Thursday, July 9, 2009

The Guest Room

Sweetness...pure and simple sweetness.


And now to break away for a few...prior to MC's grand entrance, I worked like a mad woman, trying to finish this and that...for fear that I might never get to finish a project again...at least not for the next five or so years! (Still not sure if that's realistic...) (And FYI, I THRIVE on projects...I am energized by coming up with an idea and executing!) So...a few weeks prior to little bit's birth, T had some out of town training...and his parents offered to keep MW and T3 for THAT ENTIRE WEEK so I could have some time to myself...WOW! (Thank you grands!!!) It's been about five years since I've been alone in the house like that. No joke.

T and the kids pulled out of the driveway on a Sunday afternoon, by that evening the entire house was clean, the laundry was done and put away, and the dishwasher was running. It was a nice break.

My project list was a mile long and I was convinced I'd get it all done...ha. The guest room was number one. Mom graciously joined me and spent several days doing nothing but PAINTING!!! We painted the walls and trim of both the guest room and the nursery, and Mom took on cleaning and painting the louvered doors that separate the two rooms...YIKES! Quite the project! (Thank you so much, Mom! - It wouldn't have happened without you!)

Anyway...I hit the thrift store in search of a chandelier for another crazy idea I have...didn't find one, but I did find this little chair, it was quite nasty, but loaded with potential!


Note the lovely grey-blue cushion and the nasty foam backing...


stripping it down and sanding...in 100 degree heat!

I sprayed a few coats of primer and paint, did a little re-upholstery work...dug out some buttons from a box T's grandmother had given me...grabbed the fabric from a bag of scraps I'd bought at a garage sale...and wha-la!



Not bad, I'd say!


another little peek.



The curtains...what is now the guest room was the nursery for MW and T3. T built the cornice when I was pregnant with MW...a fresh coat of paint and two lined panels later and wha-la!


Now for the bed/bedding...for MC, and because we wanted room for lots of family and guests, we decided to turn my closet and dressing room into a nursery. T removed the sliding closet doors, knocked out the framing around the closet portion, and went to work transforming. When I saw those sliding doors I knew we could re-purpose them...and after some brainstorming...I decided to upholster them and turn them into a headboard. T sweetly figured out a way to attach them...


foam batting...


the doors atop saw horses...in our living room...(sure beat the 100 degree heat outside!)

Some spray glue, a staple gun, and a little sewing later...and wha-la!

I like it.

Now...regarding the bedding...a very, very generous friend GAVE me an entire bolt of fabric! Which provided for the curtains, headboard, duvet, and the crib bedding (saving that for another post)! So...a lot of pinning and measuring and piping later...I had a duvet cover...

but I still needed a dust ruffle...and I had this crazy vision of a box pleated dust ruffle. Insane. This took me three, very fun days to make. I'm pretty excited with it!

Oh...and I really wanted to raise the mattress so the bed wasn't so low. T (who is SO sweet and encouraging with regard to my million mile long list of ideas and projects) bought a 4x4 - or maybe it was a 6x6...anyway, he cut and drilled custom risers to lift the bed.


I've still got to make shams...one day...


While at the thrift store, I spotted this lamp...which had great potential!


I primed and sprayed and topped it with a linen shade and wha-la!





another sweet little peek!


While Mom was here, she also polished the door hardware...I wish I had some before pictures. It looks SO MUCH better now!!! Thanks, Mom!



Here's the chandelier we bought for the nursery before MW was born...when I find a thrift store version of what I'm looking for, we'll play chandelier swap...and this one will go in MC's nursery...until then, in the guest room it stays.



Just a side view, looking in...

Ok...that sums up the current progress in the guest room.

Little bit slept 4, 5, and then 5 last night! I totally expected her to wake around 8am to feed...and when she didn't, I kept going in the nursery to check on her...now if we can just move those two 5 hour stretches to night hours, we'll be in business!!! Sweet!





12 comments:

  1. You are absolutely tooooo talented and gifted. You are good at so many things. Wish you lived closer and I could put you to work around my house.=) MC is precious...wish I knew what it stood for. I know everyone else,haha!

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  2. I second all of Rachel's comments! I have been dying to know her name. I was trying to think of who I could email to find out. :) I'm glad she has slept well the past few nights. She is too cute.

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  3. whoa. can't wait to see in person!! mc is adorable...she looks more like t3 to me. so fun!!

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  4. OH. MY. GOOD. NESS. I can't believe all that you did! Very amazing!

    PLEASE show pics of MC's nursery!!

    She is so sweet. I just can't get over that hair. Fabulous.

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  5. Oh my GOSH! She is precious! And so is that room! If I only had half that much talent to do things like that!!!! Well, I can grow a baby, but you know, the other stuff! Maybe you will be available for hire in about 10 years. Ha! Love ya!

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  6. J, Love the bed. Love the cornice. Love the duvet. Love the headboard. Love the lamp. Love the chandy. Love the bedskirt. Love the door knob....


    but... most of all I love that sweet MC! And her perfect hair... we all knew she'd have hair! :)

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  7. Woman, you and your husband are AMAZING! All of that looks absolutely beautiful! Wow! You know, we might have to get your help if we ever get a house of our own someday.... ;) Tell your mom a job well done on that doorknob too! :) Everything is just gorgeous, especially that sweet little rosey girl on the bed.

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  8. Oh my goodness!! Everything is beautiful!! You are so talented and have such a good eye for decorating!
    Leslie

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  9. MC is adorable! Oh, I love all of that hair! Thanks for your sweet note. We certainly missed you at the reunion, but we knew y'all were enjoying time with your new bundle of joy! Hope to meet all of your kids in person sometime. Anyway, I'm so impressed with all of your projects. I honesly don't know how you do all you do.

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  10. Your blog is wonderful! I know it's strange to comment since I'm a "stranger" but thank you so much for showing your beautiful projects and family. I am a newlywed trying to DIY projects on our midcentury ranch house, and I am so curious how you piped around your chair that you reupholstered? (I know you cannot actually have any time to respond but if you ever do another chair will you take a few pictures of gluing that on or however you do it?) Anyway I wanted to let you know I love everything about your guest room redo--I had to come back this afternoon to look at it again for ideas! Have a great weekend!

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  11. I just HAVE to ask.....Do you EVER sleep? How in the world do you do it all? You are so amazing, first of all just beind able to do those things, then adding 3 children to the mix. That is just amazing to me. I am trying to keep my head above water with just my 2 little ones and barely any projects (very small in comparison to yours).
    i cant wait to see pics of MC nursery

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  12. Hey Jenn ~ Just hopped to this post through the linkwithin widget. AND...WOW!!! It's all so GORGEOUS!! You really do lovely work. AND of course...newborn Little Bit is too precious for words. :)

    Love ya!
    Camille

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