Two Day Makeover~Day One

Welcome back to my Two Day Makeover Series!  In these posts I will take you through a recent room makeover beginning to end.  This project began as a typical online design plan project for Brian and Heidi's nursery.  Until I decided to fly to Denver to install the room, all by myself (no painters, carpenters or design assistants) in just two days (which is where the "challenge" comes in). 

In an effort to keep the room somewhat of a surprise, I've converted the behind the scenes photos to black and white.  I started day one by opening the boxes and taking inventory.  

Everything I ordered was there with one exception.  The adorable lamp in the inspiration board was shipped in the form of a sleeping bag.  I'll admit I was bummed, the lamp I chose for the space was so cute,  however I knew we could easily find a replacement.  The company that made the mistake apologized profusely and made it right.  

Using my GPS I located the local coffee shop and paint store and headed into town to gather fuel and supplies.  {Since we arrived at night, this was my first glimpse of the mountains.  Amazing.}. 

The design plan I created for the nursery provided two options for a fantastic focal point behind the crib.  The first option was the gorgeous pre-made mountain photo wall mural I showed you in the design plan post.  The second option was a simple DIY painted mountain mural.  Providing two options gave the client the power to decide whether they wanted to tackle a DIY project or purchase a pre-made wall hanging.  Either way, the room would look great.  Since I was there installing the design, and the client requested to be completely surprised by the room at the reveal, the choice was up to me.  

 DIY painted mural it was. 

I gathered all the painting supplies I needed to paint the room and the mural and headed back to the nursery.

I'll be sharing a step by step tutorial on the mountain mural at the end of this series. 

 I started by sketching the design on the wall with chalk.  I went for a simple, whimsical silhouette to keep the room feeling playful and child-like.  

Using detail brushes and regular wall paint I filled in the sketch.  

A few times during the process, Hannah took over to give me a little break.  The mural was the most time consuming part of this makeover, but it went by fast.  Even though it took almost all of day one, I wasn't worried about time.  I could already see the room coming together and having my design plan in hand helped keep the project on track. 

We even had time for a fabulous dinner {in the company of an owl} on Brian and Heidi's patio with a view of the rockies in the distance.

  Since makeovers are my profession, I was able to accomplish a lot in a short period of time.  I realize that painting a room in one day (including a mural) is not a realistic goal for someone that is not a professional.  My advice if you are going to tackle a full room makeover DIY style, is to take your time.  I would give yourself more than two days and enjoy the process.  Especially if it is your first attempt at a mural, it may take a little time and patience to get your technique down.  A simple, whimsical design like this playful mountain silhouette is great for a first time muralist.

After the mural was complete, I wrapped up the day painting the remaining walls.

End of day one, painting done. 

 Next up…I finish the room on day two!

This Two Day Makeover series includes:

1.  Introduction 

2.  The Design Plan

3. Game On…I leave Detroit and head for Denver

4.  Day One

5.  Day Two

6.  A Tour of The Finished Space 

7.  The Big Client Reveal

8. Details About the Space

9.  Easy Step-by-Step Mural Tutorial

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