Living Room Updates: Fresh White Trim

First off, thanks to all of you for your crazy nice words about my feature on Young House Love yesterday. You guys are the sweetest! Almost makes our ten month bathroom renovation craziness worth it ; ) And welcome to all of you who stopped by from YHL- I'm so glad to have you!!


Last week, I shared my living room tweak to do list. If you missed the post, you'll have to check it out to get a better understanding of what I'm chatting about, but here's the quick rundown.

LIVING ROOM TO DO LIST:
1. update mantle
2. add a gallery wall next to TV
3. update TV stand
4. paint trim a crisp white
5. paint walls a new neutral color
6. add new rug
7. figure out pillow sitcheeyation

Oh and don't forget that I now have to add a #8: Finally decide on what to do with the windows. You guys were fabulous and chock full with advice when I asked what you thought I should do with my plantation shutter blinds. Bloggers certainly tell it like it is, which I love!


About 40% of you thought I should keep the shutters, while about 60% of you voted to give them the old heave ho. So what did we decide to do? You'll just have to find out another day : )

Because today is alll about some white paint. That's right, the living room trim is painted! It went from a dingy yellowy before to a bright white after. Or as I like to say, so fresh and so clean clean.

(pardon the evening pictures, I told you light isn't very good in this room!)


BEFORE


AFTER





As we were painting, I kept letting out little Joey Lawrence type yelps of surprise. I cannot believe the difference that a little white paint makes! Look at the difference in the corner of this shot.


Feel free to ignore the haphazard pillows, millions of cardigans on the coat rack and our front porch flag next to the door... sometimes you've just got to keep it real, right?! : )

A close up view of the before/after.

Preeeetty white............................................... dingy offwhite.


It's kind of hard to tell in this picture, but since we've painted the trim in the kitchen and living room, I'm now going to be itching to paint the hallway as well!


We're pleased as punch with the results! One more thing to cross off of my list : ) Which helps, since not only did I add "handle the plantation shutters" to my living room tweak list, but a few readers very thoughtfully pointed out that the wall behind my couch could use a little work, which is definitely a keen observation. So now my little list looks like so:

LIVING ROOM TO DO LIST:
1. update mantle
2. add a gallery wall next to TV
3. update TV stand
4. paint trim a crisp white
5. paint walls a new neutral color
6. add new rug
7. figure out pillow sitcheeyation
8. deal with the plantation shutters
9. spruce up wall behind couch

Next up? I'm thinking the wall color....!


Have you freshened up anything with a coat of white paint lately?

35 comments:

  1. looks great. isn't it amazing what paint does?

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  2. Just wanted to say I'm very happy to be your 1,000th follower. Your blog/home is beautiful! I wish I could have you help me redecorate my oh so very blah house.

    I love white paint as well! It's very hard for me not to douse everything in my house in a coat of white paint to make it bright and happy. Going against everything I swore I wouldn't do as a child (living in a house with all white walls) I'm planning on paining a room white soon (with any luck)! Can't wait to read more of your blog!

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  3. Looks great! Can't wait to see what else is up your sleeve!

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  4. Nothing beats bright white trim! It's a pain to do, but it's always worth painting! My tweak list is so long I don't even bother making a list. ;)

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  5. such a difference a little paint makes... looks awesome!

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  6. Amazing what a little paint can do! I desperatly need to paint my trim too. What color/type of paint did you use?

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  7. It looks wonderful!! I noticed you are looking for a new rug-would you be interested in selling the yellow one? I have been looking for a rug like that and would love to take it off your hands! :)

    georgyct@aol.com

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  8. Holler to a fellow GA girl! I am right in the same boat! I've been slowly, but surely, repainting all of the dingy yellowish trim in our *new to us* house. The difference is FABULOUS!!

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  9. I was so excited to see your feature on YHL!! I did a little happy dance for you! And your question about the white feature - last year I went all glamazon and painted a main room in my house black. Now I think it's going back to white and to a color palette that's more me. I'm dreading the painting!!

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  10. Okay so first I have to say we have the same sense of humor, I quote Outkast and joey lawrence chronically haha! And second and most importantly...it looks fabulous! I have also begun the long process of repainting all of the trim in our home :( It's a pain but so worth it! Amazing how just a little paint can transform the look of a room.

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  11. You sure whipped that out quick!!! Did you just use off the shelf white paint...latex or oil?

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  12. "Woah" is right! Huge difference---It looks awesome. Can't wait to hear what you decided about the blinds!

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  13. Can't wait to hear what you did with the shutters. Love the bright white trim...looks much better! Very fresh and clean! :)

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  14. fresh white trim makes such a difference! our new house has wood trim allovathuplace! gross! i will be going room by room with each room design... if i try to paint all the trim at once i might pull it off the wall and swear instead.

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  15. I think crisp white trim is pretty much fabulous and right up there with apple strudel and shnitzel with noodles on my favorite things list. I just painted the crown in my bedroom this month, but it wasn't dingy off white, it was unfinished MDF and it had been that way for over a year. I'm super lazy!! You, my friend, are not. Gold star for you :)

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  16. That white looks a ton better. Anyone who says all whites are the same is wrong-O! I have to get on this dreaded chore of mine... you may have inspired me to start painting :)

    Coley @
    www.whatyoumakeit-coley.blogspot.com

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  17. Looks great! The crown molding really pops with the crisp white paint!

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  18. the white is lookin' super fresh & clean. we have soooo much dingy yellow to paint in this house it's not even funny!!! i know just how good it feels to repaint it bright white. :)
    btw, love the joey reference. i loved me some joey lawrence back in the day. remember this??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyuVxyJt2w

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  19. Just found you through YHL. What a beautiful home you have! Love your style and what you've done with the house. Keep up the great work!

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  20. It looks great. Love what a difference it made. I went nutty repainting all of the trim in our house high gloss white last Spring so luckily I'm done with that little tweak.

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  21. It looks really nice. I can't believe the difference from the old white. Wow!

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  22. Oh, yes we have! Our kitchen is just about complete...the white trim is to be installed very shortly. That will make the whole room pop! Glad to see another white trim lover...cheers!
    :)

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  23. That is just a crazy-good result! Such a simple thing that makes a WORLD of difference! Awesome-ness. Think I'm going to have to add a list to some of my posts to keep me accountable. :) Happy Wednesday!
    Heidi @ Show Some Decor

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  24. It's amazing how one small change can make the room look brighter & gives it a cleaner look!

    It was so cool to see you featured on YHL, too! :)

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  25. Looks great girl! What a huge difference. And I was SOOOO happy when I saw you featured on YHL!! AWESOME! :)

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  26. Holy moly it's amazing how some crisp white paint changes a space isn't it???? Your trim looks great (and how psyched are you to have that crown molding?) Our kitchen cabs went from dingy off white to creamy White Dove and OMGosh - what a difference! So much cleaner feeling!

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  27. I love a mirror by the door to check before leaving the house - you need a bigger one? I covet this one form Ikea - I think it would rock in your space :)
    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60178415/

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  28. Amazing what a small change can make! It looks so fresh and so clean! :)

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  29. We have that yellow-y/off-white trim all over our house too...I'm really wanting to paint it white but I need to find a way that doesn't make it seem super overwhelming. Oh and I'm your newest follower! Love your style and beautiful spaces :)

    mylifeasamrsh.blogspot.com

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  30. I need to do the same thing in my house. Do you have any tips for painting over already-painted trim/molding? Was your dingy yellow-ish paint a shiny gloss finish before you painted? Did you have to do any sanding or use a de-glosser? Any suggestions you have for me is greatly appreciated!
    ashkrtz@gmail.com

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  31. Updating the look of your home, with the help of rearranging your furniture or changing the prominent colors of your walls, windows or ceiling - are great ways to beautify your living space. The above photos are very inspiring!

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Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear what you think. I ♥ comments.

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