Monday, January 26, 2009

A Promise Fulfilled

We bought this house in the spring of 1999. We loved the big yard, the low taxes (which have since more than doubled), the space (so nice since I was expecting baby #3 and big surprise baby #4 was yet to be made), and the fact that the house was move-in ready.  Move-in ready to us meant that there were window treatments up, landscaping in, floors in, et cetera.

We guided our 4-year-old daughter toward this room:
and suggested that she make it hers since it was so close to ours.  What we didn't tell her was that it was also already decorated in pink.  Our boy conveniently moved into the blue sailboat room and the new baby boy took up residence in the multiple hearts room.
In the following months/years, our daughter agreed that she could live with the fact that her room adjoins the main bathroom and she knows EVERYTHING that occurs in the bathoom.  She could live with the fact that the heat struggles to reach her room in the winter,  but she really hated her pink walls.  We promised her that in a short while we would redo her room.
Then, after yet again being reprimanded by the asthma doctor for allowing our asthmatic daughter to sleep in a carpeted room, we pulled the dusty carpet up and replaced it with a wood floor.

We asked her, "Aren't you thrilled with your new room?"

And she again asked about the pink wallpaper.

A while later she again asked about painting her room.  But, the baby boy in the heart room was now two walking, talking boys living in a heart room and those hearts needed to come down.  Afterall, couldn't a girl live forever in a pink, wallpapered room?

Later, it was the paneling in the family room which had to go.  Then it was part of the kitchen.  Then the living room took over a year to paint, and another year to refloor.
All the while, I told my daughter, "I will paint your room when you go to kindergarten, get out of first grade, finish brownies, agree to suffer through a season of softball, join the youth group at church, bring home just one more great report card, begin middle school, give us a thousand more hours of free babysitting,
 be nice about having to take piano lessons. And she kept her part of the bargain.
She is about to graduate from middle school as a lovely, smart, sweet, compassionate girl young woman.  And her new quilt clashes horribly with that old pink wallpaper.

So 2009 is the year and to commit to the new room project. I have stripped one little, tiny bit of unstrippable paper.  In the process, I have thought uncharitable thoughts toward the former owners who covered every wall of this house in unstrippable paper.  I have also significantly gouged the drywall.

My girl will have her walls stripped and painted before school gets out on June 10th.  Maybe even before her April birthday.

She has my word.

12 comments:

As Cape Cod Turns said...

Are you going to paint it pink?

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

You go girl! We have been promising Tripp a new room for a while and it is finally about to happen. So I know where you are! Good luck!

Pleasing Procrasinator said...

I am the same way. There are always other rooms you need to finish first.
We redid our main living area and had to strip the same unstrippable wall paper. Took a whole weekend then we had to patch and sand all walls (it would have been easier to just knock out the walls and re-drywall). I am feeling for you.
Cannot wait to see the new look.

Anonymous said...

I have a similar project that will happen in 2009. Yeah right. I hope. We should hold each other accountable. I will admonish you and you me on New Year's when neither are finished. (Sorry, I need more coffee today I think!)

Unknown said...

GOSH...I just love a Good Room REDO!
You're all making me want to start another room..but firstI need to finish the kitchen...it got put on HOLD till after Xmas.................IS XMAS OVER?

Unknown said...

LIGHTLY Sand- PRIME- PAINT or Stain....

Definately will want to Prime...that will help new Paint/stain adhere better! ALOT of work...but definately worth it for the ReSULTS compared to buying NEW!!

Laura ~Peach~ said...

all we did with the unremovable paper is cover in Kiltz and then paint. it did fantastically. Martha wanted to paint her room so badly finally I said ok what color she chose orange and blue and she and I painted to her hearts content... two walls are orange with blue stars and two walls are blue with orange circles and her closet is well drawn all over in amny different things that her teen heart asked for... the photos are SOMEWHERE on my blog will see if I can direct you to the correct post to see them.
DO IT JUST DO IT you both will be so happy!

Ashley said...

Taking down wallpaper is a pain! I have a guest bedroom with awful pink and green wallpaper that needs to come down but I'm just so intimidated by the project. Can't wait to see the new room. I'm sure your daughter is going to be so happy!!

BTW - I left you an award at my place on Friday. Come pick it up!!

Mental P Mama said...

Yay Mom!

Pancake said...

Can not wait to see the NEW look! PINK right?? LOL

Unknown said...

What a wonderfully patient daughter you have!! That is such an exciting project...I agree with one of the other comments...cover it in Kilz and paint away...you will never know there was wallpaper under there. I am excited about seeing the redo photos!!! I love to watch along!

Love you.

Marlene

Big Hair Envy said...

My daughter's room always seems to be the first to get a facelift. Our bedroom, on the other hand, has NEVER been decorated!!! Thank goodness you have a patient young lady:)