The Right Tool
Meagan was eight when we moved from our tiny, two-bedroom house to our current, much larger home. She was so excited to choose her own second-floor bedroom, the long and narrow, pale pink room. Meagan loved that room, and was perfectly content with it, until three years later when she started sixth grade. That's when she learned that her teacher, Mrs. Bahl, had grown up in this house, in that very room. And, what's more, Mrs. Bahl and her sister had chosen that pale pink color for the walls.
That's all that Meagan needed to hear. As soon as she got home from school that day, she insisted that we needed to redecorate her room. So, a few weeks later, we bought two new comforters for her bunk beds, and decided to sponge-paint a matching color scheme on the walls. First, we painted the walls white, cutting in carefully around the three windows and three doors with a paintbrush, then using a roller to complete the job. Next, we used a narrow roller to paint two lavender stripes all the way around the room; those stripes formed a hilly border, undulating up and down on the walls. Finally, Meagan and I used irregularly-shaped sponges to dab aqua and lavender paint all over the walls. The whole process took us a couple of days, but the right tools helped us achieve the effect we wanted. Meagan was pleased with the results.
Three years later, almost-five-year-old Victoria joined our family through adoption. The expected six-month transition period was shortened to six weeks, so her bedroom, which we had been using for storage, wasn't ready for her in November, when she finally arrived to stay. We shoved the extra stuff haphazardly into a corner, set a folding screen in front of it, and waited until Christmas vacation to move the stuff to the basement so we could finish her room.
This time, Erin and Meagan helped Victoria use her own hand prints to paint a multi-colored border around the room. Then we all used those same old sponges to embellish the white walls with yellow paint. Again, the right tools made our job much easier, and so much fun.
A few years later, when Meagan was off at college, Victoria decided she wanted to move into Meagan's room. She was perfectly happy with the bunk beds, and the aqua and lavender sponge-painted walls, until just recently. But, after Erin moved to Cheyenne this summer, she offered Victoria her charcoal gray head board, and that started a whole chain-reaction of redecorating.
We bought a new double bed mattress for Victoria, and donated the bunk beds to Tobin and Evelyn. (Don't worry, the bunks also convert into safer, side-by-side twin beds that will work great for preschoolers.) Victoria really wanted to paint the walls black, but we compromised with a medium gray that coordinates well with the new headboard. Then, we waited for Victoria's fall break.
I'll admit that I was dreading this job. For me, painting walls is just messy and tiresome drudgery. Victoria loves to paint walls with a roller, and she is quite good at it, but I had the thankless job of cutting in around the doors and windows.
As I was rounding up the supplies we needed--paint brushes, rollers, roller pans, and painter's tape--I came across a strange little tool, still in its original packaging. I had never seen it before, so Bill must have bought it on a whim, adding it to our painting supplies in the basement to use the next time we painted. It was a red, rectangular edging tool, with a removable paint pad and two little wheels on one side that were meant to glide effortlessly along the ceiling or woodwork while the tool deposited paint on the wall. I was skeptical, but a little desperate. If it worked, I would be able to avoid a lot of tedious taping, and a lot of wiping wet paint off the ceiling and woodwork. (Bill would be the first to tell you that I am a rather sloppy painter.)
I learned that the right tool can make all the difference. I washed the removable paint pad, and stored that amazing tool away for next time. Maybe Victoria and I will paint the downstairs hall next--I'm actually looking forward to painting it, now that I've found just the right tool.
That's all that Meagan needed to hear. As soon as she got home from school that day, she insisted that we needed to redecorate her room. So, a few weeks later, we bought two new comforters for her bunk beds, and decided to sponge-paint a matching color scheme on the walls. First, we painted the walls white, cutting in carefully around the three windows and three doors with a paintbrush, then using a roller to complete the job. Next, we used a narrow roller to paint two lavender stripes all the way around the room; those stripes formed a hilly border, undulating up and down on the walls. Finally, Meagan and I used irregularly-shaped sponges to dab aqua and lavender paint all over the walls. The whole process took us a couple of days, but the right tools helped us achieve the effect we wanted. Meagan was pleased with the results.
Three years later, almost-five-year-old Victoria joined our family through adoption. The expected six-month transition period was shortened to six weeks, so her bedroom, which we had been using for storage, wasn't ready for her in November, when she finally arrived to stay. We shoved the extra stuff haphazardly into a corner, set a folding screen in front of it, and waited until Christmas vacation to move the stuff to the basement so we could finish her room.
This time, Erin and Meagan helped Victoria use her own hand prints to paint a multi-colored border around the room. Then we all used those same old sponges to embellish the white walls with yellow paint. Again, the right tools made our job much easier, and so much fun.
A few years later, when Meagan was off at college, Victoria decided she wanted to move into Meagan's room. She was perfectly happy with the bunk beds, and the aqua and lavender sponge-painted walls, until just recently. But, after Erin moved to Cheyenne this summer, she offered Victoria her charcoal gray head board, and that started a whole chain-reaction of redecorating.
We bought a new double bed mattress for Victoria, and donated the bunk beds to Tobin and Evelyn. (Don't worry, the bunks also convert into safer, side-by-side twin beds that will work great for preschoolers.) Victoria really wanted to paint the walls black, but we compromised with a medium gray that coordinates well with the new headboard. Then, we waited for Victoria's fall break.
I'll admit that I was dreading this job. For me, painting walls is just messy and tiresome drudgery. Victoria loves to paint walls with a roller, and she is quite good at it, but I had the thankless job of cutting in around the doors and windows.
As I was rounding up the supplies we needed--paint brushes, rollers, roller pans, and painter's tape--I came across a strange little tool, still in its original packaging. I had never seen it before, so Bill must have bought it on a whim, adding it to our painting supplies in the basement to use the next time we painted. It was a red, rectangular edging tool, with a removable paint pad and two little wheels on one side that were meant to glide effortlessly along the ceiling or woodwork while the tool deposited paint on the wall. I was skeptical, but a little desperate. If it worked, I would be able to avoid a lot of tedious taping, and a lot of wiping wet paint off the ceiling and woodwork. (Bill would be the first to tell you that I am a rather sloppy painter.)
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| The Shur-Line Edger
So I gave it a try. And it worked! Using that edging tool was actually fun, as well as efficient. Because of that tool, and the fact that the paint covered the walls well in just one coat, we finished the whole job in less than three hours.
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| Charlie lounges on Victoria's new bed |
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