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About 4 years ago, Brian and I moved into condo that is nestled in a quiet neighborhood on a huge lake. We were smitten with the laid back, quiet feel of the development and the beautiful scenery.
Over the course of a few months, we worked to transform the condo into our own by removing more layers of wallpaper than I could count, painting, and other random odds and ends. Please, people…I beg you to NEVER wallpaper over wallpaper. It’s bad news and can move you to tears in a matter of minutes. I will not recount my experience with the half bath and the 3 yes, 3 layers of odd wallpaper because it may bring on nightmares.
Once we got the first floor the way we wanted it, we kinda just gave up. It’s not like anyone really hangs out in our bedroom anyways. We started to get used to the safari theme and it became more of a joke than an eyesore. By safari, I mean cheetah and zebra print wallpaper that adorned the walls of our master bath that beautifully corresponded with the wrought iron elephant mirrors above the sinks. I’m not knocking the animal print, it’s just not me…not in the slightest.
About two weeks ago we got new carpet installed throughout the house and it ignited the decorating spark in me once again. I spent about three hours creating a bedroom pin board on Pinterest and set out to find the perfect paint color. Once I narrowed it down, I went and purchased samples. I immediately painted three large stripes on our bedroom walls. Since Brian is a little bit of a neat freak, I knew he wouldn’t be able to handle the newly striped walls for long. Total manipulation…I know.
Thanks to the bribe of a steak dinner, Brian and his friend, Dave spent their day off stripping that safari wallpaper and covering our walls in two shades of gorgeous gray paint! I wanted to give you an actual before photo, but I completely forgot to take pics, so instead, Brian dug out some wallpaper scraps because this post needed to be accompanied with a visual representation of that wallpaper…I simply could not do it justice by a description alone.
I have ordered our new duvet, pillows, and shower curtain from West Elm and have my cart loaded with other beautiful things to fill our room with. Farewell Safari Bedroom…Now, let the redecorating begin.
What? You don’t like that wallpaper? ;-) It’s hilarious. Makes you wonder what the people were like that lived there.
Our house’s main problem is lack of things on the walls. It’s sad. I wish I could just pay someone to come in and make it look cool.
If I were to change anything….it would be to add on a 30×30 foot room, cause that’s how much space I need! When we moved into this house – we just loved it, my husband, my daughter and me. She was 13 mos at the time and we literally still had an empty bedroom that at the time I didn’t know how soon we would fill. That was 7 yrs ago. Since than, we have added 3 new members to our family and now the six of us are bursting out of the walls of our house! We have been trying to sell our house for 1.5 yrs (close to 2 almost) and while we’ve made changes to our house to help us live more comfortable – for Mommy in her brain – it can drive me crazy! We’ve moved all 4 of the kids into the master bedroom (1 set of bunk beds, 1 toddler bed, 1 crib) and we moved into their old bedroom (we only really ever just slept in our room, so we don’t need much more than the bed, our nightstands and a dresser that all amazingly fit). We’ve adapted to having a too small house in the hopes that someday – our house is going to sell and we will be able to build the bigger house we are holding out for!
I’m glad your room is feeling more like home to you now! I hope you enjoy it for years :)
I’m grateful that my company, which provides my apartment, also pays to have it painted when it’s new to us or when it’s been a few years. I had it all done when I moved apartments last June and I love the colors I chose! Mostly neutrals from gold to sand to khaki but with bright tropical blue highlights in the entry/living room and a soft, slightly darker, medium blue in my bedroom. I’m currently working on a quilt to compliment the floral IKEA pillow that sits on my bed. I love the colors!
There are some shelving/storage needs in a few spots but if I picked a room I’d do the kitchen next because I just have too much stuff for a small Chinese kitchen and I need need need more cabinets & a bit more counter space! (I hardly ever use the stand mixer because it’s a pain to haul it out and put it away again, and there’s a tottering pile of spice jars in the middle of my counter since *blush* 11 months ago now!)
It is amazing the triggers that cause us to act! :”)
Spring always inspires me to pick up a project. I love the feeling of rebirth.
AmyRuth
It sounds like a kind of spring cleaning that I could really get into. I love new looks.
Oooh all your new stuff is beautiful! I just redid my girls’ room, fersh paint and also refinished the gorgeous hard wood floors I found underneath. The next room I need to tackle is the living room. Starting with etting rid of the gaudy circa 1984 gold tulip chandelier. Blech!
I’m stuck living in a 2 room apartment, so I would love to be able to look at a color other than beige for once. Beige carpet. Beige walls. Even the doors and the woodwork are all beige! Whenever I move into my own place, I’m painting something red. Just because I can.
Finish my bedroom. Paint done. Duvet on the bed. Bed broke in half in the middle of the night (West Elm cautionary tale). Last is to replace the ceiling fan that they stole from Shakey’s Pizza Parlor that hangs very lowly over our mattress on the floor.
I would like to change or hobby/computer room.
I am obsessed with gray right now. I just bought the cutest bedspread fromTarget that is white, gray and yellow. Can’t wait to get my walls painted light gray to go with it!