Bedroom Makeover: Before Shots and some Inspiration

I mentioned that I am beginning to think about fixing up our bedroom. It's time. All the other rooms in our house are done(ish), or at least as far done as they can be at the present time. But nothing has been done to our bedroom. Why do we always do our bedrooms last?

I have been pondering the space a lot. One of its biggest problems is that it is small. Not the smallest bedroom I have ever lived in to be sure, but still small. (In our tiny beach bungalow, the bedroom was so small that I could not get on one side of the bed during the later stages of pregnancy. Bed making was a challenge.)

The good news is we are pretty much working with a blank slate. There is almost nothing going on in there. Here are some shots I took this morning so you can have an idea of what the space looks like.

The Tour

Windows: No window coverings--just roller shades. I want something that can be sheer enough to let in light during the day, but adds some softness to those roller shades.

Bedding: I love our bedding. I bought new when we moved in. It's Dwell from Target. Our previous bedding was 8 years old. When I buy something for our house, I tend to make it last. I like the bedding a lot and the color will play a part in the design of the room.

Bedside tables--Side view: I bought these at an estate sale a long time ago. I love the shape of them. They are really too small for our bed, but I like them so much I am keeping them. They are however, quite thrashed and in need of some tender loving care.

I can't decide if I should paint them or sand and re-varnish. Thoughts?
Front-view: See, they really are a great shape. So modern and Heywood Wakefield. I especially like that roll of toilet paper in case someone needs to blow their nose in the night. We're nothing if not classy.

Oh yeah, and we really need bedside lamps. Maybe wall mounted?
Bed Frame: Our bed is a vintage wrought iron bed. It was my mom's before she and my Dad got married. She gave it to me when I was in high school and she and my dad finally upgraded to a queen.

That's right, Aaron and I sleep in a full sized bed--through 3 pregnancies and my always gigantic belly. Now there is often a kid in our bed at some point in the night.

We need a new bed.

I am emotionally attached to this bed and I will save it for Lilly. I dream of getting it powder coated a bright pink, or turquoise. It doesn't really go with the aesthetic we want for our room. Even though I do believe you should mix things up in your home and decorate with the things you love, not just what is "supposed" to go together.

We are not in the place to get a new bed right now though, so this one will be around for a while. It will have to be a part of the design element too.

Empty wall: That empty spot at the foot of the bed is pretty much the only usable space in the room. But it is quite narrow, so it need a small piece of furniture. I'd like a dresser or vanity of some sort.

Small wall space next to closets: see above and below. These are just two, narrow strips of empty wall that can be hung with different types of art. I would like the art to be calming and still fun, inspiring and creative.

So that is what we've got. Not much.

Oh, and our budget is not much either. Like practically nothing.

I plan on trying out a piece of furniture I already have up in the garage for the empty wall, cheap curtains from Target spruced up with some IKEA fabric and paint for the furniture. I think we can come up with some cool art too, although there are a few pieces I have my eye on from Etsy.

Inspiration:

I found this book at the library yesterday and it is great! I am getting a lot of good ideas. Mostly I just feel inspired to spruce up our bedroom.

Here are a couple images I like:

Even though we're not getting a new bed, I am beginning to think about what kind we want. Maybe we don't even need a frame. I kind of like the simplicity of this.

I also like this small, narrow bookshelf. I love how each cubby is painted a different color. I also love the legs. That works as a foot board for the bed quite nicely, I think.

What do you think of this wall paper? I LOVE it! Faux bois but in that lovely blue color. I am actually considering doing something like this on the one wall behind our bed. Look below to see it in a room. You can find it here.

Lastly, I was perusing the web for vanity ideas. I stumbled upon this blog, which I like and this image, which is sort of the idea I am going for. A smaller mirror and more color, but I like the vintage chair and the petite, clean, modern look.

So that is where I am right now. Just thinking about it. I'll give you updates as I get going. Don't expect things to start happening at break neck speed. I have a limited amount of free time to work on projects. If I could have the bedroom mostly done by summer's end I would be really happy.

I remember the days when I could begin a project and end it in a speedy amount of time.

Sigh.

Why didn't I make better use of those day?

I'd love any ideas you have for our bedroom or books and our sources you love. Please share with me!

Love from,

Greta