For the longest time I have been dissatisfied with the look of my bedroom. I tend to go functionality rather than pretty, which leads to problems with styling and finding just what I want.
Well, I had had it. Something had to go. The top two candidates: the hunter green velvet drapes (from the As-Is bin at IKEA, which were amazing at blocking out light) and the king-sized gray duvet cover (from a garage sale). They just didn’t “go” together and to save money I resolved to use one or the other, but just not together.
After pricing things out it became apparent that, best case scenario, I would spend about $50 (the low end of the pricing scale) on either new drapes or a new duvet. Grr…… not quite what I wanted to figure out.
Then IKEA introduced their new lovely color: turquoise. And I fell in love. I decided to splurge on their new turquoise velvet drapes (just like the hunter green drapes, but a different color) and to use the hunter green fabric as lining, to keep the same light blocking ability we love so much on weekends (OK, Elliott uses them on weekends…. I am unable to sleep in).
I really wish I had a “before and after” picture (I am horrible at that; good thing I’m not a “professional” blogger) because the change is tremendous. The lighter color just makes the whole room brighter (since we are renting, painting the room is not an option).
I also picked up matching turquoise pillow cases and white bedskirt at IKEA, a gray headboard from the As-Is section (it’s really a footboard because it’s not super tall, but it will do for now), and two off-color lamps (which I intend to spray paint as soon as I can settle on a color; I am thinking sunny yellow, what do you think??). I would like to find some yummy fabric at a quilt shop to make custom pillowcases but you would be amazed at how many shades of turquoise there are (well I am anyway).
The dressers I painted over the summer were still in place, as was the mirror my friend Lisa gave me (I have been thinking about spray painting it too, but black is just such a classic color, it’s hard to change it). But I had been searching for just the right fake orchids to hang up in my hanging vases. Thank you Hobby Lobby for those.
I removed the towel bar from my sightline (it’s literally the first thing you see) and hung up photos from our wedding, which had been hiding in a closet.
Then I moved the towel bar to the other wall, along with an IKEA spice shelf – repurposed to hold all the stuff that would normally go in a medicine cabinet (which we don’t have) – and clearing off the counter for a streamlined look.
Now if I could only keep the counter cleared off…
