farmhouse may-keover: bedroom

i've spent all month sharing the farmhouse makeover with you,

with a tour from the front porch to the powder rooms

to share ideas for a quick decor touch up.

last but not least, let's visit the main bedroom...

and guess what? since my friend is smarter than me,

there are BEFORE pics!

continue reading to see how we added artful style to her new 'nest'...

located on the main floor, next to the living room,

this used to be my friend's parents bedroom.

they designed and built this house in the early 1990's,

and all of the decor was what they preferred:

mint green carpeting, a vintage white metal bed, soft green linens, and oak furniture.

it was a beautiful room... for them. but it wasn't my friend's style at all.

since it was now hers, she made some bold choices that make her smile!

here's a look at one corner of the room, 'before':

 the only things she kept in the room were the wall mirror, 

some of the sheer curtain panels, and one of the bedside tables.

after the white walls were painted soft gray and gray carpeting was installed:

the gray tones make this huge room seem cozier - yet not smaller. 

a week later, with the addition of the sheer curtain panels, her furniture,

some artful accessories, and a vibrantly colorful area rug:

the photo on the left shows how the room looked after we finished that week:

we placed a 'stand in' chair next to a small bookcase from upstairs

and the pole lamp from Costco - which perfectly matches the metal drum table!

(bought from a friend)

my friend wanted this comfy reading area in her room,

and since the space is so huge, it really was easy to create.

with shades of gray, dark teal blue/green, magenta, and sunny yellow in a floral pattern,

the rug adds visual interest along with a color palette to the space...

and it really helps cozy up this big wide expanse of room.

the photo on the right shows the room NOW,

with the addition of a newly acquired chair and metal stand for her tv -

and that stand has exactly the same metal finish on it as the drum table!

now, for the wall that the bed is on... here's the before:

everything you see here except the curtain panels and side table were removed
(though the curtain panels were moved over to the side wall window).

after:

the palette of the new area rug was the inspiration piece for the room decor -
and it reflects more vibrant hues of the colors in the living room art!

pulling colors from that rug to use as accents,
she added a new dark teal velvet headboard to her existing bed frame,

and ordered new white + gray linens and pillows.

we found a matching side table and two matching gray glass lamps in other rooms

to create a symmetrical arrangement with the bed,

and my friend is planning to find a large, unique piece of wall art to hang over the headboard.

i think she needs an upholstered bench at the end of the bed.

here's another area of the room 'before':

dark oak furniture, dark green chair, green carpet, and dark wall art
stand out in contrast to the plain white walls.
the mirror and window curtain panels were all that remained in the new room.

after:

the mirror that previously hung over a high dresser works better here - 

it reflects light from the large french doors to brighten the room,

and is at a much more usable height for putting on jewelry, etc.

the dresser is an example of my friend's creative ability -

she snapped it up at a thrift shop and painted the drawers in varied hues,

then added funky ceramic knobs gathered from several stores.

it has a very 'Anthropologie' vibe to it, and she loves it!

 let's look at how we changed the wall on the left side of this 'before' photo:

the grouping of items there isn't bad, but the frames were all dark

and the arrangement was very small on a large wall space.

so we gathered up art that my friend loves from all over the house to create a new look:

this new gallery wall contains art that reflects the colors in the rug and room,

as well as my friend's own interests and attitude...

it creates a happy welcome as you walk in from the entryway and main bathroom.

many of the pieces were given to her as gifts by artistic friends,

a few are store-bought, and one is quite old (and won a prize at a county fair!)

the arrangement is grid-like, but just random enough to allow for more additions.

and the larger size has much more impact on the decor.

________________________________

the round wall art and runner on the dresser are made from family 'heirlooms'...

my friend's sweet Mom and grandma and aunt were sewing & crochet mavens.

scattered about the house ('before') were dozens and dozens of doilies.

yes, lacy crocheted doilies. lots of white ones, and many in color.

we used many of the white ones in the living/dining rooms

then my friend noticed that the colors of some of the doilies matched her new rug!

so... we laid some like a runner on the dresser,

and then my friend basted a few to embroidery hoops to hang on the wall.

these are a fun, colorful way to add a nostalgic vintage touch to the decor,

honoring her creative family - just as the art chair in the living room does.

it's touches like these that make her home personal, unique,

and able to tell HER story now.

________________________________

an important point:
even though this entire project was on a tight budget,

this is the room where my friend spent money.

and tho i've shared her home in a sequence from the public spaces to the most private,
this room was where she started...

because she needed to create a 'nest' where her taste was reflected
and a sense of comfort, peace, and joy surrounded her

in the room she spends the most time in.

this is her sanctuary, for her alone.

your bedroom doesn't have to match the rest of your house

or make anyone happy but YOU. (ok, and your spouse, if that's a consideration!)

starting in the bedroom when you are starting a whole new life

is a perfect way to honor yourself and your needs... to nurture your own growth.

she made most of these design decisions on her own,
and because she let her heart tell her what made her happiest, 

she did exactly the right thing for herself and her new life.
and i was thrilled to be able to help her get started!

i hope you've found helpful tips and inspiration for your home decor makeovers
in all of the posts in this series...

i'm adding in a resource for you that JUST hit the web:

Christopher Lowell, decorator extraordinaire, posted on his blog on May 11
about the subject of looking at the homes we live in, making NEW decisions,
and taking action to refresh them so they really work for US...
he gives excellent advice and examples for doing this,
and i think you'll love his viewpoint!

read Christopher's blog post here

links to previous related posts:

farmhouse may-keover: guest bathrooms

farmhouse may-keover: kitchen & dining room

farmhouse may-keover: diy 'artful' chair

farmhouse may-keover: living room

farmhouse may-keover: front porch & entry

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