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roomintheheart
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| Posted: June 25 2013 at 7:07pm | IP Logged
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I've been wanting to re-do our learning space so that we have a computer station for our desktop & laptop. I had hoped to get a nice-looking countertop to put across the tops of file cabinets (but attached to the wall for a built-in look).
Today, we hit the jackpot, so to speak. Dh's company was giving away desktops & file cabinets. We got enough to do the room  . The only problem is the surfaces are very white & industrial-looking, and the file cabinets are metal and also industrial-looking. Our school room is the front entryway to our house--the only door anyone ever enters. So I'd like for it to look nice.
I'd like to paint the room a pretty blue/turquoise--if anyone has a paint suggestion for that, I'm all ears. I'm terrible at color.
I'm thinking we'll have to change the carpet/curtains (since we saved $$ on the desks, we might be able to afford it). Any other ideas for making it look more homey and less industrial?
Our school space is basically just 1/2 of our front room. The other parts of the room are 1/4 front entry and 1/4 piano/music space. No room for pretty couches or anything like that.
TIA
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: June 25 2013 at 7:22pm | IP Logged
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You may be able to paint the file cabinets. I saw on Pinterest that someone painted them with chalkboard paint and used chalk to write what was in each draw. I'm sure the guys (or ladies) at the paint department at a home improvement store could recommend paint type for a metal surface.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: June 25 2013 at 7:34pm | IP Logged
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Check out the blog "House of Turquoise." There are certain shades of turquoise she has indexed by the specific paint. Benjamin Moore's Wythe Blue comes to mind as does Sherwin Williams Rainwashed, but I think she has others listed, too, and sometimes the paint color is simply included in the post if it is known. Seeing a variety of rooms painted a specific color can help a lot, imo.
I've seen a few different tutorials for painting file cabinets on Pinterest as well.
For the desktops, you might cover them in oil cloth. You might also look at the paint specific for painting laminate in kitchens and baths. Melamine is hard to paint well, but a specialty paint could work.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: June 25 2013 at 8:07pm | IP Logged
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when you want to soften a utilitarian look I tend to think of adding more texture.. so for instance, what about pressed flowers under some sort of plexiglas on the desktops? or fabric over the file cabinets? maybe cut to fit exactly from front to back and draped to the floor on the sides so that the drawers aren't impacted but a lot of it is covered.
Hang wires across the room and use clothes pins to hang the kids art so that you can change it up easily and the informality will help counter the more formal look of the desks and file cabinets.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 16 2013 at 12:08pm | IP Logged
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I just realized that in following the House of Turquoise blog I referenced above on Pinterest that she has a whole Pinterest page of blue and turquoise paint colors. 
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Kathryn
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| Posted: July 17 2013 at 11:14am | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
| so for instance, what about pressed flowers under some sort of plexiglas on the desktops? or fabric over the file cabinets? maybe cut to fit exactly from front to back and draped to the floor on the sides so that the drawers aren't impacted but a lot of it is covered. |
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This made me think of just getting decoupage and decoupaging the fabric onto the surfaces.  Esp. if you then added plexiglass on top of the desks it wouldn't come off or slide around. Pinterest and googling "paint metal file cabinets" or "how to disguise metal file cabinets" might get you some ideas too. Good luck!!
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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Kathryn
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| Posted: July 17 2013 at 11:18am | IP Logged
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CrunchyMom wrote:
| I just realized that in following the House of Turquoise blog I referenced above on Pinterest that she has a whole Pinterest page of blue and turquoise paint colors. |
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Ok, Lindsay...I came here to look for some links and not get off on a decorating tangent.  I'm telling myself...focus, focus, focus. However, my DD 14 that just got new bedding (and her own room) when we moved last year has been wanting to paint her walls turquoise so for her, I will thank you profusely for giving her something to drool over all afternoon. 
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Kathryn in TX
(dd 16, ds 15, dd 8, dd 5)
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roomintheheart
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| Posted: July 18 2013 at 9:41am | IP Logged
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Wow, the names of the paint colors helps me sooo much. I can never figure it out when I get to the store. Thanks!
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4 lads mom
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| Posted: July 18 2013 at 11:04pm | IP Logged
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Benjamin Moore’s “Icing on the Cake,” that’s my kind of color name!! It was beautiful!
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Another schoolroom decorating question
