I really can't believe I'm even putting these pictures out here, but I feel like you can't get a good sense of the "overhaul" I'm planning without seeing these dreaded before pics! When we moved in, we hired a painter to come in and paint before we got in the house. I didn't want to mess with it once all of our stuff was in the house. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with our paint selections almost everywhere, but our master bedroom color was a total BUST! I was going for a dark, masculine look and my inspiration was the image above - a beautiful dark charcoal blue - it's so beautiful in the above photo right?! But, my master bedroom has lots of light, plus the color of our original old hardwoods is very light. Those two things I blame on making this dark, cozy color a total miss for us. I knew the color was off very quickly and pretty much didn't touch anything else in the room as a result. SO, fast forward two years and we're going in the completely opposite direction! I'm ready to get this makeover started!
Wow, bad right? Notice J.D.'s charming Rubbermaid plastic "dresser" crammed over in the corner next to the other dresser? Nice touch, huh?! The lamps, the bedside tables and everything just do not work! What you can't see is that there's no fixture on the ceiling. I hated the fixture that was there when we moved in, and promptly took it down but replaced it with nothing. 2 years later and we go to bed every night staring at a bare light bulb! The only thing that may stay is the headboard. I actually made the headboard in a furniture design class in college. I picked out the wood and made every square inch of it so I hate to see it go. It's actually sized for a king bed, and we're planning on upgrading to a king so I think that alone will make it look better.
Okay, dare I even ask you for your thoughts?! Anyone else out there have any total paint misses that you originally were pretty excited about? ha, let the overhaul begin!! (our new inspiration images are here!)
~Mary Keller
Ooh! Keep the headboard for sure! How special that you made it - and that it happens to be beautiful! Also, that dresser looks quite pretty. Can't wait to see the afters! :o)
ReplyDeleteThanks Meredith, J.D. doesn't love the headboard b/c he's always afraid he's going to break it, but it's staying for now. One less thing to spend money on!!
Delete~MK
Actually - I don't think the color looks bad at all. I actually like it but you're the one seeing it in person and it may look different obviously. You just didn't finish the room - which is what happens to a lot of "us". I think had you put down a pretty rug, continued on with a nice overhead fixture, possibly reupholstered the chair in a pretty fabric, etc., the room would have all come together and you would have liked. And we underestimate what even a little clutter can do. I think the stack of "stuff" in a corner is not the problem - until I finally move it and it makes such a difference I wonder why I left it there so long in the first place! Okay - all THAT being said; I also LOVE your inspiration boards also. And I like your current furniture. And if I don't like my furniture, and it's not really good furniture, I paint!
ReplyDeleteHi Jeannie! It's funny you say that, because we just recently made one little change (one step in the right direction of getting the renovation started) and I started liking the dark color again. I think I'm still going to go totally light, but it did make me think that the problem wasn't so much the color as it is that I just quit decorating the room all together! stay tuned and tell me if you like what we do (or don't tell me b/c once it's repainted there's no going back! :)
Delete~Mary Keller
I'm sure I would like bc I love the rest of your home! I am also redoing an older home and had color on my walls and loved it but eventually went light and actually like it better and it's easier for me to get the look I want with the lighter walls for some reason. Maybe bc I am seriously not an interior decorator. You have a knack for it - I don't! I felt bad about my message! bc after rereading I hoped you weren't taking it the wrong way! I was just trying to say that I liked the color!! Sometimes I look at my rooms and think they look bad, and then when I just make a few adjustments that I don't realize are bothering me, the room actually looks okay!? Does this make any sense?? I LOVE the pics of your home and love your blog! I actually get inspiration for my house from yours!
DeleteJeannie I totally didn't take that the wrong way! but you're so sweet to make sure! It's really funny that you said that because I seriously asked myself the same thing shortly after taking the pictures. I thought maybe this would work if I keep going! (but it may be because I'm lazy and don't feel like painting!)
DeleteI am so glad you posted before pictures, and I love blue and white master bedrooms (in your inspiration pictures), so I can't wait to see the after!
ReplyDeleteThanks Betsey!! I know, it's so hard to appreciate any room redo without a proper before and after. speaking of, Heath's finally coming this weekend to take "after" pics of the kitchen. I know you've seen it but we never shared them!
ReplyDelete~MK