"Really Hip People Live Here"

This weekend, I repainted our hallway. I have always wanted a bright splash of color somewhere in our house, but it seemed like such a huge commitment. They always look so great in design magazines and blogs, but let's face it. YOU have to live with it.

Before: Just neutral. On the light colored walls, you could see every scuff mark. Also, it just seemed like a "pass through" room with no interest.


I decided I just wanted half the wall to be painted and install a chair rail along the wall. First, I measured 39" up from the floor and marked the wall. Using a level, I drew a straight line across the wall. Then I put painter's tape along that line. I painted the lower half in high gloss in Swan Wing by Behr.


With a color so bold, it was a must to lay down a drop cloth EVERYWHERE. I regret not taping the ceiling because it was such a pain to edge. I made a few bumps which I had to touch up. It was just messy in general because I had to be more careful than usual as I worked.


Starting out was scary. The first coat looked like the home of Shamu in an ocean blue color. It needed 3 coats for an even look. As you can see, it goes on differently each time. The following day I still had to go over many spots that did not look even.


We made the flip decision to paint these two slivers of wall too. After doing that, we realized it was a mistake. The contrast was too great, so I repainted these two walls back to the color of the living room. As a transition, I left the bottom white. (The blue in the photo is not what it looks like in person).


After 3 coats and lots of touching up! The finished product. I love it! I don't regret it at all. The paint is true to it's color from day to night. I hope the wall says "Really hip people live here". The white molding can really be appreciated now and will make a great backdrop for hanging artwork.


Next weekend, we will install the chair rail and molding for a faux wainscotting look. The only thing I would change is I should have gotten the paint in FLAT not semi-gloss. The sheen is kinda weird when it's on such a bright color. We're changing out the light fixture, so we think that will soften the light reflecting off the wall. Also, bit by bit I have to repaint all the doors and molding. The first time around, I never gave them a second coat and that really shows in my opinion. You can see shades of light and dark showing through the white. This will take a while because the 5-panel doors take a lot of patience to paint.