Preston's Bedroom Update: Seeing Orange Stripes

I am back again with another update on the progress we are making in Preston's bedroom.  This one really made a major impact to the space, and completely changed our initial plan for the room.

That's right, we had a plan.  And we started slowly implementing said plan and painted the dresser, the nightstand and the pendant light.

So far, so good.  All easy peasy paint projects with a neutral blue and gray color palette.  But, the room needed color.  Fun, kid friendly, bright color.  And we went back and forth on a variety of options.  Originally, we thought red.  It was the color of many of his sports uniforms and looks great with blue.  In fact, we went that route in the boy's shared bedroom right next door, so I knew I loved the look.  However, when paired with the plaid gray bedding, it started to feel too country rustic, which can be super amazing, it just didn't fit the plan for the room or Preston's lifestyle.  So, I asked him, which is the logical thing to do right?  I put paint swatches and spray paint can covers in his room and asked him to pick his favorite.  He went with orange.  I wanted green.  We weren't seeing eye to eye, but it was his bedroom and when I found the perfect blue, teal gray, gray, white and orange pillow on Joss & Main, I knew he was right and we now had a new bedroom color scheme!

I started out by painting the bronze lamp next to his bedside with some leftover wall paint {Behr's Frozen Pond}...

But the real reason I wanted color was to do something with the curtains.  The side of the room with the window was looking quite blah, and it is the first thing you see when walking in the space.  We had hung floor to ceiling cream curtains in there a year or two ago, but it stopped there.  We didn't even take the time to hem them, so they were puddled on the floor.  It was time to do something about it!

I thought about all sorts of options and was about to order some patterned navy fabric, when I decided that it was such a waste when the curtains he had were functioning perfectly, and basically a blank canvas to play with.

So, being the blog hopper I am, I instantly thought about all of those pretty painted stripe curtains and knew instantly that was the route that I had to go.

Sure, I could have done a different pattern or stencil, but with the chevron, plaid and herringbone additions already, stripes were not only a new pattern for the space, but a simple one!  Hurrah!  And all it would cost is the price of a quart of flat paint, mixed to the perfect shade of orange.

The oranges shown on the pillow are fun, but a little on the bright side.  I thought that toning it down a smidge and going with a more rusty orange would be a smart move on the curtains.  So, I selected Behr's Tibetan Orange.

Painting the curtains was quite simple and impactful.  Here are the supplies I used:

• Large drop cloth
• 1 quart of tinted paint
• Foam roller and tray
• Painters tape
• Tape measure

We {the hubs and I}, spread the curtain panel out over the top of some drop cloths and measured 6 inches down the curtains in four sections to ensure nice, straight lines.

Then, we taped and rolled!

I found that the paint covered quite well, and didn't even leak through the panels.  I also found that the curtains sucked up that paint like a sponge, and to be patient as I rolled nice even sections.

The paint went on a bit shiny when wet yet dried in a nice matte sheen.  I left the tape on the panel until I hung it so that I could grab a brush and do some touch ups as the light would shine through the panel and show any missed areas.  Then, the tape came off and the lines were amazing!

The orange won in so many ways.  Preston was all, "I told ya so!" and I was all proud that he made such a good color choice and stood his ground.

The color works great with the globe and a few of his desk accessories.

Here is a close up look of the paint on fabric beauty:

Not too bad eh?  I love that it was such a small investment of paint to make a huge dramatic difference in the space!  The power of paint is really showing through in this bedroom update!

And the painted lamp looks great too!

Some extra things to note: I did use a textile medium which I mixed with the paint for the curtains, however, I have read that textile medium only works with acrylic paints vs. latex paint.  The paint adhered very well, yet the curtains are a bit stiff in the painted areas, so I am unsure if the fabric medium did in fact work.  The stiffness works in the favor of the curtains because it allows you to mold your folds in the panels for a nice even look on both sides.  Also, we washed the curtains prior and hemmed them after with a no sew heat & bond hem tape.

So there you have it!  Another stripe success story for window treatments.  Absolutely a no fail option when looking for a quick, easy and inexpensive way to update your room!

Who else has hopped on the stripe curtain bandwagon?  Are you enjoying the ride as much as we are?  Have you ever been super impressed with the decorating choices made by your kiddo?