One Room Challenge-Week 3 {The Master Bedroom Redo}

Thursday, October 22, 2015

It's week three of the One Room Challenge, and time is flying by!  I feel like I can never get as much done as I want to.  Remember last week, when I couldn't decide what project to move forward on?  The nightstands won out!



I went back and forth over whether to order the one on the design board, but ultimately decided to do my first hack.  I had seen this nightstand hacked over on Dear Lillie as was really drawn to it.  Also, the base piece was one-third the cost of the the one from World Market.  And the shipping alone on the one from World Market was almost the cost of this one, and if I for some reason didn't like it, I would have been out of pocket for the shipping.  

So I went with the Tarva chest from Ikea.  I like that it is solid wood, the scale, and the drawers.  I haven't added hardware yet.  I was literally working in the 11th hour last night!  But I ordered antiqued brass cup pulls, and I've just got to get them attached.  But enough words, let me show you the space and the chests!



You may have noticed I did flip the floorplan.  The nightstands fit so well on this wall.



So this was the starting point for the nightstand.



It is a solid pine and I gave it a stain and glaze coat so that it would have a gray/aged finish.   I also cut the legs down flush with the apron and lined the drawers with paper for a nice surprise on the inside.  I am thinking of adding tulip feet, but may keep them as is.







I am loving the progress made so far!  Let's take a look back to see where it started.


And the plans:



And now with the new bed and new nightstands:





Ok, are you all tired of looking at pictures of this space?  I'm just excited y'all!  I have never had matching nightstands!  I will share more details about the nightstand hack later, plus pictures of them with the hardware.  Time to get cracking for next week!
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Best of Craigslist in the ATL

Friday, October 16, 2015

Every now and then, I am on the hunt for a nice piece of furniture, and my friend "Craig" can be helpful.   I've been hunting for a dresser recently, but have come across some other great pieces.  I thought I would post some of my recent finds that I would go check out if I had a need for them.

Thomas Twin Bed with Trundle-$250








This next one isn't necessarily a steal, but perhaps you could negotiate!  It looks like a beautiful table, and with the leaves it would be huge.  And the scallop details on the side are gorgeous!



Are you a Craigslist seller, buyer, or are you afraid of running into crazy people?  Haha, I know I'm a bit of all three!  Have a great weekend!


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One Room Challenge-Week 2 {The Master Bedroom Redo}

Thursday, October 15, 2015

It's the end of Week 2 for the One Room Challenge-Guest Participants hosted by Linda over at Calling It Home.  It was a very short week for me because of my late start, but I was able to make a small bit of progress that to me makes a big difference.  I spoke about having this bed ordered and delivered months ago, but I never put it up!   I already appreciate this challenge, because it has gotten me moving.




A little bit of a change from last week, right?


When getting started, I couldn't decide if I should take down the wood bed first or unpack the new one, just in case I was missing some hardware for the new bed.  So I unpacked the new one first, quickly reviewed the hardware and instructions, and decided to go ahead and take down my old bed.  Thankfully, it came down pretty easy, since I was going it alone!  The hardest part was lifting the mattresses off the bed.  I eased the rails out of their slots with a rubber mallet.  So it's now stored in my guest room awaiting its sale on Craigslist.


Next up was to put together the new bed.  I started by attaching the wings and legs to the headboard.  This allowed it to stand on it's own.  I'm already loving the nailhead trim on the wings.




Next was putting together the frame for supporting the mattress and attaching it to the headboard.


And finally, attaching the fabric-covered side and end rails.


The directions were pretty clear, and none of it was very difficult.  It just took a bit of time doing it by myself.  When I initially put together the headboard, the wing on the right side stuck out a bit more than it should.  But there is a screw on the inside of the side rail that pulls it in straight and the entire bed lined up nicely.  After putting it together, I feel that it is a well-built bed.  The only thing I am thinking of changing is the feet at the end of the bed.  You can't really see them that much, but they are just metal cylinders that aren't very attractive to me.  Before I even ordered the bed, I looked into replacing them with wooden feet like the ones below.


I think they would look really nice stained up against the linen fabric.  The only thing is the ones that come with the bed have screws that go down into the foot, whereas this one has a screw that is meant to go into a furniture frame.   If I figure out how to remove the screw, and add these I will show the pictures. 

So progress for week one is the bed is up!





Of course, there are several more projects to be done.  I am leaning toward working on adding different nightstands or artwork above the bed next.  But I am also kind of wanting to get started on the built-in bookcases.  This is what happens to me, I get a million ideas in my head, and get stuck trying to decide which one to start on!  

I sketched up one idea that I have for the built-ins yesterday.


I haven't finalized where I want them to go.  I know we want to keep the tv opposite the bed, but I am not sure if I want to put the tv in the built-in.  Although writing this out now, it's making me think of all the gaming components we have that are pulled out and strewn across the room each weekend.  It would be nice to have a permanent spot for them.  Also, if you look at the lower part of the sketch, you can see a rough layout of the room.  I am leaning heavily toward flipping the bed to the opposite wall, since the nightstands are a bit cramped on their current wall.  My other option is to put the built-ins on the back wall opposite the windows.  At 7' tall, they will be sort of massive, but I think with the vaulted ceiling they will be in scale with the space. Either way it goes, there are plenty of projects to work on.  So I will see which one speaks to me the most!  

Do you have any rooms that you have been putting off working on?  Let me know!
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Entering the Fall 2015 One Room Challenge-The Master Bedroom

Sunday, October 11, 2015

I found out this weekend that the One Room Challenge hosted by Calling It Home began on Wednesday.  I have loved following along with room renovations by several of my favorite bloggers in the past, and have wanted to link up, but never have.  But since I have been talking about a redo of my master bedroom, and I have a tentative plan drawn up, I think I will dip my feet in the water this fall.  It's about time I crossed this project off my list!

If you're unfamiliar with the One Room Challenge, it's a six-week long room makever challenge, where 20 different invited bloggers post progress on their room makeovers with the goal of having them completed in six weeks.  Other bloggers like me can link up and work on a space as well.  It can be a boost to finish because you're all working toward a common goal.

I posted about my master bedroom last week and shared my design board.  So this will serve as my inspiration and starting point.


A Neutral Master Bedroom


I mentioned before that I had ideas for money-saving hacks and DIY's.  They include the seafan artwork, the nightstands, sewing custom drapery, and the building the shelving unit.  It may be a bit ambitious to complete the custom built-in unit within the six weeks, so I haven't decided if I will attempt it.  The bed I already have, I just need to take down my current one and set-up the new one.  I know how to sew custom draperies, but tend to dread the process, haha!  So hopefully the challenge will get me motivated.  I may also add more fall color because I have ideas for that as well.  But this is a start.

Here are a few more pics of the space as it its now, which isn't horrible by any means.   The room actually has quite a few positives, like the vaulted ceilings, huge bay window, and great natural light. The furniture set is what my husband and I bought when we first got married and thought we were grown! You know the sets where they only sell you one night stand?!  Once I painted and replaced the flooring last year, it made a huge difference because it complemented the cherry wood tones so much better than my previous paint color.  If you have this wood tone, I highly recommend the color Slate by Restoration Hardware.  


I added the side table and desk last year.  The side table was a Ballard Designs outlet find that I stole from my sunroom.  And the desk and chair are from an amazing craigslist score for $60.  I also 'borrowed' them from my sunroom.  I tend to play musical furniture!




I am thinking of replacing this dresser with the black one I have behind the sofa in the family room and moving it to the wall that currently has the armoire.


This beast of an armoire, which we had in our first apartment, used to house our tv.  But since we have a flatscreen, we no longer use it for that, but do use it for storage.  The goal of the built-in is to replace that storage.  Now I am thinking, where are we going to put this?  I may have to post it on Craigslist.  I am thinking of putting the dresser on this wall and the built-ins on the wall facing the bed.  


This picture doesn't have great lighting, but I wanted to give you an idea of the bay window.


Overall, I am excited to finally be a linking participant for the One Room Challenge!   The 20 invited participants will be posting their progress on Wednesdays, and us linking participants will link up on Thursdays to share our progress.  Yikes, I already feel like I am in a bit over my head!  But I will be posting progress on Instagram @oakhousedesignco as well, so be sure to follow along! 
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A Neutral Master Bedroom Design Board

Friday, October 2, 2015


So, you guys, I talked about wanting to redo my Master Bedroom a few days ago.  I decided to flesh out my ideas, and put them on digital paper.  And this is what I came up with!



A Neutral Master Bedroom


I have to say, I already love it!  I really should do this more often--use more digital paper.  I became more conscious of wood tones and the different shades of colors being cohesive.  I think sometimes when we see bits and pieces that we like, bringing them all together they may not coordinate.  Planning it out can help out with that.  I also mentioned previously that I had been dreaming of this neutral serene space, and I feel like these are most of the ideas that have been floating around in my head.


This is the bed that I haven't set up yet.  It's the Skyline custom upholstered bed.  I ordered mine from Target who currently has them for 15%+10% off thru the end of next week at least.  But you can also find them on Amazon (this Pewter one is 30% off!), World Market, and several other places.  Now I'm kind of kicking myself for not setting it up, because I know I like it so much better than my current bed.  They do go on sale, but you have to shop around.


I have been hunting (un-successfully) for some vintage nightstands to refinish similar to the ones on the design board.  These that I found are from Cost Plus World Market, and they are currently half-off!




Threshold  Mercury Glass Trophy Lamp Base - CA

The lamp bases are from Target as well.  I currently have a similar base that I found at Marshall's.
Cost Plus World Market Large Wood Bead Chandelier


I'm loving the the natural wooden beads on this chandelier, although I don't know if I can actually give up my ceiling fan.

Pottery Barn Rug, Bedding, and Throw

The rug, bedding, and throw pictured can all be found at Pottery Barn.  A fur throw would be so cozy for the cooler temps approaching!



I would love to have long linen draperies, and may end up ordering fabric and sewing some. But I will probably keep the long, ticking stripe lumbar pillow and my existing bedding.



Finally, the piece de resistance, is the shelving unit.  I found this unit at World Market, and I love it.  I love the scale, the color, and the bookplates on each shelf.  And to top it off, it has rails so that you can add a library ladder.

So this is the one option for the room.  I'll be back to share another design board with a bit more color.  I also have ideas for several money-saving hacks and DIY's for most of the major pieces including the artwork, so I will share those later as well.  Happy Friday everyone!
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