5 years on from participating in my first One Room Challenge and here I am transforming my home office into a cozy retreat for a teen boy.
Not familiar with the One Room Challenge? It provides an enthusiastic and supportive forum to share the process of transforming a room in your home in just six weeks. A little bit of accountability goes a long way!
If you are new here I’m Jane and I live in a 3 bedroom double brick1970’s home in Perth, Australia with my hubby and 4 kids.
How Things Have Changed…
I can’t believe I started with 3 kids in one bedroom, went to a shared boys bedroom and now… the boys (11 and 12 years old) are getting a room each!
You might not believe it from the fact that pretty much ALL of our house is white/beige. Though I do have pale green walls in our master bedroom. We are going DARK TEAL with the wall colour in this bedroom!
Before wall color is Hog Bristle by Dulux


Would I choose a dark wall color in a small bedroom? Hubby and I both said no!
However our teen looked at the paint chip below and was enthusiastic about going a lot darker than the original Porter’s Hailstorm I wanted. (Ha, Ha – and THAT color was already out of my comfort zone!)




Go Home Or Go Bold!
This teal color is Gulf Stream by Porter’s Paints.




I know the general thinking is that light colors make a small room look bigger.
But apparently, dark paint can make a small room feel bigger too. Dark colors absorb light rather than reflect and so tend to blur the edges of the walls. This draws your attention to the furniture and decor and makes the room feel more expansive.
Should bedrooms be light or dark?
You definitely don’t see as many bedrooms painted dark. But there is no right or wrong with bedrooms. A dark bedroom is better for sleeping, a light bedroom for daytime use.
I have been noticing lately how the bedrooms in tiny homes are often placed in the darkest part of the home. Sometimes with no access to natural light. Makes sense!
Is teal a good color for a bedroom?
I personally love teal as a color! I wear teal colored tops, we have teal cushions in our living room, and even use teal towels. One of the kids had dark teal curtains until recently, which I replaced with white. Of course!
There are several ways you can add teal to a bedroom. Make teal the accent color with bedding, artwork or other decor. Add a teal feature wall or paint the whole room in a teal color (light or dark). What is your favorite?
What colors do teal go with?
Teal is a combination of green and blue. It goes great with oranges, coral, pink shades as well as neutrals like white, brown and greys.
Painting A Teal Bedroom
Sometimes you really don’t know if you will like something until you’ve actually tried it. I thought I liked lighter wall colors but I have never had a dark bedroom so really I don’t know.
First coat of paint always looks terrible!




Being open to something new is one way of discovering whether you do like something after all. I don’t ever want to become someone that stops trying new things or experimenting.
Plus, it’s just paint!
3rd coat of paint. So far we like it!



