Thank you, Lord, for Friday’s.
Can I get an amen on that or what?!?
Since it’s Friday (and I’m clearly celebrating), I thought we’d officially kick off our series on my style–the one where you guys asked me questions on how we changed our home so drastically and I’m doing my best to answer.
Last time I showed you some of my very favorite spaces–and we talked a little about why I was drawn to them.
Today, we’ll focus on the quickest and easiest ways to take your home from dark or drab to light and bright.
Kinda like we did with ours.
It really has been a 2 year process, beginning with our attic addition. Once we had the writing room & the playroom, and I knew how a space could make me feel, I knew we’d begin changing the rest of our home.
And it’s totally possible with a little time (& a tight budget).
We’ll cover two of the starting points today–and a couple more next week.
1. Paint anything & everything but the kitchen sink…and maybe that, too.
We actually went in reverse, slipcovering our sofa and chair & 1/2, then changed our drapes, then painted. Either way works, but the biggest impact comes when you paint and when you cover your existing furnishings (if they’re dark and domineering like ours were).
We painted the coffee table, the hall table, barstools, mirrors, frames, our walls….anything and everything.
In regards to my style–bigger pieces like the coffee table got neutral makeovers & some accent pieces like the barstools got pops of color in Provence & Duck Egg chalk paint. Remember, you want color to help your eye dance around the room (or if you’re me you do 
), so we kept the biggest items neutral.
For me, neutral is white. For those of you like Lynn, paint can be intimidating….this is what this sweet lady says:
“Hey Shaunna,
I love your blog and thanks for starting these post! My question would be…..How to ease into a lighter cottage style when I have really nice pieces that were not extravagantly expensive but enough that I don’t want to put them in yard sale?
I have a coffee table and 2 end tables that I think would look great with some ASCP,(they are a medium cherry color) but I can’t take that step to do it or convince by sweet husband either;) He really probably wouldn’t care but he did ask me if I planned on painting everything with ASCP!! I have painted several things but they were auction finds that were good buys. Help me get over my phobia of painting “good” furniture….hehe!
Love your blog and God Bless”
Lynn
I totally get it, Lynn. We saved quite a bit when we first married and bought our living room, dining room, and bedroom furniture–and all together it was a decent price tag. Painting some of it almost made me feel like we were wasting what we’d been given.
I think it’s perfectly normal to want to change our homes–our lives change drastically, right?? The spaces around us calm us, help keep us grounded to the things that really matter–they can make our days easier, better, brighter.
For me, it was simply about evaluating my motives–why did I want to change them? Am I content to keep what I have if money/paint/etc. wasn’t an option? When I felt I could answer yes to those–Matt and I talked about what we wanted our home to feel like…what we wanted our home to feel like to our children.
For us, lighter equaled more calming–so out came the paint.
Talk with that husband of yours, evaluate your motives–and go for it–together! By the way, after painting some of our “nice” pieces of furniture, I’ll never go back to settling for something in my home–I want to put it to work for our family, both in style and function. Painting our pieces helped me do just that.
Last thing on paint…for those of you feeling stuck in a dark home (don’t mistake what I’m saying–there’s nothing more inviting than warm woods and colors–it’s just gotta be your style just like whites & cools are inviting to me), I totally challenge you:
PAINT IT WHITE.
What, you mean?
Anything. Everything. Especially your walls.
I know, so many people say it’s boring, it’s safe, it’s….a blank canvas for me.
I love knowing I could change throws, pillows, and a few vases here and there–and have a completely different space. It’s one of the most freeing choices I’ve ever made in decorating our home & I wish I would have done it 10 years ago.
There’s a million whites out there and my bet is you’ll find one that completely transforms your darker spaces–and makes you see them in a completely different light.
2. Cover your existing furnishings with slipcovers.
I talked way more about paint than I thought I would…but the other move that took our home to a different place?
Covering those red couches. It completely changed the way everything felt….and the way everything else blended together.
Notice a trend in the pics above? White walls, slipcovered furniture.
Some spaces are all about texture & layers–they’re more neutral even in accessories.
Some, however, are totally colorful. You know what’s amazing, though? Being able to change it up ever-so-effortlessly.
I’ll get real on the white slipcovers–I have two small children, (well, 3 if you count Matt), and 2 dogs.
And white slipcovers.
And we live in our home.
We’ve had them 2 1/2 years now, and they are a little dingier than day one. But they’re white. And, after washing day where I bleach the ba-jeezes out of them, I have to look closely for those dingy spots. And…it’s no different than seeing white paint all over my red couches (thank you, baby Grayson) for several years.
Same dilemma, different color combo.
If you just can’t take the plunge (or don’t want to) to cover them in white, go more natural–use a oatmeal or linen color…or with a beautiful gray. Just remember your main pieces say a lot about the space & allow you to connect the dots with other rooms in your home.
I believe the main sitting areas (and therefore the fabrics covering them) are as much a part of the bones of a room as the walls.
That being said, go neutral and love ‘em longer.
The beauty of slipcovers (minus the washing!) is knowing that when they do wear out (which all furniture will), it’ll only cost a few hundred dollars to completely renew the piece.
Major plus.
So get started: paint something this weekend! Or cover some of your furniture–my bet is you won’t regret it!
I hope this series helps you see that with a little time, creativity, & a whole lotta paint, you can do whatever you want in your homes! Stay tuned next week for a few more simple starting points to lightening and brightening your spaces.
We have a dark burgundy leather sofa that I would love to slipcover white. But if the sofa (12 years old and in great shape) gets wet, it does leave red dye on my towel from drying it. And it is nice to just wipe the cat and dog fur off – no washing needed. Just wish it were lighter colored! Are there any other concerns about slipcovering leather?
Hey Mona! I’ve never slipcovered leather–but know plenty of people who have…I’m sure the only concern is slipping. BUT, I’m also sure you can find a solution for this. I’ve never bought online before, but I think I’m going to do some research for y’all. I know working with Debbie from Cottage & Cabin was my best bet (she’s there in my sidebar)…she was able to take my sofa and tailor it specifically for it. It was also much more affordable than ordering a pre-made cover for my 90 in. sofa!
Hope this helps the slipcover questions!
shaunna
Hi, Mona. One idea may be to make a slipcover out of room-darkening curtain fabric. Sounds crazy, but there are some nice fabrics available in white and muted colors. This type of fabric has a rubbery back to it which should keep the cover from slipping.
Hope this helps!
Francine
Great post! Loved the before and after’s!
Love your tips! I’m at a place where I want – so badly – to paint furniture but just don’t feel competent enough to do it. Our pieces are all hand-me-downs or fairly cheapish things we purchase when we were first married and had no money…13 years ago! We still have no money – haha – but I feel like there are less expensive options for getting a new furniture – slipcovering and painting being my options. Again, though, I am scared!
So I have 2 questions for you — 1) how in the world do I purchase a slipcover that is definitely going to work with my couch/chair? I’m afraid of purchasing something and it being the wrong thing. and 2) I live in the same area as you — is it possible to pay you to come to my house for about 2 hours one day and help me get going in the right direction?! LOL (well, I laugh, but I’m halfway serious!)
Anyway, I enjoy your blog and loved these tips. Thanks!
I feel the same way Lynn does. I can’t paint over good furniture. We have several antique pieces and I just don’t think I could do it. If it was a beat up piece that needed some work on it, I think I would have the courage. Notice my hesitation? lol
I do love the brightness of white and what you have done in your living room. It looks great!
How do you find slipcovers that fit well and do not move around? I tried them once and they were so annoying! Also, I’ve tried painting fabric chairs with ASCP but have what looks like lint from my wax (or maybe my ASCP wax brush). Any suggestions?
@Mona. I love that my cat’s hair does not accumulate on my leather couch and bother my allergies. But I do miss the comfort of a fabric couch. I’ve read of people painting leather with ASCP. Do you have a leather sample that toucan try some paint on?
Hey Christa! See my answer to Mona on the slipcovers. I’m not sure about painting fabric–haven’t tried it yet? I’ll ask Patty, my stockist.
shaunna
I’ve been toying with the idea of painting our living room yellow for years. I wonder if the reason I can’t find a yellow I love is because it’s really not “my” color!
Hi Shauna
I love and hate white. I love it in pictures, love it in your home but do not like it in mine. When I moved into my rental the cupboards were white…I painted them cream. The washroom was white I painted it… well it has been several colours. I think it’s because I just have not found a white I like. All the rooms I see on the internet that are white I love but don’t know what the whites are. I am getting ready to paint my yellow livingroom and am thinking about painting it yellow again.
Do you have any suggestions of a white. Thanks. Loved this post.
Hey Angela! I totally know what you mean–there are a million, trillion whites out there and finding the right one can be tricky. I would start here–and only because these colors I know well–try Benjamin Moore’s White Diamond (a soft white with gray undertones–this is what our whole house is painted in), Benjamin Moore’s Moonlight White (soft white with more yellow undertones), and Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White (probably the closest to a bright white). Paint big 2 x 2 squares on the wall and watch it throughout the day–it will completely change as the light does…my bet is you’ll love one of them, but if not, you’ll at least know if you want a warmer or cooler color–and this will point you in the right direction/paint chip.
Hope this helps!!!
shaunna
This is the answer I’ve been looking for since we bought our old farmhouse 3 years ago. I want my home to be the lovely whites I see in pictures, but am scared to death of picking the color. I don’t have a fear of painting, I have a fear of picking the color. I want to paint EVERYTHING. I painted a small mirror I picked up at a flea market white and it turned out looking too bright – like a neon white. It’s still sitting there in it’s neon white glory.
Shaunna- thanks so much for the post! We just bought a brand new home and the paint colors were the traditional “builder browns” if you know what I mean. It felt drabby- small and unwelcoming to us anyway. So we convinced our builder to repaint 2 rooms for us in Benjamin Moore white diamond. We choose the living and the dining room since those are the biggest rooms. Then we respainted our kitchen ourselves and used porter paint whiskers. It’s really a shade darker than the white diamond. And WOW what a difference the paint has made!!! It’s open and fresh and our girls love it too! Feels like home!! We still have to finish the rest of the house but at least the rooms we spend the most time in are done!
We still have the brown leather couches and like the other ladies have had trouble with the fitting. What do you suggest? Did you have yours custom made? Love you and your blog!!
Shirlee
Hey Shirlee! I’m SO glad the color worked!! We sure do love ours, too! I did have a local seamstress make ours–see my answer to Mona. Hope this helps!
shaunna
i need to know where to find affordable slipcovers for my horrible oh so late ’90′s couch and chair and a half. i am so over it but don’t have anyone to make me some. Please help because i am ready to get rid of red and bring in blue and green. Love your blog…read it every day!!
I love your post and I’ll tell you why…I just finished wrestling my white slip covers over my fall/winter brown sofa, sweating and all…my room is now brighter and lighter!! I also finished painting my black Windsor chairs to a greenish grey (and changing my burlap curtains to muslin). This also has brightened and lightened my dining room…just in time for spring! Can you say ahhhhh…Thanks for the post…I’m on your side:)
Love it! Love whites and neutrals. We also have slip covered couches with young children and I add pops of color with pillows. Love the washability – I need this – as my 2 year old loves drawing on them now w/ washable crayons and markers!!! Happy weekend! Hope to see you on Monday in Boston!
Paint it ALL? Oh…my man will just LOVE to hear that!
I love the inspiration photos you shared. I spent the first 25 years of my life in a home with dark wood paneling on all but a few walls… I eventually convinced my mom to let me paint my bathroom blue but that was it. After so many years surrounded by dark, dark walls I am so happy to have white and ivory walls in my townhouse- the white space is so much more cheerful!
Great advice!! I agree that it is so easy to change colors of accessories if the rest of the room is neutral. I used aqua accents in my living room for awhile but have since put them away and now there is no color. It’s what I like now but who knows I might add another color later. I like the versitility. But most of all I love how light and bright it is!
I LOVE this post! Such great points! And you are right about evaluating your motives for painting the furniture
my husband and MOM think I’m nuts! But it totally transforms the space. I’ve always been drawn to white walls, white furniture, and when I saw photos of your house, I thought wow a real life person who has decorated the way I dream to. Love your style, and after reading this, it’s really encouraged me to take a white wall plunge! thanks for the inspiration 
Thank you!! That’s a very, very sweet thing to say–go for it!!
shaunna
Hi Shauna~ Do you have a safe white paint that you love for walls? Also, where can I find a good looking slip cover for reasonable cost? Thanks so much for all your inspirations!
I love, love Sherwin Williams’ Pro Classic formula…I also want to try Benjamin Moore’s Natura. The guys at SW just have my fav white in their system–Ben Moore’s White Diamond.
shaunna
i totally agree with the light slipcover idea – i did it and am thrilled – AND i have 3 boys 10 and under! it’s remained fairly clean, too! and if you use websites like uglysofa.com, you can get a great slipcover for less than $100 … SWEET!
thx shaunna for another great post!
Yes! Pleasssseeee tell us how/where to get slipcovers! I have thought about going to our local fabric store and asking if they have a seamstress for hire?! Please tell us what you recommend.
Gosh I still can’t get over all of your transformations- ESPECIALLY that dining room! So gorgeous. Love your style and inspiration! As always, thanks for sharing!!!
I’ve been toying with painting some heavy, dark end tables and coffee table. Thanks for saying it’s OK! I also have an antique that is not is great shape. I think I’d like it more painted white. My summer projects are adding up…
This is such a great post – thank you for sharing your thoughts on “going white”. Since moving a year and a half ago, we have lightened up our belongings and it’s so freeing to not be bound to a color scheme. So much easier to change things up when the big items are neutral….I love it even though our home is still majorly a work in progress.
I love white everything as well! Unfortunately, we live in the country and it is either super dusty in the summer or super muddy in the fall/winter. And very wet and raining in the spring. We are however redoing all the trim in our house from a 1970′s stained brown to a beautiful white and it is making me oh so happy
I love all your advice! You always put a big smile on my face!
Amanda
I live in an apartment, so all the walls are white and they’re staying that way. It’s definitely clean and bright, but I also feel like it’s kind of sterile and boring. Do you have any tips for bringing life to white walls?
I’m getting up the nerve to paint my huge hutch that belonged to my grandparents. It’s too big to sell (lol) but it’s dark and I want LIGHT! I have a question unrelated to paint though (and I apologize if you’ve already answered this somewhere on your blog – I didn’t notice it until now). I have a huge window and it will require two panels or shades like yours in your dining room. Can you please let me know where you got them? Thanks so much!!
I cant agree more about keeping the walls neutral and changing it up with accessories
i love your home esp the dining room area. i have been drooling at it for a long time now 
and decided to go for it. I just changed my home from dark brown to white and we all love it. i did it with BM decorators white and it is such a change!! here my home picture
thanks/Anu
http://www.rangdeyaara.blogspot.com/p/my-home.html
you are doing a great job, i will continue reading
I’ve had your dining room pinned for aeons and didn’t even realize it was yours. I will go check the link and make sure it is correct!
So adorable! I just came across your blog, love it! you def have a new follower!
door251.com
I love this post, Shaunna! I swear you read minds girl! I’ve been wanting to lighten up our house a bit but nothing too drastic. I love our wall color {RL Oatmeal} in the living, kitchen and hallway. I just painted our bedroom but now I’m thinking it’s too dark. Our guest bedroom is Chinchilla by MS. I LOVE it! I’d love to paint our furniture in our master bedroom. I’m just stuck on what color. I am looking forward to making subtle changes in our home! Thanks for the inspiration & courage to do so!
I am new to your blog so you may have answered elsewhere. Were your slipcovers custom made and what type of fabric are they? Do you line dry them or throw them in the dryer?
Thank you.
I was so glad to come across this post. I have been contemplating going neutral and white in my home but, like many, had my reservations. Your inspiration has given me the boost I needed! Thanks
Absolutely love this post! I stumbled upon it through Pinterest but it was calling my name! I have always been a fan of the lighter colors when it comes to decor and i think of white as a blank canvas as well! Love that you can add pops of color as your ideas change. Anyway, for months I have been swooning over white, light, & bright living rooms! I’ve been dying to take the plunge and my biggest obstacle has been my living room set. I love my dark, rustic wood coffee table and recently ordered a lighter, thinner rug. My couch is a brown suede leather and very comfortable. My dad bought it for me about 4 years ago and replacing it with a new beautiful white one will be nearly impossible on my “recent college grad / social worker” budget.
I live in Auburn, AL & have had a hard time finding a way to update it! I hate nothing more than an ill-fitted slipcover! Any advice? Thanks!
Hello from a 17th century Cotswold cottage in the UK.
Love your painting and waxing tutorials, I found them because I’m just trying to encourage myself to have a go at my two bedside cabinets. I’ve only now finally taken the step to paint our bedroom white – and when I say white, I mean a pure white not a tinted shade of white like I’ve been using for years (mostly Farrow and Ball shades like Clunch and Wimbourne White), they seem softer and more ‘cottagey’, but for some reason this time I wanted a real white so I went for All White. I was really nervous before I started, it looked so ‘cold’, but the effect is amazing. The light just zings round the room (being a cottage it has sloping ceilings and dormer windows which now look like proper architectural features) and the effect is so uplifting – almost dazzling.
I was worried though that my antique furniture, carved wood bed, gilt mirrors and pictures would look dingy and dated against a hard white (like others on your blog, felt that I just couldn’t paint them white too – especially the bed – such a big job!), so instead, on the walls behind them, I’ve used F & B Pavilion Grey which, together with the bright white, gives the room a rather Scandinavian Gustavian feel. It sets off the wood and gilt really nicely, and somehow makes the furniture look ‘modern’ again.
The bedside cabinets I’m going to paint were only ‘cheapies’ from our local DIY store (25 years ago!) and at the time I stripped and stained them to match my antique satinwood chest of drawers. Now I think I’m ready to bring them into 2012 with clay paint and wax (not quite sure what colour – white I expect!) Your videos have given me confidence to ‘have a go’, so thanks!
I am so glad to have found this! Especially the comment; “I’ll never go back to settling for something in my home–”
My husband bought his bedroom furniture before we met. We both love it and are finding a hard time locating anything that is as nice or as good quality. We are renovating now and I would really like to change the colour. I am relieved to see so many are just as nervous about this as I am. I am afraid of “wrecking” this lovely furniture. Can you give any steps/tips as to how to go about painting furniture?
Thanks,
Miranda
I am thrilled that I came upon your website! This is the look I want for my home…white, crisp and cottagey looking. I do have a couch and 2 love seats that are in excellent condition but would love to slipcover them in white. Do you have to have these slipcovers custom made. I don’t like the ones that you buy from Walmart or Sears as they are not a tight fit. Thanks,
Dianne