Well as you may know we bought a mountain house in Black Mountain, NC this year. We hope to retire here, but for now it’s a vacation rental, and we go as often as we can.
This post was sponsored by the folks at BEHR PAINT but all opinions are my own.
The house has amazing views.
And that is why we bought it. The location is perfect, but the house needed some work to update it. I have begun a slow process of updating it as we make it out there and as funds allow.
So here is the master bedroom. I was not so crazy about the paint in here. The rest of the house is white, but for some reason, they painted the master this color. Hmmmm. I will say that having work done on your house while you are in another state is not for the faint of heart. It has been a chore just getting someone over to do the work.
We did find a good painter, but then had to work around the rental schedule for the house. There were so many rentals this fall, we had a hard time scheduling the painter to come do the work. The work was supposed to be done before we arrived. So as you might have guessed by now, nothing got done before we got there. I know you are shocked.
The painter ended up doing the work while we were at the house. I would have told him to come later, but I needed to get the photos done while we were there. So the painter basically painted around us. Have you ever seen Green Acres, the TV show? If you have, then I’m sure you’ve seen an image of Mr. And Mrs. Douglas asleep in bed, while Ebb (the handyman) just strolls in. That is not exactly what it was like, but it was not unlike that. I did tell ‘Ebb’ to just let himself in, since he was coming and going for several days. I like him, and he wasn’t really in our way, but I found the similarities with Green Acres amusing.
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Okie dokie, maybe that’s to much of a window into my bizarre world. So here’s the before.
Below is the after. Now it’s a crisp and clean white. I plan to replace the mini blinds, the carpet, the lamps, ehhh… you get the point, but I really like the new calmer wall color. As you can see the room opens up to the deck. We used BEHR SILKY WHITE paint.
I’m always amazed by the effect you get by simply changing the wall color in a room. Here’s another before shot.
And the after. Doesn’t it feel calmer?
The color is a soft white. I’m so happy with the change.
And just look at the fall color outside.
We are also painting the bathrooms. All of them were supposed to be finished when we arrived, but of course you know by now, that they weren’t.
‘Ebb’ did get our bathroom finished and he’ll do the rest later this month, at least that’s the plan. Here is the before.
Remember I have a lot of work to do in here. Actually I will probably rip it all out and completely redo this bathroom, but that’s way down the road. Meanwhile I thought we would enjoy seeing the cabinets painted. The after is below. Yes I do plan to change out the pulls and mirror, but haven’t done those yet. This way you are getting a good feel for how different everything looks when you just paint the cabinets. That’s the only change so far.
This is also BEHR SILKY WHITE paint.
I hope you enjoyed this tour of my mountain house. Hopefully the other bathrooms will be painted soon, and I’ll be able to photograph them this spring. All teasing aside, I appreciate our painter getting the bedroom and bathroom done in time so I could photograph them. This is just the beginning.
I have to admit I liked the before photo better. Much softer and more interesting. White makes it look like a rental where you just wanted everything to look “clean”. So over all the white, especially in a house that is supposed to make a guest feel at home. Sorry, just an opinion.
I agree with Suzanne. Color is cozy.
I agree totally with Suzanne. The room feels warmer and has more personality with the old colors!
Color does give warmth that’s true Kelly. White is not for everyone.
I think what I mi gh t have done was paint the whitewall with duck egg trim for a splash of colour. Didn’t lijethewallcolour at all before. Beautiful bathroom transformation.
Me too, the pictures before were to my liking but it looks fresh and clean but not quite and warm as the first picture—–
Love it. Like the crispness.
Is the color in the Bathroom – the cabinets – the same as what is on the Bedroom walls? This is a beautiful transformation and a great idea.
I think it is the same Maggie.
Thank you. I am thinking of trying that on some old cabinets. Couldn’t hurt!
I love the after , not crazy about the before that contrast color was no to my taste.
I like the white walls. Makes the painting and accessories pop! Lovey room.
Love the updated look in the bedroom!
Big improvement. Love the colour it makes the furniture and accessories pop and brings it out of the 90’s!!
Ironically the house was built in 2002 Nancy!!! Too funny!
Ironically the house was built in 2002 Nancy!!! Too funny!
The painted cabinets in the bathroom changes the entire look. I know how happy it makes me feel when a room is freshly painted. Thanks for the visualizing the comedy of Greenacres and the painter being Ebb, LOL.
LOVE the white! Curious, though… since it’s a rental, what texture paint did you use! I was imagining finger prints and luggage smudges on those beautiful white walls!
We used flat, but my painter did not think it was a good idea. We’ll see.
And what is the white? I love the clean and crisp look myself especially with all the color outside. Its totally refreshing and relaxing.
Kim, the paint is mentioned in the post. I can’t remember what it is.
Wow! Both are amazing. I found myself exhaling and relaxing afte looking at the “after” bedroom! Beautiful views too. Been to Black Mountain a couple of times. Love visiting Asheville!
I think the bedroom looks so much better, especially painting out the trim – I didn’t care for that look. The bathroom is much improved, too. My decorating budget is small, so I’m very familiar with making little changes over time to get to the desired end result. I’m enjoying watching your progress, Anita, and how your prioritize the steps.
Love the “after” pictures. I do think there will be a return to more color on the walls in a couple of years, but until then I’m enjoying my white and light grey rooms!
love the after Anita ;)…nelly
I love the “after” look as it presents a calming room and makes the bed stand out.
I did something similar this summer with our first floor, going from Sherman Williams herbivore green to a soft white, and I am so pleased with the effect. Looking forward to seeing the other rooms completed.
Great choice. Nature’s landscape is all the color you need?
I love the white walls. I makes the room look larger & truly makes the artwork ‘pop’ also the beautiful wood on furniture. I am taking notes of all the white paint on walls that I am seeing these days on decorator blogs, magazines. Tho some may say trendy, I suppose in reality it is classic & I am liking it ! I am r decorating in our house. Bedroom is a beautiful warm gray , and while I was thinking of using a pale pale gray on the rest , I am now thinking white . However, maybe a white that will allow the white trim & baseboards to still be seen . Ok ? . Enough talking to myself. Ha ha . It’s all looking beautiful. Great job Anita!!!! U truly are soooo talented . From your friend in Colorado ??⛰?
Boy oh boy painting only the cabinets really did help!
Susan you are not talking to yourself. This is a conversation. Bright white is a new trend, and I wanted to try it. Yes you could do a light gray on the trim if you liked.
I love the white walls & trim-I think it allows that beautiful view to take front & center stage!
Love the white walls & cabinets I live in a 100+ year old home & went white some years ago. I still love the ‘white’ FEEL.
I love the afters! Both rooms seem calmer the white really lets you appreciate the beautiful scenery outdoors!
Shelley
Love the white. !!!!!!!!!!!
I love white walls. I LOVE your white walls!
Really nice change.
Anita, Beautifully done !! I can’t believe the change in the bedroom and how good the art and linens look with the soft white. Bath looks so fresh. I recently purchased a beach condo that is currently a rental. It is hard to decide what to change now and what will wait until “just for us”. Thank you for the chance to win the give away.
Sherry B
Yes Sherry, we are discussing that very same thing. How much do we do now?
We have all been struggling with fires here in the mountains. Hope your home is safe! This has been an exceptionally beautiful fall. Love the update, especially the white cabinet in the bath!
Stay safe Molly!
Love seeing photos of your mountain home, Anita! Thanks so much for sharing the photos and the thoughts behind all the changes with all of us. Always a good read!
Love the North Carolina mountains and your mountain home. I am wondering if the fires are near your home or if you are having any issues because of the fires? Stay safe.
I don’t think they are close, but still very scary and it is so dry.
I’ve been gradually painting my trim, wood windows and cabinets white through out my house…..Do you paint with latex or alkyd? I’ve been using oil since Latex chips even when prepped by cleaning, sanding, deglossing, priming once or twice and then 3 -4 thin coats of paint…Just wondering if you have issues…BTW….No animals or kids here, so no undue abuse….
I prefer oil for trim, but our painter wanted to use latex, so that is what we did.
It’s a beautiful room and a lovely view. I find it interesting how color affects people differently. We bought a house some years ago with all rooms painted white and one of the first things I did was to paint the walls with color. White and/or all neutrals feels cold and boring to me. I must go with what feels good, not the latest trend.
Yes Myrna, white is not for everyone. I agree… go with what YOU love!
White walls and woodwork give a room a blank slate to work with….as in a painting. I immediately noticed how it brings the outside scenery and colors into the room when looking at the windows and door. Accent pieces are a great way to add color and can be changed out through the seasons. The bathroom is fresh and clean painted out white. Many of us live in homes that are not updated….this gives us inspiration to make improvements to our own homes using paint, arm muscle and determination. Your posts are amazing!
Yes Charlene, it puts the focus on the outdoors, and that is the real beauty of our home… the views.
I absolutely love watching this house come together. I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next “after” picture!
Me too Julie! It’s fun doing it slowly.
I think the all white walls are great looking. It makes the room look pulled together and more updated. Seriously? Different paint around the doors??? They really wanted to highlight the door frames??? Now your attention is drawn to the great views outside, which is the whole point of the wall of windows, I assume. The painted white bathroom cabinets are much better looking as well. I think you did well in your choices. I like the after pictures much better. Thanks for sharing.
Nancee, it was a bit ‘out there’ for me too! Thanks!!
You’ve inspired me to paint the drab bathroom vanity in the upstairs. I have hated it for years.
Go for it Sue!!
It is looking great!
Very good call. The original paint was fighting for attention with the view outside. It wouldn’t have even needed to be white for me, just not two contrasting, bright colors. Much improved. ?
I’ve been living with white walls for a very long time, so the “before” colors look lovely to me. An odd combination of peach and green, but somehow it worked. But I understand the need for a change no matter who we are. You are doing such beautiful things with this house.
Well those color work for some people Patty. I think at least one other reader preferred the before. Some people hate white walls, and I used to be one of those people. Thanks for the compliments!!
The updating is a wow factor! Sharing your excitement and vision with your mountain house!
Paint is truly a miracle in a can, isn’t it? I agree with the other commenters – the bedroom looks much calmer now and that painting just pops. And the color of the walls does not compete with the beauty outside. Painting the vanity changed the whole feel of the bathroom. Ebb did a good job. 😉
Thanks, Ha, I think that’s his new name!
I really like what you are doing. It looks very inviting and restful. Thanks for sharing.
Anita, I love the white! Amazing what clean white cabinets can do for a bath.
It is totally amazing what paint can do! I looks so amazing!
Behr Soft White?
I will consider that with the next painting…but I really think yours is amazing…especially painting out the windows trim…that is huge.
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
Silky white Nancy. I was saying it was a soft white color.
I believe the key to the successful update for the bedroom was painting the trim around the door and windows to the deck white. The aqua shade they were before made your eye stop and focus on the trim rather than letting your eye continue outside to the spectacular scenery. As far as the walls, I think you could have gone with any soft restful shade – personally I’m into soft pale grey right now with a warm milky white paint color for the trim.
Anita, wow, I really love the new look! It’s funny, now that we did our kitchen, I’ve been thinking of painting the adjoining den a calmer color. We just painted it a year ago and it’s a very pale yellow. I had felt so strongly about having soft color in my rooms, but I’m really leaning more towards the whites and pale grieges now. I love what these non-colors do for everything else in the room. It’s hard to believe the paint is the only thing changed in your space. Looks wonderful!!
Thanks Lory. I was planning to paint the room a soft gray, but long story short, we ended up with the white. I wanted to see if I liked the white. I like it, but I don’t want it for every room.
the bedroom looks great! What color is the Trim?
The same Judy, silky white from Behr.
Love the new paint! Peach and green? Ohhhh flashback to the early 80’s! Now let’s just hope “Ebb” from Green Acres doesn’t turn in to “Eldon” from Murphy Brown.!
Ginger
Ginger, I totally forgot about Eldon! HA!!!
Anita, I love it! I have been looking for the perfect white and I think the color you chose is the one I will use. Thank you! I agree that the right color makes all the difference!! May I ask what brand and color you used for painting the bathroom cabinetry? I hope you had some time to relax while you were in the mountains!
Cheryl it is all the same. Silky White Behr paint.
Yes we did relax Cheryl. The paint in the bath is the same. Behr silky white.
Wow, what a difference! I’m not usually a fan of “all white” having lived in apartments in the 1970’s with everything being rental-white. However, I do love the crisp, clean feeling that it brings to a room. Also I like how its a clean backdrop to any decor scheme you want to do.
I may actually be coming around to it. 🙂
Me too Elizabeth. I used to hate white walls!
So much better. White cabinet in bathroom looks cleaner. Looking forward to your other changes. You are doing a good job ! Enjoy your new place!
It looks great! It’s amazing how much you’ve been able to do in a relatively short time and from a distance. The view is stunning especially in the fall with all the beautiful color.
Everywhere I look now everything is painted shades of white and grey. Even the furniture is white. I love these colors if you live on the beach. But for a lake or mountain house I prefer more color. I love your view from the deck.
I didn’t mind the original walls, but the trim certainly had to go! Just those being white would have been a good start. Personally, I prefer a soft color in the bedroom; I just think it’s more restful. The decision to paint the bathroom cabinets was brilliant though! I love white woodwork (even though I have to convince my husband that I’m not destroying the “precious” wood)!
Great improvement! The bathroom looks like an entirely new space!!
It’s amazing what paint can do to a room!!!!! Dying over your comments on Ebb ? I can just see it!!!!!! Love the dresser also in the room what a beautiful piece not to mention the spectacular view right outside your door….. The bathroom also looks amazing from the before. Great job….always fun to see the before’s and afters!!!!! Roxann
Oh, Anita; I can totally relate! We bought a foreclosure and are having to gut each room, one at a time. It’s very rare that anyone even shows up to give us an estimate. We’ve ended up just doing it all ourselves.
Anyway, your bedroom looks so much better. And I love the bathroom vanity! I know they say brass is coming back, but I’m with you there!
The thoughts of Ebb and Eldon brought a smile to my face! Your mountain home is looking great!
I actually like the room both ways, true to my ambivalent nature. The bathroom cabinet looks fabulous! White is definitely an improvement. I want to live in that house.
Wow, looks so fresh and beautiful!
Love the after! I know you are a happy gal now. My whole house is Lancaster Whitewash and I love it. I think it’s an old Benjamin Moore color.
A great improvement and a beautiful cabin! Will be following your progress on this.
I love the white you’ve chosen, especially those bathroom cabinets. I have a bedroom with horrid wallpaper that has to go, and then what? Dark room, but still not sure about white. Love yours though. Enjoy hearing about Ebb!
I absolutely love the Fall colors and your choice of paint; it makes the room bigger. ♡
I love your choice of a soft white. The current trend for bright whites is jarring in many rooms but the soft white is lovely and calming. It recedes let’s the decor and the amazing views be the center of attention. Ebb did a terrific job.
I do like the bedroom ‘after’ much better, but I’d like it even more if the glass door and window wall had some color added, most likely in fabric. Love the bathroom ‘after’!
I am thinking of fabric too, but not sure what to put here yet.
Forgot to mention, but that deck with the view is gorgeous!!
Love the white! And the open windows and doors. It’s like the white magnifies your beautiful views. What kind of paint do you use on your bathroom cabinets?
It looks so much nicer!
I LOE the white bedroom! It looks clean and crisp. The before color looked dismal and depressing to me. And the white bathroom cabinets! Unbelievable how that changed the room so much! I love it!
Love the white in the bedroom…refreshing! And in the bathroom, even though I prefer chrome fixtures, the gold fixtures do look better with white…
Hi Anita! I am so happy to see how tranquil that the white made the room, as I am getting ready to venture into a white-walled land in our kitchen. I used it in my master bath and I suddenly feel in love with my master bath- original fixtures, tile, countertops and all! White allows all the beautiful pieces in a room to show up. And the trim around the doors do not need to be featured, right? I love what you did. Carry on and keep showing us what you are doing. Happy almost Thanksgiving!
the paint color looks great but the big win …
the view. The beautiful, beautiful view from the bedroom. I’d never want to leave
thank you for sharing
Micki
I love the white. I just redid my kitchen with white cupboards. I painted a bedroom in a former home with eggshell finish and then striped in with a semigloss both in white. It was very subtle but I loved it.
With all the color outside it’s perfect.
I love it….allows you to see the best part of your mountain house…the outdoor views!
Disagree with person who liked the “before” room, it was okay but was a distraction from the amazing views. This way the room and bathroom don’t compete with the views which are fantastic!
I love the white (especially Behr, which I always use) — I’ve never considered white to be “trendy” as it truly seems classic and timeless. I am getting ready to paint the kitchen white (all appliances are white) but perhaps a color on the island base cupboards just to “ground” things. My dilemma is now deciding what to do with the rest of the rooms as everything flows from one area to another. I am thinking all white. Hoping it won’t come off as being sterile; color accessories and some darker furniture pieces might help?
I love the color…it does brighten up your space!!
Love the soft white paint . So much better than before.
Love the new paint color!
Love what you have done so far….very inviting….
The white color is great….. so much nicer! Plus it will be fun to change out colors for the seasons once you live there. Thanks for sharing.
Does anyone really like flesh colored walls??? Seriously. The white is so cool and calming. We are redoing an old farmhouse in Hallettsville, TX and the colors were atrocious! Love to live vicariously through you.
Love the after! I can’t wait to see what else you do to it. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be beautiful!! Love your work.
Wow Anita, looks fantastic…I just love how clean and crisp and yes…calm everything looks. Thanks for making me smile this morning….Ebb! Too funny!
Hugs,
Sharon
Love the changes. Looks like a different home.
My bathrooms look just like your before bathrooms. I’ve been thinking I would like to paint the brown wood. Seeing yours gives me courage! Love it!!
I personally didn’t like the color on the Before pic and cannot stand any woodwork other than white in a modern home unless it is a wood paneled den – or a room in an old fashioned country estate, etc. The white is clean and crisp and if warm and cozy is what you want, I believe in warming things up with color in places like bedding, artwork, rugs, draperies. Both the bedroom and bathroom look great. The paint on the bath vanity even makes the brass hardware look okay – and it’s coming back, you know. Love what you did.
Very true Pat, and thank you!!
Beautiful. So serene, crisp, clean. I had white trim painted over dark and my home came ALive. I love seeing your decorating style.
I love the serenity of the new white paint. Now I know which white to use in our re-painting…thanks!
Btw, our youngest and her new hubby just spent their honeymoon in Black Mountain and loved the town 🙂
Looks really good. Can’t go wrong with white! That way you can decorate with anything.
I don’t believe you can always tell how much better something looks in a picture. I’m sure the white looks clean and fresh and that’s what I would want. Even though they didn’t look bad together, I am not fond of trim painted in colors so I was especially glad you painted it. The bath cabinets look great too.
I like the white cabinets in the bathroom! Makes a huge difference and brings it up to date. I think the bedroom needs some more warmth. Maybe more wall art or a breezy curtain on the 2 windows. I know even if no one can see in I like to have something on the windows at night .
Great ideas Heidi. As you can probably tell me have a lot more work to do!
Very nice update. Calm is my preference as well.
It’s amazing what a couple of changes can do to a bathroom.
I love your bedroom but mostly the bed with the picture above it; nice choice of colors! I am wanting to do something similar in my bath, but want to replace the slab mirror with a framed one, new lights and faucets. I don’t know that repainting a vanity is necessary unless it’s really old but perhaps changing out the hardware. I’m thinking of just putting some tile trim along the backsplash on our marble countertop.
Love the white in both rooms! They look perfect to me now just like they are. You are very talented and brave.
I love the soft white, it’s clean and fresh and lets the furnishings shine. The original blush/peach color was lovely too, but the green trim made it seem a bit busy. The white is very French, so pretty.
Great job Anita! Looks fresh, clean and very updated. The other color almost made it look dirty. Much more calming as you stated. You have an incredible talent, keep on keeping on!?