Decorating DS bedroom

[mmmerangue]

I want to do this for his 2nd birthday (February). It is currently Housing Association Magnolia as we moved in when I was heavily pregnant and only did the essentials.

I'm thinking top half blue, bottom half green, with some of his favourite characters (most likely RaaRaa the Noisy Lion). Not going all out, just the walls decorated. Confident I can do the characters as I'm pretty arty, but I'm concerned about cost and time.

How far does a tester pot go? a metre square? how much do they cost per?

How long should I expect to need to paint the main walls and then each character? How long until it is safe for DS to sleep in there again with fumes and whatnot, can I do it in the morning leave windows open (obviously not the best in February but needs must) then let him back in in the evening, or should he stay at Grannies for a night? I'm guessing I'll need a day for the main colours then a day for the characters perhaps with a little outlining/details on a 3rd day if they don't dry well.

Advice please :)

God I wouldn't! He'll move on from RaaRaa in a few months and then where will you be!

Why don't you paint some canvasses with RaaRaa on? You could do a massive one and then do another when he's suddenly into something else.

Do you have a Wilkinsons or a B&Q near you?

They normally have lots of children's bedroom themed cartoon characters or generic themes, often just transfer / sticker style stuff that will peel off when they grow out of it (dinosaurs, flowers, footballs etc)

Thats not a bad idea :) I love RaaRaa too though :P

What else could I do then? Just leave Sky and Grass type walls but repaint canvasses every time he changes his mind?

I though about just doing each wall a bright block colour/ multicoloured 'bricks' too... hmmm. hmmmm. thinks*

No wilkos in Scotland as far as I'm aware I miss them so much from when I was at Uni, so stinking cheap! B&Q is 50 miles away there is a Homebase close by though...

Why not get some 'wall art' from eBay, they aren't a bad price and will save you loads of paint/time.

As for painting the walls - make sure it's not too dark or you'll make it feel small, I also think doing top & bottom different colours makes a room look small & 'busy'?!

You're maybe right Chipping. I would have done fairly pale sky and 'grass' green but it might be too much. His room is not a bad size considering we live in HA flat, but his window is in a corner and it can be dark on dull days.

Personally I'm not keen on the decals I've seen on eBay in the past they all looked like knock-offs, I do like the canvas idea though.

Anyone got the price of testers/ timeframe help? A canvas is easier to paint not in his room so probably wouldn't end up needing 3 days

Have a look on Homebase's & B&Q's websites to check out tester prices.

As for the time, no-one is going to be able to help you with that! I'm a complete & utter pain in the arse perfectionist, it would take me a very long time. Others either care less about it being exactly right or are much faster getting it just right ... you should know how long it would take you :)

Have another look at 'wall art' (rather than decals) and see what you think. Also B&Q etc do some that you could go and have a look at.

I'm with the others on not doing character & spit colour, dark colour walls as they are right in that his tastes will change & he will grow out of it all so quickly you'll be decorating again before you've even finished - i played safe with DDs room & it STILL didn't last her as long as hoped for - they do grow up so quickly.

Personally I would recommend decorating ahead of his age, cater for arts & crafts & science experiments, ie mess proof flooring & taste/age proof walls -

something like a blue vinyl flooring, with perhaps pale green walls - restful & soothing, but also light & fresh so won't darken his room - & maybe blue on the skirting & any shelving etc

use the diamond hard type paints that stand up to knocks & scribbling on & clean up with a wipe - I've found these last really well & you can wipe off his scribbling on them, which WILL come

Then maybe add something to one wall only - choose the wall that will darken the room the least & go mad - something that appeals to boys, but is ageless up to a point - space theme, jungle, desert, sea scape, school yard, park - that sort of thing - if you are arty, then buy the sort of spray paints used by graffiti artists & mask off the other walls & floor with masking tape & newspaper, use stencils too - you can find plenty online to print off - if you are worried about time - you can do this bit later & just leave the room plain with the coloured walls & flooring

if you are not arty, then look online to buy wall art - you can even find sites to print off A4 "tiles" of your own picture & pva them to the wall

also, that table cloth type cloth backed PVC you buy by the metre & comes in all sorts of fun designs makes fantastic VERY CHEAP & very durable wall paper - I have a 50s themed one on my kitchen wall - paste THE WALL with PVA & just stick it up, using a stanley knife to do any cutting in - again his scribbles & splashes just wipe off :)

THIS sort of thing

THIS

You match it up as you would wall paper, so buy extra to allow for that & you can use the left overs to make him a wipe clean matching bean bag cushion

Hah I have just bought a ton of vinyl matting for making a new cover for his highchair. Its great stuff lucky I have a sewing machine though wouldn't fancy sewing that stuff by hand! And enough spare to make a table cover for the table & chairs my mum got him for christmas!

Lots of lovely Ideas thanks rockinhippy

My 4 and 5 year old still love Raa Raa (as does my nearly-two year old) so I don't think it's a bad idea to go for, and everyone loves a lion and friends! :)

I used tester paint pots when I decorated my DD1's nursery many moons ago here and can't have used very many. Definitely better than buying big pots of paint that would go to waste.

I did mine on a blank canvas though, but I reckon if you sponged the colours on the background, then they wouldn't be too dark (maybe only on one wall).

Oh, and I did mine over a couple of days I think, but I was pregnant so I didn't need to rush. Think I could have done it in a day, but not without a 2-year old smudging it dry.

One night away at granny's would make it even more of a lovely surprise for him :)

Instead of testers, get white and add small quantities of acrylic paints. This is way the artist who did my boys rooms did to get the colours she needed. All in jam jars!

I already have white and lots of acrylic paint! Good idea!

Flubba yes he probably will get a stay at grannies, just to make it an extra surprise!