Bedroom Paint Update: Carolina Inn Club Aqua

We finally picked a new color for the bedroom: the middle swatch from Valspar that was color-matched to Olympic’s No-VOC paint in a satin finish. The name is a mouthful, and we never quite remembered it correctly, but the color itself looks great on the walls. We wanted something greener and a little more saturated than what we chose in our last house, and this shade hits that balance.

Here’s one last look at the room before paint—mostly empty and waiting. You can also see Ed the Bed in a semi-disassembled state. We removed a slat so he could slide forward into the center of the room without hitting the fan while we painted around him.

About five hours after we started, the room had two coats of Carolina Inn Club Aqua on the walls. Amazingly, one gallon of paint covered the space—something we weren’t expecting because we’re not used to rooms this big. The satin finish from Olympic gives the walls a subtle sheen without making the color look glossy.

The new color is reminiscent of our previous bedroom shade (Glidden’s Gentle Tide) but reads darker and greener in person. We debated going much darker or much brighter, but decided the walls shouldn’t be the room’s star. Choosing a mid-range, slightly saturated green gives the room personality while leaving space for colorful curtains, artwork, and possibly painted secondhand furniture down the road.

We hesitated about painting the small bathroom nook the same color—we considered going darker, lighter, or adding an accent such as wallpaper or a tone-on-tone stencil. Ultimately, we wanted the bathroom to visually connect to the bedroom rather than stand out, so we used the same paint across both spaces for a cohesive look. Because the nook is near a sink, we used a semi-gloss finish there for easier cleaning. The photos make that spot appear lighter than it is; in person the tone matches the bedroom much more closely.

We’re also still deciding whether to paint the mirror frame from gray to white. Sometimes we let the room settle a little before committing to details, and other times we grab the brush and get it done. Either way, we’ll share photos when it happens.

The wall color reads a bit lighter in several of these photos, but in reality it’s comfortably mid-range—not too light, not too dark. From the swatch you can tell it’s not overly subtle, and it’s not highly saturated either. That middle ground is exactly what we wanted: the trim, crown molding, and even Ed the Bed stand out nicely against the color, yet the walls won’t compete with bolder textiles and artwork we plan to add.

Furniture placement is temporary for now—some pieces may be replaced or refinished. Sherry has the idea to find two secondhand dressers that coordinate without matching exactly, then refinish or paint them in bold tones for balance around the bathroom doorway. We like the idea of functional “his and hers” storage in an intentional, collected look. A chair will likely live in the corner to the left of the bed as you face it.

The paint picks up colors from the duvet in a complementary way: the walls draw from the fabric without matching it exactly, which keeps the room cohesive without feeling overly planned. In shots with the lights off the saturation reads truer—there’s a clear relationship between the wall color and the bedding that feels balanced rather than flat or competing.

Yes, there’s still our small Christmas tree in the background—one of those finishing touches we’ll sort out soon. Painting this room was a major step toward making the new house feel like our home. We’ve definitely caught the painting bug and are already thinking about taking on a larger living space next—if only we could agree on the perfect color.

Bonus note: we shared one of our favorite baby space- and money-saving tips on BabyCenter, along with a short video of Clara. Good times.