the bedroom diaries :: lights, furniture, action!

(In case you missed the first few installments of the bedroom diaries, check out the previous posts here: master bedroom blues, fresh paint, and adding some drama.)

It’s been quite awhile since I talked about the master bedroom refresh. Honestly, I haven’t been spending as much time on it as I would like, but I have been able to sneak in little projects here and there. My overall vision for the room is pretty complete, and at this point, it’s just about finding the time, energy and funds to wrap up the project. These days, I usually find that one of those three things are in short supply! That being said, most of the elements of the room are being done on a budget, in a pinch, and in the spare hours and minutes I have in any given week.

One of the things on my fall list was to build something with my dad. What I had in mind when I added that item to my list was to make something for the bedroom. This past weekend, I headed up north to visit my family, and to spend some time in my uncle’s wood shop with my dad and uncle. “Uncle B”, as I’ll call him, is a true craftsman and a very talented furniture-maker. He also has a great wood shop in his garage. My dad has some serious carpentry skills as well, and I’m no stranger to a hammer and saw. I figured between the three of us, we could build something pretty great. My dad and I headed over to Uncle B’s on Friday afternoon, with plans in hand to build a frame for a large full-length mirror and a new headboard for my bed. Together, we all took a trip to the lumberyard where we hand-picked boards for our projects. Then we came back and spent about 5 hours building the mirror frame and the headboard. Uncle B really did most of the work, while my dad and I “assisted”. Corners were doweled, edges were routered, holes were filled with wood puddy, and surfaces were sanded until perfectly smooth. The end result was miles from what I could have done on my own. Each piece is sturdy, sleek, and could easily be sold in a custom furniture shop. I have yet to do the final sanding, staining, and finishing, so I’m not revealing the full pieces yet. I can, however, check another item off the fall list: build something with my dad

Another furniture-related project that I recently took on was the refinishing of a small, round wood table. I got it from a friend for $5, and promptly went to town sanding it down to the bare wood. I then grabbed a can of dark stain that I had in my basement, and applied it to the table. The dark, glossy finish transformed the piece. I set in a corner of my bedroom, and put my miniature dress form on top for an easy jewelry display.

Just above the table and dress form, I hung a dark wood oval frame. This frame was rescued from a flea market for only $10. I added a cork backer covered with a piece of linen, then stuck pearl-tipped pins in for a place to display my earrings. You can see my step-by-step DIY for this project on the lovely Kara Paslay Designs blog.

Lastly, I’ve been busy working on the lighting for this room. Choosing lighting fixtures is always a challenge for me, and in this case, I was really at a loss for what to do. I knew I wanted the lighting in the room to feel a little bit dramatic, dark, and cozy. I also knew that my budget for fixtures was pretty small. For the main overhead light, I borrowed an idea from John and Sherry of Young House Love, and simply added an (upside down) lampshade. The shade was $19 from Target and took about 15 seconds to put up. Can’t beat that! I also wanted to add wall lamps on either side of the bed. With my small budget, the options were pretty limited. I liked the look and the price of the $14.99 the ARSTID lamps from IKEA, but didn’t love the brushed nickel finish or the white lampshade. After some thought, however, I decided to buy a set and try making them my own. I figured I couldn’t go wrong for the price. So, I took them apart, spray painted the nickel with a satin black paint, and then recovered the shades with linen. The end result? Not perfect, but I’m pretty happy with it.

The next things on my list are to finish the mirror and headboard, find and purchase new bedding, and figure out some wall art. Look for another installment of the bedroom diaries in the next month or so, wherein I’ll hopefully be wrapping up this project!