The office ceiling and walls are freshly painted, which is great news since we’re just 48 hours away from the scheduled delivery. The trim is a pure, bright white—matching the desk in the middle of the room—although in some photos it reads a touch cream, likely due to lighting and the time of day.
Right now the room still feels very stark and clean (and honestly a little dramatic—Game of Thrones-level stark), so we’re excited to bring in several finishing touches to warm and personalize the space:
- a cozy rug to define the desk area
- window treatments for privacy and light control
- a couple of fun pendant lights above the desk for task lighting
- art on the walls to add color and personality
- additional storage along the left wall plus a craft table and dedicated photography zone
- an updated kid desk area on the right to keep things organized
- and a few small styling pieces to make the room feel finished
Although the project is only about 10% complete in terms of decor, the transformation from its previous blue-trim days is already very noticeable. There’s a satisfying amount of momentum now that the painting is done.
A little last-minute hustle before baby always gets the adrenaline going. We filmed some of the painting process so you can see how we approach ceilings and walls with a roller. The footage is informal—this is what works for us, not a professional tutorial—but it highlights a few practical techniques that make the job easier and neater.
Note: We mentioned a few brands by name in the original post simply because they’re tools and paints we commonly use. Those mentions were not paid endorsements; they reflect products we’ve found helpful over the years.
For readers who prefer a quick summary rather than watching video, here are the key takeaways from our painting approach:
- Use a pole extender for ceilings to reduce strain on your back and keep the roller reach comfortable.
- For smooth ceilings and walls, choose a roller nap intended for smooth surfaces. We typically use rollers from trusted manufacturers, and we often pick what’s on sale rather than being strictly brand loyal.
- If your room has carpet or you’re worried about splatter, protect the floor with drop cloths. Professionals always do, and it’s a simple way to avoid extra cleanup.
- Be mindful of roller speed, the amount of paint you load, and the pressure you apply. Rushing or pressing too hard can cause uneven coverage and more drips.
- Higher-quality paint tends to be thicker and less prone to running. We generally use a good-quality flat paint on ceilings rather than a specialty ceiling formula.
- When rolling walls, we usually skip the pole extender but keep the same method: cut in around edges first, then roll the larger areas.
- Our workflow: one person cuts in the edges, the other follows closely with the roller. Then the cutter does a second pass and the roller follows again. This coordination helps eliminate brush strokes and yields a smooth finish right up to the trim.
We’ve also created time-lapse videos of full room paint jobs in the past, which illustrate how consistent technique and steady pacing deliver the best results. Those videos show the same basic approach we used here: careful cutting in, steady rolling, and finishing touches that refine the overall look.
Now that the technique is covered, here’s why we chose this particular color for the office walls:
- We wanted a light and refreshing tone to keep the workspace airy and bright.
- The adjacent dining room will be dark and moody, so we avoided another bold or heavy color opposite it.
- I favored a soft honeydew green, but John worried too much green might affect photography for small projects in the room by casting a color tint.
- We tested four paint samples—Daiquiri Ice, Lime Froth, Palest Pistachio, and Tint of Mint—so we could see each tone in different light throughout the day before deciding.
A practical tip for testing colors: paint your samples in an organized way from top to bottom and in alphabetical order, or mark them clearly. That simple routine helped us remember which swatch was which and prevented confusion during our decision process. After a few days of living with the options, Palest Pistachio felt the most balanced—airy and light without being overtly green. In photos it reads a touch bluer than in real life, but in person it’s a happy, calm color that complements the white trim and the rest of the home’s palette.
One of my favorite photos from this update captures the room’s fresh feeling perfectly. We plan to install a larger bulletin board above the kid desk, likely spanning from window to window, which will add both function and visual interest. The windows are open in some shots, so they look a bit unusual—imagine them dressed with curtains or roman shades once the space is finished.
It’s satisfying to check another item off the to-do list. Of course, we expect a newborn will re-prioritize everything for a while, but for now it’s nice to enjoy a freshly painted room that feels peaceful, functional, and ready for the next layer of styling.
Our Favorite Paint Colors
If you’re struggling to choose a color, here are a few shades we’ve used and written about in detail—these are reliable starting points if you want a neutral, warm, or crisp white:
- The 12 Best White Paint Colors
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin-Williams Pure White
- Sherwin-Williams Extra White
Psst: If you’re curious where something in our house came from, we keep a shop list of items used throughout our home. It’s a handy way to track sources and styling details.
