there done that", sometimes you just have to stick with what works. xoxo!

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  44. I've been a fan of your design and finally able to sit down and go through your ORC space! Loving your plan and the new tuffed sofa! The shoe cabinet is gorgeous with the new color and hardware! I don't know how you do it all with 3 kids! Can't wait to see how your finish this space! Let's do this! Sarah, Sarah Sofia Productions

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  45. I love the shoe cabinet. I think this room is coming together, nicely. I am in an all white mode for walls, these days, so anything darker than White Dove is a mystery to me. Good luck.

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  46. I suggest sherwin Williams "Olympus white". It's a beautiful neutral and would look great paired with your color palette. Our kitchen cabinets are a mix of white and your island color and it looks great. Good luck!

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  47. Girl, I am feeling the pressure on your behalf! I think I need a drink of wine just thinking about it! LOL ;) It always feels like it's never going to come together when you're in the middle of the big installations, but once that's done it's all going to fall into place more quickly than you think. Trust your vision, your progress so far is AMAZING even though I'm sure it feels like it will never end! Oh, and I am in LOVE with your couch!! Gorgeous!

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  48. What about the ikat pillow covers from Candy Kirby Designs? For some reason when you said you needed color, those instantly popped into my head. Room is looking great!
    -Jill

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    1. Wow! Those pillow covers are gorgeous and SO happy! Of course I am in love! But boo, out of stock at the moment. I will have to pin them for future reference. Thank you for sharing! xo!

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  49. Second half of comment... I think your wall colour is really pretty. If you have any of your soft furnishings already (curtains, rug, pillows) maybe you could try a bit of a mock-up with them against the wall to see how it changes the colour? It's a lovely colour but it has a definite green undertone and I wonder if that's what you're struggling with? I know that sounds odd considering you used to have REALLY green walls, but I think because this is more of a complex neutral and is so soft and subtle, the faint greenish cast might give a bit of an aquarium effect and make the light in the room feel (subconsciously) slightly muddy.

    Personally I would be steering away from blue and green undertones in this room. White walls would photograph beautifully and reflect a lot of light, and I also think the grey you had before would be perfect! Crisp but slightly more warm. However, the soft furnishings change everything, and you may end up loving it as is.

    This is probably way more advice than you want or need, but what I would do is paint a few big boards with some alternate colours such as off-white, grey, greige, and place the boards at different points around the room to see how they interact with the furnishings and fixed elements in different lights. It's the only way to get a true idea of what a colour will do - even painting swatches on a wall is inaccurate because you're looking at the colour in isolation instead of against the elements it will interact with. I'd pull in as many of your soft furnishings into your mock-up as you can. If nothing else I think it will give you clarity and help you move past the paralysis! Even the thought of re-painting a massive space like that is enough to paralyse anyone!

    I hope that helps a little - choosing colours is NEVER easy! Have a glass of wine and breathe, you're a crazy-talented lady and I have not one speck of doubt that the room will turn out jaw-droppingly beautiful. You've got this! xo

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    1. You are fabulous my friend. I really appreciate you taking a moment to share your helpful tips. I will definitely be doing some of those should I decided to look for new colors. We don't have our window treatments yet, however, they have been ordered and I am still seeking out a rug. Thanks again for all of the great advice!

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  50. I LOVE your fabric samples!! Where did you get them from?? I'm looking for some new fabric for curtains and pillows and haven't come across anything quite as nice as those!

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    1. Thanks Christina! They are from fabric.com, lsfabrics.com and tonicliving.com. :)

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  51. Fun update Jen! Have you considered using the gold Rub n buff on the coffee table? It might be a fun way to glam it up.

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    1. I have contemplated the Rub 'n Buff or gold foil. Or maybe just a pretty wooden or tufted top. Lots of ideas brewing. :)

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  52. Jennifer, everything you do comes together beautifully! I love the new color on your shoe cabinet. It looks like a custom piece of furniture. The gold hardware compliments the shade of gray you chose perfectly. Well done, my friend.

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  53. Ohhhh! I really like how the space is coming together! I can' wait to see what you select for your rug, curtains, and other accessory pieces!

    I'm actually loving the neutral "50 shades of gray" look ;-) with the pops of accent colors in your accessories. I really like how the wall color has just a soft hint of color, which will really allow your accessory items you add to stand out. Can you add the link to the cabinet paint color & knobs in your main post? I LOVE that gray color and want to be able to quickly find the reference.

    I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the look of that sofa!!! How comfortable is it? I too, have a small, challenging living room for furniture placement. I'm trying to find a space sensitive "attractive" sofa that still meets hubby's criteria of "comfortable" (think La-Z-Boy, lol!)....and it's soooo hard to find the goldilock's sofa that fulfills all the criteria.

    Couple design questions I haven't heard you address yet.
    - Are you planning to spray paint the entry pendant the same antique gold you did for the island pendant lights?
    - I don't know if you've considered it or not....but have you thought about painting the inside of the front door the same teal blue as the exterior? I think that pop of color near the entrance, with the other neutral colors around it, would look striking.

    Cannot wait to see the final room!

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    1. Hello,

      The sofa is much more comfortable than I would have guessed. It is nice and deep and I find myself liking the higher back. I have taken a few naps on it, and find it to be pretty cozy, but definitely not "plush" cozy as that is hard to get with such clean sofas.

      I am undecided as to what I am going to do with the entry pendant. It definitely isn't not staying "as is", but it will eventually be updated in some way. And yes, I was thinking the front door needed something, but also have not landed on a final decision. It will most likely be one of the very last updates I make. :)

      Thank you so very much!! ♥

      Delete
    2. And yes, the post has been updated with links. :) Thanks again!

      Delete
  54. Your room is looking so great! The walls look minty green to me. The look fine, but I'm not sure if that's what your going for. If it's a light grey you're after, have you considered doing the island/shoe cabinet color at 25%? Can't wait to see how it all comes together!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great tip! We were definitely going for a soft green/blue/gray. My husband didn't want straight gray on the walls, but probably doesn't want to listen to me go back and forth for years on the current color either. :D xoxo!

      Delete
  55. Looks great Jen, leave the wall color, I think it is pretty!

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  56. Dear Jen,

    Your home is looking gorgeous as always! you have such a knack for putting things together so they magically look great! Love the look of the contrast of the shoe cabinet and the rest of the decor. Can you tell me where you got the pen holder and the vase on the shoe cabinet from? Thanks a bunch!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! The pen holder is a tealight hurricane from West Elm:

      http://www.westelm.com/products/porcelain-hurricanes-c097/?pkey=e|tealight|11|best|0|1|24||2&group=1&sku=3054889&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules

      And the blue vase is from Target last year. xoxo!

      Delete
  57. The shoe cabinet is fantastic! Love the color and the hardware. I also think your wall color is great as is. If you do decide you don't like it, I love the soft grey in your recent bathroom redo. Behr quietude? I do think, personally, I'd love to see your round wood coffee table in there. Your doing a great job!! Don't question yourself too much, your a natural! :)

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  58. Fun! All the moms in my Sunday School class were just talking about how all the kids like to wear mismatched socks. One mom even said that the boys on her son's high school basketball team were all into it, and they never want to wear the socks that actually match their uniforms. :)

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  59. I've been looking at the one room challenges via Greige Design and I must say, I LOVE the simplicity you have going there! Can't wait to see what else is going to happen in that room! It is hard work to manage to such a challenge with children, but you are doing a great job!

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  60. I adore how the shoe cabinet came out! It looks really high-end.
    Only thing I don't like a lot is the coffee table: I think it's a bit stark with the black and glass combo and less elegant in comparison to how the rest of the room is shaping up. I'm curious to see how you'll give it your lovely design touch! :-)

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  61. I love how the shoe cabinet turned out. Where did you purchase the hardware? I have a piece that I would like to change the hardware on and those are perfect.

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  62. Where is the round mirror from?

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  63. I'm loving the gold with the gray on your shoe cabinet. Good choice! I also do love your paint color. If you dislike it enough to consider repainting with all the other things on your to do list, it is probably worth considering. But maybe you should procrastinate it until you have your other elements in place. Sometimes when a room feels off, it's hard to pinpoint the problem until everything's in place. You're definitely a pro, but I thought I'd pass on a little tip I got from the Nester last week: Don't start your art until your drapes are hung correctly. It gets kind of sing songy and fun if you say it several times, lol.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Lovely Jen!!! I know what you mean about the wall color. I have painted my bathroom 11 times. Seriously. My family jokes I have lost square footage. ;) Check out Revere Pewter by Hirshfields. It is so soft and warm. The most beautiful pearly gray I have ever seen. Soldier on Girlie! Whay color did you do the shoe cabinet?

    ReplyDelete
  65. Have you thought about having the school cubbies as a "table" behind the sofa? If you just turn it around. I think that I would have done that. Give a behind the sofa table in the livingroom but still get the cubbie function in the entrence. Anyway. Fun to follow the progress!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello,
      We are not set on any layout yet, we started playing around with a few different options and that was one of them. But we decided that we need the rest of the pieces in the room before settling on anything. So for now things sort of just fell where they worked for us in our last room. :)

      Delete
  66. I can't believe how much work you have done! Impressive! Have you checked out Maria Killam's blog? She's a color expert. I think your undertones are what's bothering you.
    http://www.mariakillam.com/blog/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the link! Such a great resource!

      Delete
  67. Love your sofa! Is it stain resistant? Have you ever tried the Scotchguard thing? I just bought an upholstered chair at Homegoods and I'm not sure whether to treat it with Scotchguard

    Laura

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Laura,

      It is not. Not yet anyway. I am not a fan of Scotch Guard and have been researching alternative options for the new living room pieces. I will be sure to share what I end up using and my thoughts/a review of the product I select.

      xoxo!

      Delete
  68. The new Besta cabinets have soft closing doors now. You can add the new doors to the old cabinets.

    I am doing the same thing you did with your Besta, making an entry cabinet. Thanks for the idea!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooh! Good to know! We have gotten spoiled with the kitchen so now anything that doesn't soft close is a little surprising, lol. :)

      Delete
  69. I vote for the same turquoise color of the hutch. If you insist on breaking our hearts by refusing to put it back in the room, then I think you should just paint the walls that color instead. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The hutch isn't going anywhere just yet, Colleen. :D I have plans for that baby. May not be in the kitchen/dining area any longer, but I have an idea or two for it down the road.

      Delete
  70. I'm a fairly new subscriber and love your posts especially the ones about your remodel. I am remodeling too and am using mostly gray and white. I've never been a fan of white walls, but am now a total convert. My vote is for white walls. They will really accent your gray island and shoe rack.

    ReplyDelete
  71. I absolutely love your shoe cabinet! I feel like no matter how much we try and organize our home, the shoes are always a disaster! I cannot wait to go pick up a Hemnes cabinet and give it a little facelift like you did :) Great job! It's beautiful!

    Kaitlynn @www.navylifeofanavywife.com

    ReplyDelete
  72. Late to the game but love this room! In fact my office has BM Trnaquility (similar) and gray furniture and a gray rug in a later post! I noticed you mentioned where you got your floral swatches from, but I have scoured the sites mentioned looking for that fabric on the bottom of the photo, (bleeds off the bottom edge of the photo) the blobby kind of abstract watercolor-y swatch! Do you happen to remember which site that one is from? Just thought I'd ask!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Soozey! BM Tranquility is one of the swatches I was considering, such a pretty shade! The bottom fabric you are looking for is this one: https://www.fabric.com/buy/0374228/hamilton-reflections-fuchsia, it was a top contender, super pretty! xoxo!

      Delete
  73. Thank you SO much for responding and for the sources. I really appreciate all you share! Looking forward especially to your Wednesday posts! :)

    ReplyDelete
  74. I had an issue with my Google account for the comment I just tried to post, so if this is a duplicate, feel free to delete :) I love your painted cabinet, it looks amazing! I've been looking online but haven't been able to find the answer, what is the back of the shoe cabinet (the part that goes against the wall) made of? Is it particle board? Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sara! Yes, the back of the cabinet is an unfinished particle board. xoxo!

      Delete
  75. I recently just discovered your blog through Pinterest and i have become a bit obsessed. I am IN LOVE with this cabnet and the color! Where did you get the cabnet at?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! The shoe cabinet is from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20169559/

      Delete
  76. Hi Jen! I love it, as always 👍
    Where is the mirror from?
    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! The mirror is from Target: http://www.target.com/p/threshold-starburst-mirror/-/A-14137991#prodSlot=medium_1_6&term=mirror

      xo!

      Delete
  77. Hi Jen, did you have problems with applying the Zinnsser primer? I was hesitating on buying it because there was a lot of complaints about the brush marks showing and the non leveling. The fumes are are whole other level.

    How did you apply yours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was pretty happy with the primer, it gripped well and I used a roller whenever possible. There are some minor brush marks visible on the shoe cabinet, but nothing that I notice unless I am examining it closely. Definitely should be primed in a well ventilated area. :) Another primer that you might want to look at is Zinsser Smart Prime, which offers similar results of an oil based primer, but is a Low VOC water based option: https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/zinsser/primer-sealers/smart-prime/ We used it on our fireplace built-in and really liked it.

      Delete
  78. Jen, any tips on getting shoes to stay in place in this shoe cabinet? We have the same one and my husbands big shoes stay in place. But mine and my two kids shoes are smaller, and all over the place in the bottom pull out section. Help!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have a similar problem. I find that when we keep the shoe racks full, things shift less. But otherwise, things tend to become jostled when the doors are shut. You could maybe DIY some dividers of some sort, but we personally haven't done anything other than just live with it. :)

      xo!

      Delete
  79. Hi Love your blog! I totally thought the shoe cabinet was more blue than grey and so want this in my entry way now 😀. It's gorgeous regardless of its color changing ways. I searched your blog for this answer and could not find it. I'm purchasing the hardware for the cabinet and can not tell if you ordered small or large?
    Thank you!!! And I think the color of the room currently totally works. I would change it once it changes more you'll see the color you want once more color enters the room. You obviously have the eye for it 😀

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I purchased the smaller sized hardware. :)

      Delete
  80. I've had my shoe cabinet for about a year and am ready to paint it! How were you able to remove from wall, take it apart (at least it appears to be deconstructed in your above painting photo), and then re-assemble? I remember it took me a long time to put together which is what is holding me back from painting it in fear that I can't get it in the same layout. I'm sure i have the directions saved somewhere, just thought i'd see what worked for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lisa,

      We removed it from the wall by simply removing the screws we used to affix it initially. From there, I only removed the flip out drawers and the upper drawer and left the remainder of the cabinet completely assembled. I also left the flip out drawers and upper drawer assembled while painting. It made it much easier and didn't take us much time to put it back together and re-affix it to the wall when all was dry and cured.

      Best of luck! I hope your painting project goes smoothly. ♥

      Delete
  81. I sooo wish I would have read this through. I painted a few coats on the shoe cabinet, but didn't do a primer first. Now I can't even remember if I got the paint with primer combination or not, but the paint is chipping off. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This makes me sad to hear Kristen! The oil based primer is definitely the key, we have only had to small dings which were easy to touch up over the last year and a half. I wonder if you could easily strip yours and give it another whirl since no primer was used initially?

      Delete
    2. You and me both! Your cabinet looks so gorgeous!!! I was able to remove the paint very easily from the side of the cabinet - it peeled right off. Do you have any advice for removing the pain that is a little more stubborn?

      Delete
    3. Hmmmm... You may be able to use a small amount of paint stripper for stubborn spots, but I can't say what that will do to the previous cabinet finish. This article may be helpful in finding some less harmful paint stripping options: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/strip-paint-naturally-25536.html

      Delete
    4. Thanks so much Jennifer!!

      Delete
  82. i love what you did with this Hemnes piece, but i want to know has the paint by any chance peeled or bubbled up?

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  83. I vote for the same turquoise color of the hutch. Thanks:)

    ReplyDelete

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