Painting Like a Pro- One Room Challenge Week 6

I think I broke a record for the longest amount of time to paint one small bedroom. After 7 (and a half) days, our primary bedroom is finally painted! If you have kids and you’ve attempted any sort of DIY project, then this will come as no surprise to you. I even had the generous help of my Mother-in-law and it still took that long. Even though I chose a two-tone look, this project still felt like a marathon painting session that might never end. But, I learned a new skill – how to paint a crisp line! And I love the finished look, so it was all worth it.

There were multiple steps to this project so I’m breaking down what I did and how I did it if you would like to create a similar look.

Priming

To start out, I primed the newly installed wood paneling with Sherwin Williams Multi-purpose Latex Primer. I applied 3 coats of primer, letting the primer dry completely between coats. The cedar paneling is very knotty and I wanted to make sure the wood did not bleed through the paint. After mentioning this to a friend, he said if you are worried about bleeding, to use oil based primer. I will likely try this in the future to save time because it sounds like it covers in less coats, therefore speeding up the painting process.

After I primed the wood paneling, I also primed the upper third of all four walls in my bedroom. The room was originally green, and I painted the upper walls white (SW Alabaster). So, I figured I needed to use primer to ensure the white would cover the green.

I did not prime the lower portion of the walls because the new color was a similar shade of green and coverage was not a problem.

Paint

After three days of priming, it was finally time to start painting! Before I painted the walls, I did a quick touch up coat of paint on all the trim. This included door frames, baseboards, and crown moulding. Its been about 8 years since we painted the trim, so it needed some love. I lightly sanded any small nicks, wiped everything down with a damp cloth, then brushed on a coat of white trim paint. I prefer to paint the trim first because I find it easier to cut in the wall color than the other way around.

Now, time for wall paint! I’ve seen a lot of color blocking on social media and Pinterest lately so its been on my short list of things to try. When Andrew and I decided not to panel the entire room, I had the idea to use color blocking as a “faux” paneling method. We wanted to get the feel of paneling around the entire room without the cost.

First, I painted the upper third of the walls in Sherwin Williams Alabaster. This was the easy part. After applying two coats and allowing it to dry completely, I mustered up the courage to attempt painting a crisp, straight line 2/3 of the way up the wall.

I’ve only ever seen this done in youtube videos and instagram reels so I was unsure exactly how it would pan out. And wondered if it really worked as great as it seemed. Spoiler alert – it worked pretty darn great.

Here’s how I accomplished a crisp paint line:

1. Create a Level Line

I wanted my paint line to match the horizontal elevation of my new paneling. I used our laser level to project a level line on the walls that was close to the height of the paneling. It is virtually impossible to get the line exactly even with the paneling, so I placed the laser so that the line was close to the top of my paneling. Then, I used a ruler to mark the distance between the laser line and the paint line. To find the measurement I needed, I measured from the laser line, to the top of my paneling. This measurement was 6.25 inches. I took my ruler around the room and marked 6.25 inches above the laser line about every 2 feet. This process could also be accomplished with a manual level.

2. Tape the Line

For my room, I was painting the lower portion of my walls, so I placed the tape above the pencil marks I made. In other words, the bottom of my tape lined up with the marks I had made every 2 feet. If you were painting the top portion of your walls, you would want the top of the tape to sit along your pencil marks.

3. Add a Bead of Caulk

This is the secret step. I added a bead of caulk where the tape meets the wall. I used my finger to spread the caulk over the seam. The caulk fills in the wall texture and creates a solid surface for the paint to sit. This way, the paint does not bleed under the tape. Make sure to use clear, latex caulk for this job. I used this DAP clear paintable latex caulk.

4. Paint On Top of the Caulk

While the caulk is still wet, paint over the caulk. This was the only tricky part. Since the caulk is still wet, if you brush back and forth too many times, you will remove the paint since its sliding on a wet surface. One or two passes with the brush was enough, then I let it sit. Make sure to apply the paint thick enough to cover the seam.

5. Remove the Tape

While the paint (and caulk) is still wet, peel the tape. Then stand back and admire the magic. Of course there were a few spots that needed touching up when you looked up close, but overall, I couldn’t believe how well this worked on my first try.

After painting the dividing line, I finished painting two coats of Sherwin Williams Green Earth on the walls. As I painted the textured walls, I also painted three coats of Green Earth on the paneling.

To minimize brush strokes on the paneling, I brushed the grooves and then used a roller for the flat surface. I also added Floetrol to my paint to help the paint dry with a smooth, even finish.

And finally, our room is put back together!

We still have two more weeks of the one room challenge and I have big plans. The shelf above the bed is almost ready to install and I’ve ordered another set of wall sconces to try.

Oh, and we are still planning a nightstand makeover. Make sure to come back in the next two weeks to check out even more progress.

To see my previous progress with this room, check out these posts:

• Primary Bedroom Design – Week 1
• Design Ideas – Week 2
• Dresser Makeover – Week 3
• Vertical Paneling – Week 4
• How I make design decisions – week 5

What have you been painting lately? I’d love to hear about your projects too! Comment below or connect with me on instagram @elleandjaydesign. And you can find me on Pinterest here.

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