Looking for a colorful idea for a wall treatment? Why not make your own DIY shutter wall with multi-colored shutters. This wall is such a conversation piece.

DIY shutter wall before

Don’t you love a post with a room that starts like this?

You know that it can only get better from here.

I’m so excited to be partnering with Sherwin-Williams today to showcase the 2016 color of the year in a room I designed for my daughter.

I think it’s one of my favorite transformations ever—especially since it features the DIY shutter wall.

But before we get to the after and the new room and the color of the year and the ceiling to floor transformation….

….let’s take a look at where it all began.

This is what the room looked like when we bought the house complete with blue shag carpeting.

DIY Shutter wall Room before

Here’s kind of an in-between picture.

We started by ripping up the carpeting and painting the floors SW 7655 Stamped Concrete.

The walls are still white and the trim is the original paint color that has faded to gray.

room before wall

Here’s another picture with better lighting so you can see the floor color a little better.

And now?

There’s a little more color in the space.

Just a little. 🙂

Drum roll please………………..

shutter bedroom

Here’s the after.

Can you believe it’s the same space?

Don’t you love the DIY shutter wall?

It’s part of the whole set of musical rooms that are going on here at the house.  Moving the people that used to be upstairs downstairs and people that were upstairs downstairs and trading rooms and spaces and redecorating every square inch of the bedrooms.

chalkboard

This used to be the guest room.

And now?

Now it belongs to a downstairs middle schooler who went all fancy and moved herself and her dreams of an apartment in the sky upstairs.

diy shutter wall colorful room

You should have seen her face when she first saw it.

She helped move all the furniture out and gave me a list of instructions on what she wanted in her space and informed me that she was not really that little anymore now that she had moved to middle school and she didn’t want it to look like a room of an elementary schooler.

She was worried.

She didn’t think I had this.

diy shutter wall in room

We started by painting the room the 2016 SW Color of the Year, SW 7008 Alabaster.

Just between us….I was all about SW Alabaster before it ever got any awards.

It’s the most amazing white with a hint of gray and it coordinates so well with color.

Beautiful, brilliant, amazing colors.

DIY shutter wall diy

Make your own DIY shutter wall

See how to make your own shutter wall here.

And here are the colors that we used:

We used SW 6197 Aloof Gray

and SW 6758 Aquaduct

and  SW 6597 Hopeful

and Sherwin-Williams 2015 color of the year SW 6606 Coral Reef.

mirror

We painted the bed and hung the curtains and added new furnishings and lamps and colorful organizers and mirrors and made everything look like someone who was old enough to pay full price to get into the movies lived there.

And after we were finished, I called her name and took her hand.

And opened the door and walked her into the space.

painted shutter wall diy

She opened her eyes and looked around carefully with the air of someone who is trying to act like they aren’t excited but they really are because she read in a book somewhere that teenagers had to play it cool.

She walked around the room slowly.

Not saying a word.

She looked at the pouf and looked at the rug and the curtains and the desk and the chalkboard and the mirror and the chair that looks like it came from the Jetson’s apartment.

desk supplies

And then she turned and jumped and spun around and let her old elementary self show for just a minute.

She told me she loved it and ran into my arms and hugged me and then as if she couldn’t even help herself, she smiled that precious, wonderful, incredible smile I’ve known since she was born.

And as I walked out of the room, she plopped herself on her bed and kicked her feet against the shutter wall and started texting.

Just like a teenager. 🙂

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Comments

  1. Image for Susan Susan

    I love the rug...where did you get this??? Oh yes and the Jetson chair?? I just know they were TJ Maxx or Lowes or HomeGoods or J C Penney or some place that is also in my budget!! Room looks awesome....think my grandkids would love this one! I may have to go to Sherwin Williams today.

  2. Image for Nan, Odessa, DE Nan, Odessa, DE

    Love it! You have added another memory and that is what life with children is ABOUT Happy for you. Now tell me about how you painted and hung the shutters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plaster wall? Dry wall? My next favorite is the banner. I love, love banners. Give us a tutorial on painting the shutters and making the hanner. The spread is just great too. Enjoy your post every day and always waiting for the next one.

  3. Image for Cherie Cherie

    KARI ANNE! *ALABASTER* is my absolute favorite color that I have been using for years and never get tired of it! It is the perfect white! So warm and creamy! LOVE that shutter wall! You are so clever! You did an amazing job - I would be giddy and texting my friends as well!!!!

  4. Image for Karen Karen

    Yep Karianne - You've done it again gotta go get my hankie.....and yes the white Jetson's chair...so spill....where DID you find it??????? Adorbs!!!! Karen

  5. Image for Michelle Rudis Michelle Rudis

    Wonderful transformation! Your story took me WAY back to a high schooler who didn't want to hurt her mom's feelings because she wasn't really into the pink-everything that had been her room all through grade school and middle school. I showed Mom a really adorable Bohemian style bedroom from my Seventeen Magazine and she made it happen -- right down to the beads that became the closet door! I thought Mom was the best Mom anyone could ever have and that no one had a mom like mine, and I'll bet dollars to donuts your little girl thinks the same about you ;-)

  6. Image for Doreen @ Hymns and Verses Doreen @ Hymns and Verses

    Honestly, I didn't think you could make that guestroom any better - I was kinda in love with it before!!! But, you've won me over! That room - sigh! I want to be a teenager and move it and have sleepovers there! You're the best mom a teen girl could have!!! Lots of wonderful memories will be made in this gorgeous space!

  7. Image for SuzyMcQ SuzyMcQ

    Brilliant! Don't you just love these moments? Your girls remind me so much of mine....sweet and so special. Mine is expected home from college in just a few days and your post reminded me so much of our relationship when she was that age. We've had ups and downs, but the closeness we shared during that time continues and is one of my life's biggest blessings.

  8. Image for Jaimee Jaimee

    I love starting my morning viewing a lovely space. Your daughter's room exudes "happiness" in every way! Love the idea of painting the shutter wall- the colors remind me of ice cream trucks, the circus, and middle school girls giggling. So fun and pretty!!

  9. Image for Maureen Maureen

    Holy Canolie! Outdid yourself again KariAnne. Can't wait for my 5 granddaughters to see this. Two are also in middle school (in Canada we call it Junior High).

  10. Image for Jacqueline Jacqueline

    Looks like the perfect teen room! Just curious if you used both magenta and coral in the room or if it's just the lighting that makes it look that way?

  11. Image for Diane and Dean DIY Diane and Dean DIY

    Wow, KariAnne! I have never seen shutters on the wall like this. I am literally looking around the house now trying to see where I can do this. Love all the color combinations you chose. This is a beautiful project. I am sure your daughter adores it.

  12. Image for Sheila Sheila

    What a cool room. We have a tween grand and she saw a navy blue room in a PB catalog. After wanting glitter and each wall a different color we jumped on the navy! She has very light color carpet and white woodwork. I am looking for just the right splashes of color for some zing! Ha. She will be in middle school next year...and she is already making life plans for after the fifth grade. Ha! Enjoy those girls....and boys. In a blink they will leave the nest. Sheila

  13. Image for Nancy @ Slightly Coastal Nancy @ Slightly Coastal

    Kairanne...do you find yourself walking crooked? Always veering to the right? Do you have to rest your right ear on your right shoulder to give your neck a brake? You must...because the right hemisphere of your brain has to be huge after this room makeover (it controls creativity). This bedroom is filled with your creativity and it is awesome! The bright colors, the shutter wall, the too cool for school chair, and your daughter's reaction...priceless. Thanks for exercising my amygdala every day! (It controls emotion). Blessings! Nancy

  14. Image for Cindy Brown Cindy Brown

    Wow, what a transformation and such a lucky girl to have such a talented Mom! Love those colors and every single thing in that room! Rock Star Awsome!!!!

  15. Image for bj bj

    TOTALLY AWESOME.... my question, after watching the video, did you take them all down to paint and then put them back...Too hard to paint different colors while ON THE WALL, I'd think.

  16. Image for Winnie Winnie

    So cute - lucky girl!!! I'd be so afraid of those colors, but you, for sure, know how to make them work!! It just makes you feel good!

  17. Image for Angie M Angie M

    Oh my goodness! That is one beautiful bedroom! I'm sure she was absolutely delighted!!! I LOVE the mix of colors. It's so vibrant and happy.

  18. Image for Brook Brook

    Shutter Wall...What the What!??? How Awesome! I want one too! What a lucky girl to have you for a mama KariAnne!

  19. Image for Mary Lynn Beshara Mary Lynn Beshara

    You did it again Mom! It's a knock-out. Love those drapes. Actually love the whole room. So scary how fast they are growing. Thanks for making me smile today. Mary Lynn

  20. Image for Lanita Anderson Lanita Anderson

    So pretty.....and bright!! The perfect room for a teenage girl!! I'm showing my age here, but I love the "Jetson chair" and seem to remember seeing one in their home! I also love the hot pink pouf!! Thanks for sharing....

  21. Image for Sheila F Sheila F

    Just watched the shutter wall "how to" video showing that the shutters were hung BEFORE they were painted. I have a few questions. 1- Did you take each shutter off of the wall in order to paint them? 2- Were they sprayed, or hand painted? Love the colors and the texture the shutters bring to her room!

  22. Image for Jessica Jessica

    This room is just stunning. And that shutter wall is such a wonderful statement piece in the room. I can't even come up with words to describe how stunning, girly, yet sophisticated this room is! Love!

  23. Image for dawn@joyfulscribblings dawn@joyfulscribblings

    I love how your daughter's room turned out! Your shutter wall is so fun and unique! I've been doing lots of rearranging and repainting as well. I just had my living room/entryway painted aloof gray and my office is magnetic gray.

  24. Image for Nan Swenson Nan Swenson

    Love the room, so colorful! And the shutter wall! Just two question, what kind of room does the other twin have? How do you decide who gets theirs done first? Nan

  25. Image for Marie at The Interior Frugalista Marie at The Interior Frugalista

    Wow, what's not to love about that fabulous space! So clever creating a shutter wall...even more clever to paint it in vibrant colors that complement one another so nicely. Enjoyed and studied your video closely, not so much to see how you put the room together but to see how you put the video together. I'm a newbie at blog videos so I'm learning the ropes from the pros!

  26. Image for Linda Linda

    So fun for her! Love it. So would my Meg. Hers is almost done. Amy wanted all white nad grey. Can't get over white as the color of the year! As one who live in army quarters for years, I resist this!! The walls only came in white. To paint them meant hassle and possibly fines when you moved. Bright red hearts are really hard to sand off and cover up!!

  27. Image for ananda ananda

    such a gorgeous and blissful room!!! can't believe i almost missed it! love the turquoise and orange shutter wall, and the beautiful colors and patterns! you are amazing Karianne!!!

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