“Daddy, I want a pink bedroom.” That is how it all started. It was a plain and simple request from Emma, who knows her colors like the back of her hand., especially pink How do I know this? Because I remember sitting with her, when I was pregnant with Lily. She couldn’t have been more that 13 or 14 months old (the girls are 16 months apart, but know she was definitely more than a year old at this point). We would always read books before her nap time and then she would fall asleep in her my arms in the rocking chair. I would then move her to the bed (yeah picture a pregnant woman doing this gracefully, not!).
But at any rate, she always loved the colors book we had and would request it. Eventually after, Lily was born, she fell in love with the book “Pinkalicious” and the little “pink girl” was born. Yes, she was my daughter through and through, because growing up one of my favorite uncles would tease me mercifully about being the “pink girl”.
So, my pink girl (or Emma) decided a few weeks ago that she had to have a pink room. Never mind that her father when I was still pregnant with her decided to do this intricate checkerboard pattern on the back wall or the accent wall and painted the rest of the walls baby blue. Yes, I was having a girl, but everything had to match and I also heard at the time, “What if you have our second child and have a boy, you don’t expect a boy to live in a pink room.” So, that was that and the room truly was beautiful even with the blue walls. I fell in the love with checkerboard accent wall, plus the mural he painted to be hung on that wall.
However, it wasn’t our room and now our little 3 year old princess kept repeating that she wanted a pink room. So what is a father to do? He went back to the drawing board and got paint swatches. He sat for hours on our couch with his computer designing a new accent wall with pink in it. And finally, we picked out the paint colors for the room (that was last weekend).
This end of this week was of course Thanksgiving and Lily’s 2nd Birthday, but lo and behold when all that dies down, it was apparently time to paint. Saturday morning, Kevin got up and he began to move the furniture away from the walls, put down a drop cloth and got cracking. Before he began painting the room, he said to me, “Take one more look, because this is it.” I looked around and felt a bitter sweet feeling, because on the one hand we no longer had babies, but little girls and on the other hand our baby’s first room was being changed forever. Only a mother could understand this feeling.
By 2:30, the main walls were painted and then we needed to go grocery shopping. Two tired little girls who couldn’t nap in their bedroom went with us. We got the car cart and Lily fell asleep at the wheel. Emma decided at the end of the trip she needed to visit the bathroom, but grumpily changed her mind. Once done there we came home to Kevin prepping the accent wall, then having dinner and just relaxing a bit (as much as you can with two overtired kids being their usual maniac selves now). The room was put back together though for the most part after being aired out for their sleep that night.
And then Sunday morning was upon us. I kept the kids occupied for the great portion of the morning and early afternoon, while Kevin mapped out the accent wall and painted pink and white stripes for his two favorite little girls.
When he was done they came in to inspect his work and Emma spoke for the two of them and said, “Thanks Daddy, it’s finally pink!”
All’s well that end’s well, I suppose and now without further ado take a look at the new pink bedroom fit for two little princesses, as well as the room before.
Bill says
We have two houses in our neighborhood that are pink. Believe me, that color does not work on entire houses. However, for little girls, perfect choice. 🙂 Well done mom and dad!
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Bill and agree that houses that are all pink would probably be a bit of an eyesore, but for little girls everything needs to be pink. So I agree that in the case pink was are only option, lol 🙂 🙂
Ruchira says
wow…the room looks so pretty.
My son wanted a blue room but we managed to pacify him with a little tinge of green since blue would be too gloomy and then after the painting was done…he demands some stripes on it. oh boy! that was too late, but my husband was determined to do it and scraped it and put duct tape and went my son's way. The room sure looks good, with stripes 🙂
JanineHuldie says
Thanks for sharing Ruchira and sounds lie what my husband did with the tape. He had to tape the wall perfectly and even used his 'not so good' math talent here. I am the math person, but even I truly didn't have patience to sit and figure this one out, so god bless him. Sounds like your son got a beautiful room, too 🙂 🙂
Emily (OhBoyMom) says
Wow, the room looks great — both before and now pink, which I think is perfect for your princesses. It's funny because even though I have boys, one of mine used to really like that book "Pinkalicious" too!
JanineHuldie says
Thanks so much Emily. I love how your son loved "Pinkalicious", too. Emma would adore him, because it is still one of her favorites!!
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Amy and they are truly ecstatic and now they love to play in their own room giving us (aka Kevin) more of a break from having to watch the same Barbie movie over and over, lol!!
Stacy Harris says
What a gorgeous room for your two little princesses. We don't have the ability to change ours around paint wise because we are renting. But how much fun to redecorate! 🙂
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Stacy and am just so thankful that we share the house with my parents and they could care less as long as it makes the girls happy!!
Cari Lorine says
Oh my goodness! That's quite the change! I can only imagine how excited Kevin was to have a project like that! 🙂 Only kidding, of course. I'm sure he'd do anything for your two beautiful girls. The room looks great!
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Cari. Believe it or not the artist in him thrives for challenges like this. He already started our bedroom last night changing the color from a dark green to more neutral grey and even wants to now paint our living room, too. As for me, I would rather just stop at the one room right now, because it is too much rearranging furniture for my taste right now!!
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Vikki and I too had a pink canopy bed as a little girl with all the pink trimmings, too. So I guess I do know where Emma gets it from!!
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Julie and another reason why we get along so well, because I hate to paint too, lol!!
Stephanie Sprenger says
You did great! I totally understand the bittersweet thing- I actually felt a little pang just reading it! You described that so vividly! These years are so sweet.
JanineHuldie says
Oh thanks Stephanie and glad I did convey that I was feeling a bit sad to see the original paint job go, because it means they really aren't babies anymore. Yet, don't get me wrong I love the new paint job, just get nostalgic thinking about it!!
gigigirl says
Good job Kevin! It really looks great and you made two little girls very happy! Look forward to seeing it when I get back. Love to all….
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Aunt Gloria and promise it will still be here when you return in the spring to see. And send love from us to you!!
Cyndi says
The new pink room looks great! I'm loving the stripes and I bet Emma just LOVES all the pink! Nice job to Kevin, too! What fun!
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Cyndi and both my girls love all the pink. They just can't seem to get enough of it 🙂
JanineHuldie says
Thanks Melanie and the Winnie the Pooh mural is my favorite part of the room, because Kevin painted that when I was first pregnant with Emma. I still can see him clear as day painting it at our kitchen table for weeks on end 🙂
JanineHuldie says
Thanks so very much Richard. I hear you on paneling, we had that in the house that I grew up, before my parents sold it and moved us to Long Island when I was a teenager. My dad actually found pink paneling and staining molding pink for. Still not sure where he found it, but my room was bathed in pink back then, lol 🙂
Steve Walters says
Love the new pink room, and I'm sure the girls will grow up with wonderful memories in that room. Fwiw the blue look great too, especially the checkerboard accent wall.
We rent so can't do anything like this…which all things considered might be good since I have neither the talent nor the motivation to paint!
JanineHuldie says
Oh thanks so much Steve for your kind comments here about Kevin's painting. I am with you on not having the talent nor the motivation. Thank god for my husband on that and for my parents who were kind enough to let us live here with them (they have a mother-daughter house and we have the whole bottom floor of the house).