As part of my Home Goals for 2013, I’m updating the living room with fresh paint, installing board and batten, and hanging pictures. I’ll be sharing several posts as I work through the project, spacing them out as each step is completed.
So, here’s part 1: Paint. (If you’re curious about the color, I recently wrote about Picking the Perfect Gray {Paint}.)
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This photo shows the hallway that connects the open living area to the master bedroom. To the left is the kitchen, and to the right are the laundry room and the garage—so this space gets regular traffic and needed a fresh, cohesive look.
Over the past two weeks I’ve been painting in fits and starts, focusing on manageable sections: the foyer, both hallways, and the top half of the living room. I left the bottom half unpainted for now because I plan to add white board and batten there and didn’t want to paint over fresh gray.
All that = a lot of paint and time.
I tackled the project one section at a time so I could enjoy small accomplishments throughout the process. Breaking a big job into bite-sized pieces keeps me motivated—otherwise I get bored and want to move on to something new. A friend reminded me to finish the entryway before starting another overhaul, and I’m glad I listened; juggling two makeovers at once would have been overwhelming.
For each wall I applied two coats of paint. In my experience one coat rarely gives even coverage—roller and brush marks remain visible—so I always do at least two coats for a smooth, consistent finish.
Note: the before and after photos aren’t taken under identical lighting, so the beige in the “before” shot looks slightly warmer because I had the lights on. The change is still obvious once the gray is fully applied.
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Apologies for the slightly grainy shot on the right—I forgot to adjust the ISO on my camera when I took it, but it still shows the contrast between the old beige and the new gray.
I used Valspar Ultra Paint + Primer in an eggshell finish (Valspar is Lowe’s house brand). This was my first time using it and I’ve been impressed: the paint is thick, rolls on without excessive splatter, and provides good coverage. Initially, over the beige the gray read a bit bluish, but after the second coat it settled into a lovely soft gray. When viewed next to the original beige, the gray can look slightly cool, but in the finished space it feels balanced and modern.
I pushed to finish the gray before hosting a play group at my house on Tuesday morning. Yes, the living room was mid-project when guests arrived—half painted—so I let go of perfection and opened my home anyway. It felt liberating to welcome people even with work-in-progress walls; progress doesn’t have to be perfect to be shared.
A quick peek at the half-and-half wall—an honest snapshot of a room in transition.
Next steps: paint the bottom half of the living room white, then pick up materials for the board and batten treatment. I’m excited to add this architectural detail to bring structure and definition to the large open-concept space. Board and batten is a great way to give a big room visual interest and clearly delineate the living area from adjacent zones without closing them off.
Beyond aesthetics, painting and adding molding gives me a finished surface to hang artwork and photos. After a year with mostly blank walls, I can’t wait to start arranging gallery walls and personal touches. I did hang one new piece in the foyer already, and I’ll share more as the project progresses.
How have you added definition to an open space? I’d love to hear your ideas and experiences in the comments—board and batten, accent walls, rugs, or furniture placement can all make a big difference.
More Living Room Makeover Posts:
- Living Room Paint: Part 2
- Part 3: Caulking and Spackling
- Part 4: Blue Accessories
- Part 5: Gallery Wall
- Part 6: Super Easy Throw Pillows
- Part 7: Final Reveal
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