Monday, August 18, 2008

Voila!

It was only the hottest, muggiest weekend of the summer. Clearly, no better way to spend it than by having a DYI fit in The Child's room. My "Free Martha" t-shirt may have to be disposed of as a biohazard and I still have paint clinging to my fingernails, although I think I got it all out of my hair.

The final details were completed on Saturday morning, with The Spouse installing a chair rail. When that was done all that was left was to move all The Child's belongings from the deck and back into her room. A daunting project, to be sure, but one I decided to tackle myself because (between you and me) I was looking at it as an opportunity to do some purging. That's a task that The Child understands in theory but not so much in practice. So I didn't really begin moving her back in until she'd left to spend the afternoon (and evening as it luckily turned out) with her godparents.

It took me a long frakking time but the results were, as they usually are with such projects, worth it.

Behold:

The top of the walls was painted with black magnetized paint, the bottom half with chalkboard paint. Black? you exclaim. A black bedroom? Have you lost your mind? Possibly, says me, but I like to think of a black room with white trim as the decor equivalent of a little black dress with pearls...chic and sophisticated, possibly a little Parisian.

The Child, of course, has a more boho vibe going on so those details are in evidence, too. Which is fine because it is, after all, her room. When I take it over as my studio I can move it back toward the French aesthetic...a black and white toile chaise, for example. But for now it suits The Child very well.

I picked up some frames at Goodwill for mere pence, which we "unified" by painting gold. These hang on the wall to contain her collection of purses and her Broadway show memorabilia:

And this is how we turned her collection of necklaces into serviceable art:

Here is her reading/study area. Her laptop sits on a little movable table that she can pull over in front of the chair when necessary. Storage boxes hold her art supplies, tools for school and reference books.It is all very cozy and grown up. No, the black doesn't make the room too hot. Lord knows we had ample opportunity to test that. Nor is it too dark when it is cloudy and rainy, which it happens to be today. And while I don't know that it will long remain as pristine as it appears in these photos, I can tell you that The Child made her bed yesterday morning without being told so there's that.

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27 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous opined...

Totally Faboo! Well done, You!

August 18, 2008 11:54 AM  
Blogger Br. Jonathan opined...

That is AMAZING!! Truly amazing.

What happened to the Zac Efron posters?

August 18, 2008 12:00 PM  
Blogger Kimberly Ann opined...

Gorgeous. Tres tres chic. I'm craving croissants just looking at that yummy paint. Black is the new black.

August 18, 2008 12:11 PM  
Blogger Leah opined...

What? YOU did that? Super awesome. I so need to run a 'better home and garden'. GREAT JOB!

August 18, 2008 12:25 PM  
Blogger sageweb opined...

That is adoarable. I like the black. The chair rail makes it all pop. Good Job Martha!

August 18, 2008 12:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous opined...

I would have peed to have a bedroom with black walls at that age. And yes, the white does add that touch of glass.

You're the best mother in the world!

August 18, 2008 2:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous opined...

i meant class, not glass. but glass would've been classy too.

August 18, 2008 2:27 PM  
Blogger Anne opined...

love the quilt.

how does the magnet paint work? well? i've considered it for the kitchen.

August 18, 2008 4:56 PM  
Blogger Anne opined...

i might have to clean out The Girl's room now that she's gone, too.

August 18, 2008 4:57 PM  
Blogger danny/ink2metal opined...

c'est tres chic et tres belle!

exactly what the child deserves, er, and her mother...eventually.

August 18, 2008 5:37 PM  
Blogger rosemary opined...

Really nice....i would have never thought black could look good....but it does and the chalkboard paint....brilliant. I like what you did with the frames too.....just perfect for a teenage girl...perfect.

August 18, 2008 6:05 PM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Well, DJ, I learned from the master. (bows before her)

Buck, believe it or not, she presently doesn't want any posters to mar the look. Although that doesn't mean she would be opposed to a Zac Efron magnet.

LOL, Kimberly Ann. "Black is the new black"!

Yep, I did, Leah. Crazy huh?

It's probably not exactly up to Martha's standard, Sage. I took a few short cuts. But it turned out exactly as I'd pictured it so that made me very happy.

JP, waaa waaaa.

Oh, Anne, that quilt is a mess. It was our 2nd anniversary present to ourselves, a wedding ring pattern, but the patches are all ripped up now. It'll be replaced as soon as she swaps her double bed for a cousin's twin. And no, I'm not going to ask you to repair the quilt while you're in town.

Oh, and the magnet paint works ok. I only had one quart and couldn't find more...guess I was lucky to snag the first one. It really requires 2 coats for maximum magneticity (I just made up that word) but if the magnet is strong enough it appears to be ok.

Merci, mon ami. (And yeah, I'm pretty much counting down the days now!)

Rosie, I feel very smug about the frames. That's my favorite bit. Aside from the overall cool factor, that is.

August 18, 2008 6:36 PM  
Blogger Sling opined...

Magnetic paint??..This changes everything!..seriously.

Outstanding job Rainey.
It's chic,and feminine,and I fully expect The Child will be setting the standard for all the really cool kids. :)

Now I'm thinkin' about a more grown up look for my room.
I can still keep the incense burner,coca-cola clock,and lava lamp..right?

August 18, 2008 6:45 PM  
Blogger Sling opined...

Crap!..I almost forgot to tell ya.
You're a really good mom.
..carry on.

August 18, 2008 6:57 PM  
Blogger Mom opined...

That is one wonderful looking room. Well done!

August 18, 2008 7:53 PM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Sling, dude, it's da bomb. Heavier than you know what but cool. Except for the whole having to stir it for 10 minutes before using thing.

Personally, however, I wouldn't change a thing about your room. Ok, maybe the loveseat, which The Child found to be not the cushiest of sleeping berths. But otherwise, it's a fine room. I sure wouldn't touch the Coca Cola memorabilia. That's classic.

Thanks, Mom.

August 18, 2008 10:51 PM  
Blogger Willym opined...

You and the Child did a great job - when I finally move into something like a permanent home will you decorate for me?

What exactly is magnetic paint - oh I know I could google it but I'd rather had you tell me.

Sling - those magazines under the bed will have to go - they just won't fit with the style of the new room!

August 18, 2008 11:28 PM  
Blogger Anne opined...

I've never really researched the magnetic paint, but i thought it came as a mix-in to any color you wanted.

But the quilt does look good in the picture.

And I don't do quilt repair.

August 19, 2008 6:25 AM  
Blogger booda baby opined...

Cool, cool, COOOL. Is that the paint you can actually USE as blackboard? I seem to know all sorts of people working with that lately!!

Oh.

I guess the idea of painting over your painting ruins the chic effect, but it's kind of fun to think you've got chic AND a working art studio going on.

August 19, 2008 6:50 AM  
Blogger Bad Alice opined...

Awesome! Can you come paint my walls?

August 19, 2008 6:59 AM  
Blogger TWISI opined...

that looks So great, you guys did a wonderful job. I am glad the chalkboard paint worked out for you!

I love the frames, I may have to steal that!!!!!

August 19, 2008 8:25 AM  
Blogger LostInColor opined...

Wow that is super fantastic and so cool. Black magnetized paint!

August 19, 2008 8:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous opined...

Ba Ha Ha Ha (Note no W)

Very daring, very good. No risk, no gain.

Peace

:+}

August 19, 2008 10:42 AM  
Blogger Adrienne opined...

Uh-oh, it's just possible that my kids still have little farm animals on their walls. But now I'm feeling inspired.

August 19, 2008 1:12 PM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Thankyouverymuch, Willym. And I would be happy to decorate for you. You will, however, have to snag someone else to do the painting. Gawd, how I hate it.

Anne, it may very well...I just grabbed the only can they had at Satan's Hardware and made due.

Booda, yep. First thing we did (when it was dry) was start writing on it. I think everyone should have at least one wall to write on.

Bad Alice, I will gladly help you pick paint colors but I swear, I usually have to have a good 3-4 years between painting projects for lo, as previously mentioned, I do NOT enjoy it.

August 19, 2008 1:23 PM  
Blogger Lorraine opined...

Oh, but Adrienne, if you painted the farm animals than I'm sure they are superfantastically charming. Thanks for stopping by.

August 19, 2008 1:25 PM  
Blogger Unknown opined...

Brilliant, Lorraine! Im loving it and thinking it's time to copy you and launch into something more sophis
ticated for my 16 year old.
I be the Child is feeling very "with it"! or something possibly more hip than that.

August 24, 2008 5:19 AM  

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