Our Sunroom Remodel and a Few Thoughts on Why Interior Design is so Scary
I’m not a professional interior designer. I’m not a home décor focused “influencer.” I’m not even a regular everyday person who happens to be great at interior decorating. Don’t believe me? May I suggest a quick look at my previous attempt at purchasing an area rug.
What I am is a homeowner who knows what I like and more importantly, what I don’t like. I’m also a person who isn’t inclined to wait for the perfect design plan to descend from heaven. We’ve been in our new home for almost a year and we’ve crossed some major projects off the list (exterior painting), tackled a medium-sized project (half bath remodel) and made most of the smaller design choices that come with moving into a new home (wall art, etc.).
All that being said, I still get nervous when making design decisions. There’s the obvious financial investment. Then, there’s the time investment. Weekends are so precious, to begin with. More than anything, there’s a lack of inspiration.
Don’t get me wrong. There are tens of thousands of options of Pinterest dedicated to home décor. But, if you’re not interested in “farmhouse chic” and only slightly interested in mid-century modern, the options narrow. Or at least, it becomes a bit more difficult to find something that fits your budget, space, and personality. There is just an overwhelming sense of “sameness”. So much word art, the same Revere Pewter walls (not knocking them, I’ve had them), the same all-white kitchen. Don’t even get me started on the shiplap.
A few months back, I asked an online mom's group I’m a part of to share their favorite design blogs. Of course, I did get quite a few suggestions for a certain Waco based couple who shall remain nameless. But, I also found a few blogs that seemed like a better fit. I really love Chris Loves Julia and Young House Love. Both blogs offer beautiful design, as well as a lot of DIY info.
Armed with a bit of inspiration, I’ve been planning a few remodel/ design projects that I want to tackle this Fall. I’ve decided to share them here in the spirit of, “If I can do it, anyone can.” Don’t expect perfection. Don’t expect Instagram worthy photography. I’ll try to share as much info about fixtures, colors, and materials as I can. We’ll see how it goes.
To kick things off, I thought I’d share a bit about our sunroom remodel:
We moved in to our new home in November, so the sunroom remained untouched for much of the winter. We started the remodel in the spring and slowly added more throughout the summer.
We “choose” the paint color by accident. I had just finished up painting some fireplace brick white and ended up with WAY more Behr Swiss Cream than necessary. Voilà, sunroom color chosen.
Remember how I told you we weren’t professional designers? Well, if choosing the paint was easy, actually painting was a bit of a nightmare. Because the sunroom was an addition, the walls were exterior cedar siding. Most of the tutorials I found online for painting this type of material recommended power washing, which obviously wouldn’t work for an interior room.
A sort of “before” picture. Walls with one coat of paint.
We did the best do “dry clean” the walls with a wire brush and prep what we could. We also made the colossal rookie mistake of skipping primer (why?). The paint soaked into the siding and we spent the next two weeks painstakingly cutting into the many nooks and crannies and reapplying coats of paint.
But the white popped and made a huge difference in the space. I was so happy with the outcome that I had a mini boost of confidence and decided to tackle the fireplace tile. My husband and I had talked about installing stone over the existing tile or even refacing the surround. I decided to try painting the tile first under the assumption that if it didn’t turn out, we could always move on to plan b.
I used this tutorial as a starting point. I primed (learned my lesson) twice and applied two coats of this chalk paint. It turned out great and compliments the black surround.
It took another month or so to curate all the furnishings and décor. I was hoping to find most of what we needed second hand. We did find an indoor/outdoor Pottery Barn rug on Facebook Marketplace, but the rest of the furniture I just shopped sales for. The bistro table and chairs came from Pier One, the loveseat and swivel chair are from Home Depot.
The star of the room seems to be the egg chair. They seem very trendy right now and yes, I know they will look dated in a few years. It’s both a conversation piece and a cozy spot to read. We couldn’t say no.
This ceiling fan was a perfect fit for the room and we used this interior/ exterior light to coordinate. Both are from Menards.
The print above the fireplace was a Father’s Day present from my husband. The wall art above the loveseat came from other rooms in our home and the houseplants are something we’ve collected over time and move from room to room as needed.
It’s not perfect. The tile floor (yep, also brown) still needs attention. I’m thinking the red cushions may need changing. But, all in all, it turned out beautifully and if I can do it, you certainly can!
