Bedroom Grows from Toddler to Teen

When a little one was ready to graduate from his toddler bed to a big kid bed, it meant it was also time to take his bedroom walls from baby blue to a more mature hue that he could grow into. In addition to changing the color of the walls, it was time to cover up the marker doodles that had somehow jumped from the kid-sized art table to the wall.   

To ensure the new deep ocean blue paint color would last for years to come, and also to tackle the felt marker stains on the wall, we started with KILZ 2® All-Purpose Primer. This water-based primer is a great multi-surface sealer and stain blocker, up to the challenge for light and medium stains. KILZ 2 also offers excellent adhesion, creating an ideal base for the new topcoat paint color. When priming over medium stains such as crayon or marker, it’s normal to still see a bit of the stain through the primer coat once dried. Don’t worry! The primer is still blocking the stain and it should not be visible through the topcoat of paint.

Once the primer was applied and allowed to dry, it was time to paint! We chose a deep ocean blue, BEHR Premium Plus® in Laguna Blue, that would work well in the new big kid bedroom and also be a shade he’d be sure to like as a teenager.  A vibrant red bed frame, colorful bedding and whimsical artwork created a fun and welcoming space, while a chalk painted bookshelf added much needed storage for books and toys. If you’re interested to learn more about upcycling furniture with chalk paint, head over to this recent post.  

Fast forward to his teen years and the bedroom was in need of another update – bit this time around we did not need to prime or paint, since the ocean blue walls were still looking great! Bringing in new furniture was all that was required to take this space from kid-like to teenager approved. A new wood bed, neutral bedding and contemporary artwork gave the space a whole new look and feel. And the space wouldn’t be complete without a modern wood and metal desk and coordinating chair, a perfect spot to study at home.

Always remember to refer to our website kilz.com or product back labels for additional information on which primer is right for your project and detailed instructions on how to apply our products.