Nothing like a little weekend chaos. Guess what we did this weekend? Here’s a hint:
And another hint:
And another hint:
And one last hint:
Yep — all that weekend activity was for this:
Specifically, we painted Clara’s closet.
While standing on a chair to hang the little ribbon chandelier I made last week, I realized the closet would make a perfect cozy reading nook for the baby — picture a big beanbag and a stack of board books. One small project turned into a full-on closet refresh: we moved things into the guest room, stashed shelves in the guest bathroom, set up a pack-and-play in our bedroom to allow for painting during naps, and rolled back the nursery rug to protect it from paint.
There were already adjustable shelves that used to hold office files in the previous owners’ setup — they’ll work nicely for books and toys once the closet becomes a little reading corner:
But the space definitely needed some freshening up. The baseboards were grimy:
And the closet rod looked pretty chewed up:
So we removed the white shelves and silver brackets and temporarily relocated them to the guest bathroom:
Then I painted the trim and the hanging bar in a semi-gloss white (Olympic No-VOC, off-the-shelf white), which made a big difference right away.
We debated colors for the closet interior. In our first house’s nursery we painted the closet and ceiling a light aqua and loved the playful contrast, but since this nursery already has a soft gray-pink on the walls we didn’t want to repeat the same concept. Instead we considered a tone-on-tone approach — a pink stencil or subtle metallic pattern that would connect to the room without overwhelming it, especially because there’s a bright floral curtain at the closet entry and on the windows.
To keep the space calm and suitable for reading and quiet time, we chose to paint the closet the same soft gray-pink as the nursery walls (Proposal by Benjamin Moore, color-matched to Olympic No-VOC). We had leftover paint from when we painted the nursery walls in December, so there was no extra cost and it felt like a cohesive, clean start.
Before the paint even dried, I got inspired to add a subtle metallic pattern. I picked up inexpensive water-based metallic craft paints (pearl white and champagne) and a small rubber stamper at the craft store — a cheaper, lower-VOC option than pricier metallic wall paints.
My plan was to hand-stamp a repeating medallion pattern with the rubber stamper to create an irregular, handmade look rather than a perfect stencil. I tested on paper first and then tried stamping on a hidden corner of the wall so it could be covered by shelving if needed. The best approach was to brush the paint lightly onto the stamper so it wouldn’t be too gloppy.
Tiny champagne medallions:
They looked pretty in photos but were too subtle and detailed up close — more like smudges of gold than clear shapes. Fortunately, the fresh paint lifted with a wet paper towel and a little elbow grease, so I could try something different without losing the base color.
Next I experimented with freehand patterns using the champagne paint and a wider brush: imperfect horizontal lines, rows of X’s, and playful dots made by pressing the brush tip to the wall. I tested each option and asked John and Clara for input — Clara wanted to kiss the X’s, which made us laugh, and John and I both liked the horizontal stripes best. We decided not to commit immediately; sometimes a little patience leads to a better, longer-lasting choice.
After more online browsing I found a scalloped stencil I liked that would give a subtle, fish-scale or wireless-signal-like repeat — something decorative yet not overpowering. We haven’t ordered it yet, but it’s a contender now that we’ve narrowed down the look.
Next steps for the closet/reading nook I’m considering include:
- Sewing a large beanbag to create a comfy reading spot
And the ribbon chandelier still needs ironing — or maybe I’ll keep the windblown look for now. We’re also finishing up a DVD of True Blood Season 3, so between paint fumes and TV binges I’m a chatty, slightly paint-splattered lady who spent the weekend in a closet — but it feels good to have a new, cozy nook taking shape.