This master bedroom, while clean and perfectly functional, is completely devoid of any personality or drama, the exact opposite of the stylish, risk-taking homeowners that call this space theirs. Tired of retiring to a bedroom that just didn’t match her taste, Erin from Suburban Bitches gave this boring room a much-needed dose of style and personality — on a budget! Read on to get the scoop on this unique master bedroom makeover.
Name: Erin of Suburban Bitches
About: I am one half of the blogging duo known as Suburban Bitches. Our blog is a humorous account of how we are taking our suburban homes from cookie-cutter to fabulous, all while raising 6 kids and maintaining our social drinking problems. At Suburban Bitches you’ll find DIY projects, decor inspiration, total room makeovers, cocktail recipes and party projects. All the things that keep us going in our suburban neck of the woods!
Project: Master Bedroom Makeover
Budget: $1500
Suburban Bitches Tell us a bit about this space and what inspired you to tackle a makeover!
My master bedroom has great bones. The ceilings are high (10 ft) and curved so the space has a great open feel to it. Lots of natural light comes into this room and I really love laying in bed here. When we moved in I threw whatever furniture we had into the space and kept a very neutral pallet of gray in the room. It was okay, but there wasn’t any personality in the room. The Oh Joy Petal Pusher wallpaper was definitely the inspiration for the room to bring in some luxurious elements and pattern into the space.
Suburban Bitches Did you start with a clear vision or did the design evolve over time? What elements did you simply have to have?
There wasn’t a clear vision from the start and the room was completed in many small steps. I knew the wallpaper would be the focal wall in the space and a upholstered bed was a must. I wanted those elements to serve as more traditional pieces so I could then layer in Mid-Century furniture in the rest of the space.
What were your main sources for design inspiration?
Emily Henderson is my design icon. She can do no wrong in my book and I am constantly inspired by the rooms she creates.
Suburban Bitches Any setbacks, hiccups, or unexpected design dilemmas? How did you solve them? Tell us the dirty secrets!
The hardest piece to find for this room was a set of nightstands. I love Mid-Century furniture and wanted to use nightstands from that style, since they have clean lines and look great painted. The problem with Mid-Century nightstands is the scale is so off from the scale of modern-day beds. I kept finding great Mid-Century style nightstands on Craig’s List or Chairish but never buying them because the height seemed all wrong for the bed I had. Finally I found a whole bedroom set of campaign style furniture being sold on Craig’s List for $200. The poor sweet man didn’t even know that it was campaign furniture or what a hot item he actually had!
The price was too good so I picked up the nightstands (and a few other campaign pieces) even though I wasn’t sure if the nightstands would be tall enough. Of course they weren’t and I spent weeks trying to figure out if I could put legs on the nightstands or if that would look just totally weird. And then, Emily Henderson (and the master bedroom of Curbly) saved the day and showed how short nightstands can work with modern beds just by using a tall lamp to flank the bed. I ordered taller gold lamps and my nightstand problem was solved!
Suburban Bitches What is your favorite new feature of this space?
The wallpaper is still my favorite feature of the room. I’m also pretty crazy about the vintage lamp on my tallboy dresser. The lamp was my great-grandmother’s and I remember that lamp from all of my childhood in my mother’s house. Finally I asked my mother if I could have the lamp and she was surprised that I wanted it! I love everything about it and think it fits into the room perfectly!
Suburban Bitches
Your proudest DIY moment?
All of the dressers and nightstands in this room were refinished for the space. I bought them cheap off of Craig’s List and either painted the pieces or stripped the wood and re-stained it. But my proudest DIY moment has yet to happen in the space. I’ve got plans to recover the yellow bench at the end of the bed with a hair-on cowhide rug. I can’t wait to see how this project turns out!
Suburban Bitches Any advice for others about to start on their own backyard makeover?
Advice? Don’t skimp on your mattress. A good night’s rest is one of the most important items for your health and sanity. And if you’re married or cohabiting with the opposite sex, make sure that the space isn’t on the end of the spectrum of too feminine or too masculine.
Suburban Bitches What’s next for you? Any other makeovers or exciting DIY projects on your list?
I am constantly redoing rooms in my house. We have been in our house for a little over two years and are finding ways to make this house more our style. Slowly we are tackling items like replacing lighting and tile throughout the house. I am currently working on redoing my laundry room in a 6 week time period as part of the One Room Challenge. Once that is finished I think my next project is to paint our kitchen cabinets and replace the granite countertop on the kitchen island.
Thanks Erin!
See more of Erin’s home projects and DIY adventures on www.suburbanbitches.com. You can also find Suburban Bitches on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram!
Do you have a Makeover Tour you’d love to share on Curbly? Let us know by sending an email to tips@curbly.com!
I love it. Warm and inviting. I want that rug!