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The Living Room Makeover Rages On

Last Thursday, two friendly, well-spoken gentlemen showed up at my house from Nolan Painting to paint my living room.

First, let me explain. This is only the second time in our married lives we have hired out a paint job. My husband is a DIY guy at heart. He actually runs a podcast with his best friend, showing other DIYers how to DIY stuff. Check out their Handyguys Podcast sometime. They’re rocking and rolling over there!

He is actually quite a competent painter, and when we bought our first home back in 2000, he taught me to paint. I loved it, believe it or not! We painted that entire house at least three times over in the five years we lived there. No lie. We can paint. (And also? We are indecisive. HA!)

But three kids later and all the activities that go along with school and church and family life (not to mention our myriad of jobs) and time is our enemy.

Plus, painting is sorta like cooking. I enjoy the process, but clean up is a beast. We have this really bad habit of never thoroughly finishing a project. There are unfinished reminders of our home improvement projects throughout our entire house.

So when Nolan Painting, one of my blog’s current sponsors, offered to gift us with their Painter For A Day service, we joyfully accepted.

The only other time I have had a professional painter work on my home is when we moved into this house. I had a new baby and a new house, and my mom gifted us with a professional painter to do our foyer (which is one of those 2-story cathedral types that I didn’t want my husband messing with) and the connecting hallways and stairwell. While I enjoyed having it done for me, it was tiresome having this guy in our house for days on end, not knowing when he would arrive, when he would leave, and when he would be done. And in the end, his work was so shoddy that I had to go back around and touch up the woodwork. It was not a pleasant experience, and we’ve done our own painting ever since. (I chose the guy, not my mom, just for the record. And I am still VERY appreciative!!! That job would have never gotten done, left up to us.)

But this experience with Nolan Painting couldn’t have been more opposite. These guys were professional and personable. They called and let us know exactly when they would come. (We actually set a specific day with their office, but they still called the day before and confirmed the time of their arrival and everything.)

They arrived promptly at 7:30 AM, confirmed the job situation, and started laying out drop clothes and everything.

I went upstairs with my laptop, and when I came back down for lunch, the first coat of paint was on the walls. They were done by 3:30. They picked up everything. I have no idea where they even washed their brushes and rollers — they didn’t mess up my house doing it — and when they were done, everything was in pristine condition. They even moved the furniture back in place.

And my living room? Painted from head to toe in a gorgeous shade of chocolate brown, no outlet covers left on the dining room table, no last minute spackling jobs left for another day, no dabs of brown paint on white ceiling . . . everything was perfectly and completely and 100% COMPLETE.

I am now sold on professional painters. At least, I am sold on THESE professional painters. (Sorry, hon. It’s not you. It’s our busy life!!)

living room painted whitall brown
Benjamin Moore Whitall Brown

(Dontcha luv the sneakers on the stairs? Note they’ve been there since last Thursday.)

So now that my living room is painted, the fun part begins!!!

I need pillows and curtains and perhaps a new sofa slipcover. I am not so thrilled with the leaves now that the room is all put back together. I think I need something bolder. Take a look at the window I’m working with. I’m thinking of floor-length panels, but I’m not sure about color and pattern.

With all the natural light we get, it doesn’t seem quite this dark in person. I have seen a LOT of throw pillows in recent weeks that I like. I’m going to go back through my iPhone pictures and see if I find anything I want to take a second look at.

As far as curtains, the sky’s the limit. I don’t have a clue where to begin. I’m wide open to suggestions!

Disclosure: Nolan Painting is advertising on my blog for three months. They offered me the Painter for a Day service with no strings attached. I chose to blog about it because I was thrilled with them and because I need decorating help, yo!

Join The Conversation

24 Responses

  1. It looks great! What a cozy color, without being too dark. I say you definitely a bolder slipcover or bolder pillows, or both. A really great pattern is what is missing, if you ask me. Which you didn’t, but when has that stopped me? 😉

  2. it looks fabulous! and you were right, you have plenty of natural light to pull off a dark, rich color like you did! oh, what a luxury to have professional painters come do the work…

  3. Awesome!!! I loved reading that you hired out even though both of you have painted before. I currently have four walls with chosen color swatches. Hubs just doesn’t have time to do it. I will soon be deciding if I want to wait for him, do it myself (RIGHT!) or hire someone.

    Your color is beautiful! And I also live that the shoes have been on the steps since last Thursday!!! Thank you!!!

  4. The color is GORGEOUS!! It is very similar to what we have in our house. I have a neutral couch with pattered pillows and chairs pulling in lots of robin’s egg blue in the accents. Sage green looks great too. I get so many compliments on the color. I think you will absolutely love it!!!

  5. I love it. It looks so cozy and fresh. Hum, I don’t think those words really go together. Oh well. I agree about the pillows. I really like them but then when I saw them with the room painted they didn’t seem to have the same punch. Maybe with a lighter color slip cover? I don’t really know though…

  6. LOVE the color and I’m envious of your “Painter for a Day” since I always do it myself! I think floor-length panels would look great. You really have a blank canvas if you are thinking you may get a new slipcover. Can’t wait to see the finished room.

  7. My hubby works for a Benjamin Moore dealer so I just went and pulled out my handy dandy paint sample strip book because my computer is not true to color. That is a really nice color. I love how everything stands out now in your room!

  8. What a beautiful room! Well chosen paint. I would say from the pictures; go lighter with the curtains and a more neutral slip cover. Then you will certainly find the pillows that work!
    PS… Fabric stores will offer you many more options, and you can make two 18″ pillows with one yard of fabric. Great trim… Golden! Pillows are my specialty:)

  9. Love the chocolate color you chose! Agree the couch and pillows need a little something. Can’t wait to see what you decide.

  10. The room looks beautiful! You might want to check out Cost Plus World Market. I purchased my throw pillows there about 6 months ago. They have such a variety of colors and patterns that make our living room feel exotic and foreign. Their prices weren’t bad either!

  11. Hi Jo-Lynne, I’m a color consultant for Nolan, and I think the color looks great! I think curtains with a bold floral in aquas and creams would look fantastic. Sort of echoing your dining room. It’s all about balancing the dark with light so it doesn’t feel heavy. I would also hang the panels a bit higher than the windows so they enhance the ceiling height and draw your eye up. Drapery hung too low can make a room feel heavy. Good luck!

  12. Curtains – my thought: I have grown to love the simplicity of using twin flat sheets hung on clip-rings! They’re cost effective, super easy, and look really elegant, actually. I am currently using them in bright white in my bath (which is Seagrass green w/bright white trim) and in a light green in my toddler’s room (which is lavendar). They look awesome! (And if I want a different color, I don’t break the bank and it’s a quick, easy change!)

  13. Hi, I painted living room recently, 3 walls barely beige and accent wall Whitall Brown. On the accent wall i have 2 windows with white trim ..Any suggestions for curtain color and couch color??

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