Sometimes it’s the little things that can have the biggest impact when it comes to giving a room a facelift. That’s my latest discovery as we work on this year’s remodeling project.
In the three years we’ve lived in our Cottage In The Woods, our living room has stayed pretty much the way it was on the day we bought it. That means builder white paint on the walls and original honey oak baseboards and trim as you see in this picture above.
One day in the middle of this project we decided to remove the grids in this wall of windows and doors. The view is wonderful and the grids almost seemed to interfere, especially since there are deck railings beyond.
Some of the grids were barely attached so within just a couple of minutes we had them all out {by we, I really mean Mr. DH – he took out most of them}. It was an easy, no-cost makeover that made it look brand new. You can see the “after” in this photo below.
Okay, this is where the “no-cost part” ends. We could have just painted the old trim but since we have been replacing trim throughout the house on a room-by-room basis, we decided to just go ahead and update it.
We are using 1×4 and 1×6 boards with an edging called scribe. It is a treatment you see in older homes. I love the simplicity and how it adds instant character. I also like the fact that it’s not the pre-molded stuff you buy at the big box stores.
For a couple of reasons we decided to use MDF, not a paint-grade wood. This is because: 1) it’s more cost effective than wood and, 2) MDF does not expand and contract with the cold and humidity. That means we don’t have any caulking of seams once or twice a year.
You can find pre-cut MDF in 1×4, 8-foot lengths at your local lumber supply store.
So, our new molding has been painted as have the walls. We’re not finished with the room yet, but here’s the final transformation of that wall. I don’t plan on putting any window treatments on them. We don’t have privacy issues and want to let as much sunshine in as possible.
The color on the walls is one of my favorites, it’s called Sea Salt.I first fell in love with this color when I used it in an in-law suite I helped design some five years ago. The color is a very soft blue gray green. I think it should be called sea glass because that’s what it looks like to me.
Within the next four weeks we should be wrapping up this year’s adventure in remodeling. I can’t wait!
About Diana
I’m a busy working designer & home stager who gets a lot of joy & happiness helping clients transform their houses into homes they love. I blog as part of that creative process. In our “spare” time my hubby & I are updating our Cottage in the Woods that we share with our cats. I’m a Christian & look forward to someday working for my Heavenly Father, the Greatest Designer of all, decorating mansions in Heaven!
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Wow, Wow, Wow.. What an amazing difference. Just gorgeous. I thought it looked great with just the planks out but the painting completely transforms it. LOVE IT!!
What a huge difference. Love it.
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