Before & After: Guest Bedroom Project

I don't know about you but for me, the best part of a project reveal is seeing the "Before and After" shots.  Sure, it's easy to ooh and ahh over pictures of a pretty room but there's something about seeing a truly unfortunate "Before", which my guest bedroom most certainly was, that makes the "After" so much more dramatic.

It's been a while since I first posted my frightening "Before" shots (I still can't believe I put these images out into the internet for the world to see!). I apologize for the happiness-sucking brownness that I'm about to inflict upon your eyeballs.

Behold, my shameful past:

Gah!

On one hand, I do have to give myself props for finding the most realistic shade of poop brown ever known to man. 

After:

So. Much. Better.

A little side-by-side action:

Both nightstands (which I already owned) underwent transformations as well. 

Finally (with a little nudge from my friend Kate) I came to my senses and realized navy blue was the right color all along.

Duh.

And oh, the drapery.  The drapery! The boring brownness! The horror!

The ultimate neighborhood watch in action.

I know it's a little hard to see but trust me, there's just a whole lotta brown going on. 

I found a really great navy  and white modern trellis fabric and sewed my first ever fully lined drapery panels.  Not only was it a million times easier than I imagined, the panels came out beautifully and no sewing apparatus were thrown across the room in the process. Always a bonus when sanity is maintained.

This photo is the most realistic representation of the color.

See how the bottom of the panel just baaaaarely kisses the floor?  That's what you want. Unless you're purposely pooling a luxurious puddle of fabric, which also looks absolutely gorgeous in its own right.

Such a dramatic change, don't you think?

Next week I'll go into a little more detail on how I designed and transformed this room from a brown, boring blob with no energy or design direction to a fresh, airy space that any guest would love. And, I did it all on a really, really small budget. I'll also be sharing some of my sources, splurges and biggest steals.

Have a great weekend!

If you want help creating a home you absolutely love, email Sarah Elizabeth Interior Design today to schedule a consultation.

For Your Weekend

As far as Blogfest 2012 goes, there is officially no turning back now.  I went and bought myself plane tickets last night.  I found a price too swell to pass up and it's a done deal.  Let the squeals of excitement begin!

The next few months are going to be the longest of my life!

In other developments, I think I'm going to have to come up with a "Plan B" for my guest bedroom headboard.  I originally wanted to add an upholstered inset but the more I look at it, the less it's looking like a DIY-able option. There are a couple of spots that look a little tricky for an amateur to upholster.

See what I mean?

I'm all for budget-friendly, DIY solutions when possible but I also want it to look well done. The final product has to be one that I am proud to show off. I just don't believe in DIY simply for the sake of DIY.  What's the point of spending hours of my own time (and my own money!) on something that I'm not going to absolutely love? 

So it's onto "Plan B" and I'm not sure what that is just yet.  I've been trying to avoid painting but there may not be any other option. Maybe a grey wash treatment? I'll have to think on that a little more. Thoughts??

Speaking of headboards.  Jenny at "Little Green Notebook" is at it again with another DIY Tufted Headboard Tutorial.  She simply amazes me. 

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Now that's a little DIY done right!

I'm kind of obsessed with patterned drapery right now.  Here are some of my favorites of late:

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Is it just me or do solid window treatments seem particularly yawn-inducing now?

Here's a new blog well, new to me at least, that is pretty fantastic.  Any down time you have this weekend would be well spent at The Lettered Cottage. Tutorials and inspiration galore! On everything from design and DIY to photography. 

Have a wonderful weekend!