Our Holly Project is turning out to be a real face melter. We really went for it with dream wallpapers and textiles where we could, but this was a major renovation and we needed to save money on rooms wherever possible. Por ejemplo: while we gutted their kitchen and living room, we decided to hold off in others like their playroom and two bathrooms.
The playroom is HUGE with a giant wall of windows, and doing any major decor in there could eat up $$$ fast. And the two bathrooms are both…vintage…but in great working shape so while eventually they might want to do a more comprehensive renovation, we thought it best to get as much out of them for now and wait until they can be properly redone down the line.
In all three spaces we went BOLD with the paint- and didn’t do much else- and I am so pleased with the results so far.
The Playroom:
Before: Drab-ola.
After: An all-encompassing wash of Benjamin Moore: Patriot Blue later? I absolutely love the space. Kids toys are so bright and decorative on their own, you don’t really need to decorate that much to give a playroom interest. Total makeover cost in this space? Around $600 for the light fixture. (Not including the floors that we re-finished throughout the house)
Kids Bath:
Before: The original pink tile is SO of an era. But it was in great shape, and we both kind of loved it. We wanted to make it work for their son and their daughter to share…
After: Inspired by the Beverly Hills Hotel- one of my all-time favorite decor moments- we painted 5 inch thick Benjamin Moore: Bunker Hill Green stripes throughout the space. We added new sconces, and are waiting on a new sink faucet and mirror, but the cost for this makeover? No more than $1250 for new sconces, mirror that is coming, and a new faucet we are still waiting on.
Master Bath:
Before: A whole lotta of builder beige tile. Eventually they will gut this space and add on to have a proper closet and master bath suite, but that was not in the budget for now. So instead of spending money on a space that was going to be torn up in the next few years, we painted that sucker red.
After: I was nervous about this one. We painted ERRRYTHING. And that is some major red. NINE coats of Benjamin Moore: Ruby Red, to be exact. The attached bedroom is a very calming and neutral pale blue, so we felt like that would balance it out, but it was a major risk. I was legitimately scared when I went over to check it out after it was painted…But I think the risk totally paid off. You definitely don’t notice the beige anymore, and actually the red makes the beige look clean and pure. The brass accents are pretty spesh too. My favorite part? My clients said that even when they do their major renovation down the road, they want to keep the red! Total cost of this makeover? Around $2500 for sconces, plumbing, and the mirrors to come.
I feel like a total dullard even saying this, it seems to be every celebu-decorators favorite advice, but PAINT, people. Nothing transforms a space like paint, and nothing is easier (or cheaper) to change than paint. The power of color, y’all! 😉 (see what I did there)
I apologize that I keep teasing y’all with these snippets of Project Holly, but it is so good and so near to my heart I just can’t bare to do a full reveal until it is really really ready. And as you can see- we still have a ways to go. But…how excited will you be to see it when the time comes? I can hardly wait.
You just blew my mind. Again. Love!
I absolutely love the orange and blue in the playroom. What finishes did you use for the blue and red??
Smash- The blue was an eggshell and red was high gloss. Thank you!
Love what you have done to this house! So inspiring!
LOVE that you went so bold and painted the ceilings! Great inspiration.
Thanks Bailey! Love it all. xx
I would LOVE a paint post. We have an awful 2 story beige living room and I am clueless as to whAt to paint it. Such a large space I’m scared to make a move.
WOW WOW WOW, Bailey I am dying to see this projects after pics. What I have seen so far is amazing!
Long-time reader, love. So I have a request: I have a house near the beach, and though I love your bold paint moves, I think that the strategy should be a bit different when so much light and air is present. I know you posted a couple pics a few weeks ago of your beachy ideas, but wondered if you could go a wee bit further with some paint ideas.
Would love to see “your” bold on the beach!!
Katie
Love love love the playroom, holy goodness it makes it so cozy and alive! The green stripes are perfection and so so so fun! We painted our bathroom BM Habenaro and while I love it it’s not so easy when I need to apply make up, but the red with those brass fixtures it makes it…. opulent is the word I’m looking for. So if projectholly doesn’t have to apply make up in the bathroom then she’s in a good (scratch that) great place!
Surrounded by Pretty
Super fun updates, Bailey! Did you have to peel the wallpaper in the kids’ bathroom before paint? Or just paint over, since you’re going to gut the space in a few years anyway? I ask because we have a powder room that the previous owners painted over wallpaper, and then I painted over their paint as a quick-fix and now I’m eyeballing that wallpaper under at least 3 layers of paint that is starting to peel and dreading having to get it up. Thanks!
I adore the green stripes. They’re perfect with the pink!
Aaack! The green stripes pink tile are super awes and I have to say, are great enough to make me think that Ms. Holly could skip the reno of the bath now that it is so retro-chic!!! Nice work! I have a Texas question for you: Are you having the walls skim-coated before you apply the wallpapers, or are you lucky enough to NOT be working with the textured walls that seem to plague this state?
OH MY Good gooly goo!! This is so good!! I can not wait to see the full reveal of this house, it is going to be amazeballs!! The red is my favorite, seriously made that bathroom look so fresh and modern.
I would have never thought to paint that town errr… bathroom red! However, I now must paint something or everything red! This is the reason that you are the “next wave”, Mrs. HB and I am like a tween at a Katy Perry concert wishing that I was as talented as you… or at least that I could be invited back stage to get your autograph! Great Job, Bailey!
Holly,
I love your house!
KKRS
I LOVE THAT BLUE!!!!!!! (yes it had to be all caps because i actually screamed that when i saw the picture!!!) paint makes such a big difference!
you are a color daredevil! I’m loving the play room and all the vibrant and sultry hues mixed together in there. and don’t even get me started on those fabulous stripes! Too stinkin amazing.
I’m jumping for joy that you kept those pink tiles!!! And the green stripes make them look even more fab. Can’t wait for the entire reveal =)
The green stripes with the pink tile is so so good!
Amazing. you are crazy talented!
-Linda,ny
I LOVE the bathrooms, both of them. And I love the colors in the playroom. Your taste makes me so happy, and I especially love the way you describe coming at your ideas. The only thing that is kind of bugging me is the proportions in the playroom seem off. Like, everything seems kind of smushed together and so smaller than they really are. I thought at first that maybe the rug and the art are too small for the vastness of the blue paint. I honestly can’t tell, but I love the blue. Definitely fancy pants.
Y’all did such a good job! Yay Team Biscuit!
Where’s the lady head with the starfish atop (kids bath) from? LOVE!