I remember it like it was yesterday. I was six and it was the summer between kindergarten and first grade. Each morning that summer I would ride my bike down to the community pool and pay my dime to swim until lunch time. Every day. I adored going to the pool not because I loved to swim so much. I loved to jump off the diving board. The springy one.
My best friend, Joni, upped the challenge one day when she said we should go off the high dive. The big platform one that felt like a piece of concrete. That summer I had watched many a kid climb the high dive and either chicken out and shamefully descend to face ridicule by the other kids, or, I would see them smack the water with a sound that made everyone wince and hold their stomach.
Joni decided I should go first. Not one to ever back down from a challenge, I slowly climbed the steps up to the high dive. It was amazing how much higher in the air it looked once you were up there than from the ground below. My legs shook and me knees wobbled as I slowly walked to the end of the high dive and looked down. I gripped the guardrail on both sides with white fingers. I slowly put one foot in front of the other until I had to let go of the guardrails or I would fall down. Fear struck my little heart and for a moment I thought about climbing back down.
I decided not to look down. I should look forward. I reasoned with myself. No kid had died on it all summer, I wouldn’t be the first. I went to the end, plugged my nose tightly, held my breath, squeezed my eyes shut tight…and jumped. It was a leap of faith.
As I sank down into the water and began kicking up toward the surface I realized… sometimes you just have to hold your breath and jump. I must have jumped 500 times the rest of that summer. Imagine what I would have lost out on if I didn’t hold my breath and just go for it!
Painting my bedroom suite was a lot like going off the high dive when I was six. I debated. What if I ruined my furniture I have dusted and carefully moved from house to house for so many years? What if I didn’t like it? What if everyone thought it looked terrible?
I could see that maybe I would do a big belly flop and have a figurative rash that would last for days. In the end, I picked up a paint brush, dipped it in some white chalk paint, held my breath, squinted my eyes together and put the first stroke of paint down the side of the dresser. I believe I held my breath until I had finished putting on coat number two before I felt like I was kicking toward the surface.
Some of you may look at the dressers and night stands and think, “How could you paint that beautiful furniture?” I have two answers for you. First, these aren’t antiques. I bought them from a warehouse of imports in Texas. I believe they were either made in China or Indonesia and I paid less than $500 for the whole bedroom suite. Second, I’m a firm believer in decorating your house in a way that makes you happy. There are no furniture police. Your picture will not appear in the local paper with a headline that reads Furniture Vandal On The Loose and no one will make a statement in your Eulogy about how you ruined a perfectly good piece of furniture. In the grand scheme of life…happiness is more important than furniture any day of the week.
I do have one confession to make though. Did you spot it? The missing piece of hardware? I’m not really sure what happened. I put all the hardware in a plastic tub, took it all outside and spray it with oil-rubbed bronze. I brought it in after it dried and one knob was missing. We do have a huge squirrel population, but seriously? I think all of our neighbors like us?!? It’s a mystery. I may have to replace all the knobs if I can’t find it. I haven’t quite resorted to crawling through the grass with a magnifier, but I’m close.
I really missed you guys. This painting project literally took it out of me. The kind of tired that made me just sit on the sofa at the end of the night with my arms hanging by my side and muscles I didn’t even know I had were sore. I have big plans for the decor in this room but didn’t want to ruin the surprise on the big reveal day.
Would I hold my breath and jump again? Yes! It was worth it. Now when I walk in the room my heart is lighter, just like my furniture. Have a fantastic day friends! If you guys would want it, I can create a tutorial about how I achieved the Restoration Hardware finish on the top of the dressers without stripping or sanding them.
I’m sharing Painting My Bedroom Suite at some great parties. Come and hang out at the party.
Looks fresh to me. Glad you took the “plunge”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haha! Ron, too funny. It is like a breath of fresh air every time I walk into the room. I haven’t been sleeping well because I keep waking up looking at it. It even looks good in moonlight. Super happy I took the plunge too.
Nancy
You did a great job! I love the outcome. I think I enjoyed the story as much as the pictures..
Thank you Kelly! I’m so happy it turned out looking good and your kind words about my story mean the world to me. Thanks for letting me know. You’ve just given me another ounce of courage for my day.
Nancy
I love the way this project turned out! It is so pretty! Great job!!
Thanks Mindy! I have to admit, I was pretty nervous when the first coat went on but I just kept going and I’m so happy I did.
Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate it so much!
Nancy
Great update! Yeah for courage to jump. It looks lovely.
Thank you so much Bridget! Having courage is half the battle sometimes. Now I feel like a furniture superhero!
Have a great day!
Nancy
Love this post! So happy you jumped and painted the furniture and I LOVED the story! I felt like I was there. 🙂
Happy day friend!
karianne
Thanks karianne! I love that YOU loved the story…that means so much to me because your stories always make me smile, laugh, cry etc….
Have a super day!
Nancy
Glad you took the plunge. They turned out great! And YES to the tutorial. I have a table I want a “wood” finish on top but not sure what is underneath the paint!
Susan,
I’ll work on that tutorial. It was so easy, I could hardly believe it. I can’t wait to share it with you.
Nancy
I love the white on your new suite.
(When we were young and my husband was in school, the layers of paint on our furniture is what was holding it together!! LOL)
I have been thinking about painting my bedroom suite too. I have to convince my husband first.
Khadija, I’ve owned some held together furniture too! Mine was held together with duck tape. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Show him some before and after pictures. You just might be able to convince him. Good luck!
Nancy
You took that leap of faith so beautifully!….the furniture looks gorgeous….I remember the days of paying our dimes to go to the pool….we did not have a high dive…whew…thank goodness!…I admire your courage to move forward and you did it!…Great job!
Thanks so much Shirley! Sometimes as I take my four year old out riding bike I think about the times I rode all over town at five and six years old by myself. It was such a different time than today. I wonder what my boys’ memories from childhood will be filled with…
Thanks for stopping by!
XO,
Nancy
Good for You – a Perfect Analogy and a Beautiful New Look to the Furniture. Win/Win! Thanks for highlighting once again the need to pull forward, do what’s in Your Heart, No Fears and Just Jump.
Yes! Follow your heart. It is better to mess it up than to walk about items in your house every day and think that you didn’t have enough courage. If we can’t be courageous at home…then where can we be?
Nancy
Love it! Looks so fresh and new. I have been wanting to paint mine for quite some time but did not want to deal with the mess as well as the aches and pains of sore muscles, etc. Now, you have got me motivated. Questions…..what paint/brand/color did you use and I definitely want to know how you did the top.
Thanks Carol! I’ll create a tutorial about how to create the Restoration Hardware top. I used the Rustoleum paint in Linen White. I went that direction for convenience since my local Annie Sloan stockist is a 45 minute drive away and I’m kinda cheap. If I had to do it again I would make the drive and pay the extra money. Her paint is just so nice to work with.
Hope this makes you feel good – I did not locate the missing hardware. The white looks really good!
Ha ha! I’m glad you didn’t notice it! I am going to want to find it though. I can’t imagine. I seriously think a squirrel took it. The screw was there but not the knob.
How about trying to replicate it by making a mold of one of the originals and casting it in resin. There are lots of how two on p interest and the net. That way it would be the same without the expense of buying all new hardware.
😉
It looks beautiful – you did a great job on it. I remember some scary moments on a high dive also : )
I really love your decoration. It is only the white with simple furniture but so beautiful and elegant. Great idea for bedroom. Thank you so much for sharing.
You did a great job! I love the outcome and your decoration. It looks beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.
Love your decor project because i am a big fan of white and always appreciate it.
It’s worth doing, Nancy. I mean you’ve done a good job and look at the result, it’s awesome. Just follow what your head tells you to do especially when it turns out to be great at the end. You know what, I really adore your bedroom suite makeover.
I love the way you open your post, so lovely.
Your bedroom looks good after painting, so fresh and clean.
I often find it hard to decorate my house following this theme. But fortunately your post lightens me up.
Much love. 😉