Big Plans, Teeny Budget

I can't believe I'm about to do what I'm about to do. Seriously. Our master bedroom is SO not fit for public viewing it's not even remotely funny. BUT, I'm hoping that the public humiliation will end this cycle of procrastination and get my butt in gear!

Without further adieu, the (shamefully un-decorated) Master Bedroom.

Yes, I am only showing you a teensy part.  I know. It looks like a college bedroom.  It's sludge brown and melted milkshake brown.  With two silly little eyeball windows on the main wall, and one big one to the left in the photo.

I know I mentioned that we moved into this house almost a year ago (has it been a year already?!) At the time, I had big plans for just about every room in this house. Alas, time and money got away from me, and some, ahem, design disagreements, between The Man and I.

A couple of weeks ago, we both pitched in and got things straightened up and (mostly) put away. I took apart the computer and re-wired everything to mostly hide the ugly cords and clear off the top of my vanity. I swear that someday I will use it for it's intended purpose!

Aaand now that I've bored you to tears. Here's where I'm going with this room.

1. The "focal' wall with those two teensy eyeball windows (what the heck am I supposed to do with those anyway?) will become a gorgeous deep blue. Specifically, Medieval Blue by Pantone. I won the paint last year in a blog contest, and have yet to use that particular color. I've got almost two quarts, so I'm pretty confident I'll get it done with what I've got. The Pantone paints have given really great coverage on all of my other projects, so, I'm just going to go for it.
2. The current headboard will have the legs cut off and then will be mounted to the wall with a french cleat, slightly higher than where it sits now.
3. Nightstands will get a fresh coat of creamy white paint. this is going to KILL The Man.
4. Replace the plastic blinds with bamboo shades. Yet another thing The Man is not quite on board with. I think he still sees those horrid bamboo shades from the 70's with the avocado green yarn and brown fabric ties!
5. Replace the current curtains (which go with the bedding from 2 sets ago) with something else. Yes, they will be hung high and wide.
6. Remove the mirror from the dresser, and relocate it to the wall below the big window.
7. Re-do or replace the current lamps with something. Hanging lamps? Chandeliers? More lamps? Wall sconces? Who knows?
8. Replace the ceiling fan. The light kit hasn't worked since we moved in, and it kinda sucks to not have an overhead light in this room.
9. Purchase a wireless router for the computer (the only internet connection is in this room) and relocate the computer elsewhere in the house. Or just to the other interior wall in the room.
10. Paint the other 3 walls in the room a creamy white.
11. Paint the doors & trim. None of the doors or trim in the house have been painted since the house was built in 2003. With dirty boys, dogs, and being, oh, the fifth family to occupy the house, they are pretty beat up, dirty & dingy!
12. Create a small sitting area across from the bed. There's just enough room for this if I keep the scale down. I've always wanted a nice little spot to sit in my bedroom. Ideally, I'd be able to move my bookcases up here (repainted & beautified of course!) and make a little library seating area. Not sure how The Man is going to feel about that though. He's not sold on the seating area yet as it is!

Here is my inspiration board for this gargantuan, most likely year-long, project.

How cool is that brass lamp?  Now, I'm not normally a fan of brass, but this lamp happens to look like ammo, and if there's one thing The Man loves, it's guns & ammo.  I've discovered that you can buy a kit for ceiling fans to make them accept pretty chandeliers.  Imma hafta get me one!  The slipper chair is from World Market, and is a smaller scale to work with the dimensions of the room.  My vanity and our bedroom furniture will be going white, with dark stained tops on the dresser and vanity.  Oh!  And here is part of the art, already done and waiting for me to paint...

One baby step at a time.  Now that I've put all of this out there, maybe I'll have more motivation to actually DO something about it!  Accountability people.  Help a girl out.

Meet Rowena...the story of a neglected shield-back chair

This, if you remember, is Rowena.

Now, Ro and I have been struggling for a couple of weeks - she has very definite ideas with regards to wardrobe and makeup.  I tried talking her out of it, offering new padding and a fresh color palette, but she wasn't having any of it.

Spray paint FAIL

I tried a nice, neutral ivory spray paint, but this old gal was THIRSTY for some color!  The spray paint would cover evenly, then seemed to gravitate to certain spots and completely disappear!  The photo doesn't show it, but the inside of the back and the arms had the barest smudge of paint left on them.  I knew I had to put my foot down, or Ro would just walk all over me.

So I experimented with some DIY chalk paint.  Ro wanted fresh, but not shocking, so we finally agreed on a nice neutral beige-y ivory oops paint, and it was love at first brush.  Every flaw she wanted covered, was covered.  Every detail she wanted me to highlight, well, it was easy.  Armed with my trusty 6-in-1 scraper and some sandpaper, I worked on those curves like a plastic surgeon on boobs.  Ro decided she wanted that oops spraypaint to show on her arms and rear, along with her wood, so I scraped and sanded, scraped and sanded, until she was satisfied.  This gal wanted to show off her age, not hide it!  She's got it, so I helped her flaunt it.

Ro was thrilled.  Let me tell you though, we almost came to blows over her back.  That intricate cut-work almost did me in!  Thankfully, a nice sharp mini-flathead screwdriver fixed up those drips and drabs, distressed to perfection, and cleaned up like a pro.  I had my oldest take a seat and kick his feet around, then distressed the shoe-marks out to simulate years of people wrapping their legs around hers, hooking their feet over her spreader bar, and rubbing their hands over her elbows.  She was adamant about not needing glaze or dark wax or anything of that sort.  She demanded a nice coat of polycrylic, since she figures on working hard the rest of her days.




Wardrobe was another sore spot.  Ro wanted classic yet bold, I wanted fresh, funky and fun.  As you can see, Ro won out.  I scored this remnant for 2 bucks at Hancock's a few weeks ago, with no idea how I'd use the crazy shape.  It centered up perfectly, and was just exactly the right size front to back.  Guess that's what happens when you buy fabric before you find the chair to measure!

Suffice it to say, Ro and I are both quite pleased with her resurrection.  We've not yet decided if she is to retire in peace in my dining room, or meet her public and take her chances on a new gig...

Linking up to:

New Stuff!

Look Look LOOK what I found this weekend!

A desk for Stanky on Craigslist for $10!  Meet Sam(antha).  Stanky informed me that his desk was NOT a girl, so we compromised, though he still insists on Optimus.  I thought this little one looked a bit rough, you know, bullied and pushed around, sorta like Sam in the first Transformers. But remember how Sam came into his own, got a totally hot girlfriend and saved the world?  Yeah, it's like that.

Now meet Rowena.  She was sitting amid a sea of unremarkable 1980's blonde-wood chairs at the local swap meet.  I've been looking for Ro absolutely everywhere, and here she was!  Grumpasaur wasn't sold on her, but, for 10 bucks, I'm going to try to bring her back into her glory!  *Update - She's decided on a color, and we've agreed on her new dress, so she's next on my 'To Do' list, right along with prying out the eleventy 10-penny nails used to tack down that horrible faux-leather.





And lastly (for now), meet my lil' black table.  It's not spoken to me yet, so remains nameless.  I'm pretty sure some misguided soul tried, but unfortunately, the bad black paint and horrible textured spray on the tray top aren't working.  But I do have a rescue plan, so stay tuned!