We’ve returned from a week at the beach and are ready to jump back into projects. The weather was perfect, we managed some window shopping and a thrift-store run, and then mainly relaxed by the pool and on the sand. With three kids under four there were a few meltdowns (and a cookie-tossing incident), but it was a lovely getaway. We especially loved Destin.
Now, back to the living room walls that were painted salmon and are finally getting a refresh. We decided to repaint the upper portion of the room to a lighter, more neutral tone to open the space up.
We started by pulling the carpet back and covering furniture and floors with drop cloths to protect them from paint. Then we spackled several holes in the drywall using Dap Crackshot, allowed it to dry, sanded the patches with a sanding block, and cleaned up the dust before priming. Taking the time to prep kept the finish much cleaner.
As usual, the two of us split the work: I cut in around crown molding, trim, windows, and doors while John rolled the larger areas. For primer we used leftover cans from previous projects since these salmon walls didn’t require stain-blocking or oil-based primers. The primer coat went on smoothly and created good coverage for the new paint.
Because we were transitioning from a bold color to a neutral, the primer helped us reduce the number of finish coats needed. We actually completed the whole update using leftover paint—no extra purchases required—so this ended up being a $0 refresh.
The paint we used is the same color as our foyer: Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray. It reads more like a creamy greige than a true gray, and it pairs well with wood and white trim. Choosing the same color helps maintain visual flow through adjoining spaces and keeps the living room calm and inviting instead of competing with other focal points.
Thanks to priming, one coat of Edgecomb Gray was enough on top of the primer. Because only the upper wall areas were being painted and the room has many doors, windows, and built-ins that break up the wall surfaces, our leftover paint coverage worked perfectly.
Replacing the salmon with this softer, neutral hue instantly lightened the space. The color recedes visually instead of shouting for attention, which makes the room feel wider and more cohesive.
The other side of the room is where we imagine a future renovation: a wide centered opening to the kitchen flanked by built-ins—similar to the transition between the office and dining room in our previous house. We’ll likely paint the back of the built-ins an accent color and whitewash the brick on the opposite wall, creating two focal points that won’t compete with a neutral wall color. We’ve even considered a soft blue between the white coffered ceiling beams for an extra design touch.
Quick update on the sofa: we still love our IKEA Karlstad in the dark sivik gray cover. After years with a dog and a child, it’s held up well—washable, durable, and comfortable. The console table behind it still needs to be shortened and properly reassembled after being adapted from a longer version used in our previous home, which explains the gap you can see behind the sofa.
Returning home to a de-pinked living room felt like a small but meaningful upgrade. We’re excited to continue painting trim and working through the different flooring transitions, but for now it’s satisfying to have removed one more room of wallpaper, eliminated blue trim, and neutralized the walls.
One interesting observation: Edgecomb Gray reads differently depending on the surrounding trim. Against white trim it reads slightly darker and more defined; next to wood trim it appears lighter and almost off-white. That contrast is one reason we’re eager to continue with trim painting so the entire room feels consistent.
If you want to learn more about this paint color and see additional photos of Edgecomb Gray in our home, we have a dedicated post about it and about selecting the best neutral and white paint colors. For now, we’re happy with this simple, budget-friendly living room refresh that brightened the space and set the stage for future improvements.
