So Fresh So Finished
I am notorious, like Notorious B.I.G. NOTORIOUS for jumping around from room to room, painting, renovating, and a smidge of decorating before moving on to the next half-finished space. Needless to say, nothing gets finished. Like finished finished, this-could-be-in-a-magazine kind of finished. But it is fun to jump around since my attention span is equivalent to a three-year-old’s. However, it leaves our home feeling disjointed, out of whack, and always in a state of flux. Throw in an in-transition-oh-em-gee-my-style-is-changing problem and we’re talking recipe for home decor disaster. Hashtag third world problems. So when I learned about the One Room Challenge and 20 other bloggers, I immediately hopped on board to play along.
I learned of the One Room Challenge through one of my blog friends, Jennifer of Brave New Home. I was so excited. Like I couldn’t figure out what room I wanted to tackle excited. The just-started-kitchen? The 70s-style laundry room? The torn-apart porch? How about the parlor (aka…home office)? You know…since most days it looks like a tornado of paper tore through it. I told you I had project ADD…ooooh….sparkly things! But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that our master bedroom would be a perfect candidate. I mean…we’re well on our way to finishing up the makeover. Especially after our recent stenciling and dresser painting escapades.
AND the other day I came across this Target quilt on clearance for $39 (plus 5% off for using a Target card) that I just had to have. I have been coveting a West Elm version that’s almost identical…in looks…not price…clocking in at $150.
I’m using the quilt as one of the springing-off moments for the room, along with the stenciled wall. Our tiny bedroom really could use some cohesiveness and a good plan. It’s pretty much haphazardly thrown together. Let’s tour the mess, shall we?!
The mismatched nightstands have been driving me nuts for far too long. Poor nightstands. It’s time for you to go. You’ve worn out your welcome like a mooching roommate who’s “finding himself”. The red one (on my side of the bed) has been with me since I was a tween. It used to be neon back before neon was cool.
The other nightstand was a basic plywood/scrap wood project back from our apartment dwelling days, otherwise known as the dark days of few power tools. MacGyver Colby built that sad little stand with just a screwdriver and a Skil Saw. But the mismatched nightstands don’t hold a candle to the mismatched, half-finished, lamp-shade makeover project of yore.
Oh the shame! Oh the inhumanity! Oh what was I thinking?! Maybe that it took me about five Red Sox games and a 12 pack to make that first shade (tutorial here) and I just couldn’t bring my glue gunned burned hands or my liver to start the second one.
Oh, and then there’s the equally shameful other side of our room (at the foot of our bed) that we call a closet.
It’s just some old garage shelving (behind the curtain) that holds our clothes with a pair of drop clothes hanging from a metal rod. The quick, easy, and CHEAP closet has gotten us by for the last four years but a closet it is not. It’s time to grow up. This kind of setup was cool in college but the semi-adult girly girl in me NEEDS closet space. Like a fat kid needs cake. Oh, who am I kidding…I need cake too!
So here’s the plan…first with the grand master flash color scheme:
The walls are already painted a light, gray/green tone. It’s Valspar’s Ante Meridian. And the dressers are already painted in Pure White Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Since I needed some more color in the space so it doesn’t fall so flat, I’m going for some coral hints (in the bedding and perhaps a rug) along with some medium-tone greens. I’ve always been a big fan of the coral/green combo…coral for me…green for Colby.
And for the obligatory mood board:
I used Polyvore for the first time to create the mood board. Oh goodness, I could have spent all night playing decorator!
Many of the “moments” going on in the room are already in place. Like the white dressers, mirror, laundry basket, coral bedding, and window treatments. But there’s still plenty to do to finish up the room and add those 10 pieces of flair it so desperately needs. So here’s my to-do list and shopping list for the space (because who doesn’t love a good list):
- Find a matching set of nightstands and paint them green (maybe Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Antibes Green).
- Add some brass lamps (I already have these thanks to the most amazing Christmas-gift-giving-husband ever!).
- Add some hardware to the dresser.
- Install flooring (we’re currently still sporting the temporary-but-it’s-been-here-for-four-years painted sub floor in this room).
- Paint and install a deer antler hat rack/hooks on the wall.
- Build a closet…a REAL closet (we’re thinking the Ikea PAX closet system but custom building the doors out of scrap wood from the workshop).
- Replace the light fixture.
- Mad accessorizing of the nightstands and maybe freshening up the dresser accessories.
- Score a new rug. It’s a weird/small space so I’m thinking a traditional area rug won’t cut it. Once the floor is installed, an area rug will likely catch on our bedroom door. So maybe some runners on either side of the bed would be a better solution.
- Find some cuter alarm clock options.
So we’ve got a nice mix of fun and easy (painting nightstands, hooks) and DIY (customizing a closet, installing flooring). So this weekend I’m going all Mary Katerine Gallagher on our bedroom. You know…there are two ways to get into a pool, carefully testing the water, or JUMPING in with arms flailing. Please tell me you’ve seen SuperStar?! True story, back in the day I used to play Mary Katherine in talent shows…or should I say talent-less shows. Ba-dum-chhhhh I’m here all night! Wish me luck!
Pssst…What are you jumping into this weekend? Any fun projects? Or are you doing a little toe-testing first? Painting? Furniture upgrades? Playing accessories? Dish!
I love your mood board. The colors are bright and cheery. Good luck with your makeover.
Following the One Room Challenge is so fun. I love the color scheme you chose! Look forward to seeing what you do with it.
Glad you’re playing along, too! I’m liking all that green in your mood board. That’s pretty ambitious for six weeks—I’m impressed! And I’m digging the new blog layout, too : ]
Love your colors, especially coral! I decorated my youngest daughters room in coral and robin’s egg blue. I also stenciled her room, which was sooo time consuming, but worth it for the look in the end! Can’t wait to see what you do! I’m doing our master bedroom. Good luck!
Did you say Red Sox? I live with 2 Red Sox Fans, and 1 Yankee Fan….in New Jersey. You never see anything Boston related around here. I love your plan and I can relate to a diy project that you never want to try again. Good luck and thanks for joining in .