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Our mudroom makeover -- from dark to bright and light!

Hey there! So you know how I recently finished up a huge renovation in the loft upstairs? Yeah, well I added another room redo in the midst of finishing that up. 

Let me back up and mention right here that I am a little crazy. When the folks at HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams™ asked me if I'd like to paint a room and share their new INFINITY paint line (now available exclusively at Lowe's, yay!), I was super excited to share it with you, so of course I said yes! 

It started out that I was just going to paint some walls, and then it snowballed from there. BIG time. I ended up painting all of the trim and beadboard in our mud room and then the walls as well. I am so excited to show you this transformation! The difference is SO big. 

When we moved our laundry to the basement years ago to free up this room I was so excited to work on it. I had already started the beadboard so that was finished off throughout the space. I went a different direction than usual with a flip flopped look -- dark on bottom and light on top: 
dark beadboard white walls
I quite liked it for some time. It was different for me and I loved the peacock blue. (It's called Reflecting Pool.) It's a beautiful color! 

But I am a classic lover at heart and I was craving a more traditional look in here. Soooo. I decided to paint the entire room, nearly top to bottom. Good idea at the time! :) I'm so thrilled with the result that all the work was worth it. 

I started on the trim. So. much. trim. Goodness people. Purdy provided me with some supplies and I was thrilled because these are some of my favorites: 
Purdy brushes for painting trim

The Purdy XL Elite Glide was so helpful as I worked on the room. An angled brush is a must when painting trim and cutting in at ceilings. It makes the job so much easier!

I have always loved how much paint these brushes hold and how nicely the paint goes on: 
best brushes for painting trim

Then it was time to start the beadboard. I was dreading this part -- in the past I've used a roller and then had to use my brush to get in between the "beads" in the board. 

The Purdy Ultra Finish Roller I used was super thick and lush (it was a 3/8 inch nap) and I literally uttered a "hallelujah" out loud when I first rolled it on. It holds so much paint, I was able to fill in about 90 percent of the gaps with just the roller. This saved me SO much time -- I was thrilled. I only had to go back over a few spots with the brush to fill in spots that the roller didn't get. 

The white color is called Pure White (the code for this color is HGSW4006) and I use it all over our house. I use the semi-gloss sheen for our trim and wall treatments. It was coming along nicely: 
black door white walls

Do you see my vision coming to life? I love when it starts to come together! :) 

Next up was the wall paint -- I chose Krypton from HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams (the code for this color is HGSW3366 and it's the Perfectly Polished Color Collection) in satin. I chose their INFINITY one-coat paint and primer because it's so durable and easy to clean, perfect for a mudroom: 

 Krypton is a pretty blue color that leans a little bit gray. I used the angled brush again to cut in: 
cutting in when painting

It takes some practice to get the hang of cutting in but it's worth learning! It will save you a ton of time taping off trim and ceilings. An angled brush like this one is the best for cutting in because it allows you to push the brush right up against the trim -- the angle gives you nice control. 

I love the Purdy brushes and rollers but my favorite item is their brush comb -- I love it!:
comb for cleaning out paint brushes

I've used one for years and it saves me hundreds of dollars in new brushes. You use it to clean out the brush and it really does a great job of getting the gunk out. They will stay nicer for much longer with this tool. I clean it with the comb, squeeze out the excess water and then comb through it a few more times. The shape stays looking like new when I take this extra step. 

This room is SO pretty now and so much more "our house":
Krypton Sherwin-Williams

I liked trying something different and didn't mind it for years. But the classic bright white trim won out. I am a white trim kind of girl, even when I try to fight it. :) 

What I love most about both colors is that they go so well with everything. I'm finding blue really is great neutral, believe it or not. It goes with just about any accent color: 
Classic mudroom with white beadboard

I simplified the pillows in here -- we had a couple off to the side and we never used that side. :) This lumbar pillow offers some color and comfort but doesn't get in the way: 
beadboard in mudroom with bench

Do you see the hint of fall on the wall? I shared Rachel's beautiful fall printable last year and thought it would look so lovely in here. :) When I finish the shelving above the bench I'll be adding more art in here as well. 

I shared our command station (from IKEA) last year and it's been awesome in here: 
black doors with white beadboard
It's a great spot for school papers or reminders. I didn't take it down to paint by the way -- I just taped off and painted around it. :) 

So I've always hated those utility doors and now I've figured out why. The dark paint made them stand out even more. Now? I don't mind them at all because they blend in: 
White beadboard with dark hardwoods

I'd never thought I'd say it but I kind of like them now. Who knew? 

I have a couple more updates to make to this room -- shelving above the bench will go up to the ceiling and then crown molding will go around the whole room. THEN this room will be done and I will be so very happy. Well, I'm already happy. But extra. 

I've experimented with storage over the years and have actually removed more and more over time. I only have this wire basket still hanging: 
canvas market grocery bag

I use it for stuff that needs to go out to the car (I emptied it out for pics). I found when I had baskets on the bench they just filled up with stuff and it annoyed me. :) The shelving above will hold baskets and those will store random items that need a spot around the house. They will be higher and won't be something we'll access every day. 

I have to mention that we were both shocked at how much brighter the room got when the beadboard went white. I know, it's not surprising that would happen, but the difference was so noticeable. I mean, the walls were white before -- it was that dark blue that was sucking all the light from the room. We love the change. 

I also changed out all of the bulbs to daylight LEDs. I told you about those in this post and I've changed out the bulbs in all rooms without natural light. They make a BIG difference in how a room feels (no yellow tint): 
Beadboard with trim and hooks in mudroom

I still like a warmer tone for most rooms in our house, but darker rooms look like new spaces with just the bulbs. 

Here are some of the before and after pics which really show the difference some paint makes. First up, the bench: 

You know I love contrast! I was going for that with the dark trim, but I much prefer the white trim and dark floors instead:
Hooks on beadboard in mudroom

Our mud room is actually quite large, but most of it is this long area by the closet:
dark trim white walls

See how the old bulbs made the white walls look yellow? With no natural light that's what happens with incandescents. That blue really was lovely -- it's a beautiful color! I just didn't mesh with the rest of our house and I was ready for a change. 

The after is so much brighter and welcoming!: 
white utility doors
Full disclosure -- I opened the door to our garage and climbed on to the hood of my car to take this photo. Ha! 

Let's go way back to the yellow and black laundry room. This is a real life look back:
laundry room turned mud room

This is how it looked most days. It drove crazy to have the laundry right by the door. 

The new colors are like taking a deep breath. They feel so right in our house: 
black door white trim blue walls in mudroom

Big change right? Have you tried dark trim in your home? I've seen it done beautifully but all one color was too much for me after time. This still gives me a bit of contrast but with lighter colors. 

Have you used the new HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams paint from Lowe's? I think it's awesome that Sherwin-Williams paints are available there. This is the first time in 40 years they've sold outside of their paint stores! If you've tried it out for yourself you can add your own review here


This post was sponsored by Purdy and HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams but all thoughts and experiences are my own. I only work with brands I use and love!



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