To Paint or Not to Paint

I bought this metal wall art several years ago from HomeGoods for Gavin’s room at our Condo. His room was much less modern and much more traditional. We had decorated it with quilts and some old world type accent pieces. This decor enhanced his room for the time being but truly did not fit his personal style.

When time came for us to move to Tennessee I started getting rid of tons of stuff. I have to admit, I am kind of a serial purger. I get really anxious when I have too much stuff around me. I start feeling like it’s all piling up around me, so I just start donating. Mom says it’s a good thing because people like me provide her with all the Goodwill finds.

Well this time this little beauty was thrown into the Goodwill pile and my Mother in Law salvaged it. I am so glad she did. Now that she has been purging her things for her move I asked for it back. It just arrived with her stuff last week. All of the sudden I had a vision for it and that’s where this project begins…..

The first step in this project was to spray paint the entire back and front with white spray paint and the let dry. I then applied a second coat of spray paint. Next I reached for the left over Aura paint by Benjamin Moore from Jude’s Customized wall Stencil and to my surprise the paint was thick and gookey. However, I always keep my favorite paint conditioner around, Floetrol. I added some Floetrol to the paint and I was back in business. I could paint the World, literally.

If you have not used Floetrol before you are missing out!!!! Floetrol is a paint conditioner that extends the drying time of the paint and therefore helps eliminate brush strokes. I also have found that you can add it to paint that has thickened and it will bring it back to life.There ya go a little spray paint and wall paint and an almost Goodwill donation was revived and brought back to life. I honestly like it both ways but in it’s past state I really had no place for it. In it’s new condition I had the perfect place but first I had to add one more detail.

My little Jude was born in North Carolina just like me, so I added a little heart for him! I thought it would be a good way to teach him the area where he was born and to remind us of how much we love the East Coast.

No, your eyes do not deceive you Jude does have a small TV in his room. This is one of those marriage compromises we are making. You see, I grew up in a home where TVs were not allowed in the kids bedrooms and my husband grew up with TVs in every room.

I have made an exception to allow TVs in the kids rooms for a few reasons. We have several overnight guests and they sleep in my kids rooms. I always want my guests to feel comfortable.

We also do not allow the kids to fall asleep to the TVs, I know a lot of people like to fall asleep to televisions but I feel like sometimes it can make kids stay up even later.

Having a TV in Jude’s room let’s him have his own little space to watch his “little kid” movies and play at the same time. I can sit on his bed or play on the floor with him.

I’m still of the fence about the TV’s in kids rooms but as long as they are used with moderation, I think the idea is growing on me.

Now it has a new color, a new look, a new style and a new home. What do you think….. Which way do you like it, modern or traditional?