Out of all the house projects I have on our list for 2020, I really wanted to kick off the year right, starting with a master bedroom refresh. Not only is it a room desperate for a little attention but the projects I want to tackle are relatively low effort. A few small furniture paint jobs here and there. An extra shopping trip or two. But nothing massive - no painting, no woodwork. Easy peasy!
Our bedroom wasn't horrible to begin with but if you are anything like us, nearing six years of marriage, three years with a dog, and two kids later, things just feel pretty...worn. Regardless of how much I deep clean or rearrange or whatever, I find that things still feel dingy.
Overall we are looking to stay within a $500 budget. So with that budget, things like painting the room, replacing furniture, or buying top of the line bedding isn't on the list. The goal is to invest wisely in a few cosmetic updates to make the space feel clean and relaxing. Here is what we are focusing on...
PROJECT FOCUS AREAS
Bedding. I know this one will be the biggest chunk of our budget. I am looking for a total overhaul here. New duvet, new duvet cover (preferably linen), new throw pillows, new sheets.
Side tables. These are Ikea side tables that we purchased, built, and painted right when we moved into our current house. The blue was a mistake - ha! Not only have I never felt the color, but they have worn horribly - showing every drip of water, coffee, spit up, etc that makes contact with the surface. No matter what I used to clean them, they still appeared stained and dirty. These need a fresh coat of paint ASAP!
Vows. Daniel and I wrote our own vows and it means the absolute world to me to have them in our room. Each year on our anniversary we try to read each other our vows again. While I want the vows to stay, these prints which I made VERY early in our marriage drive me bonkers stylistically. My style has moved on from the heavy barn wood look and the lettering makes me cringe.
Mirror. Again, just stylistically moving away from a distressed farmhouse look. I love the size of this mirror, but the distressed white, I would just like to see something different.
Oh and probably putting away those two full baskets of laundry, ha!
One thing I will never change...our headboard. Daniel and I built that thing together when we engaged. I feel really lucky to be married to an engineer who is extremely handy with tools and even more patient with my crazy ideas. That headboard represents the first big project we ever tackled together. So, whatever direction we go, it has to work with that headboard.
PULLING INSPIRATION
Whenever I go to work on a room, I always start with Pinterest. Instead of typing in something like "wood headboard" or "modern farmhouse master bedroom" I have found it is better to go broad and let your natural instincts guide your search. Here is what I mean...
Start by searching "master bedroom" and without thinking too much, pin photos that you are drawn too. Don't worry about if they are similar or if they are on "theme" just pin as your gut tells you. Do this for a good chunk of time so you have lots of photos to work with.
Here is what my "Master Bedroom" board looks like after my first round of pinning.
From there, start to look for themes. For patterns. Similar qualities of the photos I'm naturally drawn to. Here's what I notice:
I see the same colors in most of these photos, just in different applications. I see black, white, wood tones, and I see pops of rust (either in leather pops, pillows, or rugs)
I see art. Kinda modern, sleek. Usually paired.
I see pops of greenery.
I see stripes but not a ton of pattern beyond that.
I see cozy, warm, slightly moody. I see slight farmhouse inspiration mixed with a little boho and a little traditional. Yup, that checks out.
So now I have my marching orders. With the areas I am looking to change, I am looking for ways to bring this same kinda vibe.
Side note: This whole technique for pulling inspiration, I learned from this book. I LOVE this book so much. It was even featured on January's Celebrate Home list.
BUILDING A GAME PLAN
First to go is the rug. It is not the mood, the colors, or the texture I'm looking for. List that puppy on Facebook Marketplace. Which side note, I LOVE Facebook Marketplace - if you don't shop/sell there, you are missing out! I am not in love with the rug combo we have in the living room and think I can move that rug into the bedroom. It is light and neutral and textural. Perfect.
The nightstands are going to get a fresh coat of paint and black is the winner here. I think this will give the sophistication and moodiness I am looking for. I also want to purchase some pieces to style the nightstands and help with organization. I am dreaming of matching trays and woven baskets.
I am going to purchase new frames for the vows. I am picturing gold, sleek frames. Maybe a bit bigger to balance out the size of the headboard? And the lettering will get an update as well - I like something modern, minimal.
I think I will opt for white linen bedding and white sheets. The quilt can get folded at the bottom for some texture, some color, and a subtle pattern.
I am going to search for some rust pillows. Texture is a must! I always like going bigger but fewer pillows on the bed.
I am going to paint the mirror to have a gold finish. Not sure how this will turn out but I think I will like it better than the current white.
PULLING IT TOGETHER
At this point, I'm about halfway through with my list. Want a little sneak peak? I still need to move the rug, finish the vows, paint the mirror, and get the right trays but even just having the black nightstands and the new pillows has given the room a TON of freshness.
One last thing to note...while I love working on house projects, in a time where we are constantly sharing photos of every aspect of our lives, it is really easy for jealousy or comparison to creep in. So in light of that, I need to remind myself of two things. Maybe you need to hear them too?
1. Our home isn't a magazine. The photos I pinned are gorgeous, they are beautiful homes and spaces that I am super creatively inspired by. But I am not pulling together a space for a publication, I am pulling it together for our family. And our family often has socks on the floor and a stack of brightly colored books on the nightstand and little jelly finger prints on the sheets. And while I want to cultivate beauty and respect in our home, I am VERY PRO all climbing in to Mama and Daddy's bed to watch Toy Story and have a bedtime snack. Balance.
2. We have a budget. And that is a GOOD THING. Along with cultivating beauty and respect, I want the little eyes watching to see the heart of their mama full of contentment and gratitude. Because whatever your budget is, whatever your projects are, however large or small your house is, or the number of people living in it, I believe you can create a place of rest and joy, celebration and belonging.
Cheers to the memories made and the love shared within the walls of your home -
Katie
P.S. If you are interested in links to certain things I purchased, I'm trying to get better about sharing sources!
1. Duvet
2. Duvet Cover
3. Gold Frames
4. Rust Pillows (I can't for the life of me find this link, I'll keep looking!)