Tuesday, September 9, 2014

ben & ME - Our Girl's Bedroom Makeover


We had a few home projects on our summer to-do list this year, but the first priority was giving our little girl's bedroom a mini makeover. Primarily we wanted to give it a fresh coat of paint. The pink colour on her walls (pictured above) had been there since before we moved in about six years ago.

As an added bonus, painting her room would allow us to take down some of the many pictures and decals that have accumulated on her walls. It was time for Bieber to go! I was also hoping that sprucing up her bedroom might encourage my little gal to keep her room tidier. Let's just say that clutter has occasionally been an issue in the past.


Here's one more slightly cluttered "before" shot. (By the way, it took me a few hours of work to get the room even that tidy!) When it comes to choosing paint, my husband and I have always turned to Benjamin Moore. In our experience, whether we were painting our colour-filled little apartment on Yonge Street in Toronto or our more subtly hued first home, Benjamin Moore offered the best quality paint and the most gorgeous colours. Plus, ben is a low VOC/low odour paint. That's always been important to us but even more so now that we have children.


We visited our closest Benjamin Moore retailer, discussed colours with the in-store design expert and took home several paint chips. We gave our daughter full say over the choice of colour, because we wanted her to be happy with her new space. We involved her in the process too - she helped to empty out the room and clear off the walls.

She had a bit of trouble making a final colour choice, so she and I decided to go look for new bedding first. Purple was at the top of her list, and that choice was confirmed when she found a lovely new purple quilt and sheets. We returned to Benjamin Moore and picked up ben paint in "Lily Lavender." We also got a quart of "Cloud White" semi-gloss for the trim and closet doors - we have used this lovely white elsewhere in our home and find that it's a no-fail white.


Right now, when you buy two 3.79 L cans of ben interior paint and one 946 ml can of ben interior semi-gloss, you get a free ben & ME kit containing a roller cover, roller handle, paintbrush, paint tray, tray liner, drop cloth, paint can opener and green painters tape. All of this normally costs $169 but you'll get it for only $109* while supplies last! The package also comes with a how-to guide filled with useful painting tips and a playlist suggestion to keep you motivated as you paint. Having all of the necessary items  ready and together in one package made getting down to work easy and less intimidating.

There are 15 useful tips in the ben & ME guide. I'm going to share with you a few that helped us.

Tip #1 - Protect Your Goods


Take a few minutes to fully protect your room and its contents from paint drips. It will make the whole process a lot easier and virtually worry-free.


Remove small items from the room and cover carpets, floors and furniture with drop cloths.


Tip #2 - Tape Trick


I'm assuming that you're taking the time to apply painters tape to ceiling and trim edges. (We all know what happens when you don't - nasty splotches!). An added tip we learned from the ben & ME guide is to heat-seal the tape's edge with friction by running a smooth "tool" such as your finger, a spoon or a paint stick along the edge of the tape. The friction will form a stronger seal against paint seepage.



Tip #3 - Work Wet


Paint the edges of the wall first, but only in a small area. You should be applying wet paint to wet paint. Don't let the edges dry before you apply paint in the middle or you may be able to see the different layers when the paint dries.


Tip #4 - The Power of the W


Paint long, tall "Ws" with your roller and then go back over them to fill in, without taking your roller away from the wall. This pattern hides roller trails on your dry wall. Of course, like me and my husband, you may not agree on what constitutes a long, tall W. But then, when somebody else is painting, it's best not to complain. (Another ben & ME tip is to mind your manners. Painting can make people testy, so have fun, play music and keep cool!)



Tip #5 - No Muss, No Fuss


Nobody likes to clean up after a paint job. A tray liner can help! It lifts out of your paint tray easily, making clean-up a whole lot less messy. If you don't have a tray liner, wrap your tray with foil or a hole-free plastic grocery bag.



Now for the fun part. I always enjoy seeing how paint can transform a room. It's the least expensive thing you can do to make a dramatic impact. And, as an added bonus, emptying a room to paint it can really help you to have a good second look at the room. I noticed that the bed and the dresser needed a good polish. We were also astounded by the quantity of items that we removed from the room. I'm hoping that three-quarters of them won't be going back. Some of them may just “disappear” when the little one is at school.
 

Here is my little girl's freshly painted, lovely lavender room, free of excess "stuff."


This "LOVE" sign above the bed perfectly describes how she feels about her paint colour and how I feel about this refreshingly tidy and bright room.



We will be adding more artwork to the walls, but in the meantime I'm enjoying the spacious lightness of the room.



I used Cloud White paint to give a couple of fresh coats to the night table too. The room feels fresh, clean and bright now. We're so inspired by the change that we’re excited about doing a paint makeover in my son's room next.


Get a ben & ME bag!


Now is the best time to tackle your painting projects. Benjamin Moore is offering ben & ME bags for $109* (value of $169), only until October 5, 2014. The ben & ME bag includes 2 gallons of premium paint, 1 quart of paint for trim, sleeve roller, paintbrush, paint tray, drop cloth, paint can opener, green painters tape and a how-to guide. Visit your local Benjamin Moore Signature store. Consult the ben & ME website to find your nearest participating Benjamin Moore dealer.



ben & Me Twitter Party! 


Join Sheblogs Canada for the ben & ME Twitter party on September 18, 2014 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST. Follow @sheblogsmedia #DIYWithBen. RSVP for the party now.


Do you have any paint projects on your to-do list?



Although this post has been generously sponsored by Benjamin Moore, the opinions and language are all my own, and in no way do they reflect Benjamin Moore.


* With a qualifying purchase of two cans of 3.79 l ben® interior flat K625, eggshell K626 or semi-gloss K627 and one can of 946 ml ben® interior semi-gloss K627 for $109.00 suggested retail price, receive a FREE ben® & Me tote and painting kit at participating dealers. Limit one (1) per customer. While supplies last. No substitutions. Qualifying purchases must be made in single transaction. Actual price will be determined by dealer at checkout. Offer cannot be combined with other offers, discounts or promotions, or applied toward prior purchases. Offer valid August 25, 2014 – October 5, 2014. See your local participating dealer for details. Void where prohibited. 

24 comments:

  1. It looks fantastic! Beautiful colour, my daughter would love it :) I have been terribly slack with my daughter's room. I bought the wallpaper two years ago and it's been sitting there. I'm not confident enough to do it myself and wallpapering people in the newspaper ads don't want to waste their time on one bedroom! Might need to watch some YouTube DIY vids and do it all myself after all. I'm inspired now to get on the ball with this project tomorrow!

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    1. The woman at Benjamin Moore told me that my daughter is "at the age for purple." ;)

      We have NO wallpaper in our house for that very reason. I am not going to attempt it and my husband is reluctant. Good luck to you my friend! :)

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    2. I've just gone and emailed some more wallpaper people so fingers crossed my delayed mini project can get moving!

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    3. it's been a disaster! The guy put the wallpaper up and there were two very obviously different shades of white but he assured me it would all dry to be the one shade. Ah, nope. The pattern doesn't much up between the different whites so obviously one of the rolls wasn't a match-- he could have at least told me but he put them up! Now I'm sending him messages asking him to help me fix it (he was supposed to come back anyway when my next roll arrives as we were a bit short) but no reply... I'm stumped as he was lovely, has good reviews and is legit from the portfolio I've seen online. Briefly mentioned some personal troubles he had so who knows if that's a factor in him not replying to my messages...

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    4. Oh no! That's awful! Do you think you could get new wallpaper from the wallpaper company, since they gave you unmatched rolls?

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  2. It looks beautiful. Love the lilac color. Very chic!

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  3. The room is beautiful, just like the resident. Grampy agrees!

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  4. Hi,

    Love, love, love your page! And I love this makeover. So pretty.
    Would you be interested in linking up your home organization or project in our online magazine?

    If so, here’s the link:
    http://www.touchedmagazine.com/#!organizing-your-space/cznf

    Also, if you'd like this or any other makeover you've done featured, drop us a note at feature@touchedmagazine.com

    XO,
    KG

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  5. What a peaceful looking room for me to sleep in next time I'm over.

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  6. It looks like something from a magazine, love it!!

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  7. Love this post! We're painting some rooms right now and I'm so frustrated with the building supply place (not to be named) paint. Benjamin Moore sounds like just the thing for us. Aurora loves the color and is probably ready to update from her pink too. Your Mom's comment is just so full of Grandparent love - I know the feeling...

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    1. Thanks! We have always had good luck with Benjamin Moore. I hope Aurora finds a colour she loves! Yes, the kids get lots of love from granny and grampy. It's very special. :)

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  8. where did you get the bedding? I love how the room turned out and wanted to see if my daughter is interested in the bedding!

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    1. I got it at Homesense. Good luck with finding something for your daughter! :)

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