A bedroom is somewhat of a haven isn’t it. It’s our own space where we can hang out, have some peace, relax and take refuge. Often our bedroom is a reflection of our moods and personality and decorated accordingly. We fill our bedrooms with the things we love and that give us a sense of self. Strangely enough our tastes often change over time, and what we once thought was the most amazing bedroom and the perfect reflection of who we are is no longer a fit at all…..so it’s time for an overhaul!
I have to admit that when Anna announced it was overhaul time for her room, it couldn’t happen quickly enough for me! I have been waiting, waiting, waiting for this moment! You know that stage that teens go through…where everything needs to be black? Uh huh you know it? Yep, that one. Anna wanted black walls in her room. Black was cool. And whilst I cringed, I have always tried to try to pick my battles with my teens not sweat the small stuff. If it’s not permanent (like tattoos) it’s small stuff. We did the piercings and the strange fashion trends…but I digress. The room has been black for two long years and before that hot pink seemed like a good idea. Admittedly Anna has mentioned it may be time for a makeover for a while now, but nothing happens fast here. The final catalyst was this bed. We found it on ebay with two bedsides, a huge dresser and a huge ornate mirror. We placed our bid and lugged the lot home from Melbourne for $300. Anna laid claim to the bed, and the bedsides and dresser are becoming part of my own room makeover(but that’s another post!) It was rather ugly…..but once you have painted a few pieces you can see the potential in every piece, and we had a wonderful vision for this lot!
The bed was really just a head and foot but we are so lucky to have a husband and daddy who is uber handy in the woodwork department. We bought another queen sized bed that was a bit worse for the wear for $50 and used the sides and slats to build a whole new bed. It gave Chris a few headaches along the way but after adding some legs to the bed foot it all came together nicely. Anna has been studying and working lately, putting in many hours to finish her Cert 3 in Early Childhood Development, so I painted the bed for her. We chose Websters Chalk Paint Powder mixed with Haymes Antique White USA which has become our favourite white. It’s not pure white but rather an off white that seems to go with everything, including pure white. Because beds get used every day, I chose to finish it with a hard wearing water based polyurethane instead of the usual wax. What was a rather boring brown wood veneer bed is now a French Provincial style masterpiece!
In her limited spare time, Anna painted her black walls with Antique White USA as well and we replaced her ivory curtains with new white lace Fleur de lis curtains. The final result is just stunning and with the sunshine streaming in during the morning, the room is filled with light and has gone from gloomy to happy and bright in just two short weeks. The beautiful set of Queen Anne Drawers was one of Anna’s very first chalk painting projects. Aren’t they gorgeous! I know Anna took some before photos of her room so we’ll see if we can dig those out to add in here too. The only thing we were unable to change was the ‘delightful’ vintage green carpet.
Anna’s teen years have come and gone, I’m hoping this room will stay pretty for a long time to come! 
Here’s the image from the ebay auction. Before and after! I hope to have my own room makeover ready to showcase soon! 
