I LIVE for home decor before and afters!
One of my all time favourite websites is Young House Love. Just look how cute Sherry and John are!!!
Just 24 hours ago this is what our bedroom looked like…
1) Sad
2) Very much like ‘a guy’s pad in university’
We have just two pieces of furniture in our bedroom- the side table and the cabinet below. Both pieces are from our university days and we’ve had them about 8 years.
You might remember around Christmas, Eric and I said that our gift to each other was going to be new bedroom furniture. Well, that was before we saw how expensive bedroom sets are. It may be a while until we get new furniture…!
HOWEVER, I really didn’t want to put up with this sad looking room any longer, so the wheels got turning in my head. What could I do to transform the room on a budget?
ACCESSORIES!!
Last night Eric wasn’t going to be home until around 9:30pm. I thought this was the perfect time to surprise him so I grabbed a girlfriend for consultation and we headed to Ikea after dinner. I knew I had to act fast if I was going to have my transformation complete by 9:30pm!!!
When I got home I had just 2 hours to complete the room! I grabbed this beautiful screwdriver, put my fears aside, and went to town!
I’m so not handy.
‘Sidekick Sketchie’ LOVES when we do renos. There are just so many things for him to get into! :mrgreen:
My theme going into this was:
‘GREEN with a romantic touch’
Green is one of Eric’s favourite colours and I think it is fun and unexpected for a bedroom. Here are the items I purchased:
[I own Photoshop]
Was it a success?
Click below to find out!
I weaved both curtains together along the rod. The sheer white curtain toned down the bright green quite a bit so it wasn’t harsh looking.
The rods were existing when we bought the house, but they went really well with the leaf theme!
I am in love with these Talluik table lamps…talk about dreamy! They also come in a ton of colours.
To make Eric’s table a little more ‘manly’ I added this spotted placemat (99 cents!). Is it manly or what? LOL.
I also dressed up our dresser with a little wedding section- A standing frame and our wedding album (I love that pic of Eric!)
The tables were PERFECT. They have this tiny little shelf made just for books and kleenex! ;)
(I’m reading In Defense of Food for the second time right now, and I also will be starting Dear John and Time Traveller’s Wife soon (thanks to Krissy!) Such a chic little table. For some reason, I could not get the screws in properly, so I had to leave them out since I was crunched on time. Hopefully I can finish them off this weekend!
We still need a bed skirt, but Rome wasn’t built in a day!
These items below are from Ikea too, but they were purchased a year or two ago. The brown and green sticks were previously in the eating area, but I figured they could use a new home. This Ikea pink floral canvas also fit really well with the scheme!
I added Christmas lights for some romance ;)
Again this stuff below is pre-existing. The canvas is from Ikea and I will be hanging it up on the wall to the left of the bed.
What should we put on this shelf?? (It is open on all sides so books won’t really work as we don’t have bookends).
My mother in Law is an interior designer and one of her best tips is not to be afraid to mix and match prints. I try to keep that in mind whenever I pick out new things.
VS:
Tip for the curtains and duvet:
No time to iron them? Just throw them into the dryer for 5 minutes to release the wrinkles! Worked like a charm.
I am in love with these curtains!!! During the day they cast this beautiful green glow in the room. It totally gives the room a new feel.
So what did Eric think?
Well firstly he had no clue I did this so it made it even more fun for me! I was so excited for the big reveal.
When he saw the room, he said it looks amazing! I was so relieved that he liked it (although I’m not sure if he would have told me otherwise!). Home decor is such a personal thing and you never know if the person will like it. He really liked that I included green in the room and he thought it looked fresh and romantic, albeit a tad girly, but he said it was way better than before (whew). He was really excited that we had a nice room, even without any new furniture. It’s all about accessorizing, no?
Do you like your current bedroom? Is it decorated to how you want or is it like our previous bedroom was- like a no frills college bedroom? If it’s decorated, what did you do to it and how would you describe your style?
My style is definitely romantic with a funky flair, however it changes with each room. For our dining room, I want to do something really bold with burnt orange on the walls. I stick to neutrals for main rooms (like our family room and entry way), but I love bold colours in other rooms for some fun.
Ta-ta mes amies! I’m off to make dinner and watch the opening ceremonies (SUCH a tragic event with the luge today). :(
wow what a stunning transformation!!! I love Ikea! I especially love the mix of curtains :) Come do my room next?!
It looks beautiful!!!
I really love your after picture! I am so afraid of mixing colors and patterns so while I am happy with our bedroom it could definitely use a little oomph. Maybe you can come over and give me some decorating tips. :)
love it. i live for interior decorating before and afters too!
Your room looks amazing! Love the style. :) I’m about to read Style Statement, it’s about finding out three keywords for your style and how it affects everything your life style, career, relationships. It’s supposed to be amazing!
Wow, you did a great job! Everything looks so fresh and feminine. I have a navy blue and white striped rug from ikea and my night stands are also from there. I guess you could call my style “vintage indie” I’m not really big into bedroom sets. I like my furniture to work together, but not look like it was made to coordinate. Most everything in my house comes from flea markets/thrift stores. As for your empty shelves, maybe a pretty plant? Ferns under bell jars are just so pretty. If you have more of a brown thumb(like me) you could try an aloe Vera. I also think some rattan baskets would look great there.
You did such an amazing job Angela, I’m really impressed. I especially would not have thought to put the placemat on the table to jazz it up…. so clever!
I also can’t believe you still havent read my favorite book of all time, The Time Traveler’s Wife…. it is so, so, so, so, so, sooooo much better than the movie!!!
Looks great :) How did you do that with the curtains?? I’m a single gal and have been living in my current house for almost 5 yrs (eeks!) and have yet to decorate it as I would like :/ But this is definately inspiring to bite the bullet and git ‘er done :)
Excellent makeover! I love that you did it on a budget and with a time crunch! I don’t know if you or Eric are into this kind of thing, but I have been ogling knockoffwood.blogspot.com for a while. She posts plans for making your own furniture that is often knock-offs of stuff from places like Pottery Barn. It looks great and is WAY cheaper. I just wish I had the space to take on some construction projects.
-K
What a lovely transformation! I can’t wait to have a real permanent home so I can decorate! I’m tired of living a place for a year then moving. It doesn’t motivate me at all to decorate because it doesn’t feel permanent or really like home.
Great job!
So funny! I just found that blog a couple of days ago, and I’m obsessed!
I love it! Will you come remodel my room? :)
GREAT job Angela! What a difference from before! Our room is definitely like a college dorm room – you’ve got me thinking I need to make a trip to Ikea myself pretty soon! :)
looks great! don’t forgot to try craigslist for a bedroom set, a new one may be within your reach sooner than later!!
Hi Angie,
firstly, may I say that your room looks fantastic! You’ve transformed your room into something truly beautiful.
And now on to your question. I am currently a university myself, renting an apartment together with two girlfriends. I was really stressed out last summer when we first signed for the apartment as we’re basically starting at point zero. The apartment was completely unfurnished and all three of us were living in uni residence the previous year (ie. furniture provided). As a uni student on a scholarship and a tight budget, my options were limited. However, I’m also huge on aesthetics and having a room that expresses my personality and provides me with an environment where I can study, rest and play effectively was very important. So, during the summer before I moved in, I stalked the online 2nd hand websites (Craigslist, my university’s wanted/sale listings) like a maniac. I study in a city with a large student population, therefore, there’s a high level of mobility within the city. Apartment leases change hands quickly… and so do the furniture. Typically, sets of beautiful Ikea furniture will be listed for sale that’s only had a 2-3 yrs max in use. I was able to purchase the majority of my bedroom furnishings for just $250 altogether from a graduating university student, already beautifully coordinated in style and colour. It was then a matter of injecting a couple more “me” touches to the space and I was ready to move in. One piece of decor which saved my life was wall decal (did you see the selection they had in Ikea, Angie?). They’re basically pre-cut and drawn patterns/pictures which can be pasted onto walls like stickers. They stick on easily but also peel off like a breeze without damaging the paint. I was able to brighten up an entire length of my bedroom wall with it without the pain and fuss of painting. Personally, I dislike the selection they currently have in Ikea atm (last year though, they had this beautiful pattern of a windswept tree that’s no longer available). I bought mine at an arts and crafts store in Montreal called DeSerres, but I know there’s also lots of options on Etsy.com, where many independent sellers offer fantastic selections. You should check it out!
(I think my answer was a little too long-winded – sorry!)
Looks great! You did a really great job!
I love to decorate though my taste is more eclectic with some antiques and vintage items thrown in.
Wow! That looks fantastic! My favourite part are the curtains – followed closely by the lamps – very romantic and yet still manly!!
I love Young House Love. I wish I owned a house to transform!
I love, love, love your ‘new’ bedroom!! It looks amazing!! We have also been debating on getting some new bedroom furniture, but the prices are a little steep, so think we’re going to stick with our ‘college bed’ for now and maybe paint instead. I have the colour picked out . . now I just need the courage!! :)
I love your new bedroom! Green is my favorite color :)