Weekly Wrap-Up {The Best Bathing Suits, A Rant on Textured Walls, & More}

Happy weekend! Did you see that I started our next big project over on Instagram stories? I’m working on adding some tall beadboard to our entryway and I’m SO excited about how it’s turning out so far! It’s going to be a super impactful project, but I’m hoping to show you that it’s actually a very simple project to do. My goal is to have the reveal ready for you by Wednesday, so get excited for that!

One message I’ve been getting a lot lately (and not just related to this project – really, anytime I do anything to our walls!) is about how people are surprised we’re tackling this kind of project with our textured walls. I’ve heard from people who want to try picture molding like in our master bedroom, but they’re scared it’ll look bad with the texture. I’ve heard from people who want to try wallpaper, but are scared the texture will show through. I’ve heard from people who don’t want to try board and batten walls because of their texture. And I’ve heard from people who want to do beadboard paneling like I’m doing right now but worry it’ll look weird with the texture above it!

I get that textured walls aren’t the desired option within the design world. They’re kind of annoying, and they can make projects like this a little more difficult.

BUT!

Here’s my philosophy on the textured walls: they’re all over my house. They’re all over every house in our area. Sure, I could have someone come out and skim coat them all for me…but that’s a lot of money, a lot of time, and a lot of mess.

And really, is it worth it?

Would I rather spend my time, energy, and money worrying about smoothing out some walls, or would that money make more of an impact on materials for other projects? Or heck, on a vacation for my family?!

I’m all about making your home a space you love. And if your textured walls truly bother you enough that it’s worth it to you to cover them up, then go for it! Absolutely! But, if you just dislike them because everyone else dislikes them and they’re really only mildly annoying (raising my hand because I fall in this category), then I say embrace them. Just pretend like they aren’t there. Do what you wanna do, and don’t worry about the texture.

You’ll be surprised at how little you notice it once you stop focusing on it, I promise.

So, the bottom line is that you’ll never see me avoiding a project because I have textured walls. You’ll probably never see me skim coating any of them, either. I’ve got other priorities, and I’m not really all that worried about the texture. It’s just a part of my house, and I’ve learned over the years that I’ll drive myself crazy if I don’t accept that some parts of my house aren’t going to be my absolute favorite thing. It’s fine! Homes have flaws (just like people!) and just like with our relationships with humans, things go a lot smoother when we just accept some of the minor flaws and help draw out the things that do shine.

All that being said, here are two quick (super simple) tips for making textured walls a little less annoying:

1. Use a 3/4″ nap roller when painting. The thicker nap helps get in the texture easier and creates fewer issues with those little white spots!
2. Always choose a lower sheen paint. I like to use matte pretty much everywhere. Any shine on your walls will just accentuate the texture, and the lower sheen will help hide it a bit.

Annnnd I’ll stop my rant there! Let’s move on to more fun and exciting topics like spring break! Are you going anywhere? We aren’t actually traveling over spring break but we are going on a cruise shortly afterwards, so I’ve had swimsuits on the brain. Between last year and this year I’ve gathered a few that I really love that are perfect for momming (you know, you can actually move in them and don’t have to worry about exposing yourself, but you still look cute). Here are my top suits right now:

1. Aerie Leopard Wrap One Piece (this one goes in and out of stock a lot because it’s popular – but check back if your size isn’t available because it’s so worth the wait!)
2. Scoop Neck Bikini Top + High Waist Bottoms
3. Floral / Stripe Halter Neck Bikini
4. Black one piece (I got one similar to this last year and it’s my favorite!)

ICYMI: This week on the blog

• I finally got to reveal our entry makeover with Home Depot (and it’s sooo good)
• And I shared how I’ll be finishing out the entryway this month with a few more super fun projects!
• And I thought it would be fun to pull a few other beadboard-related projects from the archives, so here’s the time we used it as a backsplash in our kitchen…
• …and the time we used it in our dining room…
• …and our last entry…
• …AND the boys’ bathroom in the last house! Apparently we’re big fans!

Elsewhere on the internet

• This bathroom makeover is soooo good, and the walls actually gave me some inspiration for Jackson’s bedroom! How good would that shiplap look in his room?!
• This post got my ideas flowing for the wall above our staircase – I’m so ready to get some photos hung!
• This DIY closet system is so great. Grant’s closet could use some help in this department!
• This is basically going to be the pantry of my dreams. Can’t even handle it.
• DIED LAUGHING.
• This is another space that’s giving me lots of inspiration as I start to think about Jackson’s room. He’s been begging for a wall just like this!

Have a happy weekend! I’ll see you back here on Monday!