Guest Bathroom Update – Paint, Paint, and More Paint

The weather here is still abysmal, and I haven’t been able to start on even the front porch demo for the One Room Challenge.  Instead, I am using my time to obsess over the details in the guest bathroom. Keep in mind that this bathroom is the one that our son will use when he comes home from college. He cares not about matching towels, perfectly painted floors, and rose-scented hand soap. Oh well, at least I am having fun.

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The brand of paint I chose for this room was Sherwin-Williams. We prefer to use moderately priced, high-quality paint, and SW fits that requirement. For reference, we have used mostly Valspar Reserve, Behr Premium Plus, and Benjamin Moore Regal Select for our projects.

The common saying is that paint is cheap. That’s true, but if you are painting nearly every surface of a 4500+ square foot house, the cost adds up. In March, Sherwin-Williams sent me a great coupon in the mail, so I jumped on the promotion and tried some new-to-me products in their line. I thought I would pass along my experience with the ProClassic and Porch and Floor paint.

I am lucky enough to have a friend on Instagram, Erin, who is a Sherwin-Williams store employee. She is passionate about their products. As I was working, she patiently answered all of my questions, and she offered some professional advice for this post.

Before I launch into the info, it is worth noting that I did the same prep in this room that I always do. First, I washed every surface with a tsp-substitute. Then, I filled in the imperfections and primed everything except the floor with my favorite oil-based primer. The fact that I did not prime the floor may come back to haunt me, but I will fess up to my mistake if a problem comes to pass. Until then, no news is good news.

ProClassic

The ProClassic line is formulated specifically for doors and trim. I wanted a tough, glossy finish for the wainscoting and trim, and this paint did not disappoint. I am delighted with the outcome.

For Best Results

• ProClassic paint is thicker than conventional paint, and it dries lightning fast.  It needs to be worked quickly without dragging the brush over previously painted surfaces. Attempting to rework the wet paint will create bristle marks and a rough surface. The only way to fix that is to sand the marks off once the paint is dry. No fun!
• A high-quality soft bristle brush is a must. The brush marks are visible at first, but this paint levels nicely and most of the brush marks disappear as long as the coat of paint is thin and even.
• If the paint feels just too thick for your comfort, thin it ever-so-slightly with a bit of water. Start by adding one tsp of water per quart, and mix well. Add more if necessary. Note: this tip is my own, and SW does not necessarily approve it. I used full-strength paint on the wainscoting, but I thinned it for the trim and molding to work through the job a little faster.

The ProClassic comes in three different sheens satin, semi-gloss, and gloss. For our project, I chose gloss.

Porch & Floor Enamel

I did not have any huge needs or expectations for the floor paint. I wanted a durable, low-sheen finish that was easy to apply. Mission accomplished. I used a soft-bristled angled brush around the edges and a four-inch foam roller for everything else.

This paint brushed and rolled on like a dream. The color was beautifully even, and there was almost 100% coverage with just one coat. I was pleasantly surprised. Note: For the full project, I used three light coats.

For Best Results

• Porch & Floor enamel dries very quickly to the touch. However, per the SW info sheet, it cures completely for foot traffic in three days and furniture and rugs in seven days. Plan accordingly.

The Porch & Floor is only available in a satin sheen.

I opted to do a fun stripe around the perimeter to add some interest to the basic grey and white color scheme.

To create the stripe:

First, I painted the general area where I wanted to stripe to be white, and let it dry.

Then, I placed the Frog Tape on top of the white an equal distance from the wall all the way around the room, paying particular attention to the 90-degree angles.

Next, I rolled the grey paint over everything including the Frog Tape. When that had been dry for about two days, I peeled the Frog Tape away slowly to reveal the white stripe.

Unfortunately, because the white paint was not fully cured before I placed the Frog Tape, some if it peeled away when I removed the tape. I touched up everything with a narrow brush and a steady hand. If I do this type of project again, I will let my base color cure fully before taping.

Clawfoot Tub Feet

I did not use Sherwin-Williams paint on the clawfoot tub feet, but I thought this was a good post to sneak in their makeover too.

I used Americana Decor Metallics 24K gold paint from Michael’s. It is made for furniture and craft projects. It seemed like a reliable low-priced, small quantity option.

Two coats looked nice, but three were even better.

I went back and forth in my head about choosing gold vs. silver, but I think gold was the right choice. This entire room is a little on the cool side, and the gold feet add a touch of warmth.

The guest bathroom is almost ready for its big blog reveal. I just need to finish the window restoration and the bath caddy that I am making. Both projects are well on their way to completion.

Until then, here are a few parting shots of the freshly painted bathroom:

Do you have additional tips for painting a stripe on the floor? How do you feel about decorating with stripes? Also, do you think I made the right call choosing gold over silver? Let me know in the comments.

PS: The SW colors pictured are Pure White and Roycroft Bronze Green. The wallpaper is from the Magnolia Homes collection. It is Olive Branch print in the charcoal colorway. You can read all about how we hung the wallpaper here: Guest Bathroom Update – Wallpaper