master bedroom makeover...for free!

master bedroom before

Last weekend I had an opportunity to do a fun three-hour redesign for a client. Her husband was out of town for the week, but is preparing to deploy for Iraq after the holidays. Understandably, she wanted a serene and romantic space for their master bedroom before then. The bed is missing a headboard, and the room had the unique challenge of being in a basement and therefore having a ledge surrounding most of the room. I think I turned these features into an asset by using the ledge as a headboard and having it be a staging area for candles and flowers. Here it is...

Master Bedroom after

We did absolutely no shopping for this space. We only used what my client already had in her home. We found a table from another room, lamps from other rooms, extra bedding that wasn't being used, and used flowers from her own front yard to complete the look. Wouldn't you love to see this room at night with all the candles lit? Stunning, I think.

other half of the room, before

The other end of the room was even more challenging, because my client really didn't have any bigger pieces of furniture available to create the sitting area of her dreams. Therefore, we went ahead and staged this space using what she has, but she has a shopping list for Craigslist and will be looking for a few larger pieces.

After

We took an old chair from the garage (a "project" chair that is waiting to be revamped) and temporarily dressed it up with a throw and a pillow. Even though you can tell that more furniture is needed, the space is still warmer and you can see that it is the beginning of a lovely sitting area. This is a good-sized master bedroom (what a blessing!) and my client has the following items on her shopping list for this space:

1. wood blinds - the 2" plantation ones in a warm wood finish (white will work if she can't find wood)

2. either two comfy upholstered chairs or a small love seat.. A chaise lounge, possibly with a second chair, would work as well. 

3. a small end table

4. table lamp or floor lamp (for reading)

When I first saw the space, the ledge seemed like it could be a bit of a problem child. But as I got farther into the transformation, I realized the ledge could really be a unique asset. We raided the client's kitchen for a bunch of milk bottles, since that was something she had in multiples. I feel that repetition of a simple design element is a great way to fill a long shelf or ledge like this, without the overall look becoming cluttered. The great thing is, she can put just about anything in these vases. Cherry branches in spring, flowers in summer and fall, bare branches in the winter. SO fun.

To make the bed seem more luxurious, we mixed and matched and layered linens like crazy. Thankfully, the last few times the client has bought bedding, it's all been in a similar color scheme. As a result, she has several sets of sheets and duvets that all compliment each other. I used striped sheets, a toile quilt, and a mono-chromatic patterned duvet cover layered on this bed with a variety of throw pillows. I think the overall effect is soft, inviting, and elegant.

This just goes to show that it doesn't have to take a lot of money to get a new look in your home. Sometimes just a friend with a different perspective can be the catalyst to your next makeover. Or, of course, you can always call someone like me. :-)  I just love doing this kind of thing, and I've decided that master bedrooms are one of my very favorite rooms to makeover. Usually, for most of us, it's the last room to get any attention. It should be a safe and calming place...a bit of a sanctuary...but usually, it's not! I'm on a one-woman mission to change that for America. Well, okay, at least for Oregon. Oh, all right, for the Portland area. But yes, definitely on a mission to makeover the master bedrooms of Portland, one room at a time! ;-)

corner cupboard makeover

Here's just a little project I did recently. It only took me about twenty minutes, but I think the difference is great!

corner cupboard before 

I started with this white corner cupboard. Actually, when it was first given to me by my mom, it was navy blue. I promptly painted it white and put it in the girls' playroom. Fast-forward a year or two and it took on new life in my kitchen. However, it was pretty boring and I felt it needed more color...not to mention, I have a lot of white dishes that I'd like to display, but I felt that white dishes in a white cupboard would really be BOR-ing.

cupboard after

So, I whipped out some paint I had purchased for another project, and in about twenty minutes, had a whole new look! Just one coat did the trick. Now, the white dishes really stand out more, and I have more of my favorite color (turquoise) in the kitchen now!

answering a few of your questions...

Hi everyone. I will have another redesign to share with you soon...really, I will...but in the meantime, I've had a few questions about my master bedroom makeover that I thought I'd answer for you now.

Q: "I LOVE your round white framed mirror above your dresser and was wondering where you got it from?"

A: I hate to disappoint you, but I've had the mirror for probably seven or eight years! I purchased it long ago on clearance at Linens-n-Things. You gotta love clearance. And re-purposing things. I do anyway.

Q: "I was also wondering what shade of white you used on your walls… or did you just pick up a can of white paint? I’m wanting to paint my walls white and I’m not sure what shade to go with."

A: I chose Behr's "Moon Rise" in a flat enamel. I love Behr paint (Home Depot's brand) and the flat enamel helped play down the crazy texture on the walls and ceiling that used to drive me crazy. Now it's just sort of soft and hazy white. Flat enamel is also washable, which is nice. Although I must admit, I am not the wall-washing type.

Q: "Did you have trouble finding an all-white comforter?"
A: Nope. I went to my local Ikea and purchased their Alvine Medaljong duvet cover. It's all-white but with a woven jacquard detail that adds depth and detail when you look at it close-up.
 
Hope this helps! :-) Have a GREAT day!

a tale of two beds

...well, it's really just a tale of one bed that went through a little transformation and now looks like a different bed. Here was my bed before:

That's the only before shot I took, if you can believe it, because at the time this photo was taken, I wasn't planning to makeover the bed. I was just planning to paint the walls. And tidy up a bit! But then, while painting the ceiling, we sort of broke the bed and had to disassemble it anyway. That's when I decided to do this:

My hubby shot this picture of me through the front window, unbeknownst to me. Or I would have worn a fancier face mask or something. Anyway, I'm using a small circular sander to rough up the finish of the headboard.

'Ello. I'm feelin' hot.

Note: my hubby helped a HUGE amount with this process, even though when he came home from work for the weekend, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. (He just thought he'd come home to our bedroom painted a different color.) He took turns sanding the bed with me and then carried the bed up and down the stairs multiple times.

Then, the best part - which I don't have photos of! - is when he took his Saws-All and cut down the footboard for me! It had slats just like the headboard, but the footboard really divided the room and made our very small, narrow room seem even smaller. So we cut down the whole thing. I used wood putty to fill in the holes...he sanded it again...and after a coat of paint, it looked like it was supposed to be that way! Here's a closeup of what's left of the footboard:

And now the whole thing looks like this:

Notice anything missing? The bulky footboard is history. YES!

And here's a closer look at the finish on the bed. I just painted it with one coat of creamy white in a satin finish. Then, I sanded it by hand to get the exact level of distressing that I wanted. And the process was somewhat distressing, too...thought my arms would fall off. But, I got a new bed in the end...for FREE...so all's well that end's well!

And while I'm at it, I'll tell you about the 30-minute dresser re-do that same weekend. Here it is before...why I didn't even bother to close the drawer, I have no idea. It just goes to show that I had gotten accustomed to a certain level of chaos in that room. Very sad.

One of the most unloved-looking dressers ever. It was missing a knob and no one even cared.

I have to give my hubby props on this one, too, because he knows me so well. I wasn't going to spend any time on this dresser at all, because I didn't feel it was very good quality and not worth the effort. He said, "You know how you are...the whole room will be white except for this dresser, and it will drive you crazy." So I determined that IF I were to do anything to it, it would be a quicky and easy job. So I only spent about a half an hour - if that - and did a dry-brush technique (where I just swiped the brush over it with not a lot of paint on the brush). It kind of a gave it a look of old wood, I think.

And then my favorite part of the dresser is the new, vintage-style glass knobs. I just ran down to Home Depot and picked up these puppies and I LOVE them.

So here it is in the room. Much better, I think!

Okay, the baby's crying so I've gotta run. Stay tuned for some redesign pics from a new client, coming soon!!

*Edited to add: This is Part 2 of two posts. Read Part 1 here!

my {extreme} master bedroom makeover

So, the problem with posting about my master bedroom makeover is that I have to post "before" photos for you to truly appreciate the transformation. Darn those Before photos! This is the part where I wish the client had been someone besides...well, myself. Cause who wants to own up to having a bedroom that looked like this (below)?

Or this? Yes, those are flannel sheets covered with snowmen. What of it?

Before. I think someone broke in and beat my room with an ugly stick while I was sleeping.

After. Ahhh...Let's all breathe a sigh of relief, shall we?

This was the other end of the room, before. (do I have to say before? you know that, right?)

And now...do you hear the angels singing? I sure do!

This room went from being the embarrassment...the bane of my existence...the dirty little secret that none of my guests ever got to see (even my good friends!) to now...my FAVORITE room of the house! I keep inventing reasons to head up to my room, just to look around and soak it all in. It is truly a retreat for me now.

my former artwork now looks especially chic over my newly transformed bed. Yep, it's the same bed! But it's had a makeover of its own. I'll talk about that more in a later post.

This is the same orangey dresser as in the before pics! Also had a little makeover. In fact, anything that wasn't nailed down either got sold or had a makeover. (My husband had better watch out - he could be next.) ;-)

I guess this dresser is the same as before. Okay, ONE piece of furniture did not get a makeover. That's it.

Ikea chandelier. Ikea wardrobe. How could one store with such a little name, make such a big difference?

vintage french inspired bird print by thecraftyhome (a.k.a. Jen at Sanctuary Art blog)

This whole makeover was really kind of an accident! I had planned to re-paint the walls, that's it. After SEVEN paint samples I finally came to the realization that the room was evil and could turn any color into pink. My girlfriend Christa was my painting partner, and we had almost finished painting the room a light grey, but it didn't look right either. Partly as a joke I said, "Maybe I should just paint it all white." See, I've always been drawn to white interiors in magazines and blogs, but just haven't been brave enough to try it myself. So back to Home Depot we went - they knew us well by then - and bought a gallon of white paint. My first time ever, people. And from there...well, I could write a book about the things we learned painting this room. But that is a story for another post, another time.

Next thing you know, I'm cutting, sanding, painting, and distressing my bed all up. Next was my husband's dresser. Over the following week, we bought a new mattress (that's when the angels really started singing!), assembled a new wardrobe (I owe you bigtime, Christa!), bought and installed a chandelier. Oh, and entertained our families on Easter Sunday and baked and consumed the best coconut cake ever. (But that is, again, another post for another day!)

SO I really should have entitled this post "The Accidental Makeover on a Budget". Because I just thought I was going to re-paint a few walls. I didn't realize my life would feel transformed, because now I have a beautiful space to call my own. Happy sighs.

*Edited to add: this is post 1 of 2. Read Part 2 here!

paint the kitchen - check!

Okay, remind me not to paint again while pregnant. Not ever again. For some reason, it's just so much harder. (If nothing else, it makes me want to whine more.) Thank goodness for my mom - she's a Painting Machine. If it wasn't for her, I never would have gotten the project done. In all honesty, it's not actually done. There's still woodwork that needs a coat of glossy white paint - we primed it but haven't done the paint yet. Thankfully, it was white to begin with, so I can get away with primed woodwork for a little while yet. And I still have to scrape the paint off the windows. Oh, and put the outlet covers and switchplates back on. OKAY so it's not DONE done, but close enough! So, behold a kitchen in primary colors:

BEFORE...Now I feel I must say something to justify the horrific tablecloth in this picture. I'm well aware of the fact that it totally clashed with the walls. What's even worse - and if I didn't tell you, you wouldn't even know, so watch me open my mouth and insert my foot - it's vinyl. I know, I know. But I have little ones, and someone long ago painted this table in such a poor manner that food sticks to it like crazy. So it's much easier to clean if I keep a vinyl tablecloth on it as much as possible. Horrible, I know. But I'm a firm believer in having a house that is livable and realistic. And until we can get a new table, this is how we have to live. Scary.

AFTER...
Ah. That's better. It's now a very restful sagey-green color. It's got a tinge of gray in it which makes it almost a neutral - but a little more interesting than a complete neutral.

BEFORE...

AFTER...

Another reason it doesn't feel finished yet is that I have yet to accessorize it at all. I'm a little undecided if I want to keep the accessories to a simple white or throw in a few touches of orange to liven things up. (I'm talking just a few touches of orange.) I have seen several things on Etsy that I would love to buy for the walls, but alas, I'm afraid my recent spending sprees are over. I don't know, something about the complete financial ruin our country seems to be in, and my husband says I can't shop anymore. The nerve! Ah well, I suppose I'll have to be creative and use what I already own. Hmmm, if only I knew someone who was an expert at that sort of thing...

This is obviously the little dining area in our kitchen. I couldn't show you the rest of the kitchen yet, because it's too messy. I'm not kidding.

But for now - Auf Wiedersehn to the crazy navy blue and red scheme, HELLO to restful green. I choose this color because it coordinated nicely with our floor tiles (sorry, I didn't think to take a picture of those) and it's neutral enough that I shouldn't have to re-do it if we put our house on the market in a couple of years. And it's just plain lighter than what I had before. Apparently five years is my limit on how long I can live with the same paint color in a room. Unfortunately, since we painted every room of our house as soon as we bought it five years ago, I'm now ready for new colors in every single room. Ouch! Baby steps, Courtney, baby steps.

accessorizing walls and built-ins

Hello, friends. Crazy week. I mean crazy! Painting day on Monday was a success, although more work than I anticipated, so we only got the primer up. Tomorrow is actual paint day. Very exciting! Will definitely show pics once it's done. I decided at the last minue to repaint all the moldings, too, so that added a lot of work. It's an old house so we are blessed with lots of thick moldings around the windows and doors (everywhere, I guess) so it really added a lot more time than I thought it would. But, it will be worth it in the end!

For now, I thought I'd show you some little bits of small redesigns I did recently. These are not all the same client, just a few fun snapshots from smaller jobs I've done in the last couple of weeks. At the bottom, I get a little wordy about things quite unrelated to redesign, so feel free to stop reading when you get there. ;-)


BEFORE...


There's nothing inherently bad about this arrangement. It's just always troublesome to try to hang pictures in a straight line. They are usually not going to end up level (or if they are, you've driven yourself insane trying to get them that way). It's also a fairly random assortment of wallhangings, which means the gorgeous artwork gets a little lost. I recommended that the framed degrees went to their office area, the photo of the tree went to it's own wall in the living room, and the rest of this wall (in their dining room) became a family gallery.





AFTER...Now, the "family gallery" look is really complete, with this sign that we moved from the living room. Now it anchors this photo wall and brings unity. Can you find the frame that doesn't belong? This client was headed out as soon as I left to buy one to replace it! (Plus, you'll notice that some of these pics aren't hanging straight/level, due to their own hangers on the back being crooked. The best way to fix it? Find that sticky-tac stuff in the section where they sell hooks and wall anchors...it's especially made for putting on the corner of a frame and sticking it to the wall - so you never have to straighten the picture when you walk past again! This would be ideal for pics in a hallway or staircase too - anywhere you're constantly having to straighten them.)





BEFORE...


A crowded bookshelf with a very odd assortment of books, stuffed animals, valuable silver plates, and random memorabilia.





AFTER...
Books and random-ness are stored in the basket, and only "pretty" things are on display on the shelf. This client has a fair amount of storage space in her house, and most things that were out and on display, didn't really need to be. Less is definitely more in this case.

BEFORE...

That same bookshelf from a wider angle. The brick wall is an interesting feature but really breaks up the room.





AFTER...
Hanging artwork next to the brick wall helps it not stick out like such a sore thumb. (Also, you'll notice that the stuffed animals that the client really wanted in the room are now more discreetly displayed in a basked on the floor...no longer the first thing you see when you walk in.)

I'll share more pics of this room later as it progresses. The client has a small list of items to purchase - some new bedding and curtains (which we'll use as a headboard...I'll explain later).

***The Glitter Incident***

By the way, I know I still haven't answered your guesses as to what I was using the craft supplies for! Well, there are a few reasons for that. One, none of it's totally done and I just don't want to post pics of something that's half done. Two, there was a Glitter Incident. It went something like this: I was waiting for my in-laws to show up so I could race off to music practice. Just as they pulled up (and I was already late), I noticed my daughters were being very quiet over behind the dining room table. I looked over, and my older daughter said, "Don't come over here, Mommy!" Um, I've only been a mom for 3 1/2 years, but I'm pretty sure that means I'd better get over there right away. So I raced over to find that my youngest had discovered my huge, brand-new bottle of Martha Stewart glitter, had managed to get it open, and had dumped all of it - ALL of it - all over her, her sister, their toy shopping cart, and of course, the floor. So when I should have been racing out the door, instead, I was racing to get the dustbuster (sweating profusely) and trying to get it cleaned up. I'll admit, I was a little stressed out. (Okay, a lot.) My in-laws kindly offered to finish cleaning up the mess for me, though, so I could get out the door. That was only Day 2 (of 8) of my husband being out of town, and there may have been a few dark thoughts running through my head at that moment.

I could go on. That was not a good day. But, needless to say, there is still glitter on nearly every surface in the house. Turns out you don't need glue to make glitter stick! It sticks to your shoes and your clothes, until you sit down, at which point it sticks to your couch. Let's just say my house now subtly resembles a Vegas showhouse.

Okay, so I might as well tell you I was planning to use the glitter on white pumpkins. Nothing ground-breaking, but still...now, alas, there will be no glittery pumpkins. Only one of them got the treatment before my glitter stash was annihilated.

The silver paint...well, you'll just have to wait a little longer on that one. :-)

Thanks for putting up with my wordiness today. :-)

it's painting day

just a quick note again, my friends...I have some fabulous things to post about this week, but for now I only have a moment to check in. My husband left Sunday for eight days out of town (gulp!) and I'm choosing to work on some major projects around the house as a way to cope with his absence. My wonderful mom is coming over first thing this morning and we will be painting the kitchen! (I've had the paint for months now, which is a little embarrassing.) Wish us luck! We'll be covering up some very dark colors with something much lighter...that's all I will say for now...and hope to bring you some before/after pics soon. In the meantime, I have another little redesign to show you, a review of a FAB book, and several other fun tidbits this week (including the answers to my mysterious crafting purchases...you guys are such good sports, taking guesses...and some very good ones!).

I am basically coping with my hubby's absence by staying as busy as is humanly possible - therefore am planning to paint the bathroom too. Too aggressive? Almost certainly! Overly optimistic? Absolutely. But hey, a woman's gotta have goals, you know. :-)

PS - Am definitely feeling like a Bad Blogger for not posting a photo with my prose TWO DAYS IN A ROW. Can you ever forgive me? How I wish that I could juggle all my balls in the air successfully all the time. >sigh<

family room redesigned

This was one of those projects that was more about fixing furniture placement than anything else. The client had some beautiful artwork - and a lot of furniture! But it was all necessary since this family frequently hosts their large extended family and needed plenty of seating. I always view these things as not impossible, by any means, but simply a puzzle that I have yet to put together. This was one of those cases. But man, I'm starting to wonder how much longer I'll be able to do this while preggo? Anyone wanna be my assistant? I'll make you cookies?!

BEFORE...

AFTER...

thinking outside the box...we actually swapped a chair from the formal dining room (like the one on the left, above) with a recliner from the family room. Why? Simply because the formal chair was smaller and would not cut off the walkway in the family room quite as much as the recliner did. But they were all in complimentary colors, so it worked just fine.

BEFORE...

...(picture several little things on the mantel, too...I forgot to take a picture before I started clearing things off!)...

AFTER...

now the couch takes up the longest wall, rather than cutting off access between the family room and kitchen (it's an open floor plan).

BEFORE...

AFTER...
... just taking a few toys and books out of the bookcase enabled me to place the baskets and toys more neatly.

you guys...I'm sick AGAIN! What kind of cruel punishment is it to be sick in ADDITION to being preggo? haven't gone to the doc yet, but it resembles strep throat. good times. good times.