apartment makeover

the first time my mom saw my current apartment - an apartment i absolutely adore, the nicest place i've lived since leaving their house to go to college, a spacious, airy, 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom, my first place that looks like a home and not a rental - her first comment was "yeah, it's nice.... although MY GOD the walls really need a coat of paint."

(while this comment was technically true, i was a little crestfallen that i didn't get a bit more of a rave review before she noticed the crappy walls.)

since that day over a year ago, she has mentioned about 27352 times how any time i said the word, she and my dad would be MORE THAN HAPPY to come down for a weekend and help me paint, no seriously, just SAY THE WORD! HONEST! how about next weekend?

so this weekend, i finally took them up on the offer. they've done a lot of painting in over 35 years of marriage, so they brought allllll their supplies - including professional drop cloths on loan from some friends - and we got to work.

my dining room before, with the paint chips i was deciding between all week:

main living room area (plus my mom taping the baseboard!):

and after!!

i'm in love with it - and yes, i am aware i still need some furniture upgrades, blah blah whatever - but there's so much lovely crown molding in my place, not to mention the entire fireplace detail, that was being completely wasted with the flat white-on-white. i feel like i'm in a Real House, now. i've been sitting and gazing happily at my walls pretty much all day.