Since we moved into our home about 2.5 years ago, we have made a lot of small changes. "We" is a loose term here; since, my husband is the one who has done most (if not all) of the hard labor while I work as Project Lead. We've painted or had painted every room in the house, literally. This includes ceilings, trim and doors. We're anal and love the clean look of fresh paint. We've also changed nearly every light fixture and all of the switch/outlets from beige to white. We're working on changing the door handles and hinges from brass to brushed nickel (I even spray painted a couple here)...my husband is doing this work as he paints each door. These are small, time consuming changes, but with big impact and small budget. While we would love to replace the carpet with hardwood and gut the kitchen and bathrooms, this house, this location and this economy just do not warrant the expense. So, we're working on small changes with big results.
For example, I've been slowly pulling together our master bedroom on a shoestring budget.
Before:
This is what the room looked like when we moved in, sans the wall decor.
After:
This is what the room looks like now. Well, this is only half of the room. If I would turn around and take a picture, the other half would not look so pulled together. I'm still working on that half. We were tossing around the idea of getting a television for the space, but we decided against it recently. So, I'm ready to tackle the "back half"!
Breakdown:
Canvas:
16 x 16 from Canvas People,
click
here for your free 8x10 or to put $55 toward the size of your choice. I paid around $40 (including shipping) for a canvas that would normally cost double that amount.
Initial "Quote" Frames:
These are from
A Few Kind Words, an etsy shop with a truly personal touch and keen attention to detail. The customer service I received was excellent and they truly offered the exact product I was looking for. The quotes are cheesy, but meaningful for my husband and I.
K-Keep true to the dreams of thy heart. -Friedrich von Schiller
S-Shall we make a new rule of life, from tonight always try to be a little kinder than necessary. -Unknown
Keep in mind that they will customize the prints to any size, initial and quote that you'd like!
"Headboard":
The headboard consists of 4 vintage shutters that I purchased for $15 each. Originally, they looked like this.
I sanded, painted and glazed them. My husband attached each pair together with brackets and mounted them to the wall. I know it's a bit non-traditional for a headboard, but I love the cottage-y look it gives our bedroom. I also love that I have a vintage, upcycled, handmade headboard for about $70!
Now they look like this:
Lamps:
Bedding:
Martha Stewart from Macy's that I purchased a couple of years ago on sale. I love the bright green and damask; however, I really love that it holds up to all our toddler wear and tear...jumping, potty leaks, greasy hands.
Settee:
Gift from my in-laws and cover was made by a local seamstress for a song!
Settee Pillows:
Liberty of London from Target-I purchased them on super clearance for $4.98. Still available on Target's website for $11.88, which is still a good price in my opinion.
Right-Side Night Stand:
Purchased from
Home Goods on clearance for $104. I love that I could use this table for a variety of purposes and I love the rustic, manly look.
Left-Side Night Stand:
My splurge. Purchased from
Home Goods for $199. It has a pull-out writing desk, four drawers, and I LOVE the color in this room. I feel like the turquoise is a great accent color in this space and really adds to the happy, restful feeling.
*I'm still working on window treatments. I haven't been able to decide yet. I will probably go with long white panels...but not sure if I want shear, canvas, print or ????*
What do you think? Have you made any small changes=big impact makeovers lately? If so, please share I'd love to hear some inspiration!
More detailed pictures after the jump...
