Billowing clouds in the mud room

March 05, 2015

Our mud room has been in a mostly done state for quite some time now. Last year I got a ton done in there. This one is out of my norm – I went with white walls and color on the trim and I LOVE it.

One of bigger projects I wanted to get done in this space was replacing the ugly fluorescent light. It provided great light but I just hated the look of it. I took it down sometime late last year and it was simple to do, it left two large holes in the ceiling that needed to be patched. But otherwise it was the same as any other light as far as removal.

Then I got a wild hair and thought recessed lights would look great in here, but we have plumbing running through the ceiling right where I wanted to add them, so that was patched and I’ve been left with this for the past few months:

painted ceiling

Well, that was after I started painting the ceiling, so it looks even worse here. :) The light was a Habitat Restore find and I was so excited about it! But I realized two things after I got it hung – there was a piece missing so I had to rig it so the cord wouldn’t keep dropping through the ceiling, but it did. I could have fixed that but the bigger issue was this type of light is awful for such a small space like this. It only shines light from the bottom, obviously.

It was way too dark in there, even with the sconces above the bench. So I decided to switch some things up. Our master closet light is beautiful but in the eight foot ceilings in that room it was too low. 

We lived with it for about a year and I was tired of hitting it when I put a shirt on. ;) So a few weeks ago I picked up a new light for that room and yesterday took the old one down here to the mud room:

It’s so, so pretty! It’s like the surface-of-the-sun bright though, so I’ll be adding a dimmer in here. I’m dying to get some natural light in this room but it’s surrounded by garage and house – I’ve had an idea in mind for years to add some light and I think I’ve convinced myself to try it. Stay tuned for more on that. :)

Anyway, while I was at it I finished up a few other projects on the to do list in here. I painted the ceiling a very pretty light blue color called Billowing Clouds. 

I got it years ago for the powder room ceiling: planked walls bathroom

I absolutely love a painted ceiling (I’ve done it in about half of our house), especially a blue. 

It just makes the room feel so pretty, and I firmly believe a blue color on the ceiling makes a space feel larger. 

It truly tricks the eye and makes it feel like the sky. It was hard to capture in photos but LOVE it: beadboard mud room

I finally finished painting the door trim to match the beadboard too. I painted it all white at first and it looked weird against the white walls. The darker color looks so much better!:

blue beadboard

This room has come a loooong way! Here’s a reminder of the before:

And that spot today:

DIY mud room bench

I’ve always said you should have fun in three rooms – the dining room (you can be dramatic!), the powder room (it’s small!) and the mud/laundry room – just because it’s a space only you see most of the time. Do something different and fun and stretch your comfort zone!

That light blue ceiling is just so lovely, it’s my favorite. Next up, building the shelves above the lights. (It will be random storage we won’t access much since it will be so high.) Then I plan to dress up the walls and accessorize a bit – can’t wait to get to that point!

Are you a fan of painted ceilings? Have you painted them in your home?

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Comments

  1. I love the new ceiling light, where did you find it?

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    Replies
    1. Lowe's! It was on clearance when I got it a year ago but I saw another one there (still on sale) a month or two ago.

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  2. Love the blue - who makes Billowing Clouds?

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    1. I think it's just a True Value color? It could also by Dutch Boy, I know they sell that line. I got it in a basic TV paint though.

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  3. I love how it's all come together. How did you get so many pictures without the cat? :)

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    1. I was wondering the same thing. We always see him on that bench cushion. :)

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  4. Our contractor told us that a light blue ceiling would keep bugs away. He has painted his porch ceiling a light blue. We sat on his porch for quite sometime last summer and were not bothered with bugs.

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    Replies
    1. I painted my porch ceiling a light blue and it's been several years without bugs.. I'm planning to do the back porch and see if it keeps away the mud daubers and paper wasps. If it works, then I'll be painting blue under the eaves - last year I did not see the nest and walked by and was attacked by them. Not a lot of fun, but I now keep wasp spray in my garden bucket!

      I did some research and the old blue paint did have some chemical in it - milk paint with lye. The lye was apparently the ingredient which kept the bugs away. Since the paint faded, it would have to be refreshed every few years and so, a new layer of lye was applied.

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  5. Mmmmm.....
    that light doesn't go at all with your decor or your asthetic.

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  6. Beautiful space!! I LOVE LOVE the teal/blue you choose for the beadboard & trim says such a statement. Its hard to really grasp the effect of the blue through the picture but I'm sure it looks awesome. Wow what a difference from before and after! Cant wait to see more ;)

    Great work

    Lauren | LB Designs
    xx

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  7. Everything looks so pretty and happy! Your before with the yellow paint looked nice enough, but your after is just phenomenal.

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  8. How do you paint ceilings in a finished room without making a mess? I need to do my ceilings and I am dreading it. Any tips would be great!

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    1. I probably should cover floors and everything up but I don't use a ton of paint on my roller so I don't have any issues. I do cover furniture though, just in case! Painting smaller ceilings is no big deal, bigger ones suck. :) If you have a broom you can take the end off and use the pole for your paint roller! Good luck!

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  9. I have been painting ceilings for the last twenty years and think it is one of the cheapest, easiest ways to really make a room feel finished. My foyer ceiling is painted almost the same shade as your beadboard and trim, and the walls are mocha. I am starting on the master ceiling the weekend - it will be a blush pink with mocha and high gloss white trim - I just started to see a trend :-) It took some major salesmanship on the master bedroom to convince my husband, but he sees the vision now! I love*love*love painted ceilings but I will give a word of caution. Realtors get a little snippy about them. No matter though. I have sold five homes in ten years, three within a day of listing, and ceiling color has never been a point of negotiation. Love your blog!

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  10. I love painted ceilings, but newer houses have too much up there. In my master as I write:
    6 can lights, 2 A/C vents, 1 large intake vent, Ceiling Fan, 2 speakers (stereo), 4 pop-out sprinklers, and a smoke alarm. It's painted Navajo White, matte finish. Everything sort of
    blends. Kitchen/family room the same way. So I look at your ceilings in envy!

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  11. I agree with you -- have fun when working with different rooms. I love the light fixture! It makes a difference in the room and the blue paint does make it a positive, open space. I just painted my living room a pretty blue/lavender that I love! I haven't tackled the ceiling yet because it has awful tiles and I know it will take a lot of time but perhaps this summer.

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