Bedroom Makeover

Our plans for the kitchen/dining room are on temporary hold (including the painting).  We will resume when a fabulous deal for kitchen cabinets comes along.  We are keeping a watchful eye on Craigslist.  Our current cabinets are not that old, but neither are they withstanding the time.  To paint before we know what the kitchen will look like is a sure ticket to painting again, and--believe it or not, I don't want that.  My living room has seen 3 colors, yes, so one would think I'm quite addicted to painting.  And, okay, I am.  But there are more projects in this house than I can count and extra painting will only slow us down. 

In the meantime, we decided to fix our bedroom.  We both reached the point where we just couldn't stand the ugliness any longer.  The bare, yellowed walls, the paint splattered floor (which still lives on), the poorly placed furniture and the lack of color.  The bedroom is where one goes to see reprieve in its many and varied forms, after a long, tiring day.  It should be a place of relaxation, restoration and peace.  Ours wasn't. 

So...with a jig and a jog, we were off to Ikea.  I wandered through the textile department for a long, long time, looking for the cheapest options, and ways to put them together in the nicest way possible.  I finally found a $60 duvet cover (which I put over our old brown comforter to save at least $100), a couple of pillows for $1 each, and a $20 rug.  I've learned from experience that it's better to know everything else about a room (colors, textures, lighting, etc.) before choosing a paint color.  Not the other way around. 

Everything else I used for the room was stuff we already had, including the curtains, which I 'borrowed' from the living room.  The living room as the old ones back up because it can stand to wait for something better.

I didn't remember to take a before picture, so this one will have to do.  I've posted it before.  It's a random picture I took for absolutely no apparent reason, right after my parents left at Christmas and John and I were moving our stuff back in. 

John did most of the work, me helping where I could, and Joshua 'helping' with as many tasks as we could come up with for him.

Cracks repaired and furniture moved out....BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE (I think that's kind of obvious...)

 AFTER:

I love owning a house and adding our own little personal touches.  It's amazing how a coat of paint can change the whole feel of a room. :-)