FYI


Sunday, January 31, 2010

Bedroom Re-Do

I am just in the middle of a tiny, little furniture re-do. But it isn't finished yet, so I thought instead I'll show you how a little bit of paint and some reshuffling of furniture updated our bedroom. I did this a couple of years ago, and the bedroom has evolved a little since then, but nonetheless there is already quite a difference when you compare the before and after. So without much ado, here is a picture of the bedroom as it was before.





Have you recovered from the shock? I am embarrassed to show what it looked like - and to publicly prove what we put up with. But blogging is exhibitionism bare-all, isn't it, so for the sake of showing off the impact you can have with just a bit of paint, I am including it here... So much was wrong with that room:

  • lazy painting with the original jade green visible where previously had been a wardrobe which we had painted around with the new light blue paint
  • wooden flooring that was partly stained dark brown and partly painted white
  • no proper hanging space for shirts and trousers, thus misusing the window surround as a clothes rail
  • water marks on the ceiling where the roof had leaked
  • general untidyness due to this being an unloved room
Some major changes were needed to make this a room that we like to be in - namely a proper paint job on walls and floor, wardrobe space, and easy to tidy organisation. Ten years ago I loved all the strong colours on the wall, but gradually I became really tired of all the greens and blues that I had surrounded myself with. I just wanted rest - easy-on-the-eye white. And no pictures, please, although there are tons of beautiful paintings in this house (plus a better half who is a talented painter).

So here is what we did: After shipping off our kids to their grandparents for a few weeks, we set to work and painted the walls and the floorboards white. It immediately opened up the room and made it seem so much cleaner and bigger. Then my partner did his magic with a few planks of wood and some dowelling and created bookshelves on either side of the window to house our ever-expanding library of books. I love having a little reading corner in the privacy of my bedroom, plus the books stacked against the wall seem to be acting as extra insulation! I re-covered the chair on the left and created a small work space for my laptop with an antique, folding table on the left wall, where previously the bed had been. (That used to be where I did my writing and working for a while - luckily I now have a proper study...)



The wicker chair had been left in the house by previous tenants. I simply updated it with some cushions that I covered in the same Ikea fabric which I had used for the trunk (visible against the window in the before pic). 

The ideal place for a wardrobe was the alcove to the left of our fireplace. We could see from marks on the walls and the floor that there must have been an inbuilt wardrobe there, before. Sadly, it had been ripped out. We re-instated it and my partner built it to our specifications - with hanging space on the left that has two rails on top of each other, eight rectangular cubbyholes in the right hand side and shelving in the middle that would provide space for folders, big books and drawers. I managed to source wicker baskets that were exactly the right size for the short shelves. Money was tight, so we did not build doors for the wardrobe, but I simply sewed some panels from Laura Ashley fabric, which I had found as off-cuts in their bargain corner.

The bed was moved to the other side of the room. At the time of taking the photo we had not yet made any bedside tables. Hence the bedside light is perched on the funny, triangular corner cupboard that was original in the room.

Wanna see a direct comparison? Here are the before and the after are side-by-side.   


The greatest investment in this re-do was the time we put in - and the effort of motivating ourselves to get off our arses do it. I really like being in this room, even though it is not always as tidy as in the pictures.  

 Best,



Linking to 
DIY Day @ ASPTL




28 comments:

Sarah {The Student Knitter} said...

Oh my god!! Is that the same room?? That's a 180 degree turn around! I absolutely love the fabric you've used in the space and the built-ins are to DIE for! Congratulations on a job well done!

Sandra said...

Wow what a transformation...I'm sure you love the room now...so nice and I love the book shelves. Come visit again soon.

Sonja @ Craft-Werk said...

Hey Nala and Sandra, thanks for commenting. Yep, I love the room now, but it's ongoing work as we keep shifting furniture from one room to the next in our house :-(...

Mama Thompson said...

Amazing transformation...it looks fantastic!

nannykim/spindlecottage said...

Wow that is a huge HUGE transformation. I love those bookcases especially!!

dee dee said...

Oh my, I hardly believe the before and after! Looks great!
Dee Dee

Kammy said...

I kept scrolling up and down..the same room ??? Looks so great !
Kammy

Treasia Stepp said...

I found it hard to believe at first that it was the same room and kept moving my screen up and down. You've done a wonderful job on your room. It's so gorgeous now.

Sonja @ Craft-Werk said...

Hello everyone - how nice of you to comment! Thanks for the encouragement. It means that we seem to be on the right track with our "interpretation" of our old house.

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Oh. my. word. What an awesome makeover!!!! The room looks fabulous now. :) I love that little wicker chair...what a nice "gift" from the previous tenants. ;) It's so light and open now! I'm visiting from Sarah's Before and After party. Hope you'll stop by my blog. :)

Anonymous said...

MUCH improved! :-) It doesn't even look like the same room! I like the lighter look and it's so much more cozy and cohesive now. Great job.

KimMalk said...

It doesn't look like the same room. I also love the chandelier you found - it's just the right touch. And--you didn't want hanging clothes as window treatments ?

Sonja @ Craft-Werk said...

*hehe* hanging clothes window treatment. I love the idea, Kim *grins*...

KellyH said...

Looks so nice, organized, and bright. Love the bookcases!

Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...

What a difference - I love the bookshelves!

stephanie h said...

WOW! It looks great! What a transformation!

Katherine @ Grass Stains said...

OK, I was definitely shocked by the "before" picture, but you totally redeemed youself with the "after"! The shelving is gorgeous, and it looks fantastic all over!

Kirsty said...

Holy cow! That is great. I LOVE the bookshelves! It looks amazing and I'm sure it feels good to accomplish something.

Yasmine said...

Hut ab! This transformation is simply stunning, I'm in awe...

geek details said...

Wow that doesn't even look like the same room anymore! You did a fantastic job on it and I love how bright and cheerful it is

Jenny @ Words on Wendhurst said...

Wow, That's amazing. Doesn't even look like the same room. Well done!

Delightful Dwelling said...

Wow, it really has been transformed. It looks so pretty, I looove that fabric and the book shelves.

Rhonda said...

beautiful changes - enjoy your room and hard work

Terry said...

I can't believe this is the same room! Love the bookcases and all the storage!

the old white house said...

That is an amazing transformation!! I really wish we had bookshelves that would really help in the organiztion around here! The paint looks wonderful! You must be loving your new space! Congrats! Theresa

Remodelaholic said...

This is TOTALLY stunning! I love the room! Great job!

Unknown said...

That CANNOT be the same room! Seriously! I don't believe it! It looks amazing!

Tony Beebe said...

We just moved in a few weeks ago and we are currently in the process of renovating our house. Thankfully, we're done painting the rooms and installing the stainmaster carpet (Tampa) in the house. I have to say, renovating is a tough job but seeing the results is very fulfilling! I have to complement you for the awesome transformation you've done with your bedroom! It looks much bigger and more functional. Putting up a library gave the room a whole new dimension. I also admire the wicker chair near the window. Thanks for this inspiring post! Keep it up!