Adding Some Detail - Lamp Update

You may remember both the nightstand redo and the lamp redo for the boys' room well, now that we have an accent color there is an added detail to the lamp.

Using two different thicknesses of bias tape and some hot glue

I turned all the perfectly fine, all white lamp and shade into something just a bit nicer. 

And it looks great against the blue wall and coordinates perfectly with the bedding. 

It is always amazing to me how a little detail like some bias tape on a lampshade can make such a difference.  I am trying to remember this fact when I get overwhelmed with a room redo or a piece of furniture makeover.  Sometimes it is the little things that can make the biggest impact. 

What little detail(s) have you added to a plain or solid colored item that made a big impact?

Boys' Room Dresser Makeover - Before & After

During the makeover of the boys' room, we realized that we needed a dresser.  Something that could fit in with the surf/beach theme they wanted for the room. 

When I found this dresser on Craiglist for $30, I knew it would be the perfect piece.  It is not a factory-made piece but instead was handcrafted from what looks like high grade 2x4s and has hand carved wooden handles.  It weighs a ton and is one of the sturdiest pieces of furniture I have come across.  Unfortunately, it was also ugly as all get out. 

Luckily, the ugly was easily covered up with primer and paint. 

The best part?  I already had the paint I needed in my ever expanding garage "paint store."  With the grey paint I planned on using (found on the "oops table" at Home Depot for a steal) matching the bedding I was making for the boys' beds exactly.  What a wonderful bit of coincidence.  So other than three cans of spray primer I had to purchase, my finishing costs were minimal.

The dresser fits perfectly in the space in the corner of the room and the deep drawers fit a surprising amount of clothing.  Even better, the boys think it is cool that they have a "custom finished" piece of furniture made over just for them.  Glad my "clients" are happy with the finished project. 

Cost Breakdown
$30  Dresser (from our local Craiglist)
$  5 White Paint (1/4 gallon of semi gloss)
$  1 Grey paint (1/4 gallon of flat enamel from the Oops table)
$15 three cans of Kilz spray primer
$51 Total Project Cost

IKEA Table of a Different Color

After our center bedroom was complete, I realized that we needed another bedside table.  Since we are on a budget, the first place I checked was Craigslist.  However, apparently, the end table/night stand/bedside table is a hot commodity in our area since my searching over several weeks was unfruitful.

My next low cost option?  IKEA.  (Boy do I love that store!)

With the geometric shape theme we have going on in the room, I thought that the round shape of the Noresund table would work quite nicely.

However, the black is all wrong.  It is too dark for the room.

Solution:  Spray Paint!!  Our favorite brand Rust-Oleum in particular. 

I decided to go with a two-tone look.  White glossy for the flat surfaces and navy glossy for the legs.  That color combo ties in with the bedding with the white, blue and green.  To be honest, I would have loved to do a green leg but I couldn't find the right color green in a glossy spray can. However, now that it is in place, I love the navy. It stands out so nicely against the green walls. 

Project Cost:
$20.00 Noresund table
    3.50 1 Can White Gloss Spray Paint
    1.75 1/2 Can Navy Gloss Spray Paint
$25.25 TOTAL COST

I am linking this to the Domestically Speaking Power of Paint Party.  Come join in the fun.

A Room Completed and a Bright Place to Sleep

The first room that we have completed is our center bedroom.  We call it that because it is located between the bedroom in the front of the house and our master bedroom in the rear of the house.  This is my stepdaughter's room when she is with us and a guest room when she is not here. 

The previous owners used this room as a study/office with desks for their two girls and themselves.  With all the desks, bookcases, drapes over both the windows and closet doors and a single window with a northen exposure, it was quite dark and a little drab.  Here is a peek at what we started with. 

We decided to brighten it up with a bright leaf green and white trim.  The result, a bright and cheery bedroom. 

The only thing that didn't change in look was the floor.  Thankfully, the previous owners had installed beautiful engineered bamboo flooring.  However, that meant we needed to do everything else.  We painted the walls and doors (both the closets and door to the room), replaced the baseboards and the trim for the doors and closets.  I can also say that there was only one smashed finger (mine) when I was installing the baseboard trim.

New baseboards and door trim base

New trim and door topper

Additionally, we changed the location of the curtain rod closer to the ceiling to give a feeling of height to the room.

I found the bed and nightstand on Craigslist for $50 and $15 respectively.

I already had the dresser from our previous home in Illinois.

Hang a free ceiling tile sample on the wall for some visual interest

and add some free artwork made with scrapbook paper and a frame given to us as a wedding present to go over the bed and we are all set.

There are a few finishing touches left however.  We plan to install a ceiling fan at some point, new windows are will be installed in about four to six weeks, at that time the window trim will be replaced to match the door trim, we need more artwork in the for the one wall and we want to get another nightstand. 

Even without those last details, the room is a pleasant place to rest one's head.  Especially with a bottle and glass for water along with some toiletries in case something got left behind.

Cost Breakdown
$    17.00 Paint - Glidden Spring Leaf in Flat Enamel (colormatched to Behr)
        8.00 Paint - Behr White in Semi Gloss (cost for about 1/3 a can)
      90.00 Door and Closet Trim
      60.00 Baseboard Trim
      50.00 Craigslist bed frame
      20.00 Plywood for bed platform
    290.00 New full mattress purchased from Overstock.com
      95.00 New bedding set purchased from Overstock.com
      30.00 Mattress Pad
        2.00 Pillow inserts for shams
        0.00 Pillows for bedding set
      30.00 Curtains (Ikea Ritva in white)
      70.00 Area Rug (Egeby from IKEA)
      15.00 Nightstand purchased from Craigslist and repainted white
      20.00 Lamp for Nightstand (Smart from IKEA)
      10.00 Lamp for dresser (Orgel from IKEA)
        0.00 Dresser (moved from our old house)
        0.00 Artwork over the bed
        0.00 Artwork for the wall (free ceiling tile sample)
        0.00 Curtain rod and finials (spray painted old curtain hardware hammered silver)
  $807.00 TOTAL for Room Redo