Okay, the first room I'm revealing on this blog is actually our bedroom. Probably because we're closer to done with it than with other rooms in the house... You might be wondering why anyone would post photos of their master bedroom (any room, for that matter!) before it's ready to be seen?
Well, good point. However. If I start blogging about it, I'll keep working on it. Cuz you all keep me motivated and accountable that way.
Let us not forget that we rent; we don't own. Therefore the huge things that we'd like to do, we really can't. Like tear up all the old builder-white carpet and lay hardwood. Or replace all the brass doorknobs with sleek brushed nickel ones. We have to work within the rental parameters and that's not always 100% satisfying. It's a bit of a trick to improve the home and decorate it when we really only have control over what we own...what we
bring into the room. Not what the room is made of.
Thankfully, our landlords have okayed a few paint jobs. They're pretty easy-going as far as landlords are concerned, which is so nice! Up until last month, we weren't sure if we would extend our rental for another year, but now that we know we are here for a while longer, my house to-do list has grown!
We've even considered a proposal to the home owners that would allow home improvements (on the actual home: flooring, fixtures, etc.) to be made with some of the monthly rent and some out of our pockets. I wonder if an arrangement like that would work?
Back to the master.
First, the new beautiful art above the headboard: (drumroll, please!)
We both love the feel it gives to the whole room! It really is a fun piece.
Now for the work-in-progress shots... Here's the not-so-grand tour. It's good, just small.
When you stand at the door looking in the room, the wall to the left (we'll go clockwise) has 2 tall windows looking out at the front of the house. Except that we never pull up the blinds to look out because of the heat and the lack of privacy from the rest of the cul-de-sac. We desperately need the right window treatments in here. I'm thinking white faux wood blinds and floor-to-almost-ceiling sheer white curtains. Or possibly a tasteful print that isn't sheer. Orange chevrons, perhaps? We're going for more
serene paradise than
colorful circus, though, so any print would have to be subtle. I think.
Faux wood blinds would be the most economical and stylish way to go, especially since they probably won't be coming with us when we move again. We want to invest in the house, but not quite as if we owned it. The faux wood blinds would block more sun in the morning when we need it to stay cool. Then we could crack them for a little natural light later in the day. The curtains will be hung high and wide to give the appearance of even larger windows.
The next wall to the right is the headboard wall. We love our huge mirror in the corner and it really makes the room look larger than it is. Mirrors are so awesome that way for bouncing light and really filling up a space.
The bicycle print is definitely one of the inspiration pieces for our room. It oh-so-tastefully introduces a pop of orange and aqua to an otherwise ivory and brown palette. Like the new throw pillow! A sweet gift from my mom.
This is one of the rooms we painted. (Behr's Urban Mist) When we moved in last summer, it was a pistachio green color...and at 8 1/2 months preggo, it just wasn't doing it for me. Even though some green-yellows are just amazing, it's an easy color to mess up. It clashed with the carpet and it was atrocious with the brass doorknobs. (But most everything is more atrocious with brass doorknobs, yes?)
We built our reclaimed wood headboard last year, thanks to an incredible free DIY building tutorial from Ana White. Find the tutorial
here. It pretty closely resembles this
headboard from PB, but we made it for a fraction of the cost! We currently have a whole list of pieces to make using Ana White's plans...
Which possibly includes nightstands. We desperately need them! For now we're using these plant stands/end tables that I found on clearance at Target years ago. But we'd love matching nightstands with drawers. And once we find/build the nightstands, we can start looking for lamps! But who am I kidding? I've already got my eye on some great glass-bottomed lamps...
But besides the headboard, the whole bed needs a makeover. I'm perusing the internet for just the right duvet cover, shams, etc. I even want a bed skirt so we can't see what's under the bed. This
bedding from West Elm is currently on my radar.
These double tall skinny latte doors lead to the master closets and bath. It's a strange T-shaped set up back there that isn't quite ready for a reveal. Maybe never. The doors used to be held closed by a little spring-and-ball system between them and the door frame. They apparently couldn't work out their differences. If we owned this house, the bathroom would get a makeover and those doors would just come off. But, alas. If we take doors off here, I just have a feeling they'd get warped or otherwise ruined in the attic and the owners may want them again. So we're stuck with them for now!
The ivory (not as yellow as it looks) parson's chair in the corner is a placeholder of sorts for a future chunky dark leather chair. That was the plan originally, but suddenly I'm realizing just how much dark espresso is in that size of room. It may need to be a printed chair, instead. But no less comfy. (Because the clothes we toss to the side deserve a comfy place to rest, right??)
The personal photos on the wall are a little sparse, but at least they're up! The three on the right will migrate left to join the single one in some type of gallery as soon as I find the perfect round-ish mirror for above the Ikea dresser. My jewelry is on that dresser, so a mirror there would be just right. With all the natural light that would be bouncing around the room from the huge windows and two mirrors, that dresser just may be my new favorite place to put on make-up, too!
Here is the entrance door wall. BLANK. Except for an irritating cable which was apparently fed under the carpet from behind the door and popped out right where the owners had a TV. Yes, that did create a speed bump right at the threshold of the room. I'm not sure if it's a fix we can really tackle. It may leave more damage in its wake. Unless our wood flooring dreams come true and the landlords are willing to put some of the rent back into improving their house!
That would be great.
The wall is a blank canvas just begging for art of some kind. Maybe that's where a photo gallery should go? I've tried a low-profile sofa table there, but there just isn't room to walk if any furniture is against that wall.
So here's the to-do list for the master bedroom:
- faux wood blinds
- curtains & curtain rods
- something green on that wall - palm tree?
- new bedding
- bedskirt included
- make or buy nightstands
- table lamps
- replace ivory corner chair
- move trio of frames
- round-ish mirror for above dresser (something with a soft shape is needed to balance all the square in there!)
- tv cable removed / hidden
- hardwood floors! (dream list, probably not actual list)
Do you rent and have to deal with issues like cables popping out in unexpected places? Have you ever made a home improvement agreement with your landlords? Have you built your own furniture? Or do you have plans to, now that you've visited Ana White's site?
