Friday, October 10, 2008



Do you know what you call those
who use towels and never wash them,
eat meals and never do the dishes,
sit in rooms they never clean,
and are entertained till they drop?
If you have just answered, "A house guest,"
you're wrong because I have just described
my kids.
.
Erma Bombeck

As you know, the bat cave (this is what we fondly call the room our
two sons have shared for the last 20 years) has been gutted, now
that they are moved out, and we are in the process of plastering the
ceilings and painting the entire room. Since it was always the guys'
room, I want to keep a masculine feel. I chose Waverly "Bark", a
wonderful gray-green brown for the built in cabinetry and floors and
Laura Ashly "Navy 6" for the walls. It was too embarrassing to take
before shots, so here are some in process pics, just so you get the
idea. It's all coming along so nicely and I can't wait to show you the
after shots!

27 comments:

  1. Willow, great photo - nice fall colors and autumn feeling. Reclaiming a child's room can be difficult emotionally, I remember changing my daughter's bedroom into an office, not easy. Hope you have a great holiday weekend, David

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  2. I love gray-green brown and finished house renovations. Can't wait to see the finished product.

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  3. Why are boys so messy??? Mine is simply shocking.....

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  4. David, well, it's not been too difficult. Our son that just moved out will be 29 in a few months and it was time!! :P

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  5. Cute explain Lady Willow...

    The first photo has beautiful orange colours...
    Nice day for You...

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  6. Can't wait to see the after shots.

    Have a great weekend. :)

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  7. LOVE the new header photo .. the grim reaper sounded by women .. no doubt he will hightail it out of there ASAP

    And I think the angle of those in progress shots are fun ... my parents had no qualms about turning our bedroom into a den the minute I moved out ... as fast as you could say empty nest that bedroom became a den ... amazing.

    AND my mother who already had 75% of the closet in the master bedroom commandeered for her own use quickly sent Dad's clothes into the 'den' closet so she could expand ...

    Memories .. thank you ... its always fun to remember my parents when they were alive especially with memories like that ...

    :-Daryl

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  8. What a lovely early autumn view and oh those stonewalls again! Perfect.

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  9. Whenever I listen to women talk about room colors* I'm reminded of a scene in "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.

    Muriel Blandings: I want it to be a soft green, not as blue-green as a robin's egg, but not as yellow-green as daffodil buds. Now, the only sample I could get is a little too yellow, but don't let whoever does it go to the other extreme and get it too blue. It should just be a sort of grayish-yellow-green. Now, the dining room. I'd like yellow. Not just yellow; a very gay yellow. Something bright and sunshine-y. I tell you, Mr. PeDelford, if you'll send one of your men to the grocer for a pound of their best butter, and match that exactly, you can't go wrong! Now, this is the paper we're going to use in the hall. It's flowered, but I don't want the ceiling to match any of the colors of the flowers. There's some little dots in the background, and it's these dots I want you to match. Not the little greenish dot near the hollyhock leaf, but the little bluish dot between the rosebud and the delphinium blossom. Is that clear? Now the kitchen is to be white. Not a cold, antiseptic hospital white. A little warmer, but still, not to suggest any other color but white. Now for the powder room - in here - I want you to match this thread, and don't lose it. It's the only spool I have and I had an awful time finding it! As you can see, it's practically an apple red. Somewhere between a healthy winesap and an unripened Jonathan. Oh, excuse me...

    Mr. PeDelford: You got that Charlie?

    Charlie, Painter: Red, green, blue, yellow, white.

    Mr. PeDelford: Check.

    ---
    * I once worked in the paint dept. at a Home Depot.

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  10. I will be watching. Have a great weekend!

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  11. It sounds as if the bat cave is going to look stunning and suitably masculine. Have a productive weekend! By the way, 'Brideshead revisted' has just opened at the cinema in the mall. Is it showing over your way? It is going to to be a treat! Love Eleanor

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  12. I cannot wait to see the finished product! So much fun!

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  13. Will you still use the cave for a bedroom or are you changing its purpose along with the color? I'm looking forward to seeing the transformation.

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  14. Bill, I know that scene and it is adorable!! Myrna Loy and Cary Grant have perfect chemistry. I haven't seen it in ages. Must again soon!

    Eleanor, oh, yes I need to see Brideshead! I haven't been to the actual movie theater in ages. This is one I want to see. Let me know what you think of it!

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  15. Stevie, it is going to be a guest room. And our youngest son will still be using it in the summmer and on breaks. (And he better not mess it up!!!)

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  16. Oh, come on. I can't even tell the colors with these two little shots. I need more, I tellya. More!!!!

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  17. Bitter-sweet? But how wonderful to be redecorating your boys' room. I look forward to seeing the finished process if you are going to share those too. My son moved out at 28 and yes, it was time :) But even so...well, you know. Dancing for joy on one hand and missing him on the other. But like you said, it wasn't as difficult as I supposed it would be and if he is happy, then so am I. Enjoyed visiting your blog.

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  18. the brown and blue combination sounds wonderful! i'm surprised you aren't on your way to disney world since the boys moved out. hee hee looking forward to the big unveiling.

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  19. Looking forward to seeing those "after" photos.I've ordered the Onegin DVD by the way after seeing your posting a while back.Definitely my kind of film!

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  20. I am sure that whatever you choose will be lovely, but let me say now that I adore your new header! Wonderful image and so perfect for the season!

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  21. Willow, A new guest room and I love the colors! Will you have an actual bed or some kind of daybed err couch? In other words will the room serve several purposes? I always learn so much from your blog...such as the artist Xavier Mellery...did you notice how strong and athletic the hips and thighs on the ladies in your banner..wow?! The mutted colors give a romantic other worldly effect...nice! Mary Ann

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  22. I love Emma Thompson!

    Though I wasn't very considerate as a daughter growing up in cramped quarters with my 3 sisters and 1 brother, as an adult I've cleaned up my act in many ways.

    Nothing makes me feel more at home when visiting friends than doing the dishes, a load of laundry or whatever else needs doing.

    Except when I have to hurry, I actually enjoy cleaning. Strange?

    The boys' room makeover sounds lovely!

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  23. oooh--sounds rich and wonderful! Do post finished pics. How fun to have rooms transformed.

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  24. Oh, redecorating. Hooray! I'm getting ready to do that once my long-term house guests move out in December. Can't wait to see the finished former batcave.

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  25. BAT CAVE ~that is a good one ...I have two if those but the bats are still there!

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)