New Project: Master Bedroom BEFORE

 If you followed along with our master bathroom project, you may remember my mentioning that our master bedroom was next in line. I'm happy to report that this project is now underway!

  Like the original bathroom, the bedroom has not changed since we moved to this house approximately 23 years ago. The bedroom and bathroom are adjoining rooms, so of course the colors/design coordinated. And, like the bathroom, we could never justify spending the money to update it since no one except for us used the space. Even though the color scheme was not our taste, the space was functional, so why change it?

  Still, I've been somewhat mortified when we've had guests venture into the space. It's obvious that we've neglected it, and it's long past due for an update. (Look at the wrinkles in the carpet...yikes!)

 The space itself is fairly large and bright with two sets of corner windows. We'll be keeping the antique furniture set which we bought when we moved to the house. But the bedding has never matched our furniture, so I'm looking forward to choosing something different that will really highlight the beauty of the walnut. 

When I cleaned out my parents' house, I brought home the tall dresser with the mirror which my parents had refinished for me many years ago. It belonged to my dad's dad's mother (my great grandmother!) and coordinates well with our bedroom set. I sold a trunk at the auction to make room for that dresser in our bedroom. The hope chest (which at this time serves as a TV stand...) belonged to my mom's mom (my grandma), as did the wicker chair. These pieces are all special and will remain in the room in some capacity!

While the to-do list is long, the updates in this room are mainly "cosmetic" and won't be nearly as involved as the bathroom. The bedroom projects include:

* painting 

* new carpet

* new window treatments, yet to be determined

* possibly update the corner window frames to match the bathroom

* new bedding

* possibly update lighting/fan

The biggest stumbling block to starting this project has been the wallpaper border. Like the wallpaper in the bathroom, this border was applied without sizing. That means that nothing -- no product on earth, no amount of muscle -- will take it off without taking the drywall with it.

I can recall a few occasions over the years lying sick in bed, counting the clusters of pink and white flowers!

After a few removal experiments, Spouse decided to peel away the bottom border of the wallpaper as best he could, then sand it to eliminate the edge. Then he gave it a coat of paint to see how it would cover. To my surprise, it covers pretty well after just one coat. After a second coat, there should be no evidence of the wallpaper border!

 

At this time, Spouse is making his way around the room, sanding and covering the border. When he finishes this coat, he'll go back and paint the walls, including the border area. Depending on how the white walls cover, he may have to go back and do another overall coat.

Incidentally, I did not give a lot of thought to the paint color. It's the same color as our hallway and entryway and it matches the bathroom perfectly. The light caramel color highlights the creamy tones of the woodwork and looks great with the furniture.

As they say, this train has now left the station! Stay tuned for updates on this project!

jp