*This post was sponsored by Sherwin Williams and some of the links below are affiliate links for your convenience.*
In my last post I shared all about what my great room used to look like and what my plans were for the space.
It was a pretty tall order since the great room was a 2-story great room and there was a ton of purple paint to cover up. But we got to work and I think we pulled it together.
*As always you can view the video of this on my Youtube channel here.*
Here is everything we used:
- M-1 Paint Deglosser and Pre-Paint Cleaner
- FrogTape Multi-Surface Painter’s Tape
- ScotchBlue Pre-Taped Painter’s Plastic
- American Line Pro Mini Roller Tray
- Contractor Series Microfiber Mini Rollers
- HANDy Paint Pail & Liners
- Angled Paint Brush
- 3M Dual Grit All Purpose Sanding Sponge
- Standard Paint Rollers
- Purdy Standard Paint Tray
- Purdy Standard Paint Tray Liner
- Big Time Products Firm Grip Pro Paint Disposable Nitrile Gloves
- Intex Precision-Fiber Cloth Rags
- Purdy Premium Flexible Joint Knife
- Wall Spackle
So the first thing we did was prep the room. We removed as much furniture as possible and took down all those drapes and curtain rods as well as any art or décor in the room. We filled any holes in the walls with spackle and sanded them smooth.
Of course after that was done we had to make sure room we dusted and cleaned the room prior to commencing. We laid down ScotchBlue Pre-Taped Painter’s Plastic which is our favorite form of protection for our floors and baseboards.
Next we began to paint the walls with a my favorite neutral gray: Repose Gray SW7015. With Sherwin Williams’s SuperPaint line, all we needed was 2 coats of paint over the dark purple color.
Since we had 20’ walls we decided to split the work in 2 sections so painted the lower level first.
So, we removed the shelves & cabinet doors and gave them a good cleaning along with the units built-into in the wall.
In order to clean them we used M-1 Paint Deglosser and Pre-Paint Cleaner then wiped them down with clean water & a rag and let them dry.
Next we sanded all rough areas with a sanding sponge.
And then we wiped everything clean again with a damp cloth.
Alright, so then we taped the necessary areas off with painter’s tape.
I used ProBlock Interior Oil-Based Primer to prime the built-ins and prevent any knots or stains to bleed through the paint. There were several on them as you see below…
I applied 2 coats of that primer and here is what it looked like on a cabinet door.
Then as the primer dried, we wanted to add trim above the fireplace. We cut it so that it would fit like a square frame above the mantle.
As you can see the fireplace needed a focal point above the mantle and something to tie in the 2 built-ins on either side.
So we built a square frame.
And used a combination of liquid nails and a nail gun to install the wood.
Then we added faux “shiplap” inside the frame. We cut thin floor underlayment in 5” wide pieces and used liquid nails and brad nails to adhere them onto the wall.
You may choose to caulk any gaps or nail holes after it has been installed or you can leave as is for a more rustic feel.
We primed this wood with oil-based primer as well and then when fully dried we applied 2 coats of Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel – Extra White SW 7006 Semi Gloss to the built-ins, shelves, and cabinet doors. (This is my FAVORITE paint for cabinets. The finish is perfect and doesn’t need a sealer. The paint even gets harder over time. I love how durable it is! The combination of the oil base primer paired with this paint makes an amazing bond).
I applied Emerald Extra White SW 7006 in Satin to the shiplap so that it was not as shiny.
I made sure to let everything dry overnight.
You can add a polycrylic if you wish, however, I have found that as long a you use an oil-based primer, all you need is the Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel – Extra White SW 7006 in Semi Gloss on your cabinets and built-ins since it dries to a strong and durable finish.
Then it was time to finally finish the upper walls.
We applied 2 coats.
So it looks like the hubby is doing all of the work, but I was the one who did the trim at the very top… TWICE!
I also repainted all the trim, window casings, and baseboards.
And even used a small artist brush to get into tiny little areas…
And OMG, after all that I was able to bring in some new furniture, new curtains and some decor to decorate the built-ins and these are the final results:
I love the fireplace and built-ins now!
I still have to practice my styling but these shelves definitely look better than before!
Well, that’s it for now… What do you think? This place looks so much better now that the
