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Living Rooms

Kitchens

Furniture

5 In bedroom

Farm Fresh

Jacinda is the mother of five young children, and all she wanted is what every busy mother wants: a nap and a massage. The ability to jump on a trampoline again. Abs. Ok, I’m projecting here.  What she really wanted was a restful retreat – neutral farmhouse style, if we’re being specific.

Her former bedroom was heavy on the beige, filled with mismatched furniture, and simply didn’t scream “RELAX AND REJUVENATE HERE!” And it was so un-farmhouse-y, Chip and Joanna Gaines were probably already circling the block.

But unfortunately, feeding a family of seven doesn’t leave a huge budget for bedroom beautification. Too bad. So sad. I guess she’ll just have to live with it, right?

farmhouse-bedroom-makeover

 

farmhouse-bedroom-makeover-after

Of course not, but you knew that. You’re so smart.

And so is Jacinda. She transformed her room into the serene farmhouse retreat she had always imagined and pinched plenty of pennies along the way. For example: she built the headboard using leftover boards from a fencing project. The bedding was found on clearance. She printed and framed the artwork herself. The blanket ladder was a curbside find. The biggest splurge was the whitewashed brick wallpaper, but it was well worth the huge impact it made.

I also love that she used king-size quilt even though it’s a queen-sized mattress, another smart choice. It looks that much fuller covering the bed, and also helps if you’re a blanket-hog. I personally know nothing about that. But I will steal your pillows.

Much more to see from Jacinda on her blog The Northern Nester.

4 In office/ other rooms

Spouse In the Pool House

When April moved to Oklahoma, she told her realtor that she definitely wanted to build a new home. And even though a lot of homes in her area came with pools, she did NOT want a pool.

So, naturally, she ended up buying an old home with a pool. There’s really no explanation, other than the obvious: we ladies are entitled to change our minds often and on a whim. Right? Shania Twain said so, so it must be true.

April fell in love hard with this artist-designed out-of-the-ordinary home and all the quirks that came with it. One of those quirks was a cute but run-down little pool house, you know, to go with that pool. Since her husband works from home often, they decided it would be a perfect office space.

After painting, tiling, replacing light fixtures and scraping the popcorn ceiling (ugh, my least favorite job ever) (I’ve never actually done it before, but I just know I’d hate it), it looks like this today …

 

beachy-office-makeover-2

 

beachy-office-makeover-after-2

It has such an energetic vibe now. You couldn’t help but be productive in an office like that, amIright? I would definitely NOT check Facebook/scroll through Pinterest/download new music/buy random Korean skincare item on Amazon because it had good reviews/check Facebook again/read a useless article on Buzzfeed/wander to the kitchen and eat a bowl of cereal/go online shopping and put stuff in my cart but never buy it/look up the lyrics to a 90s song I just remembered/text my sister a picture of a mole, does this look weird to you?/check Facebook again. Like at all.

beachy-office-makeover

 

beachy-office-makeover-after

Did I mention April built that U-shaped desk herself? Because she did! I like that the back side is a bit longer than the front, just a nice little touch to add interest. Check out her blog Uncookie Cutter to get the rundown.

4 In chairs/ottomans/seating

Homemade Suede

Have you ever wondered how suede is made? I can tell you. No, I can’t. But I can tell you how to fake suede! A suede charade, let’s say.

First, start with a homely old chair. This one comes from an era when we all thought beige, brown, and rust were a striking color combination. Personally, this is the only time I prefer those colors together, but if a desert camo colorway is your thing, you do you my friend.

If not, take your homely chair outside and paint it!

chalk-painted-chair

 

chalk-painted-chair-after

Yep, that’s paint, and it feels as soft as it looks. I know plenty of people have tried painting upholstery, to varying degrees of success. Some stunning, some … less so. The secret is the type of paint you use. I’ve painted a chair with latex paint, and that results in a smooth vinyl-like feel. But for a supple, suede-like finish, chalk paint is the answer.

That’s what The Shabby Bride used here, and she said “When done correctly (i.e. thin, non-saturating coats of chalk paint followed up with wax to protect), it will NOT crack, it will clean nicely with a damp cloth, and it will feel like soft leather!”

Check out all her tips and tricks in her step-by-step tutorial over at All Things Thrifty.

3 In living room

Lakehouse Love

The more I stare at this before picture, the more that far wall begins to look like the face of a bewildered pig. Right? You totally see it too.

The pig was all like “Whoa guys. What is going on in this room? Someone please explain this rug. And what is UP with all the itty bitty art? Those valances look like offensive eyebrows. Oh, is that pleather??? I would close my eyes if I could, but they seem to be frozen open in endless horror.”

I’m sorry. Please excuse Bewildered Pig, he gets over-dramatic sometimes. It wasn’t that bad.  It basically looks like a budget vacation rental, and it very well could have been since this house sits on the shore of Lake Superior.

But Tanya knew this tired lakehouse had the potential to become her dream home. She moved in and brought along her mid-century inspired aesthetic and completely transformed it.

 

lakehouse living room redesign

 

lakehouse living room redesign after

Such a dramatic change! She struggled at first with furniture placement until she decided on this sectional which offers tons of seating without compromising the view from the (now blessedly unadorned) windows. Painting the entire wall black including the brass vents and fireplace doors was another smart update.  It required zero demo to achieve this much more cohesive, streamlined, and swine-free look.

Much more to see on her blog Dans Le Lakehouse!

Plus check out her kitchen makeover from a couple years back, it’s still one of my favorites!

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7 In bedroom/ other rooms

Guest Services

A common feature of many of the homes here in Arizona is a casita, or ‘little house.’ It’s basically guest quarters separate but still attached to the main house. The casita was a big selling point for me on my home. It’s a cute little bedroom with its own bathroom and closet and private entrance, and it has been so nice to have when family is in town. Actually, it’s been so nice because it’s a little money-maker. I rent it out on AirBnB most of the time. My own guests have actually only stayed in it once or twice! They usually end up kicking one of my kids out of their bedrooms instead or sleeping on a couch. Sorry fam. Call ahead and make a reservation next time.

Working with AirBnB (this is not sponsored) has been a really good experience for the most part, although I recently rented to the craziest lady who I’m pretty sure had just escaped from a psych ward, because she straight up told me that she had just escaped from a psych ward. Sooo, sometimes it’s an adventure.

Here’s a guest room makeover that you’d be crazy not to love.

Sharon from Sharon Joyce Interiors had the basics squeezed into this small space, as you can see below. Bed, nightstand, lamp. But why stop there?

art-gallery-guest-room-before

 

art-gallery-guest-room-after

Instead, she made the most of every available inch and now it’s dripping in style and so incredibly inviting.

Before, the sleigh bed commandeered most of the room, so she pared it down to a simple headboard and moved it to a different wall.  The sconces free up space on the nightstand and the small round table leaves plenty of room for accessing the closet on the right.

The gallery prints are obviously the focal point of this design, and obviously cost a billion dollars. (Pssst: She downloaded them for free, printed them herself, and hung them in Ikea frames, but you’d never know)!

On the other side of the room, this old dresser makes a fresh appearance:

black-dresser-makeover-before

black-dresser-makeover

Isn’t it the perfect accent? Remember what I said about these dressers? If you get your grubby little hands on one, never let it go.

Check out all the details of this guest room makeover on Sharon Joyce Interiors! Much more to see!

 

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8 In tables/dressers

Worthwhile and Versatile

If you ever come across a small dresser like this three-drawer chest below, grab it! Stop your car and buy it from that yard sale. Fight for it at the thrift store. (Don’t really like … get in a fight fight. Just let everybody know in no uncertain terms that it’s yours. Scowl ferociously if you must). Or do what Reeves did and say yes when your neighbors can’t fit it in their moving truck and ask if you want it.

Why? Because it’s such a versatile piece. It’s the perfect little size to go nearly anywhere. You could put it at the end of a hall, in the bathroom to hold extra towels, at the top of the stairs, tucked in a corner, or next to your bed as a nightstand. The possibilities are endless, endless I say!

Reeves planned to use this one as a nightstand, but it needed a lot of work before she’d allow it inside. After stripping off at least three layers of paint and discovering that the top had been replaced with plywood at some point, she decided on black chalk paint with a waxed finish.

black-three-drawer-hepplewhite-dresser-before

 

black-three-drawer-hepplewhite-dresser

Beautiful. And another reminder that chalk paint can have a clean finish too; it doesn’t always need to be distressed. The brass knobs she used from Anthropologie also update it nicely and completely change the feel from shabby-chic antique to modern-greek. (Not exactly, but I can’t resist a rhyme).

Read more about Reeve’s process and how she achieved such professional results on her blog The Weathered Door.

I’m inspired to go look for a cute little dresser at the thrift-store today! Although I will probably get distracted and buy Halloween costumes instead, as usual!

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