Master Bedroom MakeOver

What possessed me to post this today? I've been working on it since 5 a.m. and have just gotten to the "posting" part....Anyhooo, I am notorious for changing things, rooms, colors, accessories in and outside my home. HOWEVER, when I finally get it right, I am satisfied and I rarely change it again...for several years.

Thus, began the saga of the master bedroom makeover. It wasn't going to be anything but a duvet cover at first. Then it sort of snowballed...you DO understand, don't you? Below is the before picture I snapped at some odd time.I have no idea why my husband's red shirt is in the chair (except he used to use that chair as a second closet...but NO more!!)

There were two of those chairs, one in each corner. I owned them for over 40 years. It was time for a change. I had paid too much for the HEAVY comforter and velvet bedskirt and I had determined that I'd use the comforter to fill the duvet. Everything looked grandmotherly...well, since I AM a grandmother...let's change that to great grandmotherly.

The process began. I was staying with my wall color...Dried Grass....Wal Mart...love IT! (The green behind the fabric is a file folder, NOT Dried Grass!)


Now, this is Dried Grass (above). This color matches ANY color! I promise!

Carpet would have to stay...too new. Finally after an exhaustive search, I found a duvet on Overstock. It was ridiculously inexpensive, but I have been soooo pleased with it. It's heavy, really nice material. Shams and cover totaled out at around $40! (That 2.95 for shipping is the greatest!) Found some really nice taupe and black material for extra shams at Hancock's..that's it above and it was heavy and woven so it can be used on either side...I chose the light side. THE duvet ad is pictured above the fabric. I also found another fabric piece that was on sale 40% off, so I got enough just to do some throw pillows...$21 a yard is a tad over my budget..ha. (See side pillows below.) I covered old pillows that already had black cording around the edge.

Pattern mix above. Shams of reversible material at top; matching shams from duvet; $21 a yd material on either side and middle pillow matches the lining of my dresser lamp shades!

Now, what to do about those chairs...after some real fast talking, I got the hubster to consent to getting a new one....that's right ONE. The room had too much furniture and I couldn't breathe.

SIDENOTE: Uploading pictures is the only thing about blogging that I don't like. It takes me forever. I don't know if it's my computer or what, but I have time to put on make up in between uploads..drives me over the edge.

I found the chair at Haverty's. Good price, linen weave, neutral and no little skirt around the bottom. Clean lines and look were what I was going for. (Uploading...putting on eyeliner...) Pictured below are my new drapes. I lived here for 17 years without any...it was time...I paid my dues. They are lined and are a little darker than the wall color. I hung them 12 inches from the top of the doors and let them puddle just a tiny bit. I'm not too much into the BIG puddle look.

After 5 anxious days, the duvet arrived! (See August 4, 2010 post on that experience. Look under labels on the right...duvet cover. Title: How To Wrestle An Alligator) It was perfect, once I tamed it and got the other comforter into it.

Now on to accessorizing.

Left side of bed...silhouette is by artist Betty McCool, a wonderful southern artist, milkglass container was a gift from my son, McCarty June birds from my grandchildren! The silhouette was the subject of an Early American Life magazine article. I had a new mat cut but I was very fortunate to be able to purchase the original Mrs. McCool used for the article. See below.



Right side of bed. (I just realized something, I can upload and keep typing at the same time! Oh, happy day! )

I cut these silhouettes of my grandchildren years ago. I took their pictures in front of a window, printed them out, traced them onto silhouette paper, cut and viola! Frames from flea market.


I love my old books and use them everywhere! Some were my grandmother's. They add depth and character to everyday items.

Now for a quick tour of the finished product. The dresser and chair area are pictured below. Found the little stool at the flea market and recovered it with a remnant of black and taupe polka dot. Added a small pillow and "mink" throw.

The table beside the chair is an antique purchase from years ago. The white bird container is a gift from my son and the paperweight is the first ever given to me. My mother saw it and started my collection!



The front view of the dresser. I found the two silk flower embroidered pictures at the flea market. The lampshades are taupe on top and underneath have black velvet flowers. The flowers only show up when the lamps are lit. I love it...Ross's for $4 each!!!



As you can see, I love details, details, details...those lampshades really rocked my decorating world!

I know what you are thinking, " I am very traditional"...but I also enjoy modern clean lines. So, yes, I do have all this bedroom furniture, but no, I don't think it's too much. The room handles it well. Losing the extra chair and bringing in smaller pieces here and there helped reduce the
visual noise. Plus, I taught summer school one summer to buy this furniture. It's staying.


View of the chest of drawers.

I purchased this twig cone and filled it right up! One of my students provided me with the peacock feathers from a peacock owned by his grandfather.

Picture of completed dresser side of room.

Below is Final shot (whew)...poor old Blogger uploader probably has to take a nap after this boatload of photos! Anyway, this is my little nest and I love it. Comfy, clean and the wall color changes with the time of day. I love a paint that does that!

I am linking to: Boogieboard Cottage, Metamorphosis Monday, Shabby Nest, Decor Chick and Polish the Stars parties...click on the buttons to the right.

* How To Wrestle An Alligator

I am panting, my face is flushed, my breath is labored. No, I am not having a heart attack. No, I have not just run a marathon. I have just finished putting a duvet cover over my queen size comforter. We have a queen size comforter that weighs more than a set of dumbells on the foot of the bed. I was tired of the velvets, damasks, etc and wanted something lighter with cleaner lines. Enter the idea of a duvet cover. An inexpensive way to make a quick change.


I spent hours on line, and finally found one at Overstock. com...great price, perfect colors, such a great idea! Until it arrives. Then it has to be put on over the comforter. I have a limited amount of time before husband arrives home to my new surprise! The new duvet weighs a ton, so now, combined with the comforter, I have something on my feet at night that weighs roughly the same as a baby elephant. I steam pressed the thing..took 30 minutes...began wrestling with it to stuff the comforter inside. You must first locate the corners. That's fine but suddenly there's a big lump in the middle..uh,oh, wrong corner...take everything out...begin again. Heart begins to pound.

Rush to FB...help, my peeps! How do you do this? Rescue me, I fallen inside the thing and I can't get out! My hair is sticking straight up from being swallowed by the duvet. I'm feeling even sorrier for poor Jonah. Suggestions start rolling in from FB...even one from a former student who is quoting Martha Stewart! After roughly 45 minutes, I have the comforter inside and then the buttoning begins. What the? (My preacher monitors my posts, I have to be careful here.) Why would anyone need this many buttons? So I begin, skip one button, undo the ones I've done and pick up the missed one. On and on this goes. The glow of surprising my hubby with the new look is fading. I have too much other stuff to do.

Once the buttons are buttoned, you have to sort of wiggle the whole thing around until it is situated. Hurry, he will soon be arriving home! Get out the new 300 count sheets and put them on the bed. Remember: we have pledged NOT to go over 300 count...btw: how do you cram 800 fibers in an inch? And what is with the corners of all new sheets that are at least 12 inches too tall for my poor mattress? I have to stuff all that excess under everything else. By the time I finish, I am concerned the bed will simply fall under its own weight. And then when you add me, this could be pretty ugly.

When I awoke this morning, I was so sore I could hardly hobble out of bed. "Why," I thought, "am I so doggone sore?" Then it came to me, an alligator wrestler couldn't have used any more energy or intensity than I did the night before. And all night long, I'd try to turn over but my feet (which were under the two ton duvet covered comfortor) were literally trapped in position. At one point, I had to wrest my feet from under the covers and jump out of bed. I felt like I was suffocating. I always feel like that when my feet are hot. My ankles were swollen all day and I know it's because of that duvet. I wouldn't dare say anything, because I was warned about buying something online sight unseen. So now I am stuck...literally and figuratively. This afternoon one of my FB peeps told me I was supposed to pin the corners of the comforter to the duvet. Well, now that makes sense, but it "ain't" happening anytime soon. If I don't make it to school tomorrow, I'll still be trapped in the bed. Tell husband to come back home and de-trap.

Lessons To Be Learned:
1. Duvet covers are another communist plot. If enough of us use them our feet will be so swollen and sore we couldn't fight if we were attacked.

2. It' s probably best if you don't try to encase a comforter with a duvet if you are short on time.
It isn't the quick change you were told it would be.

3. New duvet cover has also demanded: new bedskirt, change of fabric on footstool, new picture over the bed, new mats on old pictures and a new occasional chair. (Possibly a trip to Foley is in order. )