Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

DIY

Gray Squirrel and Bright White

October 12, 2012
There were a few factors that went into choosing the paint color for the laundry room--1. Does it work well with the other colors in our home? 2. Does it match the tile flooring that we're keeping for now? 3.  How will it look in a windowless room?
Luckily, I had a chunk of tile from the baseboards we ripped out to bring with me on my paint swatch hunt.  I grabbed 20 or so blue, gray and brown swatches that could work with the tile.  In the end, Martha Stewart's Gray Squirrel was almost a perfect match to the brownish-gray (like a squirrel!) specks in the tile.  Since we have similar tones in our house (Martha's Zinc in the family room and Mushroom in our bedroom) it checked numbers 1 and 2 off our must-have list for the paint color.

As for the third criteria--How will it look in a windowless room?--it had potential to become cave-like.  But since our laundry room has a weird built-in shelf on the far wall, the plan became to carry the molding throughout the rest of the room so it looked less weird.  Since we were already planning on dividing the wall with molding, painting the top half bright white became the solution to avoid the cave look.

After I got the room taped off, Chris tackled the top half, while I got squirrelly on the bottom half.  As soon as the white got rolled on, I knew we made the right choice.  It instantly felt fresh and modern.

Here's how the rest of the two-toned room looks now:

There's a long list of things that I would love to tell you to ignore right now, because things are still rough in here, but for two days work--we're stoked with the progress! As for the molding--I guess we'll call it a chair rail, even though it is much higher than a chair rail--we decided on a slightly more narrow version of the tall and simple baseboards that we'll be installing to keep things looking fresh and modern.

And art.  Ahhh, art will do wonders in here on those gallery-esque white walls.

I'm getting ahead of myself.  Today's project is updating the dark and dingy grout in the tile to match those aforementioned white walls and slipping into party mode for Chris's birthday tomorrow.  I love his birthday more than my own!

Make it a happy weekend, friends.  What's on your list?

— Hide Comments
+ ShowComments
What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. I love Gray Squirrel! I have it all over my house. I don't suppose you happen to have a pic of the label?? I need to repaint/touch up and they discontinued it and my cans are not readable. They can't match it. I'm super sad. I found you thru google, hoping you can help :) Thanks!!

  2. I am already loving this space. The gray is fabulous, and I have always loved the two tone with chair rail look. Cannot wait to see more!

  3. It amazes me every time I see walls being painted a WHITE WHITE how amazing and beautiful it is. A simple change to white. Holy cow. I may be addicted to just painting my future house a bright white. It looks so happy in there and bigger already. Can't wait to see what you guys do with this space.

  4. Love it!! The colors are perfect--it already looks 10x better! And switching out the grout color is going to freshen up those floors so much! Good work! Have a fun birthday weekend!!

What We're

Loving

Right Now

What We're

Loving

Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Shop All

Love Stories

Love Where You Live

In an industry that often feels designed to make you discontent, we want this to be place you come for inspiration, ideas, and encouragement to make the space you're already in feel like home.
Read All Posts
let's break this thing up

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

01

Portfolio

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
read more
02

Projects

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
read more
03

Design

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
read more
hello world!

looking for inspiration?

Sales

The Best Early Black Friday Deals in 2024 (And More to Come!)

So many of our favorite stores have already launched early Black Friday sales, and we know there’s more to come! We collected all of the best deals of the holiday season—from tech to home decor—in one place for easy reference. Whether you want the lowest price on one of the best gifts of the year […]
Design

The Exciting Plans for Our Primary Bathroom Design

Chris and I have always said that if we don't feel 100% all-in excited about a project—both of us—then we probably haven't found the solution yet. I think that's been the tale with our primary bathroom renovation as a whole. We feel excited about doing the project, but it's been YEARS in the design phase […]
Chris Cooks

Mom's Light & Fluffy Homemade Dinner Rolls

I do a lot of cooking for food restrictions, but this recipe is none of those things. These dinner rolls are my mom's recipe, and they're one of her signature dishes. She has made them for almost every gathering since I was a kid. The smell of these...it's the smell of every family event in […]
Beautifully wrapped traditional presents stacked in a doorway
Gift Guides!

Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone in Your Life {2024}

Remember the thrill of unwrapping a gift that felt just right? Let's bring that magic back this holiday season!! Our curated gift guides for 2024 are filled with thoughtful picks that will make your loved ones feel special. That's what it's all about, after all. Whether you're shopping for your main guy, your clutch coworker, […]
Learn With Us
Want to do what we do? Get the tools, mentorship, and training to be a Good Influencer professionally.
Learn More
Looking for Something?

SEARCH THE BLOG

We've been doing this since 2009 and we've posted a whopping 24145+ blog posts and counting. You might need a little help searching, huh?

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

hello world!
Follow Along on Instagram
Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
© 2024 Chris Loves Julia, LLC
PRIVACY POLICYTERMS & CONDITIONSAFFILIATE DISCLAIMERSITE CREDITCOMMUNITY GUIDELINES