My daughter, Nicky, recently moved into a new home and I was tasked with decorating her four year old sons' bedroom. Originally they wanted a Harry Potter design but then decided they really wanted a Dalmatian design just like their dog , Pongo. I must admit that while the change in design did throw me I was glad because at one point the boys were talking about trolls and rats. Not very calming things for little boys to fall asleep with!
So here are the before pictures. I must have had rose tinted glasses on when I first looked at the room because I didn't think it needed much prep but I turned up and I had a lot of holes to fill in and smooth out and the ceiling needed to be painted. It was a lot more work than I'd anticipated. And I'm not a handy person!
On the first day Jâc, Erin, Alex and their friend, Flick, came to help. It was chaos with Jâc putting down the floor protection, Erin glossing cupboard doors and Alex and Flick painting the ceiling. Well the first coat of a billion at least! Alex returned the next day to apply a few more coats to the ceiling and to help me start the murals.
Nicky kept texting me to ask if I was having fun yet. I believe I was delirious when I took this selfie! And that white paint on my nose is nothing! I later managed to tip a whole can of blue paint all over myself!
I can't even begin to tell you how tedious the paint job was but I got my second wind once I started on the wall murals. I'd love to say that I'm a magnificent artist but I'd be lying. These pictures were all traced onto the wall.
This little fella was designed to look just like the kids' dog, Pongo. Whoever decided it was a good idea to paint him so low down on the wall needs a stern talking to because he was an absolute pain to paint!
He's looking very messy at this point and I was a little worried!
Jâc and Erin returned to help me try to finish off the job. By now I'd painted one coat of gloss on the woodwork, the walls were mostly painted and the murals were getting a splash of colour here and there as the walls were drying in between coats.
Then TA DA! It all came together. Here's Pongo as you walk in through the door. I noticed you can see him when you're sitting in the living room too if the door is left open.
And here's the room. Quite a change! Of course it'll look more homely and lived in once the kids put their toys and knickknacks in it. I was really pleased with how it turned out in the end.
My daughter, who's been Dalmatian crazy for 31 years, told me that this is the bedroom she's always wanted ha ha! There was some sewing though! I made the pillowcases on the bed!
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