We finally settled on a new bedroom color: a green shade from the Valspar swatch, matched to Olympic’s no-VOC paint in a satin finish. It’s a slightly richer, more saturated green than what we chose for our last house, and it reads really well on the walls.
Before painting, the room felt bare and a little awkward — furniture mostly out of place and Ed the bed semi-disassembled. We removed a slat so Ed could slide into the center of the room without hitting the ceiling fan while we painted around him.
About five hours and two coats later, the room transformed. We used a single gallon of paint and didn’t need to run out for more, which surprised us since we’re not used to bedrooms this size. The color ended up being exactly the middle-ground we wanted: noticeable and lively without overpowering the space.
The new tone is reminiscent of our previous bedroom color but reads darker and greener in person. We entertained the idea of going much darker or much brighter, but ultimately decided that the walls shouldn’t be the main attraction. Keeping the paint slightly subdued gives us flexibility to bring in colorful curtains, bold artwork, and even painted secondhand furniture later on.
We debated whether the small bathroom nook should be treated differently — maybe darker, lighter, or with an accent like wallpaper or a tone-on-tone stencil. In the end, we decided to visually connect the nook to the main room by using the same color there. For practicality near the sink, we used a semi-gloss finish for better wipeability. The pictures make the nook look a touch lighter than it is, but in real life it blends well with the bedroom walls.
We’re still undecided about the mirror frame — whether to leave it as is or paint it from gray to white. Sometimes we wait to let the room evolve a bit before committing, other times we grab a brush and get the job done right away. Either way, we’ll share photos when it happens.
In photographs the color sometimes appears lighter, but in person it sits solidly in the mid-range: not pale, not deep. The swatch we started with shows it’s not subtle or ultra-saturated, and that balance is exactly what we like. Trim, crown molding, and furniture really pop against the walls without the background competing with vivid textiles or artwork we plan to add.
Furniture placement is still flexible and some pieces may be replaced. Sherry has the idea of finding two secondhand dressers that “go but don’t match,” refinishing or painting them in bold colors, and placing them on either side of the bathroom doorway. That would create a sense of balance and add practical his-and-hers storage for socks and pajamas. The chair will likely settle into the corner to the left of the bed.
The paint also picks up tones in our duvet nicely without matching it too literally, which helps keep the overall look coordinated but interesting. A shot taken with the lights off shows the color’s true saturation more clearly — it reads less yellow and more true to life, demonstrating how the walls and duvet work together without competing.
Yes, the Christmas tree is still standing in the background for now — it’s on the list to address. More importantly, painting this room felt like a major step toward making the new house feel like ours. It’s given us a real burst of momentum and we’ve officially caught the painting bug. Next up might be one of the larger living spaces, if we can agree on the right color.