okay, so we attempt a "while you were out" for my DD's room......

[Kteacher]

..... the kids are at the beach with their grandparents till tomorrow. My daughter's room still has the original nursery wallpaper from when my oldest was born, almost 17 years ago DH and I figure since she's been asking for a new room, and it was her birthday yesterday, we'd redo her room while she was gone as a surprise. It's a small room, how hard could it be?

I spent the first day sorting through her stuff. Bad move- I kept finding things I couldn't bear to part with ( baby things all 3 kids had worn, pictures she'd drawn, her first barbie....... get the picture-me on the floor in her room surrounded by 100s of mementos I can't part with.......)

Day two:
Aaack! Took me all day to get the old wallpaper off and wash all the walls down so they would be ready for painting. DH promised to paint today, and put the bunkbeds together (they've been in a box in our basement for a year, right next to the toilet in a box for our second bathroom that's been started but never finished for almost 20 years, but I digress.....)

What's left to be done: paint the walls and trim, assemble bunkbed, but new bedding and accessories, and move all of her stuff out of her brother's room and back into her room. Can we do it? Stay tuned.........

p.s. if you see me on the boards, tell me to get back to work!!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

What you need is some DIS help.

OK, Who lives close to Kteacher?

Sounds great. Hope DD will approve.

 

[dtuleya]

What a wonderful surprise! Keep us posted.

 

[Pam]

Well...... it could get done if you had Teressa, Leslie, and of course, ANDREW to help you!!

do you ever wonder how they get so much done on those shows? They must have a crew of around 20 workign like mad just out of the camera's range!!

Good luck - and you shouldn't be reading this, you should be busy painting!

 

[Disneymoon04]

Sounds awesome! I just know she'll love it!

Now GOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[SillyOldBear66]

Hurrah for you!!!
This is so awesome!
DS went to camp the first week in June and we redid his room.

Keep in mind.....It was definitely worth it.....however...it was SO MUCH WORK!! I ended up taking off 2 days from work to finish.
I ran in to some problems with the border paper and another issue with latex vs. oil based paint. It ended up wonderful!


Make sure you take some pics of the work in progress!!
It feels great to look at the before, during, after......and the priceless look on your child's face....that's what makes it all worth while!

NOW GET BACK TO WORK!!!

 

[Duckfan]

We thought we would repaint dd bedroom while she was out....That's all too, just repaint. It was a small room and all we did is repaint and it took a day and a half so I am shaking my head in sympathy as you try to do so much more!!!! I didn't get around to cleaning out the extra stuff like I had hoped, she came home before I started and it is.......you can't get rid of my stuff!

 

[Rajah]

Sounds like fun! Good luck!

 

[bpr2002]

Wow a wonderful idea! Of course, I lived in fear that my mom would redo my room when I was young..but that's another story

I wish you luck and send you pixie dust!

 

[FOJMO]

I didn't notice if you mentioned how old your DD is? Cause, I know if I tried to do what you're doing anytime from about age 12 through now (17), she would KILL me!

She has things just the way she wants them and has definite ideas about decorating. Plus, I would be "invading her privacy."

If your DD is OK with what you're doing, that's great! But I know I'd wouldn't even attempt it with mine!

Good luck!

 

[minniecarousel]

One of my sisters & I are giving our other sister our services to re-do a room for her home office. Her birthday is on Monday & I just made up a certificate to give her.
Keep us posted on how it ends up! (these shows are so inspiring - but I agree, they can't show all the problems!)

 

[Kteacher]

Quick update : Went out to Linen's n things to find bedding, and nothing matched the paint sample DH gave me ( a bluish lavender). Came home, and Dh tells me I took the wrong paint chip. Get the right one- a light purple- back to linen's n things, and find sheets for the bunkbed, a cute print for the wall, sheers with purple and pink butterflies aqppliqued on them for the windo, and a hamper with purple flowers embroidered on the liner (BTW-she's 11, and her favorite color is purple). The room is painted and drying . Looks like we could get it done before the kids come back tomorrow afternoon

 

[dianeschlicht]

BE sure to post a picture when you're done!

 

[sherry]

Good luck, we did myDD's(20)room while she was in Ireland, but we had 2 weeks! It took me one week to clean up (she was warned that I was going to clean). She loved it when she got home. I'm sure your daughter will too.

 

[janette]

We did a "while you were out" last week for my DH. He was on a business trip a couple of days. We switched his office room and one of my DD's rooms. We didn't have to paint but had to get phone line, and furniture moved. Also put up lots of shelves for all his stuff.

We didn't get it all done but he was still suprised. Also waited for him and let him move his computers. There are some things that I just wasn't going to risk messing with.

Now we are doing the room he moved out of, another experience. We got some painting done the other night but only because my DD's spilt a can of paint and I had to use it someway.

 

[Kteacher]

Another update!: Took the bunkbed out of the box ( all our home improvement projects languish in boxes for a minimum of one year)- good news! the wood on it is finished, so we don't have to paint it I'm celebrating with a watermelon margarita right now The room is completely painted, including trim. DH is going to shampoo the carpet tonight, assemble the bunkbed in the morning, and then it's my job to put everything back in the room so it looks nice

 

[wdwnutze]

What a great birthday surprise! I'm sure your dd will love it. Sounds like the perfect room for an 11yo.