Raw...Guest bedroom makeover....

I've started my next project which is 

the guest bedroom.  

It's pretty much in the "raw" state but 

I figured you could handle it!! 

We just painted the room two years ago 

in a light yellow called "Italian Straw" 

by Pratt & Lambert, so I didn't want to 

paint it again, but had to find a way to 

work with it.  Of course I wanted

a new look so my brain went into

seek...ponder...and oh darn watch 

the budget mode!

This is the room after I got it together in 

2009.  It's approx. 13.5 ft. by 9.5 ft

I grew tired of the dark drapes quickly 

and I had them mounted too close to the 

edges of the window so it ate up a lot

of the available daylight.

At the time the bedding fit the budget 

and with some added pillows I was able 

to pull the colors of the room together.  

I put the dresser in front of the window 

but I've hated it ever since.  The heater 

vent is behind there and it also made it 

hard to work with the window shade.  

The fabric also seemed to collect every 

piece of cat hair like a magnet and I really 

got tired of trying to keep it looking clean!

Last Sunday I suggested we move the 

furniture around in the room, so I plotted 

it with the room planner at Lazy Boy's

web site.  

We bought this bedroom outfit for our 

daughter about 8 years ago.  It's a nice 

solid cherry set by Stanley called 

Louis Louis.  The bed is a nickle plated 

piece that we never actually put together.  

We had it in the smaller bedroom and we 

didn't have room to give up for the 

footboard.  I had a moderately priced 

(cheap) frame connected to it but the real 

frame and footboard remained in storage.

We were pleased to see the nice hardware 
package it came with which included this 
thick silicone rubber piece to help with 
mounting the pieces together.  

The frame has lots of support and we were

 so happy to actually see it put together.  

If you haven't followed me- I recently took 

over her old bedroom and made it into 

my office.  All of her bedroom furniture is 

still here. She lives in an apartment in

a city about 150 miles away.  When she 

settles in someday we will move this to 

her new home.  In the meantime I 

claim it for the guest room!

(Possession is 9/10ths right?)

I love the sweet shape of the headboard 

and footboard.  The mirror reflects the 

same shape.  This is just a quick shot after 

we got the mattress set back on.

It's tight in here as you can see!   The tall 

armoire used to be behind me and we 

used some of those sliding discs to move 

it over.  Those are a handy thing to have!

The dresser is over where the armoire 

used to be and these are new lamps I 

got at Pier 1 Imports.  I was drawn to

their unusual shape and thought they

might be a nice design element!

I love how they glow!

These pillows are my inspiration for the 

new accent colors in the room.  I'm 

waiting for them to come from 

Pottery Barn.

I found three matching frames at  

T.J. Maxx.  I thought I was going to use 

them in the office, but it didn't work out.  

They have that new popular "chalk" paint 

look and I couldn't resist them!  

I need to find pictures for them yet, but I'm 

pleased with them and they coordinate 

with the color in the pillows beautifully!

I also found some curtain panels that had 

the same coloring!  

I think this was meant to be!

Next on the check list....I have the curtains 

going up and the new picture frames are 

being hung above the bed.  

Waiting on the bedding and I still need to 

find pictures to put in these frames! 

Thanks for visiting and I hope

your week is going great!

New office!

I've decided to move my desk out of the living room and put it in a small bedroom that I'm converting to an office. 

This is the small bedroom I'm adopting (previously my daughters room).  I redid it a few years ago with this new bedding ensemble from Kohls.  It was a Spanish inspired print (the blue print looks like Spanish tiles up close) and the terracotta quilt and pillows inspired me to paint the room this color which is called "Soft Marigold" by Benjamin Moore.  My daughter is the only one who has used it when she comes home for a visit, but now a days that's only a few times a year.  Hence the reason I'm taking it over!

This is my kidney shaped desk and chair I got a year ago.  I took this picture moments after it arrived!

The chair is kind of a cranberry red and that's not going to be changed. I love it dearly and it's real comfortable!

The two lampshades will be in the room and I've been examining different whites to use for the room.  I'm very wishy washy about it.

For instance I saw these pictures with Benjamin Moore's Davenport Tan. 

 I love the drama of the color and I know it would be rich with my red chair and the desk. It's such a small room I'm debating whether it's wise to go with such a deep color.

This picture represents another color I'm looking at called Linen White, but it has a hint of yellow and I'm not so sure I want to do that.

This one is called Moonlight White and when I put the sample of it near the new white lamp it really has the right tone in it.

 This wall color is called White Chocolate and I really like it too, it's on the same card as the one above and they both could work.  

My new lamps inspired me to go for a little lighter modern look so this light wall color has been my focus, but the drama queen in me also likes that dark color I showed above!

I took this picture with no natural light and with two lamps on and it made the room look orange!  We took a large piece of cardboard and laid it on top of the desk, traced it and cut it out so I could set it in the room and get a feel for it.  

 The 4th color down on the card is the Davenport Tan color but I am pretty sure my hubby will look at me quite cross eyed if I show him that one!

I bought the curtains on the left at Pier 1 and then I went into Bed Bath & Beyond and found the other pair which I think is going to be the winner now!  

I found this at T.J. Maxx yesterday and snatched it up.   I love the picture but I don't think it's got the right vibe!

These are both from Pier 1 and I'm seriously considering one or the other.

 This one has a truer red and I do like the 
colors in it.

This one has a muted red almost rust but I really liked the painting the best.  In person it has hints of gold that catch the eye with reflection.

We have a ways to go on the prepping and painting and the new carpet will be in next week.  Once that's done things will move along quickly!

So that's my project for now and I'm pretty wrapped up in it!

As always, Thanks for stopping by!

Liz

Lantern Vignette

Long weekends spent inside 

during the frigid winter put me on projects like this!

It was only 15 degrees today!

Brrr.....

This lantern (from Hobby Lobby)

has been in my possession since 

last October but I didn't have 

a plan for it.

Last night a friend sent

a picture of a lantern vignette

she designed (which sparked 

my weak memory banks).  

I had forgotten all about it!

So I put together a small

arrangement in a flower

pot and set it inside.

I intended to put a flameless candle 

in there but everything was too big.

I did a little internet searching

and found a 3 pc. set of these

small flameless candles at

Bed Bath and Beyond. I buzzed

in to town to get it!  It

came as a set with a tray and

stones. With my 20% off

coupon I walked out for $8.47

for the set.  I figure for the three

flameless candles that's not bad!

What's cool about these is,

after you turn them on

you can "blow" on them

and they turn on or off!

I am leaving the door

open on it because it 

just looks better that way!

I hung a tassel on it for a

little extra pizzaz! I don't know if

you can see it but the sides have

curved glass! I thought that

was so unique!

Now I'm off to work on

an arrangement for a 

footed bowl.  I got inspired

by a picture in a catalog 

from Ballard Designs.

What are you up to???

I'm Linking up with
Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life
Tabletop Tuesday
and 
The Tablescaper
for 
Seasonal Sundays

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!  

I'm creating this table up but I won't be able
to use it until I'm back from visiting family
for Thanksgiving.

I set the table with my new 

Ralph Lauren tablecloth (T.J. Maxx)

I loved the rich colors it offered.

I made an arrangement in the center

using two turkey statues perched

on wooden pedestals.  

A wicker cornucopia that I had from a few years back.

I fluffed it up with a few more pieces.

 Front and back views

I can lift these pieces off easily to set food on

the table.  

I found the placemats at Bed Bath and Beyond

and the chargers are from J.C.Penney

Chris Madden's Harvest Group

They look like carved wood but

I believe they are like a melamine material.

These rust colored dishes are from

Dillard's and they are made by

Noble Excellence and are called

Scroll, Terracotta

These leaves are from the same

Chris Madden, Harvest group

 The acorn is by Living Quarters from 

the Harvest collection at Younkers

I brought out these little candle votives

and set these cute little pumpkin

candles on top. I clustered them

with the glassware.

The amber glassware are recent

acquisitions from T.J. Maxx

I always love to see it with the candles lit!

 I love the ambiance that candlelight

creates. These are my new Casa
Cristina collection pieces.

So this will be my Thanksgiving table

(a few days after Thanksgiving)

We're having a couple of friends

over for an evening meal!

I hope your Thanksgiving will be full of great eating and

hopefully some cherished memories

with lots of love!

I'm liking with 
Between Naps on the Porch-Tablescape Thursdays

Happy Thanksgiving

On a special note I want to call out this posting by Yvonne @ Stonegable, please check it out and read her commentary about the holidays.  I'm with her on this one all the way and hope that we all take a minute to let these holidays breathe a bit more and enjoy them. We're not in a race- what's the rush?