Master Bedroom Makeover

In May, I started a "mini" makeover of our master bedroom. I was ready to say goodbye to the overall brown and blue color scheme, and say hello to pops of color and a more modern feel. My goal was to keep expenses low (it usually is), to make use of what I already had and to incorporate some new must-haves (like window treatments). 

First, lets take a look at the BEFORE. (Sorry, these photos aren't the greatest and the lighting is poor, but it adds to the "before" feeling, right?) The walls are light blue and chocolate brown, even though they appear to be different colors.

At the time, I really liked the brown and blue combination. It was cozy but the dark brown actually made the room feel smaller. I am officially over accent walls. Our comforter set had a flourish pattern which I temporarily covered with a pale blue duvet. I wanted something more versatile and neutral. 

Now let's look at the AFTER! 

Isn't it pretty now? So much lighter, brighter and airy feeling. We used the same light blue paint (Sherwin-Williams "Rain") to cover the brown walls and re-paint the wall with the branch mural on one side of the room (so 3 out of the 4 walls were painted). That made the biggest difference right away. 

Here are some of the details:
My painted coral nightstands have a home! They really add that pop of color and incorporate the coral color palette for the whole room. 

The grey reversible down-alternative comforter from JCPenny is one of my favorite purchases because it's so comfortable, versatile and it kept going on sale so I got it for a great price. I purchased 3 smaller accent pillows/pillow covers and I made simple envelope covers for the euro pillows I already had with $7 worth of fabric.

The Umbra Urna Double Curain Rod was also a purchase from JCPenny.com that was well worth it. It has two rods so you can hang sheers and panels with out having to mess with two separate rods. Installation was by far the easiest I've ever experienced. It's sturdy and elegant. 

The window curtains are actually 2 shower curtains that I found at Target and added large rings to. More to come on that project. I seem to gravitate to Ikat pattern and the dark blue is so pretty against the light blue walls. I guess I don't like to use typical curtains - like the time I made our shower curtain out of a table cloth. I'm a believer in customizing things to fit your needs - and saving money while doing it! 

The white dresser was a thrift store find for $20! Jackpot! I like it in our room, but I may  move it to the baby's room to use as the changing table. I just love saying "baby's room".

I found the small gold sunburst mirror at Pier 1 and was able to use a gift card I'd been holding onto. It's a metal "real" version of the large sunburst mirror I made for our living room.  

The botanical prints and wall art collage are a combination of re-purposed frames, simple artwork I printed or made and creative arrangements of things I had around the house. The rope mirror and small initials are from Hobby Lobby (with coupons, of course). 

The charming pair of vintage lamps were a gift from my Aunt Evelyn that I'd been holding onto for years. They just needed new shades. Aren't they adorable? They used to sit on her and my Uncle Pete's bedroom dresser and I commented one time during a visit that I liked them, and she gave them to me a few years before she passed away. They're even more special to me now. 

Our biggest splurge was a new mattress and new sheets. They're so comfortable! It's definitely worth the investment if you've been neglecting your bedroom. I find that people don't usually put as much effort into their bedroom because "no one sees it." Except, the truth is, you see it everyday and it should be an inviting and restful environment where you can be refreshed and enjoy spending time in. 

Pinterest definitely played a role in helping me narrow down the style I wanted and collecting inspiration and ideas that I wanted to incorporate. My bedroom pin board was especially helpful when I was shopping because it kept me on track while I was looking for the right elements and sticking to a color palette.

That's a look at our "new" master bedroom. I just love how it turned out! It took some time, careful shopping and creativity but it was well worth it.

Nightstand Makeover

Hello friends! I am a bit behind on sharing a few recent projects that have to do with our bedroom makeover. One of which, I was pretty excited about. This pair of mismatched nightstands. I found the white one on the side of the road (trash night), therefore it was *FREE*. It was in rough condition but the shape was so pretty. It just needed some love! I found the wood one, of similar size and style, at the flea market last summer for three dollars. $3! 

They both sat, untouched for over a year until I decided I would make them pretty and use them in our bedroom. They definitely needed some sanding, new paint and a pop of color.

At first, I tried bold blue, but it just wasn't right. I kept seeing beautiful coral night stands on Pinterest and that's was I wanted to incorporate into our bedroom color palette.

I landed on "Coral Bell" as the winning color. I really like it! Painting them the same color definitely makes them look "less different" and more harmonious. Such a stunning transformation. I'm not afraid of color, as you know from my yellow china cabinet.

Stay tuned for more projects from my bedroom makeover and the big reveal. It's about 95% done.

Side Table Facelift

Confession #1: I really don't like painting furniture. In fact, I hate painting furniture. But I still always want to, because the results are so amazing. It's usually worth the effort in the end.

Confession #2: I admit to curb-side shopping (also known as garbage picking). I prefer to think of it as thrifty repurposing. This darling little side table was one such find from a certain neighbor's trash night. I saved it! There was nothing wrong with it, just some dust and light wear and tear. Perfectly good junk treasure, I say! 

It sat in my kitchen for a couple years, holding a basket of snacks and cookbooks. Plain 'ol boring brown wood. I often thought about painting it.

Then, when I started assembling and styling my home office, I needed a little side table next to my reading chair. Something small that wouldn't take up much space, but big enough to hold a coffee mug, yet be decorative. I wish you could have seen the light bulb that went on in my head. 

This curbside salvage was a perfect fit! And it was time to dress it up with some quick color. 

Did you know that Home Depot sells 8oz paint samples for $2.94? Did you know that a little jar like this can paint a couple of small projects? It does. I painted one coat on this table and one coat on a large wooden frame and only used about half of it. Yeah! I used flat paint in the color "venus teal". A nice dusty aqua/teal/gray. It covered really well too. 

Next time you have a small painting project, you could buy one of these samples in your choice of color, instead of buying a whole quart or gallon. This secret almost makes me want to paint another piece of furniture sitting in my basement...

Painted Red Chandelier

One of the first home office projects I couldn't wait to try, was painting a chandelier a bright bold color. What's bolder than red, right? My challenge was to find a second hand chandelier on the cheap that I wouldn't be afraid to paint (or mess up). It took some time scouring thrift shops and Craigslist to find the right one. 

I hit the jackpot when I found this light fixture on Craigslist, new, still in the box, for $12! It was the perfect size, just not the color I had in mind. 

Faux bronze chandelier, meet glossy red can of spray paint. This paint really gave it a high gloss lacker look, which I have been seeing everywhere lately. 

I rigged up a spray painting setup in the backyard, using a shepherds hook to suspend the chandelier. I covered the electrical cords with a plastic bag and stuffed paper into the sockets. 

It took 3-4 coats of the glossy red paint to completely cover every nook and cranny. I instantly loved it! 

I couldn't wait to see it in the new room. Andrew helped me switch out the old fixture and install this beauty.The cord and chain were a bit tricky but we made it work. I chose to use round light bulbs to make it a little more modern. This room used to be somewhat dark, but now there's tons of light! This little chandelier is both beautiful and functional. So bright! 

These are some chandeliers (found via Pinterest) that inspired me to even try such a dramatic project. I just love the fun pop of color and interest that it adds. 

If you have an old chandelier hanging around (pun intended) or find one at a thrift shop, don't be afraid to give it new life. It's amazing what spray paint and new bulbs can do!

Home Office Makeover Reveal

It's the moment I've been waiting for! I know some of you have been anxiously waiting to see my big office makeover reveal. I've been putting the finishing touches on my completely transformed space for the last couple of weeks and I absolutely LOVE it! The room is dramatically different. Every inch of it was updated, right down to the carpet. It really is a dream come true! I'm so happy with the way everything turned out and I have many DIY projects to share with you. First, I want to say a huge thank you to my home renovating partner in crime, my husband, Andrew. He's the muscle and brains behind my madness and I couldn't have done it without his help and support! 

Let's take a quick look at the BEFORE. There was old green carpet, dark teal walls, a variety of furniture throughout the years and a lack of storage and workspace. You can see more of the way it used to look here and here.

Without further ado, this is what it looks like NOW!

Sitting in the armchair with that pretty pillow and newly painted side table is my new favorite spot. I'm over the moon for the red chandelier. I made 3 different types of message boards - framed cork, burlap with nail head trim and a chalk board. We gave the room new paint. I reupholstered my old desk chair that I was about to kick to the curb. We built a 10 foot desk. We purchased and assembled 3 cabinets. I brought new life to items I already had around the house. I sewed, glued, spray painted, sanded, stained, shopped, styled and imagined my home office from start to finish. It was so worth it! 

I now have more storage than I know what to do with (we'll see how long that lasts). I feel inspired and organized. I have plenty of room to work, create and relax. Some days I just sit in there and look around. I am so blessed to have this space and the means to turn it into something functional and beautiful.

It was a really fun project! I have lots to share about how I did it and how I was able to use existing, found, thrifted and new items to create a cohesive room. Thank you for being patient while I dedicated my extra time to this project. I hope you enjoy looking around!