Sings a Song, Sounds Like She’s Singin’

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Ooo, baby ooo, said oooooo…

Okay, so the last couple of days have been more personal than home-related, and I’m now finished with that and ready to be getting back to house posts. I’ve been a busy girl!

I picked a paint color for the primary bath. And wouldn’t you know it? Its the same color family I’ve been working through the entire house except the craft studio. This time, the color was called Dove Wing by Benjamin Moore.

By the way, did you know that Benjamin Moore actually makes three paint colors with nearly identical names? White Dove, Dove Wing, and White Winged Dove. Confusing, right?

All three were on my “let’s try it out” list, but ultimately, Dove Wing (OC-18) won out and I bought a gallon of Behr paint in satin at Home Depot (where they have just about every other competitor’s color formulas stored and can easily color match).

I decided the walls needed to be light and bright for a number of reasons. For one, the bathroom only has one light fixture, and despite also having a window, I’m normally in there either as the sun is rising (during summer only – during winter it’s still dark) or when I get home from work. So to help the light maximize its reach, lighter walls seemed to be the way to go. The gray-beige shower tile was also a concern for matching, especially since the new vanity top will have its own hue of gray, and the future floor tile will likely be a medium gray tone. All of these combined neutrals needed something brighter on the walls to distinguish them. Plus, the grayish white hue looks simple, clean, and modern; color can be brought in with accessories, and since I’m fickle about color anyway (for example, my bright yellow mirror), it’s easier to switch them out instead of taping and painting again.

Before the wall color was applied, however, it was important to protect all of the repair work I’ve already done by using a stain blocking, sealing, drywall-prepping primer. After looking at my options, I decided that I wanted a water-based primer (for dry time, low VOC/odor, and ease of cleanup) that would ensure water stains (from years of seeping due to wallpaper seams) have zero chance of making a repeat performance. Zinsser’s 123 Plus primer-sealer for all surfaces (a Rust-Oleum brand) seemed to meet the criteria.

Another purpose of the primer-sealer is that it also helps to fill in the tiny imperfections that one might find when removing wallpaper. Sometimes, despite wiping down the wall (30+ times by my count), glue residue might still remain. The primer part helps the paint adhere to the surface; the sealer part helps to block the glue, water stain, or drywall paper pattern (which I discuss in more detail here) from interrupting the smoothness of the finished paint sheen.

Thanks to the paint color’s name, I found myself singing “Edge of Seventeen” repeatedly. And putting it on my playlist on repeat. :)  Even my roller choice seemed destined for this paint color!

Although I wouldn’t call myself a pro, I didn’t use painter’s tape for anything other than the shower tile. The ceilings were just about the only line I was concerned with getting right (the baseboards and door trim needed painting, anyway). Since a smooth finish was key, I cut in using my favorite short-handled, angled brush (they sell these at your local Orange, but not Blue):

Once I was done, I took a few photos to remind myself how far these walls have gone:

What do you think? Yeah, I know – pretty plain. Next up, I’ll be adding a few art items to this wall to give it a little more color. So excited that I will finally have my primary bathroom back!