Here's the deal, you post something you'd like decorating advice on, link to her website, then visit other bloggers & give them your input.
Here's my dilemma. I'll pick two for today.
I LOVE our house. And I like my taste - for the most part. I'm pretty happy with just about every room, but can't get the feel I'd like in our bedroom.
75% of our furniture are hand me downs. I've purchased a $40 bookshelf off craigslist, a $40 vintage console turntable, and 2 red leather chairs. My husband purchased a vintage army desk that's in our guest bedroom/office. The other 25% are left overs from our apartment living, childhood furniture, and gracious hand me downs for our folks. And books. Lots of books.
Here's Dilemma #1: The Master Bedroom
While I'm happy with the look we've got going for the most part, I'm not super stoked about our bedroom. That's the ONE room I hate the paint & the curtains. (The rest of the house the previous owner choose great colors & curtains which they left behind.)
I'm thinking new bedding, paint, curtains, maybe something in front of our bed? Maybe a bed skirt that's long enough instead of the navy sheet that pokes out? I don't know.
HELP!
Since the rest of the house is so "eclectic", I'd almost like to go with a tonal feel for the bedroom. What do you think about a cream room that has lots of textures & prints of cream?
Dilemma #2: Dresser Redo
This is a dresser my brothers had growing up. That was over 20 years ago, so it's now "vintage". It's not a super nice dresser, but it holds all my placements, napkins, napkin rings, and things that generally go in a china buffet. (See my previous post to see how the $40 craigslist bookshelf became my china buffet.) I've been dying to paint it and give it new knob. I'm thinking like a red laquer paint job with black knobs. Other suggestions?
If you want to see a few photos from the rest of my house, go to this post where I took a "What's your Style Quiz" in Real Simple Magazine and discovered my taste preference was Vintage Eclectic. You'll also find the link to the quiz, it's kinda fun!
I'd love to hear your suggestions!
Oh, and keep in mind that I'm on a DIY budget. There will be no buying of new furniture, maybe paint & fabric!
Don't forget ... if you join the party you'll get an entry to the MISSISSIPPI MUD GIVE-AWAY! That's ME! Check back for details to come!
I'm afraid I'll be of no help at all. I think your bedroom looks fine as is! But if you wanted to switch the wall color and window treatments I think anything you choose will be great. As for the dresser, I'm more of a plain gal and would go for white or black, but I usually play it safe with things like that!
ReplyDeleteNancy
Using red paint on your brother's dresser and adding new knobs is a sure-fire way to update this piece. Why not try it? If you don't like it, you can always repaint it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw your map, the first thing that came to my mind is that it might look good over your army desk.
I can't really tell exactly what paint color you have in your bedroom, but it really looked just fine to me. You might be happy with it if you start with new bedding and go from there. Your drapes seem a bit formal for your style. Drop cloth drapes like so many gals have made recently might be an inexpensive option that you could try. A trunk or bench would look nice at the end of your bed. The only downside to that is that if you are like me, it will stay piled up.
It's nice to run across your blog. I'm going to look at some of your other projects.
I agree, those drapes don't seem to match your eclectic style. TAKE THEM DOWN! The Nester, over at http://www.thenester.com/ gives tones of ideas on how to make your own curtains without sewing and such. Her blog has changed my life!
ReplyDeleteAs for color, your bedroom looks very dark for me. The good thing about this is that it probably makes you look real purty. The bad thing is, I'm sure it's not very inviting when it's not "time for the magic". I'd lose the red chairs, or add red into the bedding in a big way. If you're gonna go red, it needs to be the showcase in my opinion. I'd lighten the walls and go with a red, black, and white themed room.
I just love your "cool as ice drop earrings"! AND I'm a fellow Georgia girl!
ReplyDeleteI think a tonal look in your bedroom would be beautiful, but I also like the wall color as is. Bed skirts are funny to me - they seem to be so frivolous sometimes, but they definitely finish off the bed! You can find lots of examples online of people who have made their own, like this one:
ReplyDeletehttp://beneathmyheart.blogspot.com/2010/03/velcro-burlap-bed-skirt.html
And yes, definitely check out thenester.com - she has great ideas about window treatments! And her bedroom looks similar to yours, with the bed between two windows - I love the way she treated them:
http://www.thenester.com/2008/02/window-mistreatments-401.html
I also love that map - you could keep it, do a lighter khaki color on the walls, and frame it to dress it up a bit.
Thanks so much! I was thinking about adding a trunk in front of my bed, and also bringing in red. Like going tonal for the most part with accents of red. Bringing it into the curtains, and a few pillows.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the resources to check out, VERY helpful!
Redhead, you are cracking me up!
Oh I'm getting inspired to do some changes ... that I've talked about doing since we moved in almost 9 months ago!!Thanks everyone!
Hey there! I love the idea of doing an "all cream" or "all white" bedroom. The bedroom is a sanctuary and if the rest of your house has a lot of color, I think you need a space to relax that is "colorless". You can do so much with texture to keep it interesting. I can totally see your Craig's list furniture painted white (have fun with it - antique it or distress it!) all white bedding in a great texture like waffle weave. Seagrass roman shades on the windows and a great white paint on the walls. White is usually a really hard color to paint (turns pink, turns blue, etc) I've found some really good advice on good white paint colors on House Beautiful's website under the Color section. Good luck with your room, I'm sure it will be beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of painting the dining room piece red!
By the way, my link is not showing up on Amanda's party, so I would love your thoughts on my kitchen! Check it out at www.finesseyournest.blogspot.com
Thanks!
I love the color of your bedroom. It's so warm and welcoming! But if you wanted to change to a more tone on tone color, that would be cute. Maybe add a bench to the end of the bed. Or add more color through pillows or accents.
ReplyDeleteI love your dresser. I think you should paint it. Red would be so cute. Or even cream for a shabby chic look!
I can't wait to see what you do!
XOXO
Jen
I like the idea of going tonal! The bench or trunk (for storage!) at the end of the bed is a good idea. :) Changing your comforter and curtains would be an easy way to lighten the room up a bit. You could do some mistreatments like the Nester does (thenester.com).
ReplyDeleteGo for it with the dresser. If you hate it, prime it and redo it. ;)
Thanks so much for linking up!
I think you've got some great stuff going on in your bedroom. If you're not happy with the paint color, I think a really pale sky blue would look awesome. I think the right shade would read as a neutral and just make the room feel a bit brighter. i love the map and the chairs and I think a truck at the foot of the bed would tie in nicely. I would definitely do nice long drapes on those windows. Two panels on each window. Don't worry about the bed being in front of the drapes- it'll look fab. I would go onto fabricguru.com and see what you find inexpensively (you'll need 3 yds per panel for a total of 12 yds). Maybe this one:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fabricguru.com/cart/index.php?target=products&product_id=80032&page=
For the dresser, have you seen this post on centsational girl:
http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2009/06/thrift-store-highboy-elegant-updo/
She stained a very similar looking dresser with a richer color and changed the knobs. It looks amazing!
I love tone on tone shabby chic. Cream is beautiful in the bedroom. I have too many dirty little kids running around my house, but it's great for other folks! If you're going that direction, I love the drop cloth curtains. What do you think about one long curtain rod behind the bed from one window to the next filled up with drop cloth curtains? Lots of texture-seagrass, burlap, sisal, bamboo, etc. would be lovely. Maybe a big trunk or an antique church pew or bench in front of the bed? Have you been to Funky Junk Interiors? http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/search/label/bedroom%20makeover
ReplyDeletecheck out her bedroom.
Also, the red paint and new knobs would look GREAT on that dresser!
Thanks for all the tips! I'm excited ... maybe my master bedroom will be a summer project. Painted, new drapes, maybe paint the furniture - the wicker & side table a cream color. I'm-a thinking now :-)
ReplyDeleteI think you should paint the bedroom stark white- like white white. I am dying to paint something white in my house. I like these:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.virginmedia.com/images/neutral-%20bedroom-gal-431x500.jpg
https://www.decorpad.com/photos/2008/09/18/3d435ce0effb.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/3028450258_581666490d.jpg
As for the dresser- I think it would be awesome to paint it white and then shabby chic it to make it look a little worn!
I think an old dresser always looks great repainted. And if red is your color...go for it. You have nothing to loose. I love the old pulls on the dresser. I'd keep those...maybe paint them a contrasting color...or leave them black.
ReplyDeleteAs for your bedroom...I have the same dilemma and came across these great inspriration pictures. I love the colors, they're neutral with a little pop of color.
http://www.peppertowne.com/2010/04/beautiful-little-bedrooms.html
Wow you got a lot of inspirations from your party! Here is my two cents. What about reupholstering the headboard? Or doing a bold wallpaper treatment on the wall behind the bed? Or use stencil or vinyl decals, they come in SO many different styles now. I really like jeni's link, and most of those rooms have bold headboards or bold wallpaper behind the headboard. I say paint the dresser white so that it will go with any decor you might change to. I also like the idea of the walls lighter, even a warm white would be good. And the canvas drapes would be awesome and inexpensive to do. You could even add your accent color, red, on the bottoms or on the sides. But you need an inspiration piece to start with, and I think that could be finding new bedding or a wallpaer (maybe from anthropologie?)and then go from there. Good luck! And thanks for your comments on my dilemma, they were helpful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links Jeni & Kathlyn! I'm feeling inspired. I don't think I'm brave enough for stark white though. Maybe a soft white.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby said he saw the post and asked me if I hated our house!!! hahaha
Stephanie, I don't love that headboard. There one I really like is in the guest bedroom, so might switch them out.
I'll have to post photos of WHEN I do this redo. Even though it may be MONTHS from now :-)
Thanks again everyone!!!
I'm not much help with the bedroom ideas...that is the one room in my house that I have no ideas for too! I do like the dresser and I think a white wash would be cute on it. I like the idea of red too though!
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