Sorry for the yelling, it’s just that this is a really exciting day. We’ve lived in this house for three years and this tiny little powder room is the ooooonly space left in this house that (until now) was completely untouched. I’ve been holding out for the perfect plan in there, but I finally decided it was time and threw caution to the wind. Last week, I busted out my Wagner EZ Roller to help me paint it and, well, it’s no longer the most boring room in the house!
This post is sponsored by Wagner.
Why did it take me so long to throw some paint on these walls? I think part of it is that I wanted to come up with the most epic powder room plan of all time and execute it all at once. But I think a larger part of it is that once I started on this space it meant that I officially had done something in every room of our house. That was a milestone I just wasn’t ready to hit!
But, of course, both of those are silly reasons to avoid painting a room. Especially when said room is so boring that it actively bothers you on a daily basis.
Say it with me friends – it’s just paint!
So, after literal years of hemming and hawing, I finally got ‘er done. And today, I’m here to tell you the tale.
picking a powder room paint color
First of all, I think it’s worth it to take just a moment to talk about choosing a paint color for a space like this. I have a whole blog post about how to choose paint colors, but I think that people struggle specifically with small, windowless spaces. It’s hard to know how light or dark to go. Will it feel cave-like if I go with something dark? Will it feel dingy if I stick to white? How do you know?!
I think the first (and maybe most important) thing to know is this: in a small space like this, painting the ceiling helps so much. It might seem counterintuitive, but having a contrasting ceiling color above you in a space this small actually makes it feel so much smaller. Paint the entire room (trim & door included) the same color, and everything opens up.
Secondly, darker paint colors can also help a space like this feel bigger. But, that doesn’t mean you have to do a dark color! In fact, I wanted to do a pale blue in this space. And that brings me to my third tip for choosing paint colors – it’s about working with your partner.
compromising on paint colors
I know, I know. This is one of the most challenging things to do when choosing paint colors. You want one thing. They hate that thing. Where do you go from here? Well, that’s exactly where we found ourselves in this process. I wanted a pale, powdery blue-gray color. Corey…didn’t. He hated the idea. So, we compromised! We spent some time at the paint chip counter coming up with some colors we could both agree on. He was okay with blue as long as it had some green undertones and was a few shades darker than I had planned. We chose four swatches, put them up, and then he agreed to let me go with the lightest of the bunch.
The color we landed on is Juniper Ash by Behr – it’s got the gray undertones I was looking for while also having a nice green tint that makes Corey happy. It’s a darker shade than I had wanted, but it’s rich and beautiful and cozy!
My only complaint about the color? Once we painted the entire room we realized it’s actually pretty similar to the entryway color. As in, with the door open your eyes sometimes struggle to tell a difference. Once you’re in the room, it’s clearly a blue and not a green, but neither of us love how close it is to the entry.
Sooooo, we may repaint at some point. Eventually. But not yet!
Just a little reminder that sometimes things have to be adjusted, and that’s okay. Corey and I have been doing this for a long time and we still disagree on choices sometimes. And we still pick the wrong choice sometimes! The key is to be willing to be flexible.
the wagner ez roller
Now, let’s move on and talk about my Wagner EZ Roller! This little guy isn’t new around here. You’ve seen me use it when I was painting our room at our last house, and in this house when I was painting Grant’s room. I love this tool because of how much faster it makes any job…and it’s so incredibly easy to use.
The difference between the EZ Roller and a regular paint roller is that the EZ Roller has a tube attached that can hold paint for you. As you work, you pull paint into the tube. Then, you can simply press a trigger to reload your roller! No more messy paint trays. No more constantly heading to the paint tray to refill. Just press the button and the roller is perfectly loaded up.
It’s very similar to my favorite painting tool ever, Wagner’s Sidekick Power Roller. But, it isn’t powered at all. It’s just a regular ol’ paint roller with a major upgrade!
The EZ Roller is a really great option if you want to make your painting jobs easier but you aren’t quite ready to upgrade to a power roller. It’s also perfect for smaller jobs like this! Busting out the Sidekick can feel like overkill for a little bathroom or closet, but I’m still spoiled and don’t like using regular rollers anymore. So, the EZ Roller is the perfect answer.
The EZ Roller really made the entire project go so much faster, and made it more painless. I highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t before!
but, how hard is it to clean?
I know, I know. It’s the question on all of your minds. Sure it sounds great, but I bet it’s a giant paint to clean, right?
Not really!
Honestly, all you need is a bucket of soapy water. Just load up the tube with your soapy water and then push it back into the container. You slowly disassemble the tool while circulating some soapy water every few steps, and it basically cleans itself!
It’s genuinely a 5-10 minute process, and it’s so worth it for all the time you save while painting.
Of course, it also helps that the Wagner product manuals are so detailed and helpful. It makes everything so much easier!
Getting a coat of paint on the walls in here made all the difference. I’m feeling really inspired now and really ready to make a few other changes! You might notice that we also replaced the toilet (more on that later this week), but my brain is swimming with ideas for trim, art, and other details. Maybe this will be our first official project of 2023!
Click here to learn more about the Wagner EZ Roller and grab one for yourself. It would also make a fantastic last minute Christmas gift for the DIYer in your life!
Nicole says
So pretty! Wondering if you walk papered the ceiling in a bold pattern would make the seam disappear a little.
Amanda Hendrix says
I have a fun plan for the ceiling!! I actually want to highlight the unique lines.