Final Bedroom Reveal

Well you know it's only temporarily final, right?

I'm constantly changing things out anyway - but for now - when there's so much else to do in this place it really IS a nice respite ( kind of depressing stepping out of it in the morning mind you and being confronted with 8 other rooms that look like crap )

So first of all I painted the walls white - and then I painted the floors white ( after my son and son in law sanded them )

and then I painted out the window frames - which did not go with the vision I had of this room whatsover...............and wallpapered

And then the decorating started.
Ok so now I'm going to start with the photo I used to draw you in lol - of the chair I redid a few years ago - and which I came OHSOCLOSE to redoing a couple of months ago ( before we found this place ) I'm actually thrilled I didn't because it words so perfectly in this room.
I paid 25.00 for it on Craig's List - it was a brown wood chair - and had an orange and green and brown flowered velvet fabric on it - it was horrid.  I painted the entire frame grey and layered it with a white wash - then reupholstered ( and tufted the back with tiny silver buttons ) it in a black silk.
I put a little more grey in it last week so that there would be more contrast in it for this space - but It looks like it was made to go in this room!!!  The basket was a typical colored basket that I spray painted white for the bedroom in our last house.  The sash is overkill I know - I'm looking at it now and it looks like a basket girdle - it's being removed.  Those blankets inside the basket are Soda's - she sleeps on our bed - so one of them get laid down on top of our blankets before she hops into bed :)
I think they were 2.00 each at Ikea

For those of you that have been following this renovation job - a lot of these photos are going to be repeats - sorry about that!

I don't have an " even " space for end tables beside the bed - because the window is not completely centered - and if I had to try to center things out visually - I at least wanted the window to be centered to the bed.  I'm not sure I'll live with those tables for long - but for now it enables us to have a lamp on either side. ( I may install " swing " wall lamps on either side eventually ) but we're big readers so lighting off each side was a must.

Most of you have seen my nook ( and most of you know that I'm having a bench with cushions made - making it a real reading nook )

But you didn't see the little carpet I found to go there

I spray painted the wreath black

John says - Did you paint the bloody wreath?
Suzan says - Yes I did - I like it better now
John says - It looks like it belongs in a funeral parlor
Suzan says - PERFECT - save it for mine - thanks

The cupboard doors were brown bifold doors - I simply painted them white

and because it was too complicated to adjust regular glass door knobs - I used large glass drawer knobs that I only had to screw in

this is the only before I can find

I added some bling to the cupboard wall with this sconce I've had for years now

and I place my Paris sign on the opposite side ( which Julie from Follow your heart wood working made for me )  she does incredible custom signs - if you haven't seen what she does - visit her please - you'll want to order something :)

On the opposite wall of the cupboards I hung up two black and white prints I also had on hand

You really don't need to know how many holes I may or may not have made in the freshly painted wall to get them to hang even -
You don't even have to know that I actually used a measuring tape and still was off by an inch a couple of times - but I'll tell you anyway

anyway - they look even

I KNOW I had three of them once upon a time - must have given one of them away - if anyone knows who inherited it - can I have it back?  Please?  Thank you.................

I put the black and white dresser ( that I painted while packing ) in the room

I'm only showing you a part of it because it has a t.v. sitting on it - and I can't move it just yet since it's the only place in the house we can actually watch it from :)

But here's a photo of it that I took when I painted it - use your imagination a little lol - it really does work lol

( the funny thing is I painted it with the hopes of making it a Kitchen Island - but you know how things change ) You can see that makeover HERE 
Ok - what else?

Oh and then of course there's my ceiling light - found at Costco - while looking for shower doors -
I came home with the light - and no shower doors.................

I also found a black velour blanket / throw for 20.00 that I placed on the bench at the foot of the bed
Again, not sure about this

I always use black pillow cases for sleeping on - because I can't stand how dirty white ones get so quickly ( I shouldn't admit that, right?  No one likes to think of dirty pillows ) but they DO get dirty fast lol - so I've mixed white ones with them - which are the ones we DON'T use.
The " bird " pillows I've had a while - they were in the living room in the last house - and will be put on the reading bench in the nook when it's done - for now they're ok on the bed

and that's about it folks - my new bedroom -

BEFORE ( SELLER'S MLS PHOTO )

AND AFTER

Costs involved were as follows:

Curtains for nook ( I already had the ones in front of the bed )
( someone asked me for the exact color code - but I had already thrown out the packaging - and believe it or not I went through half the garbage before giving up - sorry about that - but they're from Target - and they're kind of a champagne color )
29.00 a panel - so 60.00

Overhead light - from Costco
99.00

Wallpaper - 49.99 a roll - ( I only needed 6 inches from the second roll - $*$(*&@ ) so
100.00


Primer for the floor - I used Zinsser Cover Stain -
30.00 x 2 ( It took 2 quarts ) 

Behr - Porch and Floor paint -
55.00

Rustoleum ( can - not spray - ) black for windows
25.00

Black " throw "
20.00

Small round rug
20.00

The rental of a floor sander ( if you rent it on a Saturday - it allows you 2 days for the price of one - since they're closed on Sundays )  It would have been far more cost effective to do more than one room at a time - but it just wasn't possible in this case - so I'll be renting it again next weekend for the office and the upstairs landing -
125.00

A Son and Son-in-law willing to do it for free - PRICELESS

So the total cost for this bedroom comes to just under 600.00 dollars - 
I did most of my " shopping " from items I already had on hand.

And this post might have taken longer to write up than the actual makeover did LMHO

The dream of an all white house is slowly becoming a reality except by the time I'm finished I'll probably be ready to change it out and add color !!!

Now I'm going to jump into bed - curl up - and watch DOWNTON ABBEY!!!

You all have a wonderful Monday -
Much love, ( can you tell I like this photo? )

htt 

Sharing with!!!
Between Naps on the Porch                         Coastal Charm 
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia                 Savvy Southern Style
Under the table and dreaming                       Common Ground
The Charm of Home                                   French Country Cottage
The Shabby Nest                                        Remodelaholic
3 Mango Seeds                                          Uncommon Design

Little boys..............

For any of you that have one - that had one - that know one - that knew one - you know this.

They're destructive.
They love, for some reason, to take things apart.
I can't tell you how many toys my son would take apart and painstakingly try to put back together - sometimes he was successful -sometimes he wasn't - and he would look at me with those big blue eyes and sorrowfully say " sorry Mom - I thought I could make it better "

Sometimes I'd go a little crazy - toys were sooooo expensive - sometimes I'd scream at him ( is it ok to admit that?  I'm afraid I did too much screaming as a young frantic mom ) -   sometimes I'd laugh - sometimes I'd threaten to never buy him another toy as long as he lived - but always - and I mean always - I was amazed at what he could do at such a young age.  That his tiny hands could intricately take apart something and put it back together fascinated me

Brain surgeon I figured - those hands are a brain surgeon's hands!!!

When he got his first Lego collection - the first of hundreds I'm sure - he built the most elaborate buildings you could imagine - with detailing that would blow everyone away who would see them.

Architect I figured - that type of skill will build skyscrapers some day!!!

As he approached his teenage years - he would come up with the most elaborate stories to keep from getting punished - E.L.A.B.O.R.A.T.E.

Lawyer I figured - no one could get someone ( himself ) out of trouble like this kid could..............

Instead my little destructive boy came to me at just about the time when we should have been contemplating colleges and said

" Mom - I'd really love to be a mechanic "
" Oh Gordie - you'll never make much of a living doing that "
" But it's really what I want to do Mom - I mean really really what I want to do "

My brain surgeon - who built skyscrapers in his spare time - and defended the poor - working as a mechanic???
But somehow he took his lawyer skills and talked me into sending him to one of the best Auto Mechanic Schools in Montreal....................

AND - MY BOY IS HAPPY.
Truly happy with what he does - and of course that makes Mama very happy at the end of the day.
Especially when he hasn't lost his love of destruction -
Meet the team who took care of the kitchen - and turned it from this - down to it's bare studs in roughly 5 hours..........................

While they were working - they laughed and joked and seemed to be having a blast - and for a moment I closed my eyes and went back in time - to that little boy with the big blue eyes looking up at me with a smile on his face and saying " look Mom - look what I did !!! "
And then I opened them and screamed at them to " please be careful " - because some things never change after all.

Mom says - OMG boys - you're incredible - really really incredible
Gordie says - don't listen guys - that usually means she wants more
Mom says - Gordie - that's not true !!!
Gordie says - Mom - you sooooo know it is
Mom says - Hurry up with this - you need to sand the upstairs floors :)

They also turned this floor

into this floor

enabling me to have this floor

Which was one horrid job let me tell you

Keep on destroying boys - love you all the more for it :)

Oh and by the way - I need you to destroy - smash apart - gut completely - this

Get your tools ready...............................
Because this needs to be installed

and though I'm very grateful for the light you installed

There's a slew of others waiting :)

Love,
Mom
XOX

It's a mixed up muddled up shook up world

( except for Lola - EL O EL A - Lola )

Yesterday was -40
Monday it's going up to 4 degrees Celcius ( that's a balmy 40 degrees for you Americans )
And that's the way we roll here in Montreal lol - I'm going to get the pool ready...................

We're painting the kitchen and the living room this weekend - and I have to finish up the stairwell because baseboards and crown molding have to be put up everywhere next week.
The stairwell is almost done

John bellows out - Oh NO you don't
Suzan says - What now?
John says - I'm throwing those branches out in the garbage
Suzan says - What is it with you and branches?
John says - What is it with YOU and branches?
John says - I CAN'T STAND THEM
John says- They belong on trees - not precariously placed around the house ready to poke someone's eye out..................
John says - And while we're at it - I don't like them in the bedroom either.

But I'm not worried about a few branches - if these home reno's haven't killed us - nothing will

You can read about his aversion to them HERE

I think what he meant to say was -
Wow Suzan - great job - it looks 100% better now - but that sentence got caught in his throat somehow..................

If you notice, the first 4 steps are slightly wider than the balance ....................
I have huge plans for those 4 steps - and they don't include branches - stay tuned!!!
( John is totally unaware of this new development that came to me like a dream )

Isn't paint the most marvelous invention like ever?

Have a wonderful weekend all - if it weren't so cold out I'd run outside and cut up some more branches lmho.............

Much love,


Sharing with!
The Shabby Nest

Surely my Ancestors had a choice?

They did not HAVE to settle in Montreal ( although on my Mother's side the large Irish population here at the time must have had something to do it )

What were they thinking?
Was this a conversation that was happening around the dinner table?

Husband - Not potatoes again, listen lass, I'm fed up to here with potatoes
Wife - Well it's potatoes or nothing
Husband - That's it - we're setting sail for Montreal - at least we can throw a hot dog in the mix
Wife - What's the weather like there?
Husband - A wee nippy - but nothing we can't handle

TODAY - MY FRIENDS - IT'S -40 ( WITH THE WIND CHILL FACTOR )

MINUS FORTY........................

I'm terrified to go outside - in case one of my limbs just snaps off.

I'm terrified to go outside - in case my eyeballs turn to snowballs

I'm terrified to go outside - in case my blood freezes and I fall down like a piece cardboard

I passed by a Snowman last night - and I swear to you - I heard him mumbling

Suzan says - Excuse me?
Snowman says - This is just ridiculous
Snowman says - I need a hot chocolate
Snowman says - Can ya fix my scarf for me - I'm freezing my carrot off

I'd cry - except I've been cold so long - I'd be crying icicles instead of tears (the singer Meat Loaf must be from a cold climate - only someone subjected to this crap could come up with such a great line )

For those of you that follow, you know how I feel about squirrels - ( you can read about my near escape from death by squirrels HERE)  but if one of them showed there little face around here today I'd invite it in for a cup of tea and a muffin - NOBODY - NOTHING should be out there.  Period.

I was going to make something to eat - but bought an Eskimo Pie instead - seemed more fitting.

Does anyone know where I can pick up one of these?  ( maybe in pink? )

Electri - O - Phobia
The overwhelming deep rooted fear of losing power during a cold " snap "

Butane - O - Phobia
The overwhelming deep rooted fear of running out of butane for the fire place during a cold " snap "

I placed the furniture in the living room yesterday - leaving 2 beautifully ( perfect ) gouges in the freshly done floor.

John says -
NEVER MIND -  YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHAT HE SAID - IT'S UGLY

But I'll tell you there's no easier way to forgive yourself than have your better half mad at you for the same reason - it cancels it out entirely

The walls aren't even painted and I'm ready to decorate lmho

It's coming - ( like a slow train to China - but it's coming )
I really just wanted to see how the furniture would fit - the magic will only happen once it's finished.
BUT when you've been living out of boxes for a month - trust me - just having couches in the room is magical in and of it itself:)

And this week I'm extremely grateful for that fireplace - let me tell you!

If you're in Canada or the Northern States - I sympathize - stay warm - please.
If you're from the Southern States - NO GLOATING - it's bad enough you were lucky and had
ancestors who actually " thought " before getting on the boat - there's no need to rub it in :)

Time to sign off - a hot chocolate is waiting for me

SOURCE

Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative.
Oscar Wilde  

But it's just too cold to use my imagination Oscar - if you lived here - you'd get that.

Have a great day !!!
Much love,

Happy 2014 Everyone !!!