We are making over our son’s room for this Spring’s One Room Challenge. This week while painting our son’s room dark gray, we learned how we failed as parents in the process.
There he is. Our teen boy. All 6 foot 5 inches of him.
Our gentle giant.
The boy whose sales pitch on painting his walls a dark color actually worked. It turns out he was right for this industrial-themed teen room (but don’t tell him that!).
But boy, it didn’t start off on the right foot.
At skyscraper height, he walks around his room, dragging his dirty fingers across the ceiling. To help him understand why those oily streaks make us so mad, we made him help us paint the ceiling. That way, he’d wake up with a sore neck, too! It only took a few minutes of holding the roller above his head and getting a few splatters of white paint to the face to make him turn to us and say, “I’ll never touch it again!”
Lesson learned, right?
Well, as it turned out, we also had something to learn.
As you may or may not know, painting a ceiling means covering everything in the room. So while we were off gathering drop cloths, we heard a strange sound coming from upstairs.
BANG
BANG, BANG
What was that?! Was he hammering? What in the world would he be hammering?
We crest the stairs and turn into his room to see this:
What had he done?! What had WE done??!
In his eagerness to help his mom and dad spruce up his room, our son tried his hand at opening a paint can for the first time. But instead of using an opener, he grabbed a Philips head screwdriver and hammered his way in. This left us scratching our heads.
“Why didn’t he stop when he saw a hole forming?”
“Did we raise an animal?”
Trent decided at that moment that he had failed as a dad. This should be a Growing Up 101 lesson. Boys (and girls) need to know how to open a can of paint — which tools to use, and obviously, which tools to NOT use! We felt bad for not teaching him this lesson sooner. But, we laughed off the moment — poked A LOT of fun at him — and moved on with the project.
Not too bad for a first timer! Next came the fun part – the walls!
The color he chose is called Peppercorn and it’s from Sherwin Williams.
After assessing his paint can opening skills, we decided it would be best for us to cut in around the ceiling and trim and teach him to roll the walls.
That didn’t go so well either. We had to constantly encourage proper techniques.
In true angsty teen form, we were met with a lot of eyerolls and “I know!”s.
It almost turned ugly at one point, but after sharing our own painting fails, he soon relaxed and we were back to laughing.
I love that we are not only transforming his room with a few cans of paint, but that he’s learning how to overcome the fear of failure or messing up.
Grace.
It’s so important. Even in the little things like painting a room.
We had to admit once it was finished – we LOVE this wall color!
It’s so masculine and cozy.
The brick accent wall was especially surprising. It looks great with that wall color.
We just have to add a trim piece to the corner edge.
A design question still up in the air is the light gray trim. Do we keep it the same color or paint it white?
We are holding off on that decision until the closet doors are rehung which happens next week! Be sure to come back to see what we decide.
Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Final Reveal
Did you get a chance to see all the other blogger’s design plans? This season’s One Room Challenge sure has some inspiring participants! Head over to Linda’s blog to see everyone’s progress.
Pin this post for later!
Lookin’ gorgeeoooousss! You said to go over to Linda’s blog, but I’m not sure where that is?
Hey Julie! Thanks for the heads up – I thought I had added the link to Linda (Calling it Home)’s site. The link is there now.
It looks really great Jen and you are lucky to have a helper. I had my teens helping me in their room too. How else are we going to raise future DIYers?
That is the truth! Not just DIYers, but frugal ones, too! Praising God for this special time with my son!
A couple of years ago we repainted our house and let our kids pick the color of their rooms. Mine are younger, so they chose sky blue and light purple. I love the color your son chose, though, I think it looks amazing in that particular space.
Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned.
Thanks Teresa! We are loving all the sweet moments together, but also are learning more about our son through this fun adventure!
Thank you for not sending that boy out in the world without the ability to open a paint can. 😉 I remember when my son called and ask me to send him deposit slips at 20 years old. I reminded him I had forward his checkbooks in his last care package overseas to Kuwait. You know he could defuse a bomb but didn’t know his checkbook had deposit slips in them. It’s amazing what can slip through the parenting cracks.
I am loving the color! Thanks for joining Dishing It & Digging It each week. Love seeing your stuff, even if life has me hopping and I can’t always say thanks 🙂
Lol We had a similar experience with our son. The color looks fantastic! What a fun room he has too! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
OMG. The hole in the paint can is hilarious! I may save that image for when I’m having a bad day and need a laugh!
This looks great! I just found your blog through Worthing Court. I can’t wait to look through it some more.
we learn from our mistakes ones that we can recall and share with others. I truly love the gray it looks rather nice and a strong neutral color thanks for sharing
Nice article. I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Erin! I’m so glad to connect with you! Thanks for following along with us during the room reno! I’m excited to see how it will all come together!
Jennifer,
Laughed really hard at the paint can. Reminds me of doing things with my daughter. The brick trim piece in the corner, have you thought about trying to make it look old and more like real brick? Great tut on Sawdust Girl. Love the color. It’s great for an almost grown man. Doesn’t it blow you away just how fast they grow?
Maureen
Maureen – your comment made me teary eyed. And thanks for the referral! I love Sawdust Girl and will definitely check that one out!
I am so glad this made you laugh! Maybe I should make a meme of it and have it go viral! LOL
Thanks Kim! I always love linking up – and what a relief to know that we weren’t the only ones with a painting fiasco!
My daughter also likes dark color Jen! Watching your son’s room she is excited to have such one… On the way to make her wish true! Wish me a good luck! 🙂
Oh that’s cool! I bet that Peppercorn color would look gorgeous all girlied up! I can just imagine how pretty it would look against light blush colors. OOOH! Now I want it in my room!