I bought a new coffee table. Technically, it’s a bench but the proportions were right. Our previous coffee table was almost five years old. It was West Elm and I found it at a Pottery Barn outlet for $40. It was originally red but, for the price, I primed and painted it white. It worked really well in our previous living room but it was too high, too round and too chunky for our current living room. I envisioned something longer, lower and narrower. I bought the bench/coffee table from Overstock although it looks like it’s currently out of stock and they’ve raised the price. I used a coupon and paid $171.58 total for it two weeks ago. The dimensions are working out perfectly and I’ve been having fun styling it.

With the help of Target and their new Threshold collection, I’ve put together three different coffee table looks for you. I took Mabrey shopping while the boys were in school one morning in search of tabletop accessories and, boy, did I find them. Candles, vases, figurines, bowls, hurricanes…you name it. You guys, Target is killing it right now. And that’s why I agreed to work with them. Everything I’m about to show you are things that would be on my personal wish list even if I wasn’t partnering with them.

Without further ado, look #1. POPPY & GRAPHIC

This is probably the “springiest” look. It’s a combination of graphic patterns, red-orange pops of color, gold and wood.

At one end of the table is a stack of colorful books, a pair of single stem vases, a gold dipped bowl and a small matte white bowl painted chartreuse on the inside.

At the other end of the table I put down the marble pastry board I introduced to you here. I topped it with a third single stem vase, a brass hurricane, a black and white canister and a chevron wood box.

I tossed a white pillow with gold embossed edges on the chair and added a punchy patterned pillow with sequins and now they are planning their wedding.

I stole a graphic black and white pillow from the boys’ room for the leather couch.

Cheerful?

A bright red-orange candle brings color to the marble slab vignette. And it smells uh-maaaaaazing. Melon-y.

I can’t get enough of the brass hurricane/lantern and wood box.

Shop the look: dipped bowl / lattice canister / chevron box / brass hurricane / embossed pillow / dot stripe pillow

For look #2 I kept a few of my favorites {the lantern and wood box} on the table and brought in other items. WORLDLY & ECLECTIC {a.k.a. PUT ME IN THE ZOO}

This look is more masculine with ethnic-inspired patterns, animal figurines, brass, wood tones and a little quirk.

I grouped a yarn wrapped gazelle figurine, the same brass lantern {this time with a neutral, less aromatic candle} and a pierced tin hurricane.

Near the middle of the table is a hand painted wood bowl and a thrifted wood sculpture. To achieve a “lived in” look I threw in an open magazine, fresh greenery, a small bowl of cashews and cloth napkins.

The other end of the table holds books, gold animal figurines and another snack bowl filled with cashews.

There is a diamond patterned pillow and sheepskin on the chair.

I threw down a chevron runner under the table. The same embroidered pillow from look #1 is on the sofa along with a Nate Berkus gold mesh & tweed pillow. Of all the pillows shown today, the gold + tweed is my favorite. I love you Nate.

Can you see how the seat of the leather sofa is starting to patina and wrinkle? I love it. Good leather only gets better with age.

The painted detailing on the wood bowl is an art form. Of all the non-pillow pieces I selected, this bowl is my absolute favorite.

The gold rhino and elephant are pure fun. Everett asked me if rhinos and elephants eat cashews. It does look like I’m feeding them cashews out of a fancy trough, no?

Shop the look: yarn wrapped gazelle / brass hurricane / silver lattice hurricane / wood bowl / snack bowls / brass animals / diamond pillow / gold & tweed pillow

Finally, for look #3, I decided to go au naturel. NEUTRAL & LOVELY

This look is casual and effortless. It’s all about matte whites, warm wood tones, piles of books & magazines and glowing candles.

On one end of the table I brought in a white serving platter and topped it with a natural wood vase, two curvy white vases and a silver tea light holder. I cut a few crape myrtle branches {from the store…still no sign of spring!} and stuck them in the vases.

In the middle of the table is a stack of my favorite home design books. The gold & wood box makes another appearance in this look alongside a ceramic tea light holder.

I brought back the marble board and used it as a casual serving tray. I filled a chip and dip server with salsa and tortilla chips. A squatty candle and stemless wine glasses round out the tray. Chips and salsa go with wine, right? I consume them together all the time. YUM.

Our new coffee table has a large open space under it. Here, I slid in a woven basket and a stack of glossies for my reading pleasure. I could get used to having stuff under the table.

On the couch is a simple striped pillow and sheepskin.

When I was trimming the crape myrtle, I thought the fallen leaves looked pretty on the white tray. So I left them.

The tea light holder has a super functional design. The silver top and suspended candle holder are all one piece that lifts up and out of the glass surround. It’s easy to set a tea light in, light it and then drop it into the glass surround. So cool. I think it looks like the tea light is sitting on a swing.

The cutouts on the ceramic vase make for a spectacular light show.

I have to fuss over the squatty candle for a minute. I’ve been around the candle block a few times over the years, ifyaknowwhatImean. I’m a bit of a candle whore. If it smells good, I’ll give it a go. But this candle? It has three wood wicks. Say what? Wood wicks. And, get this, they CRACKLE when they burn. It’s like a mini wood burning fireplace right on top of the coffee table. A mini-crackling-wood-burning-fireplace-that-smells-like-vanilla-dolce heaven. You guys. I could live off of this salsa/chips/server/wine/crackling candle vignette for the rest of my life and be very happy.

Last summer I mentioned that I would like to start creating mood boards for clients – for a fee. I asked you guys to help me out with pricing. After that post, I worked behind the scenes to nail down a tiered pricing sheet for design services. Then I emailed all the people who had asked for my help over the years {I have a special folder devoted to ‘Help me!’ emails} letting them know I was open for business with my pricing sheet attached. I’ve been booked ever since.

I didn’t announce my design services publicly here on the blog because I didn’t want to schedule myself too far out {that feels really overwhelming to me, knowing that “x” number of people are awaiting a mood board} and I wanted to see how things went since it was my first paying go-around with mood boards. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about my approach to seeing and decorating other people’s spaces.

I prefer quality over quantity. I’d rather give my attention to a few clients at a time than be pulled in different directions with a bunch of clients. On that same note, I like to take my time getting to know the client and their space. Which means I’ll look at pictures of their room and go over their wants/needs then let it all sit with me a while until I get a good feel for their style and how to inject that into their space. I like to carefully curate items for mood boards. I refuse to churn out a mood board within a week’s time if I can’t find just the right lamp or pillow or rug or whatever it may be. It’s really a thoughtful process to me and I like to pretend I’m “in” the space.

As you may have guessed, I’m not a one-weeker start-to-finish mood board creator. From beginning {which requires the client to provide room pictures, dimensions, inspiration images and answers to a brief questionnaire} to end, it usually takes me 2-4 weeks depending on the scope of the project. And sometimes longer if I’m not happy with a particular item or concept. This also has to do with the fact that I don’t have childcare {not that I couldn’t use some!} and I have three children. Mood boards are created late at night after everyone else is in bed. I can only survive so many 4-hour nights of sleep per week.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that even though a client may ask for only the most basic of services {i.e., overhead lighting, fixtures, color scheme, flooring, etc.}, I end up providing more. Either the client directly asks for it because they need help visualizing the rest of the room or I throw it in because I think the client needs to see the bigger picture to understand the basics I’ve suggested.

Finally, as much as I hate to admit it, I think I’m undervaluing my services. I have been charging $175 for the most detailed tier. Over the past eight months, I’ve had two clients come to me by word of mouth – not via House*Tweaking. I provided them with design services then asked them to pay me what they thought my help was worth. Both paid me more than what I would have charged according to my pricing sheet.

So to answer the most frequently asked question that pops up in my inbox: Yes, I do provide design services. However, I’m currently booked until late summer. You can always email me and I will keep your email on file and contact you when my schedule opens up. Also, I’m no longer going to provide tiered services for the reasons mentioned above. I will provide a comprehensive mood board that encompasses everything from furniture arrangement to finishes to accessories. Most likely, pricing will increase although clients already on the schedule won’t be affected.

To keep you in the know, I like sharing the mood boards I create – with the client’s permission, of course. Here’s one of my recent projects.

Ali wanted help with her living room and dining room. In the living room, Ali was hoping for a more functional furniture arrangement conducive to adult conversation, a little telly action and guitar playing {her husband plays} but also kid-friendly enough for her six-year-old twins. {Ali’s house has a separate family room for primarily watching TV and relaxing as a family.} When Ali contacted me, the room was being used only as a quick dropzone upon entering the house.

In the dining room, Ali asked to keep the existing dining table and chairs. She hosts meals for family and friends often. She wanted both of the rooms to be comfortable for entertaining. Ali admitted she was confused by her style. She loves simple open spaces, industrial elements, natural wood and exposed brick but is also drawn to the colors and textures found in Indian textiles. And, of course, she was on a budget.

For the living room, I suggested a new furniture arrangement {see the very rough sketch above}. Here’s the mood board:

1 – I suggested painting the walls a warm creamy white {i.e., Benjamin Moore’s swiss coffee} and hanging simple white curtains floor to ceiling at both windows.

2 – To accomodate guitar playing, I chose an armless sofa {in the brushed heather cotton gray haze option} for the main seating. HH plays a little himself and I know how he likes to sit forward with his guitar resting on his thigh when he plays. A sofa sans arms also helps to make the smallish room feel more roomy. I suggested placing the sofa on the window wall. I chose a few non-matching throw pillows found here, here and here. A leggy floor lamp placed next to the sofa provides light for evening gatherings. Instead of hanging a mirror or artwork above the sofa {so predictable}, I suggested that Ali display her husband’s guitar. He can easily remove it to play. Hanging the guitar on the wall also frees up precious real estate.

3 – To round out the seating area, I found a masculine leather chair with a small footprint. Like the sofa, the chair is armless to accommodate guitar playing. I decided to forgo a coffee table and chose a drum stool instead. The stool can be moved around the room and used as extra seating when necessary. A patterned dhurrie rug grounds the seating area and adds interest to the space.

4 – I suggested placing the TV on the same wall as the front door. This way, the screen isn’t the first thing you see when you walk in the door. A rustic media console supports the TV and its components. The console can also handle mail, a few toys and sheet music. I recommended creating a gallery wall around the TV screen and incorporating the frames in the dining room. To light this side of the room, I found a glass table lamp. A vintage brass bowl catches keys and sunglasses.

For Ali’s dining room, I suggested pulling the dining table out from the window a bit {see another very rough sketch above}. As is, it was looking a little cramped. Here’s the mood board:

1 – I suggested painting the walls the same warm, creamy white as the living room and hanging the same white curtains high and wide around the dining window. To bring in more natural light and fool the eye into thinking the room was larger, I suggested hanging/leaning a large floor mirror on the wall furthest from the living room. After the dining table is in its new, less crowded position, I’d love to see this wire globe light centered above it – possibly swagged from the lightbox. It would reflect into the mirror when lit, doubling the ambiance.

2 – Ali needs to keep the current dining set so I suggested breaking up all the dark wood by removing the two chairs closest to the staircase wall and replacing them with an upholstered bench. The backless bench keeps the flow of traffic to the kitchen/living room open. I would top the dining table with a simple greenery arrangement to keep the focus on the pendant light.

3 – For interest, I suggested laying down a kilim runner in the pathway from the living room to the kitchen. In place of the open bookshelf in the original pictures, I’d use a sleeker closed cabinet and flank it with the two dining chairs that were replaced by the bench. A pair of gourd table lamps tops the cabinet for added lighting. I recommended relocating the large framed art piece in the living room to the wall above the cabinet so that the lamps overlap the artwork a bit for a layered look.

And that’s it! What do you think of Ali’s mood boards? Any favorite pieces? Personally, I adore the gourd lamps {only $35 each!}, the armless sofa and the rustic media console.

FYI – Learn to create mood boards for free here, here, here and here.

Click here to see who won last week’s giveaway!

images: 1 & 2} Ali  3 & 4} polyvore collages created by Dana Miller, linked within

At one end of our kitchen is a desk area. It’s where I do my blogging…among other things. It works but it felt a little bare.

So I bought a rug. If you like it then you shoulda put a rug on it. You may recall a link to the kilim rug from this mix-n-match kitchen post.

After waffling over the vintage rug for several months {Do I really want to spend money on a rug that will inevitably get food dropped on it?}, I contacted the etsy seller and did some negotiating. To my surprise {I am the worst negotiator} the seller was more than willing to come down on the price. I bit. The rug was mine.

I’ve never owned a vintage or kilim rug before. I love the flat weave and it doesn’t shed. It’s colorful but has a great patina to it from decades of use. The pattern isn’t perfectly symmetrical. I think the imperfections give it a quirk.

Since the rug has already seen years and years of traffic, I don’t worry about food or dirt getting on it. I figure if it’s made it this far and it looks this good then it can handle my family. It’s a beautiful addition to our home but it’s not too precious.

It definitely makes the desk area feel more lively. I’m sometimes distracted by its beauty when I’m blogging. {um, right now. I’m gazing at the rug right now.}

It’s a step in the right direction.

Recently, I’ve had visions of DIYing a herringbone wood backsplash along the desk wall. Since the space isn’t involved in food prep, the backsplash can be something different than typical tile. I think it would be fun to have a wood backsplash to tack inspirational photos and notes onto. What do you think?

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Shortly after posting the plans for my bedroom, I received an email from Jessica sharing a photo of her own cozy bedroom. Immediately, two things were clear: 1) I want a dark and cozy bedroom. 2) I want to feature Jessica’s bedroom on House*Tweaking. Since then, I’ve bought the paint for our bedroom {Benjamin Moore Anchor Gray} and Jessica has sent over a few more images of her bedroom. Take a peek.

The walls are Valspar {Lowe’s} Falcon. The hand-blocked quilt and shams are from West Elm. The sheets are from the Threshold collection at Target. Jessica says the sheets are amazing quality for their affordable price tag and come in the best colors. The bed frame, headboard and nightstand hail from the Boerum line at West Elm.

Jessica says the remote control pocket from IKEA is life-changing. No remotes on the nightstand!

In the winter, Jessica switches out the springier quilt for a plaid wool blanket from Lands’ End. The table fan is from Restoration Hardware. The lamp is vintage and the digital clock is from Pottery Barn. I don’t know the story behind the skateboard but it’s fun and unexpected.

A nook in the bedroom houses Jessica’s work space for her etsy stationery shop, Jack and Ella Paper Press. The office furniture is from Pottery Barn.

The colorful stationery looks happy and bright against charcoal walls. The white furniture is crisp in contrast to moody walls.

Thanks for virtually sharing your cozy bedroom with us Jessica!

Who else is inspired to create a cozy bedroom retreat now?! I’m so there. Be sure to check back tomorrow for a giveaway from Jessica’s etsy shop!

images: Jessica Bates

Today I’m mixing and matching pillows. I have a few thoughts on mixing pillows. They are by no means rules – just things I consider when I’m shopping for pillows. To keep things simple, I’ll discuss pillows on sofas but I use the same guidelines for beds, chairs and benches.

1. I like to combine a solid, a large print, a small print and some texture. It’s okay if one pillow meets more than one criteria. For example, an all white furry pillow is a solid color and provides texture.

2. I consider the backdrop the pillows will be resting against. My choice of pillows is different for a slipcovered white sofa versus a rich leather sofa. Very light pillows will get lost on a white sofa while all heavy, dark pillows will weigh down a leather sofa.

3. I try to visualize a pillow arrangement in my head and buy accordingly. Which pillows will be nearest the back of the sofa? Which pillows will be front and center? Remember back in elementary school when the music teacher lined everyone up on the bleachers for a performance…tallest in the back…shortest in the front? So it goes for pillows too. I always make note of the size of a pillow and how it relates to any other pillows I’m considering before I make a purchase.

4. I think of how the room will feel when deciding on a symmetrical or asymmetrical pillow arrangement. Symmetrical pillow arrangements give a polished and posh feel. Asymmetrical arrangements give a looser, laid-back feel.

5. In general, the more pillows the more formal the sofa looks to me. Of course, a larger sofa can handle more pillows than a smaller sofa before it starts feeling too formal. Using fewer pillows lends a more casual, simple vibe.

6. I don’t buy all pillows for one sofa from the same source. The last thing I want my sofa to look like is a catalog replica. My all time favorite resource for unique pillow covers is etsy.

7. I prefer to splurge on one to three really great pillows instead of suffocating a sofa in mediocrity. In the long run, it costs me less. I’m more likely to keep a high quality pillow cover on my sofa for years versus a spontaneous budget pillow.

For fun, I’ve put together three pillow looks for three different sofas.

Sources: sofa//black and white corner stripe pillow cover//Turkish kilim pillow cover//gold and linen pillow cover//perpendicular striped pillow cover//Mongolian lamb pillow cover

Hi Dana,

Paint color is my biggest home DIY nemesis. I’m inspired by your choices. I’ve noticed that the colors you used in your previous house were gray with green hues. Was there a design reason for having a green base in the paint colors? Even the dark accent wall that was in your master had green undertones.

I’ve also noticed that your new house doesn’t have the infamous green-based hues. It seems you’ve chosen warmer hues with subtle, lighter creams. I’m just curious, why? Is it the latest trend? What’s your strategy? – Angelina

Well, Angelina, I have to say that choosing paint colors for our previous house was a quicker and easier process. It was a large home with tons of tall windows, plenty of natural light and high ceilings. Those attributes alone set the stage for nearly any paint color to work well. I chose Valspar {Lowe’s} bonsai for 95% of the house. Three walls in the formal living room were Valspar {Lowe’s} dry riverbed which is a muddy gray. The mini mudroom and laundry room were a soft blue-green. I had a dark accent wall behind my bed. My craft closet was a light lavender-pink. Quite the mix!

Looking back, other than most of the walls being a gray-green, I had no real strategy in regards to paint. And it totally showed. I chose colors that I liked without paying much attention to how they worked as a whole. It wasn’t as noticeable in the house because the different colors were somewhat far apart from one another but if I had laid out all those color swatches next to each other, I think I would have realized it was a strange color palette.

I was intimidated to repaint anything on a large scale. {That’s why the few other colors in the paint palette were painted in small rooms or only as accent walls.} The rooms were huge and pretty much all open to each other and there was a two-story foyer. We paid a professional to paint the entire house the gray-green color before we moved in. I wouldn’t have wanted to redo the work we had already paid for and, for the most part, I really liked the gray-green. I chose it because the house’s numerous windows had views to the outdoors which was mostly green trees and grass. The green undertones worked really well.

Our current house is very different from our previous house. It’s older, smaller, squattier {technical term}. There aren’t as many windows and the ones we do have are smaller than what was in our previous house. We also have a deep overhang blocking some direct sunlight. And the house feels different to me too. From day one, it’s felt very masculine.

Many of the paint colors I originally chose for this house aren’t jiving with the masculine feel I get from it. It’s taken me several months to realize that. Also, paint colors look totally different in this house than in a house that is blessed with natural light aplenty. Thankfully, paint is an easy fix here because the rooms are smaller. So far, I’ve repainted Mabrey’s room, the boys’ shared bedroom and the mudroom {several times!}. I’ll be repainting the master bedroom and bathroom soon. Gradually, I’m building a paint palette that feels masculine and cozy just like the house itself.

What I’m getting at is my previous and current homes have different palettes because they are two completely different houses. It’s not my intention to follow any trends – although I’m seeing moody colors everywhere right now! I’m trying to choose colors I’m drawn to that also happen to work well in this house. I’m more conscious of the overall palette too. It’s been complete trial and error but a great color palette is evolving. Take a look…

Laying out all the colors together like this helps me to see the bigger picture and to see how the colors in different rooms relate to one another. I even went as far as to lay them out in the order that I normally see them upon entering the house. Nerd. {By the way, I stole the paint-dipped clothespin idea from Emma. She’s a genius.} Whites, grays, blacks and deep blues are giving my house a very cozy masculine look. I’m loving the way they all look together too.

Here, I’ve labeled them for you. As you can see, there are a range of light and dark colors. In rooms where the walls are dark, I use a lot of white to lighten them up. In rooms where the walls are light, I use dark items to ground them. I love contrast. FYI – The gravel gray will be going on the outside of the clawfoot tub in the kid/guest bath.

The palette isn’t complete. I’ll be painting our bedroom Benjamin Moore’s anchor gray but I don’t have it on hand. Maybe a paint palette update is in order when I do get it?

I hope that gives you a better insight into why you see a different color palette evolving in my current house. In my opinion, choosing a paint color palette for a home is just like anything else house-related. It takes time and a little trial and error. What looks good in someone else’s house may not be the best choice for yours. For example, I adore all white California rooms but, come to find out, they don’t work well in my midwestern house. Try looking to your wardrobe for inspiration. My current palette is very indicative of my wardrobe. Mostly neutral basics with pops of color and pattern in accessories. Thanks for the question Angelina!

What about you? How do choose color palettes for your house? What palettes are you drawn to? Do you have a great method {like Emma’s paint-dipped clothespins} for seeing the bigger picture?

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Blog sponsorship. It’s a touchy subject. But the truth of the matter is, if you have a blog that receives a fair amount of traffic, blogging turns into an expense – financially speaking.

When I first created House*Tweaking, I had a free Blogger account and I was working part-time as a pharmacist. Blogging was purely a hobby. Over the years, with an increase in readership {I’m still not entirely sure why you guys choose to follow House*Tweaking with so many amazing blogs out there but I’m truly grateful that you do. Thank you!}, I’ve obtained a URL and transferred House*Tweaking from Blogger to a “meh” web host and then to a private server. Oh, and I left my day job. Those things combined have made it necessary for me to look into sponsorship opportunities in the form of side bar ads, affiliate programs, writing elsewhere and collaborating with reputable companies. I am not looking to get rich. My hope is to cover the costs of maintaining this blog, DIYing projects and decorating our house so that I can continue doing what now has become a passion.

In working with companies, I always try to feature businesses and products that I would use myself. I say no to potential sponsors ten times more than I say yes. I really want it to be a win-win-win situation. The company gains some traffic. I cover my costs. You are introduced to an inspiring and useful product/service.

All that mumbo jumbo to say I’ve been brainstorming new ways to partner with businesses. When I signed on to write for Wayfair’s blog, My Way Home, I had an “a-ha!” moment. Why not feature items from their site that I would like to use in my own home? I had shopped Wayfair before {I bought the saddler’s bench shown above} and was really pleased with my purchase. I pitched the idea to Wayfair and the monthly “Wayfair in the House” series was born. This is the first of such posts! Here we go…

I’m so ready to have a cozy bedroom. I tried capturing a current pic of the room but was immediately photobombed by three rugrats. It’s hard to tell from the image above but there are random paint sample patches painted throughout the room. There’s even painted foam board living in our closet and paint swatches propped on the windowsill. Do you spy them? My nightstand drawer is full of color swatches and paint decks. It’s bad. I’ve tried no less than a dozen colors and don’t like any of them. This northeast room with not great light is tough. But one swatch I’ve kept in the mix is Benjamin Moore’s 2126.

Namely, I’m really drawn to anchor gray 2126-30. It reminds me of my favorite jeans. In thinking about our bedroom {and I do it waaaaaaaay too much}, I really want it to feel like a room that I would wear. And I like nothing more than wearing my favorite dark jeans with a heather gray top, leather boots and simple gold jewelry. HH also wears a lot of denim and gray so having masculine navy and gray in the room feels right.

Then I found this.

This post is brought to you by Ace Hardware. I was given a gallon of paint from the Clark + Kensington line to use and review at my leisure. Clark + Kensington recently outperformed other big name paint brands in a Consumer Reports evaluation. All labor and opinions are my own.

After a few teaser shots, here’s the real deal. A fully detailed post entirely dedicated to recent events in the mudroom/dining room/laundry nook {i.e., the Everything Room which a reader creatively suggested we call the “mudding nook” – I like it!} that involved a paint brush, paint rollers, Frog Tape and a gallon of goodness. I repainted the Everything Room for the THIRD time. In a little over a year. Sure, it would have been easier, quicker and cheaper to have gotten it right the first time but sometimes I need to make flubs. Finding out what doesn’t work is just as helpful as figuring out what does work. In the end, victory is that much sweeter. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself to keep from feeling like a complete failure.

First, a quick 360° around the room to help you get your bearings. {FYI – I took these pics on an overcast winter morning so the lighting isn’t the best but I didn’t have the patience to wait for a sunny day which, realistically, might not happen here in Ohio for weeks. Boo gray days.}

Sweet, sweet victory.

The color is Besalt by Ace Paint, color-matched in Clark + Kensington primer + paint in one. {Ironic, I would have named it Bepepper.} I chose a flat finish for a deep, flawless look. On the walls, it’s deep and dramatic. When I look at it, I feel like I’m looking into outer space. It tricks me into thinking I can extend my arm and magically reach beyond the wall. I can’t.

With three kids nipping at my heels and HH working overtime, it took me an entire day to paint out the room. Many of you ask how I get projects like this done with kids in the house. I don’t have a babysitter. I don’t have a nanny. I don’t have a magic answer.

I have to psych myself up for DIY when my kids are present and my HH is not. I put on my inside-out painting clothes and tell myself I’m not getting out of them until I’m done. Usually, the hardest part for me is getting started.

I prepared as much as possible in the early morning while Mabrey was awake and Layne and Everett weren’t getting on each other’s nerves yet. I taped off the chair rail, removed items from the walls, moved decor and furniture to the center of the room and got all of my painting supplies ready. That way, when I put Mabrey down for her morning nap and turned on a movie for the boys {Kung Fu Panda in case you’re wondering} all I had to do was get my paint on.

After Mabrey woke up from her morning nap and the boys’ movie was over, I took a lunch break to feed the kids and myself. I wrapped my paint brush and roller in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out while I was sidetracked. After lunchtime and playtime was over – about 2 hours later – it was time for Mabrey’s afternoon nap. I laid her down and turned on another movie for the boys. {The Incredibles this time} It bought me enough time to finish one coat on the walls. I had to touchup and cleanup with all three kids whining for dinner which was pretty stressful but I was in the home stretch and just wanted to get it done. We ate dinner at 7:30 p.m. Typically, I don’t let my kids watch 4+ hours of TV in one week – let alone one day – so when I do resort to it on special DIY occasions, I try to sequester the mommy guilt. I don’t always succeed. And that’s how painting with three kids and no babysitter goes at my house.

This primer + paint in one means business. Usually you’re looking at 2+ coats when you paint a color this dark over a really light color. I only needed one full coat and a little touching up. That saved me precious time and kept my kids from starving – hehe. I’ve used all different brands of paint and this stuff claims a spot at the top of my list. It has a great consistency {not too thick, not too thin}, outstanding coverage, virtually no odor and is less expensive than other big brands that boast similar properties. Awesome.

But enough talk of kids, mommy guilt and good paint. Let’s get back to the room.

Some of you worried that I had dismantled the gallery wall.

I assure you. It’s still kicking. I was smart lazy and painted around the 3M adhesive strips that are stuck to the wall. With the frames in place, you can’t even tell.

I did take down the abstract art {see it leaning on the chair rail?} and remove the two smaller frames that were above it. That section was feeling a little top heavy. The abstract art is staying and I’ll be adding some new frames to the wall.

When the walls were lighter in color, I wasn’t feeling some of the prints and fabric scraps that I added to the frames last minute for The Tile Shop shoot. But with this new deep charcoal, almost black, I actually don’t mind them.

I also cheated around the wardrobes and window. The wardrobes are secured to the wall with anti-toppling hardware. I had no time/patience/muscles to remove them. I painted around them with a 1.5″ angled trim brush and small foam roller. You’d never know unless I told you. Wait a minute.

I did remove the curtains to cut in around the window but I didn’t take down the woven blinds. Unless you came to my house and took the blinds down yourself, you would never know there’s a light bald spot behind them. Along with scheduled naps and screen time, I also cut corners whilst painting a room with three kids in the house. I never said I was perfect.

I can’t talk about the Everything Room without mentioning the laundry nook. Before I painted this time around, the nook wall was an accent wall the same color as Mabrey’s room. I liked the dark contrast and that’s what made me decide to continue a dark color around the entire room. But I thought a grayer, blacker color would work better because the Everything Room is fairly open to our black and white kitchen. {The paint in Mabrey’s room has more of a navy, green undertone.} There’s a short wide hall that connects the two spaces.

I owe you a big post all about the nook. It’s coming. I promise.

For now, just know that the nook fits into the room better with the rest of the walls painted dark too. It feels more like a part of the room – as it should.

Next to the nook is where the kids hang their outerwear and bags. I added a modest bench for putting on and taking off shoes. Normally, this area is chock full of stuff but at the time these pics were taken, the boys were at school so imagine more pint-sized coats and backpacks. This image does a good job of showing the true color of the new paint.

We painted the french doors Benjamin Moore White Dove {same as the wainscoting and all the trim in our house} back before The Tile Shop shoot. I like how they contrast with the new moody paint but could see a bright poppy red working too. I think I used up all my big girl cajones painting the room dark so I may need to grow another pair before I brave colorful doors.

So, yeah, this new color is “the one.” It makes the white horizontal planking on the walls look crisp. It complements the travertine tile. It brings out the black hardware in the room. It plays nice with our adjoining black and white kitchen. It’s masculine and dramatic.

With the right wall color in place, I’m excited to step it up a notch in here. You may have noticed that I brought in a cowhide rug. It’s from IKEA and I bought it almost two years ago. It was hanging out in the boys’ bedroom but it wasn’t working. I think it’s found its new home. I picked up four sheepskin throws to toss on the dining chairs. They’re also from IKEA. We remove them when we eat. They’re working out really well. They hide messes on the removable seat cushions in between washings.

I wouldn’t consider these images “afters” by any means. Things left to do:

*expand and tweak the gallery wall

*possibly add curtains that fall to one side of the french doors

*do something about the space between the two wardrobes. Currently, there’s a petite sofa living there. I DIYed a slipcover for it but it was a disaster. Turns out I can sew pillows, curtains, clothing – NOT slipcovers. For the photo shoot, I pinned and ironed the heck out of it to make it presentable but as soon as the shoot was over, I removed it. That’s how bad it was. Not sure if a built-in bench is my style. I’m kind of leaning towards a free-standing chaise or shelling out to have the little sofa reupholstered. Thoughts?

*work on styling. There’s nothing in that silver bowl on the table for crying out loud! I didn’t style anything for these pictures. This is how the rooms looks right now. I can’t wait to have fun decorating. And this room needs a little pattern wouldn’t you say?

*find a lamp for the fauxdenza

How do you feel about the new wall color? Love it? Hate it? At least tell me you’ve repainted a room three times in less than two years.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Remember when I repainted the mudroom/dining room/laundry nook? {Yes, that’s all one room – let’s just call it the everything room, shall we?}

It was definitely an improvement. But it wasn’t quite right. This past weekend while HH was working overtime, I got stir crazy holding down the fort + three kids and decided to conquer that room {at least paint-wise} once and for all. I’ll share the nitty gritty details in an upcoming post but, for now, please enjoy some teaser shots.

No more messing around. This paint color is “the one!” So what if it took three tries?

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.*

Congrats to Jenn who was a fan of the TV show Cheers {one of my dad’s personal favorites} back in the ’80′s. Jenn is this week’s winner of the EcoColor giveaway! And to those of you who were only babies/eggs in your mama’s uterus in the ’80′s…you make me feel verrrrrrrrry old.

What do you like more than pillows? What’s that? FREE pillows, you say. Well, that’s just dandy. Because this week’s giveaway hails from EcoColor, an etsy shop that specializes in colorful pillow covers made from eco-friendly fabrics.

The graphic color blocking and bright hues would be the perfect companion to a mostly neutral decor. {You may recognize the top left pillow from a mood board I created for the boys’ room and then later switched up. Although, I’m thinking my house could still use one or two of those red and white cross pillows.}

I love that some of the pillow patterns have hidden meaning.

Kim, the mastermind behind EcoColor, can customize pillow covers to represent any of the international signal codes shown above. How clever is that?! You could literally plant your “I just don’t get the pillow thing”-thinking hubby/mister/lover/friend/baby/puppy/cat in the middle of the couch surrounded by pillows spelling out S.O.S. Hehe. More realistically, you could designate children’s beds with the first letter of their name OR use a pillow signaling the first letter of your surname on your family room sofa. Pillow talk at its finest ;)

I’m calling it. Color blocked signal code pillows are the new monogram.

Want in on the color blocking pillow action? Great! See entry details below.

PRIZE: two 18″x18″ red and white cross pillows {shown above} + two inserts {!}. Yes, you read that right – two pillow covers + two pillow inserts.

RULES: You must be at least 18 years old and have a shipping address within the U.S. {no P.O. boxes please} to enter. One entry per email address.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment on this post proclaiming “COLOR BLOCK ME!”

DEADLINE: Enter before Friday, February 22nd at noon EST. One random winner will be announced later that same day.

WHILE YOU’RE AT IT: Since we’re talking color blocking…it hasn’t always been so chic. I keep thinking back to those baggy ’80′s sweaters with hideous color blocked patterns a la Punky Brewster. But I was a HUGE Punky Brewster fan. What was your favorite TV show in the ’80′s? C’mon let’s reminisce.

BUT, WAIT!, THERE’S MORE: Use the discount code “HOUSETWEAKING” to score 10% off your EcoColor purchase now through February 28th.

Thanks Kim!

images: polyvore collages by Dana Miller featuring EcoColor imagery