Painting in Small Spaces

This is one of those get-caught-up history things. The first rooms that I could clear out (remember, we were working around all of my dad's furniture that hadn't been moved out yet) were the bathrooms. The 'master' bathroom, which is of course off the 'master' bedroom, was the first that I addressed. A short side trip - we do not live in the master bedroom, it has been designated as my sewing studio. The front, smaller, bedroom is where Mr. W. and I sleep (heeheehee).

Picture me (a bit of a stretch for those who know me well): cleaning bucket, rags, TSP, sponges and green scrubby at the ready. Scrubbing, wiping, spraying the walls, the floor moulding, the toilet and sink, the oak vanity and linen cabinets, the boxed-in (in oak) fluorescent lights and incandescent light fixture. Fortunately, Mr. W. had spent an ENTIRE day previously getting the shower sparkling (oh, the heavy chemicals that were in use THAT day!).

I did what I could to get the picture shadows off the wall - that's where a picture was hung on the wall and there was a lighter spot behind the frame, where the cigarette smoke couldn't permeate the flat paint. FLAT paint in a bathroom. How ridiculous is that???

So, priming the walls and ceiling (after miles of taping to protect the oak stuff). Getting behind the toilet was a chore, even with the extensive pretzel-ability of my body. Those little nooks and crannies behind the toilet and around the plumbing - and don't forget those little niches up under the vanity, where the kick moulding meets up with the cabinet - definitely tested my flexibility!

The ceiling received 2 coats of ceiling white (as do all the ceilings in the house) and the walls are now white semi-gloss. Let me just say right here (though Mr. W. and I have said it numerous times throughout this adventure), painting white paint is the least gratifying 'color' there is. Ho hum. Hard to see where you've been on the second coat.

The throw rug, hand towels and vanity set (toothbrush holder, etc.) came from Wal-Mart, a green/blue/lilac/off-white color combo with a dragonfly and flower theme. Soon, that bathroom will receive a coordinating decorative paint treatment in the form of some freehand lettering and probably some squiggles, lines and/or dots so that the room is not so plain. More on that if and when it actually happens!

Moving onto the second bathroom (this will go more quickly, I'd expect). This is the 'main' bathroom in the house. Smaller than the master bath. Tub/shower combo, no linen closet, but still with the oak vanity, trim, and fluorescent fixture. Lots of tape. Cleaning. Priming. There was even MORE challenge to my pretzel-ness, since the area around the toilet was much smaller. There were times that certain of my body parts caused me to be temporarily stuck between the toilet and the tub (accompanied, of course, by the inevitable case of the giggles). This is definitely not a job that Mr. W. should have taken on!

End result, the ceiling is again white. The walls are called "Fresh Ginger". What color is ginger? I thought it was brown, or maybe the inside was a golden-y brown. This stuff is green. Like pea soup without the carrots. Okay, that didn't sound like I was thrilled with the color. I'm not, particularly, but I don't hate it. Mr. W. just goes for the yellow-y colors, while I go for the blue-y colors. Every green he picks out looks the same to me. Pea Soup.

We got a couple of new rugs to put down in that bathroom - colors are muted. Tan, Cranberry, Gold. Eventually a new shower curtain that I'm supposed to be making.

Lastly in the Small Spaces odyssey, closets. One walk-in in the sewing studio. One in the bedroom, one in the entry hall. All of them were stripped of the hanging rods and shelves, cleaned, primed, painted white. Mr. W. and I spent a couple of days putting in closet organizers in all of the closets (white again) to make better use of all of that wasted space above and below where one's clothes should hang. The closet in the entry way is over 7 feet long. Who has 7 feet's worth of coats to hang in the front closet? We put in 7' high shelves on each end of the closet, then a rod between them. Lotsa storage now, a reasonable space still for hanging.

Do you know anyone else who can write over 750 words about painting bathrooms and closets? I should be one of those QVC people who have to talk for 15 minutes about one pillow...

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