May 31, 2009

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.

32 comments:

  1. It looks fanctastic!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your place looks great, but even before the paint it was blowing any place I've lived in out of the water... and when I showed my parents my current place (which I also felt was better than college housing) I also got the, "oh it's nice" line...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh it looks so good! I love it! You are so right -- the colors makes the molding pop and it's fantastic! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. HappyTipsyGypsy1/6/09 1:18 AM

    It really does look fabulous! My first reaction - Oh my!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very nice! Good choice on the paint colors. Those pics on your dining room wall really pop now. And, oooh, the fireplace and the crown molding!

    I keep thinking I should paint my bedroom. I've been thinking that for the past 2 years.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It looks so warm and cozy now! It's amazing the difference that paint can make!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ooooh, pretty!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. It looks great!!! Nice job. You must be happy that you finally took them up on their offer!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Paint does make such a HUGE difference between looking like a rented apartment and looking like a home. Good job; it looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Really gorgeous!

    Now my baby blue painted paneling looks tacky.

    ReplyDelete
  11. this is fantastic alice!!! excellent choice of color and accent pieces, looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  12. moms will never ever like where you live unless its 5minutes away from where they live and you own it...that has been my conclusion after having a very similar experience with my mom after moving into the nicest place I've lived in since leaving home

    ReplyDelete
  13. It looks great! My mom would never offer to help me paint (though she would totally criticize a lack of paint). Give your mom a big hug for that!

    ReplyDelete
  14. OK, I've been to your apartment and I never noticed any crappy paint job. But it does look fantastic now. Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow. To have parents OFFER to help paint??? That is heaven.

    And seriously - it looks SO GOOD! What is the color you chose for your living room? I'm in the market for a GOOD yellow and would love to know what that one is.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, that looks fabulous! Great work.

    ReplyDelete
  17. wow-- that looks awesome! it made a really big difference.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is why you missed the slumber party??

    I cannot condone this.

    (Although it does look fab.)

    ReplyDelete
  19. That looks great! Do you think they'd come paint my place?

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm always amazed at how different a space looks after it gets a nice coat of paint. You made some great choices there.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Wow, it looks great, like something you'd see in a magazine!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow fantastic - I'm jealous!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I do love a foyer. Mmmmm...columns.

    Delightful!!!

    ReplyDelete
  24. i LOVE it! it's hgtv quality, and i can't wait to see it in person!!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oooooo!! So pretty! I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Love your makeover. The place looks so classy!
    The colors you picked really make your place feel warm and cozy.

    Nicely done Alice.


    Roger Sasoeur

    ReplyDelete
  27. Seeing the first photos, I was like, "Well, I don't see how paint can improve an already PERFECT apartment like THAT one!" Then I saw the paint and fainted from the awesomeness.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Love the apt Alice... beauuutiful!

    ReplyDelete