The deed is done! Rockport Gray now covers the bedroom and it totally changed the room’s vibe.
We love how the thicker crown molding and the trim around the doors and windows pop now that the paint is deeper and more subdued. It’s almost a sleepy shade—cozy and grown-up at the same time. The richer color gives the architectural details real presence.
Rockport Gray is a chameleon—sometimes it reads lighter and more gray…
…and other times it looks moodier, almost mocha. The shifting undertones keep the room interesting throughout the day.
We think it pairs beautifully with crisp white accents and inexpensive Ikea Vivan curtains (they’re only $9 a panel). The white lamp shade and this little side table we’ve had since our first house add contrast and keep the look fresh.
Overall, the new color creates a different mood—we like it a lot.
Previously, the room felt softer and sweeter with the light gray-blue walls…
…but after living with that shade for years we wanted to try something with more depth. The earlier color was similar to what we had in our previous bedroom, and we were ready for a change.
The previous scheme also read a bit too blue once you factored in the rug and the headboard fabric. The darker Rockport Gray gives the room more oomph and makes the molding and headboard fabric stand out—they actually declare themselves now.
These vertical photos show the molding effect more clearly. The trim appears brighter and more substantial against the deeper wall color, even though we didn’t repaint any of the trim.
For prep we spackled nail holes we weren’t using anymore and sanded them smooth.
We moved most furniture out, then pushed the remaining pieces into the center and covered them with plastic drop cloths to protect them while painting.
I taped the crown molding since I’m less steady on a step ladder, but I freehanded the window, door, baseboard, and outlet trim to save time and tape. The difference after the paint went up was instant and dramatic.
All told, prep and painting took about five or six hours. The room is large—about 16 x 16 feet—and we also painted the attached sink nook, which has lots of windows and trim to cut around. We put on some music and settled in for a long but satisfying day of painting.
There was the usual teamwork: I cut in while John rolled the walls.
We also repainted the sink nook ceiling back to white after using a different color for photos earlier in the year.
Surprisingly, we used less than a gallon of Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray (Natura base, VOC-free) for the whole job, including the sink nook—probably about two-thirds of a gallon. The paint has great coverage, so we only needed one full coat and a few touch-ups. We chose an eggshell finish for a matte look that’s still wipe-able.
Of course, painting one room always creates temporary chaos elsewhere since furniture and belongings get moved around. Our living room became the drop zone while we worked.
Clara’s grandparents kindly took her out for the day—playground, lunch, and the library—so we could focus. We’ve painted while she napped before, but having childcare made the job much smoother.
We also set up our laptop to time-lapse the process. A plugged-in laptop records longer than our small camera, so we used iMovie to speed up the footage into a quick video.
So there it is: darker, moodier paint that makes the room feel calm and sleep-ready. The deeper color also makes the molding look more substantial, which tempts us to paint other rooms in richer tones. That said, we like the current balance in our home’s palette, which includes:
- light neutrals, like the soft gray in the living and dining rooms
- brighter, cheerful tones, like the grellow in the kitchen and the pale pink in Clara’s room
- deep, saturated colors, like the dark teal in the guest room and the back of the dining room built-ins
We’re curious to see what colors will go into the untouched sunroom, playroom, hall bathroom, and guest bathroom. What are you painting right now? Are you leaning toward darker, cozier tones or lightening things with soft neutrals? Share your favorite wall color—it’s always fun to hear what others love.