A Living Room Makeover

Last week, Nolan Painting’s Painter for a Day service helped one family with their living room makeover. Nolan’s painters (led by Crew Leader Bob True) prepped, spackled, sanded and repainted a sage green room to a cozy, warm mocha color (Benjamin Moore Whitall Brown).

Read the Musings of a Housewife’s Blog on the Makeover below

The Living Room Makeover Rages On

January 30, 2012: By Jo-Lynne Shane

Last Thursday, two friendly, well-spoken gentlemen showed up at my house from Nolan Painting to paint my living room.

First, let me explain. This is only the second time in our married lives we have hired out a paint job. My husband is a DIY guy at heart. He actually runs a podcast with his best friend, showing other DIYers how to DIY stuff. Check out their Handyguys Podcast sometime. They’re rocking and rolling over there!

He is actually quite a competent painter, and when we bought our first home back in 2000, he taught me to paint. I loved it, believe it or not! We painted that entire house at least three times over in the five years we lived there. No lie. We can paint. (And also? We are indecisive. HA!)

But three kids later and all the activities that go along with school and church and family life (not to mention our myriad of jobs) and time is our enemy.

Plus, painting is sorta like cooking. I enjoy the process, but clean up is a beast. We have this really bad habit of never thoroughly finishing a project. There are unfinished reminders of our home improvement projects throughout our entire house.

So when Nolan Painting, one of my blog’s current sponsors, offered to gift us with their Painter For A Day service, we joyfully accepted.

The only other time I have had a professional painter work on my home is when we moved into this house. I had a new baby and a new house, and my mom gifted us with a professional painter to do our foyer (which is one of those 2-story cathedral types that I didn’t want my husband messing with) and the connecting hallways and stairwell. While I enjoyed having it done for me, it was tiresome having this guy in our house for days on end, not knowing when he would arrive, when he would leave, and when he would be done. And in the end, his work was so shoddy that I had to go back around and touch up the woodwork. It was not a pleasant experience, and we’ve done our own painting ever since. (I chose the guy, not my mom, just for the record. And I am still VERY appreciative!!! That job would have never gotten done, left up to us.)

But this experience with Nolan Painting couldn’t have been more opposite. These guys were professional and personable. They called and let us know exactly when they would come. (We actually set a specific day with their office, but they still called the day before and confirmed the time of their arrival and everything.)

They arrived promptly at 7:30 AM, confirmed the job situation, and started laying out drop clothes and everything.

I went upstairs with my laptop, and when I came back down for lunch, the first coat of paint was on the walls. They were done by 3:30. They picked up everything. I have no idea where they even washed their brushes and rollers — they didn’t mess up my house doing it — and when they were done, everything was in pristine condition. They even moved the furniture back in place.

And my living room? Painted from head to toe in a gorgeous shade of chocolate brown, no outlet covers left on the dining room table, no last minute spackling jobs left for another day, no dabs of brown paint on white ceiling . . . everything was perfectly and completely and 100% COMPLETE.

I am now sold on professional painters. At least, I am sold on THESE professional painters. (Sorry, hon. It’s not you. It’s our busy life!!)

(Dontcha luv the sneakers on the stairs? Note they’ve been there since last Thursday.)

So now that my living room is painted, the fun part begins!!!

I need pillows and curtains and perhaps a new sofa slipcover. I am not so thrilled with the leaves now that the room is all put back together. I think I need something bolder. Take a look at the window I’m working with. I’m thinking of floor-length panels, but I’m not sure about color and pattern.

With all the natural light we get, it doesn’t seem quite this dark in person. I have seen a LOT of throw pillows in recent weeks that I like. I’m going to go back through my iPhone pictures and see if I find anything I want to take a second look at.

As far as curtains, the sky’s the limit. I don’t have a clue where to begin. I’m wide open to suggestions!

Disclosure: Nolan Painting is advertising on my blog for three months. They offered me the Painter for a Day service with no strings attached. I chose to blog about it because I was thrilled with them and because I need decorating help, yo!