Master Bedroom

I'm not sure why I've never posted about our master bedroom before. I guess it took me a little while to get things looking a way that I could live with. There have been a few changes over the past year but we've settled into this space quite nicely.

View from the hallway

View from the doorway

 A few things to note about our electrical set-up in here. First of all, Andy has outlets by his nightstand, I do not, hence the extended cord. This is a bother and something I never would've thought to check prior to moving in. Second, the fan is centered in the middle of the room. Since our bed sits off-center because of the window and doorways, the fan is not directly above our bed. It should have lined up with the TV. Which brings me to the next point, the connection to the TV was set high up on the wall so that it could be mounted. This presented a problem because it is SO high. It's like this throughout the rest of the house, too. The outlets are so high that it is awkward to cover them up without looking funky. These are all minor things that I've gotten over, but interesting to point out for those who are building or remodeling.

View to the right of the doorway

The duvet is from West Elm. The headboard we made from a random piece of plywood we had lying around. We just covered it in foam backing and then nailed fabric to it - super easy and non-committal. We didn't want to buy a headboard because eventually we will upgrade to a King bed. And I've already re-covered the headboard once, so it's easy for people who can't make up their minds. I was hoping I'd have extra headboard fabric for a throw pillow but no such luck, still on the hunt for that. I believe the lamps and lamp shades were from Lowe's.

We need a new clock. We also need to unscrew the mounts on the back of the dresser (oops). The mirror is from HomeGoods and is a life saver for getting ready. It also reflects directly on the window so brings in double the light. It's so bright in here in the morning and I love it! This wall needs to be balanced out with something else on the left though..

The left door goes into our master closet, the right door goes into our master bath

Yeah, I need to figure out a place to keep my jewelry other than on top of the dresser..

I'm totally in love with our bedroom furniture. It was gifted to us around the time we got married and initially I was adamant about not taking it.. until I saw the pieces. These babies are super well made, solid wood. They don't really go with the rest of the decor in our room, so will likely be moved to another bedroom once we find a new set that we like, but these babies will be in our family for a long time. Pictures don't really do them justice, but the grain is amazing.

We will probably start loosely searching for a new set soon, but otherwise there are no big updates for this room on the schedule. Eventually I will get some photo frames for the walls, but that is so low on the priority list. I'm pretty content with the way it is now.

Ch-Ch-Changes

If you remember correctly you may recall this living room post (ewww). I've never loved the decor in this space but I also haven't had a clear idea of what I wanted to do with it. Now I finally think we are getting somewhere! (And Andy is finally open to painting again)

We purchased a new couch several months ago but it was a long 12 weeks waiting for delivery. We have been enjoying it for a few months now. We are very happy with the decision, but I am even more excited that we waited to make any other changes until after we placed it in the room. It seriously changes the whole feeling of the room and has led me to go in an entirely different direction design wise.

With that in mind, we've decided to buy all of our furniture prior to doing any painting or accessorizing.  We'd been looking for a new TV stand for literally months. Months, I tell you! I don't know if we are overly picky or what, but we were not willing to settle (a lesson not needed to be learned again). And then the heavens opened up and we found the Ainsworth collection from Crate and Barrel. We didn't really want to spend that much money but we figured it was an investment well made, and I had a coupon that would go a long way. We picked these babies up this Saturday! The TV stand is big and it is SO nice to have a bookcase. They are a great quality, too. Why does furniture make me so happy? Probably because I've been living in college bachelor land.

We still have a long way to go. We have been looking for an end table to replace the janky one we have, and are hoping to find a matching sofa table for between the windows, behind the couch. Not a super high priority though. We also want to get two upholstered arm chairs for the space to the right of the TV to replace the chair that is there now. I know the current one doesn't go with the decor but it is actually a really comfy chair (it's IKEA if you're curious)! And the coffee table is super functional, but not what I have in mind for the space (and it just doesn't match with the new stuff). Andy and I have always said we wanted a big storage ottoman that we can use as a foot stool and keep all the blankets in. (When I say 'we' I really mean it - Andy has just as much interest in our home decor as I do, although I am typically more gun-ho.) That Bauman sign wouldn't be hanging above the TV if he didn't insist on covering all the electrical covers.

I also moved over all of the picture frames that were near the toy closet to make space for the media tower, so now we have one larger collage rather than two smaller ones, which makes way more sense. I'm even thinking of adding to it, we'll see as I have bigger fish to fry at the moment. I will paint them a few different colors depending on the wall/accent colors I choose. The variety of frame colors is a bit much now.

When we painted before moving in, I wanted to go with a gray and navy scheme to reflect the kitchen. But the "light gray that really looks baby blue" did not turn out how I wanted. Literally half of our house is painted this color and it makes it so cold looking. I've been racking my brain ever since trying to figure out the best color(s) to paint. The couch is mid tone gray but reflects brown sometimes too - hard to describe but it's very versatile! Now I'm thinking more of a warm color scheme. Again, I have vowed to wait until all of our big purchases are made to even think about worrying about the little ones. Then, we'll worry about accessorizing with throw pillows, wall decor, and paint color. We are headed in the right direction though! Patience really is a virtue..

(Can you tell I'm in the middle of switching the piano decorations from winter to spring? Oops.)

Things I've Learned

The amount of work that goes into decorating a home is astounding. I'm amazed every day at how long of a process it is. Although are house is nowhere near showroom worthy and we have had our fair share of decorating failures (probably more failure than successes), I have learned a LOT in the past six months, and am certain I will discover much more in the the years to come. Here is what I've learned so far.

1. Don't buy or use anything you aren't madly in love with. The picture frames, curtains, wall decorations - these are the things I can't stand now. However, the things that I knew I wanted from the beginning are the things I'm still in love with. This goes for literally every item you bring in your house, whether it's a light fixture, art piece, accent pillow, window covering, or piece of furniture. You should love it all. If you walk by something 10 times a day and have the urge to start it on fire because you dislike it so much, how is it benefitting you to have it there?

2. Take your time. This one fits hand in hand with number 1. So much of the things we used were cheap items purchased in haste because we wanted things on the walls or needed curtains on the windows. It's okay if things look bare for a while. It will save you from having to redo things in the future. This was advice I ignored because I am such an impatient person, but trust me, slow and steady always wins the race.

3. You typically get what you pay for.  Although I am an avid Pinner and can read DIY blogs till the cows come home, I am a firm believer in this philosophy. I feel I am a creative person but I am by no means crafty. I cannot build a beautiful kitchen table from a pallet, reupholster my own couch, or make a pile of plastic cups look like a festive wreath. Paying for these items is the better option for me (although if you can pull that crap off, good for you!). DIY-ing is sweet, but not everyone can actually make it work. Your house is an investment, treat it like one. It's okay to spend some money.

4. You will fail. This is a big one for me. You will bring things home that you thought would work so perfectly, and then find them to be big flops. You will install things incorrectly. You will compromise and hate yourself for it. You will drill into wires. You will choose the wrong paint color. You live, you learn. Accept it.

5. You will waste money. I have actually found that I waste more money when I'm buying the cheaper product (see numbers 1, 2, 3). That crap I saved when I was in college that I tried to make work in our home? Duds. If you're going to have to replace it, it doesn't matter if it's 50 cents, you're wasting your dollars. You will waste less money if you consider all of the other tips while shopping.

6. Always keep the big picture in mind. Will this piece look good with everything else in the room? Will it improve the room? Will I still like it in a year? Think long term.

7. Have a "jumping off" point. Find something you love so much that you want the whole room to emulate it. If you find window curtains or a pillow that you love, start there. However, keep in mind the most limiting items. For us, our couch only came in certain fabrics, so we bought that first. The rest of the room will play off the fabric in the couch (it would've stunk if we'd done this last and needed a specific shade that they didn't offer). For bedrooms, I will probably design based on window curtains because I have such a difficult time finding fabric I like, but am flexible on wall color.

8. Always measure. And then measure again. It doesn't matter if you're buying furniture, installing a shelf, looking for wall art, or buying bins for a cabinet, measuring is key. Eyeballing rarely works, will cause you grief, and wastes your time and energy. I have started keeping measurements in my phone just in case I run across something unexpectedly and need a reference.

9. Use swatches and samples when you can. I remember when we were building we kept samples of our cabinets, flooring, and countertop with us at all times, and our kitchen is now my most favorite room in the house. All of the accents in the kitchen could be compared with the product samples, so things flowed really nicely once installed. I have learned that if I have to carry the the window curtain or pillow with me everywhere I go, I'll like the end result better. 

10. Know when to compromise. I love my husband dearly and want him to be apart of our home too. If I don't feel strongly about something and he does, we choose his way. However even though he's very invested in the process and does genuinely care to give his opinion, I am much more passionate and particular about the way our house looks. I think we have both discovered the true meaning of "happy wife, happy life" these past six months of decorating. If one of you is going to hate it, then it's not the right choice. Compromise when you can, but stand your ground when you need to.

I am hoping that we will turn a new leaf the next six months if we keep this all in mind. I have caught a second wind of decorating and am ready to wrap things up.

Hello, Fall!

Fall is here and it's finally our first real "season" to decorate for. The past few weeks, I've totally been bitten by the fall decorating bug and have been going a little crazy with it.

The one thing about being young is that we haven't accumlated a lot of stuff. This is good since I don't want to be a hoarder, but it also means we have to start from scratch with seasonal decor. A house just doesn't feel homey without those little touches, and since our home has had minimal decorative accents since we've moved in, I was extra ready to fill the space up. After a few trips to the pumpkin patch, local home store, and Hobby Lobby, our house is looking more like a home. (These iPhone photos are killing me.. and I really want to repaint the walls)

The piano is sort of our substitute fireplace mantle. I need to get something to hang on the wall, but it's progress..

I'm happy to have a less barren space. And I've been burning fall scents like a maniac so that's been pretty great, too :)


The front porch/yard is looking more adorable, but is still a work in progress. Stay tuned!