Living Room Remodel--Part 2

Now that we've officially moved in, we definitely felt the need for some color on the walls.  Since the living room is the space that gets the most traffic, we decided that was the place to start.

We actually lived for a couple of weeks with different paint samples on the walls, just to see which would work best in the different light this room receives throughout the day.  Here were our options:

Pittsburg colors--from left to right--(top) Sand Fossil, Moonlit Sand, Dusty Trail, Patches 

(bottom) Spiced Vinegar, Jute, Calico Hill

The sample color painted on the wall is Sherwin Williams Kilim Beige.  We liked the tone of the color, but it was a little too yellow for our afternoon/evening light.  We both agreed that Pittsburg's Moonlit Sand was the perfect choice for this space--similar in shade to the Kilim Beige, but with a more brown undertone.  

We picked up two gallons from Menards in the Pittsburg Ultra and got to work.  We have generally used the Grand Distinction paint from Pittsburg in the past, but since the Ultra was on sale and we were planning on two coats for durability anyway, we went for it.

Since we weren't particularly crazy about the idea of taping off the trim, ceiling, and 14 windows, we purchased an edger to work around these areas.  It worked better than expected, especially along the ceiling, which is relatively smooth.  However, we plan on installing crown molding in this room, as well as painting the existing trim and windows a nice, bright shade of white, so in the end we didn't really need to worry about transfer.  In fact, I realized about halfway around the room that since our old walls are so uneven, it would actually be good to continue the wall color onto the top edge of the trim and windows.  This way, when we do tape off the walls to paint the trim, we will have a nice, even paint line where the two areas meet.  Ultimately, the edger came in very handy when working around the ceiling, but otherwise, a small paint brush would have sufficed.

***Side note--we cannot wait to try out the Frog Tape--we've heard so much about it, and even seen the amazing results on Young House Love!  We will let you know how it goes once we start painting the miles of trim!***

At the local Menards, we picked up our supplies and two gallons of Moonlit Sand in Satin.  Although most paints these days (including Pittsburg's Ultra and Grand Distinction) claim to produce one-coat coverage, we planned for two coats to increase the durability and washability of the finish.

Once we got home, we set up our area and even remembered to shoot a few "before" pictures!

Here is the same room after one coat of paint...

What a difference a coat of paint makes!  This space immediately began to feel more cozy and inviting as we progressed around the room.  Surprisingly, this color also makes the gray trim less garish, though we are still anxious to paint it a crisp, clean "true" white (if there is such a thing!).  

We are also anxious to see this room in its final stages, with actual furniture and everything!  :)  We have some mood boards created for this space--I will post those at a later date and see if we can't get some feedback from blogland to help us make our decision!

Until then, here is our source list for this project.

If you hadn't noticed, pretty much all of our home-improvement supplies come from Menards, as that is the only local option we have--we either purchased the supplies below specifically for this project, or we had them on hand from a previous endeavor.  Either way, you can be sure everything on the list came from Menards!  :)

--2 gallons Pittsburg Ultra Satin in Moonlit Sand

--roller (I prefer the cheap-o black handled $2 dollar variety--they just seem to roll better!)

--roller covers (3/8 inch)

--edger/extra pads

--2" paint brush

--paint trays/liners

--drop cloths

--paper towel (for drips--very important)