Yesterday I mentioned that we’d just launched our first project of the year. Today I want to share what that project is — a small attic bedroom makeover that’s already in motion.
This space used to be our oldest son’s room. He moved to another province last July, and today happens to be his 20th birthday. (Happy Birthday, Brad!) When he came home for Christmas he gave us his full blessing to refresh the room however we wanted, and that permission turned into instant momentum for the project.
He’d claimed “dibs” on this room the moment we moved into the house; the window looking out over the ocean sealed the deal for him. For years he sat by that window watching the jumping fish and the mischievous raccoons that visit our yard. That view made the room special to him, and it made it easy for us to imagine how we wanted to honor that feeling while updating the space.
In its “before” state the room was a combination of sponge-painted drywall and dark-stained fir boards. The built-ins and wall treatments gave it a cozy, rustic character — exactly the look he insisted he loved “just. the. way. it. was.” Still, after years of use and the move, it felt like the right time to modernize the finishes while keeping the warmth that made the room his.
He was especially attached to the dark wood, and for a while he wondered why anyone would ever want to paint it. Deep down, though, he knew we’d likely update the surfaces eventually — and this winter he confirmed he was fine with whatever direction we chose.
With his blessing, we began work. The first visible step was priming, and once the primer went on there was no turning back — the room finally began to feel like a blank canvas ready for new finishes, paint, and thoughtful updates that will respect the room’s character while giving it a fresher, lighter appearance.
Preparing an older room for transformation involves more than paint. The floor needed attention after years of use and a few youthful adventures. I spent nearly two hours vacuuming and scrubbing, removing hidden debris and bits of past projects. It felt like danger pay might have been in order for the number of stray darts I found tucked down between the boards.
The gaps between the floorboards even captured a few air-soft pellets over the years, which made the clean-up a bit more amusing than it was pleasant — and, truthfully, those darts came in handy when carefully prying out some of the lodged debris. Little discoveries like that are part of what makes home renovation interesting: the room tells its own history while you gently coax it into a new life.
We’re approaching this attic bedroom makeover with a clear goal: preserve the charm that made it Brad’s favorite place while updating surfaces and finishes so the room feels lighter, cleaner and more contemporary. That means careful priming, appropriate cleaning and preparation, and thoughtful choices when it comes to paint and any new fixtures or hardware. We’ll continue sharing progress photos and practical insights as the project moves forward.
Thanks for following along — and if you have ideas for updating built-ins, working with dark wood, or refreshing a coastal-view bedroom, I’d love to hear your suggestions as we transform this sentimental space into a refreshed, livable room that still honors the view and the memories.
