Master Bedroom: A Makeover

before

after

After this post, I got lots of questions about our room. Here’s the story behind the room.

A few years ago for our 11th anniversary, my husband took me to the Fearrington House Country Inn. The room where we stayed was wonderful but deep inside I was mad. Mad at myself for enjoying that room more than our own bedroom. I decided right then and there that things were gonna change. I would happily trade a couple of nights in a fancy inn for the chance to spend every night in a bedroom that I loved. And that’s exactly what I did. And I did it even though I knew there was no way it could be perfect.

I remember taking mental notes of the room. Two things stood out to me: they made good use of fabric and the room was simple yet luxurious and well thought out. Was that three things?

Here’s what I decided to do:

1. Soften with fabric

Fabric can turn even the dullest room into a comfy cozy sanctuary. Windows, duvets, pillows, bed skirts, table covers all of these soften a room and pattern can fill a room and solid colors can calm. I needed it bad.

What I did

I had about $200 available to makeover our room. I think I spent it all on fabric–oh, and a curtain rod. I, the worlds worst sewer, sewed the duvet cover out of a few yards of clearance fabric and a coordinating queen sized sheet. Do not ask me how–if you need to know you will get better information if you google it. I wanted the seams to be strait, and the sewing to be quick. After four years it has held together just fine.

That table in the corner of the room was one I found on the side of the road. In the before photo I had painted the top and then gathered and hot glued the fabric around it {using this method} and I hid the raw edge with a wide ribbon glued on. I wanted even more softness when I redid the room so I again sewed {if you can’t find someone who can and barter} a topper for it.

I found old pillows that I didn’t use anymore and in using the worlds laziest sewing method, I made covers for them. I hot glued some mistreatments and clipped them to ring clips on a rod. I even figured out how to add fringe and with the help of the hot glue gun, it’s all lasted 4 years.

For the full skirt of the bed I gathered my fabric and sewed it to an old bed skirt I had lying around. It took me about 2 days to complete all the projects. It was not perfect but it looked like a million bucks. Well, maybe it looked like nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars but it was close enough for me. It was the single most life changing decorating project I’ve ever done. I didn’t have lots of money to spend and I wanted quick results. It worked! You can do this.

2. Make it luxurious

The room where we stayed was luxurious but how? I’m still trying to figure out what makes a room have a sense of luxury. There was a TV but it was hidden and the room just forced you to relax. Something that seems luxurious–in this room it meant not having lots of junk in it. Fresh, fluffy white towels were waiting for your drying pleasure.

What I did:

Remember how I told you to get rid of electronics in your room? We’ll I confess, we have a TV, phone with an answering machine, heating pad, my husband’s cell phone chargers, my hairdryer, 1980’s hot rollers and all of our computer cords in our room. Not to mention the guitar, printer and assorted firearms that may or may not be in working order. If all of those eyesores have to be there–disguise them. I put my big dresser in the closet and moved in an armoire to hide the TV and junk.

Now, I believe an armoire is a vital piece of furniture. We have 2 armoires, one was purchased for $75 at a yard sale the other bought with $$ I made having my own yard sale. A few weeks ago a friend and I were at the Goodwill and she found a fantastic, well built amour for $40. They are not impossible to find. I have used both of mine at separate occasions in our room with a television tucked away so we could watch movies and hide the ugly TV. And I also hide all of my many hair appliances, extra sheets and towels, books, and my pretend jewelry in there.

Then I found a little cart at TJ Maxx years ago for $29. I added a white tray to the top {gift from Mom} and pushed the cart under the best $3 I’ve ever spent. Look what a nifty little towel station that is. There’s not room in our bathroom for something like this but it’s right outside the bathroom door and makes me feel all pampered.

I love our room. We have lived in four different places since those chocolate walls and let me tell you, fabric can make ALL the difference in a rental with white walls. It is not perfect but it looks like a million bucks. Well, maybe it looks like nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars but that’s close enough for me.

This is the single most life changing decorating project I’ve ever done. I didn’t have lots of money to spend and I wanted quick results. It worked! You can do this.