The office ceiling and walls are freshly painted, and with just 48 hours until this room is scheduled for its final setup, it already feels like progress. The trim is a pure white (the same shade as the desk in the center of the room); it appears slightly cream in photos, likely due to the lighting at the time.
Right now the room feels stark — in a good way — and we can’t wait to add a few finishing touches:
- a rug
- window treatments
- a fun pendant or two above the desk
- art
- additional storage along the left wall and a craft/photography table
- an updated kid desk on the right
- and a handful of other details
Even though we’re only about 10% done with the whole project, the transformation is dramatic compared to the room’s previous blue-trim days.
There’s something about last-minute busy work (especially pre-baby) that gets the adrenaline going.
We’ve previously shared a video with cutting-in tips that work well for us. Since several readers asked to see John rolling a ceiling and a wall, we used this update to capture him in action. This isn’t a professional painting tutorial — it’s just our practical approach that gets good results. Here’s how John rolls:
We mentioned a few brands we like, but none of them sponsored this post. Over the years we’ve curated color collections and tested many products, and we share what works for our projects.
If you can’t watch the video, here are the main takeaways:
- John prefers a rod extender for painting ceilings to reduce back strain.
- For smooth ceilings we use a roller made for smooth surfaces — typically from Purdy, Wooster, or similar quality tools. We’re not strictly brand loyal and often pick what’s available.
- If your room is carpeted, cover the floor. Drop cloths are helpful to prevent splatters and keep your workspace tidy.
- Control roller speed, the amount of paint on the roller, and the pressure you apply. Rushing or overloading the roller can cause uneven coverage and drips.
- Higher-quality paint is often thicker, which helps reduce drips. We typically use a quality flat paint rather than a product labeled specifically as “ceiling paint.”
- We don’t use the rod extender when rolling walls, but the technique remains the same.
- Our workflow: I cut in, John follows with the roller; I do a second round of cutting-in and John rolls right behind me. That sequence helps the roller blend close to the trim and smooths out any brush marks.
We’ve included a couple of past time-lapse videos that show our painting approach. One shows us painting our old master bedroom in 2012, using the same basic technique (sometimes we used tape along the ceiling if my cutting-in was shaky).
Here’s another time lapse of priming the kitchen and overhead beams from 2011 — a quick reminder that the same basic steps apply to larger projects too.
Now that the “how” is covered, here’s why we chose this particular wall color for the office:
- We wanted a light, refreshing color — we both prefer airy, bright office spaces.
- The dining room on the other side of the foyer will be dark and moody, so we avoided another bold color across from it.
- I pushed for a soft honeydew green, but John was concerned about color cast for photographing small projects on our craft table.
- We tested four paint samples — Daiquiri Ice, Lime Froth, Palest Pistachio, and Tint of Mint — to see how they read in different light around the room.
When applying test pots, we painted them top to bottom in alphabetical order so we could easily remember which swatch was which. After a few days of comparing the samples in different light, we settled on Palest Pistachio. It felt light and airy without being overtly green, and it reads as a cheerful, subtle color in person (photos lean a bit bluer than the true shade).
This next photo is one of my favorites.
We plan to install a larger bulletin board above the kid desk — likely spanning from window to window — which will be a great functional and visual addition. The screens are open in these photos, so the windows look a bit busy; that will all come together soon.
It feels good to check another to-do off the list — at least until a newborn arrives and the priorities shift again.
Our Favorite Paint Colors
If you’re struggling to choose a paint color, check out these in-depth posts about some of our favorite shades:
- The 12 Best White Paint Colors
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin-Williams Pure White
- Sherwin-Williams Extra White
Psst — Want to know where something in our house came from? Click our shop button to see sources for items we’ve shared.
