Operation Sister Share: Bedroom Update

This bedroom swap-up project has been dragging on forever now.  It always seems that there are other things to do and finish up.  Thankfully, this week I was able to get a few of my to-do's crossed off my list. I am not by any means finished, but I really like the direction the room is moving in.

I started the project off by painting over the tree mural (this was Ashlyn's whimsical room), and then I painted the polka dot focal wall. 

Then I had this blank slate to work with. The basics were there.  I just had to start adding layers to make it a cozy, complete room. 

Remember this blank slate?

I hung the DIY Striped curtains, and then was ready to start adding wall art and other touches. 

To make Monogram Wall Art, I drew out letters on scrap wood and my sweet husband cut them out for me.  I then used fabric I picked out for the throw pillows, and Mod Podged it onto the wood.  Mod Podge is my new best friend. I painted the edges of the wood white.  

I also added banners onto the headboard.  I used glitter scrapbook paper, cut out the pennant shape, and hot glued it to pink ribbon.  I'm not sure if that will stay there, especially when I get the throw pillows onto the bed.  I may relocate them, but they are there for now. 

The next thing we added was the bedside light.  I already had this IKEA light fixture and it had been sitting in my mud room for months. It was silver and I spray painted blue to bring a pop of color onto that wall. Instead of hanging it from the ceiling, Jared and I hung it with a metal shelf bracket we found at Lowe's.  The mirrored side table is not staying there. It's there temporarily until I get the nightstand refinished.  That will eventually go in the Master Bedroom. (By the way, I got it 70% off at Target. I was originally $99, and I got it for $30!)

The small blue pillows were placemats that came from Target. I opened up the side seam and stuffed them to make accent pillows. They will looks so much better when I get all the bedding and pillows on there. 

So there's what we have so far.  I am in the home stretch and am looking forward to seeing the end result. 

Shared Bedroom To-Do List:
*Paint over tree wall 
*Paint polka-dot feature wall
*Get new (or in this case, gently used) matching beds
*Order Ashlyn a coverlet that matches Katlyn's existing one
*Get new blinds
*Hang new curtains
*Make throw pillows 
*Make monogram art
*Replace ceiling fan
*Find nightstand or table to put in between beds (refinishing one)
*Hang art on walls
*Find a throw blanket, quilt, or comforter to go at end of bed and be used during colder weather
*Spray paint existing lamp and get new lamp shade.  Actually ended up using an existing light fixture.
*Paint closet doors with chalkboard paint

Painted Black and White Striped Curtains

In redecorating my girls' bedroom, I knew that I wanted striped curtains and I also wanted to try to paint them myself. I'd seen that being done a lot on Pinterest to get custom curtains for a fraction of the cost.

I started with a pair of Vivian curtains from IKEA.  They are available to purchase online, and at $9.99 per pair.  That's a steal!  Also, they are 98'' tall, so if you like to hang your curtains high and wide (which I definitely prefer), they are perfect. 

I knew I wanted wide stripes, so I divided the 98" by ten to get ten stripes total.  They were spaced every 9.8 inches, roughly.  When measuring the first panel, I was meticulous at first, then started just eyeballing it.  When I got the first panel taped, I put the second panel on top and taped exactly where the first was.  I wanted to make sure both panels looked uniform.  



I then added a fabric medium to the paint per instructions on the bottle.  It enables the paint to go on fabric with a heat set so that it can be washed. 

Martha Stewart Fabric Medium

Once I had the paint mixed with the medium, I painted the stripes with a small foam roller.  It didn't take very long.  I had to paint two coats to completely cover the fabric.  

It is cloudy today, so I couldn't get a good picture of the curtains in the room, but I will as soon as I can for you guys. I will be sharing some of the DIY artwork for the room soon as well. 

So, for about $20, I have two curtain panels that look great in the room!  The are floor to ceiling and "puddle" on the floor a bit.  Great bang for your buck! 

Have you ever painted curtains or fabric before?  I can't wait to try it again with drop cloths and a stencil. 

Looking forward to wrapping up the girls' room redo and sharing on the blog.  Be sure to enter the Giveaway if you haven't already! Winner will be announced Wednesday on the Cultivate Create Facebook page. 

Aubergine Orchid Digital Design Board

While I'm in the middle of finishing up my girls' shared bedroom space, I have been dreaming of making our master bedroom an inviting place. It seems that it is always the last to get done, and I am looking forward to making our room a retreat.  

I started by going to my local hardware store and picking out paint colors. I knew that the "purple" range was where I was headed.  I have been drooling over ZGallerie's "Aubergine" accessories and decor for a year or two now. Not to mention that "Radiant Orchid" is Pantone's 2014 color of the year.  

I seem to always be drawn to these hues, whether in clothing, makeup, or home decor.  Here are two palettes that I came up with. These are all Valspar colors. 

Looking at these two sets of colors, I am drawn more to the one on the left.  It looks a little more grown up to me and not so pastel.  I'm not going to be painting the walls these colors, but my master bath may get a splash of some color. I'm not sure yet. I will probably use these colors for a DIY art piece, and used them as a basis for finding fabric. 

Here is the Digital Design Board I created for our master bedroom.  It gives me a better idea at how it will all come together when I'm done. I'm not planning on buying a new bed. I used the one shown just for the purpose of creating the board.  You will find a link below for each item on the board. 


1. P. Kaufmann Hip Berry Fabric  I love this beautiful fabric.  The combination of the gray, purples and pops of green aren't too feminine, but still have the romantic quality I'm going for. I'm thinking of using this one for drapes and a throw pillow. $22/yard

2. P. Kaufmann Slick Amethyst Fabric This fabric coordinates well with the Hip Berry fabric.  I love bringing in a geometric print with a floral one.  This fabric will be used to recover a chair seat as well as throw pillows. (That awesome thrift store chair find is about to get made over.)  $12/yard

3. Land of Nod "H" throw pillow  I won't necessarily use all of the pillows on this board, but I added a few to have options. This one is only $19.

4. Target Fergano pillow $26.99

5. Surya Plum Pillow from Lamps Plus  $25.99

6. Warp Speed Art from ZGallerie This art piece is pretty pricey but beautiful. I may DIY some art for the area above the bed. 

7. Threshold Round Tiled Mirror $29.99

8. Polished table lamp from Target  $49.99 I love the shape and finish of this lamp.  

9. Layla Grace Nightstand At $579, this nightstand is a bit out of my price range, especially having to buy two.  I think I can buy an inexpensive one from IKEA and paint it to look similar to this gray one. 

10. Oblong Lilac Pillow At $15.99 this velvet beauty is a steal!

11. Tufted Ottoman  At Target.com for $52.49.  A great price for a big impact. 

12.  ZGallerie Tangier Rug

13. Sam Moore Laney Exposed Armchair  $859

14. Surya Ruffled Pillow from Lamps Plus $45.99

15. Geometric Area Rug  $149.99 from Target

16. ZGallerie Idochine Rug  $299.95 I obviously won't buy three rugs, but I gave myself options to see how they look and a variance of price depending on budget.  This rug is very plush and would be wonderful in a bedroom.  The more inexpensive one from Target is lower pile. 

I think if our room comes out anything like the one on the Digital Design Board, we will be really happy with it!