We are into Week 2 of the One Room Challenge. There is new paint and wallpaper for girls shared bedroom, and it is very exciting! #BHGORC

In a past blog post, I share how to include kids in DIY projects. I wanted to show that this possible in this project, and I have shared some video on my Instagram stories that shows this practice in real time. We pulled out the paint and all three girls came to help in over-sized shirts and a smile. What I always learn as I include my daughters in my projects is that:

1. I love that they see me enjoying a passion of mine.

2. They are being active and creative.

3. It really doesn’t ruin anything for me because they don’t have the attention span or stamina to be under my feet the whole time.

Just like when you let kids cook or clean with you, it doesn’t take long before they have had their fill and they mostly just enjoy being with you. The perk is that they are learning along the way.

Since this bedroom transformation is for my two youngest daughters, I was excited that they were eager to help. Painting three of the four walls and the ceiling white was the order for this week and we got it done in about two days. Day one was the initial first coat and the second day was the finishing coat. Cody is not a fan of painting, but he did help me on day 2. I love the transformation that paint can create. Sherwin Williams Alabaster White is the paint color I have used it for my living room remodel and loved how it looked.

Since we have done A LOT of painting in our home, the only thing I needed to get was a new roller brush and one more gallon of paint. Here are typical paint tools and tricks we use.

Here are some updated photos of the progress.

Wallpaper for Girls Room…the next step.

The next step is to prep the last wall for the wallpaper from Livette’s wallpaper. I chose traditional non-woven wallpaper instead of the removable wallpaper. This process is far more involved than I imagined. I was very naive about how much work it would be.

Here is what I learned from the wallpapering process.

1. Don’t skip on getting the right tools: seam roller, paint roller and brush, smoother, straight edge, level, bold line chalk reel to get a straight line to follow, sharp utility (box cutter) knife, step ladder, cotton glove to smooth the wallpaper, micro-fiber cloth so you can remove any glue that may get on the wallpaper.

2. Prepare the wall–make sure the wall is clean, free of any bumps and use a wallpaper primer so that applying the wallpaper is easier and so the wallpaper will adhere to the wall better. Also, pay attention to what kind of wallpaper you have and get the right type of glue.

3. Ask someone other than your husband to help you. Cody got pretty upset 2-3 times during the process. I have not heard him curse in a while, but the wallpaper did not bring out the best in him. I offered to put the wallpaper on, but he wanted to do it after I put the glue on the wall. It was the cutting of the paper that really made the steam come out of his ears. I am grateful for his help, but I wish that my mom and sister could have helped me. I think they would have enjoyed it more. Thankfully Cody has forgiven me after vowing at least five times that he would never do that again. Installing wallpaper is not for the faint of heart! =)

4. Take the process slowly and two panels at a time before moving on. Matching the pattern is super important. We also removed the wallpaper sometimes to get bubbles out or just to re-position.

5. Follow the instructions from the company as closely as you can and watch tutorials to help your confidence.

Here are some photos from the wallpapering process.

See you next week!
Best, Lucy