Sneak Peek

So we are busy working on a new job!  We have been amassing lots of "stuff" and keeping it in our undisclosed storage facility.  Intrigued?  Stay tuned!

A bargain find...

 We hope you noticed our very stylish headboard in the traveling guest room post.  We thought we would share a little secret about that headboard.  Here it is...

Gasp!  I know it's hideous.   Why would someone pay good money for such a monstrosity? 

Did we mention it was 7 dollars?  Yes, s-e-v-e-n!  We knew we could do something with it for that price.   So before it was painted here's the most common reaction people had when they saw it... "What the heck is that for?"

So it was primered to cover the 1970's ness of it all.   I really don't understand the little black dots all over the  lovely oak veneer.  I think maybe it was their way of distressing?

Well, whatever it was, it's gone now!

And now a coat of Machine Gray spray paint.  Yes, that's the name, it was up in the industrial type spray paints.  But we liked the greeny undertone of it and decided to give it a try.

Also, this is a king size headboard.  We used it on a queen size bed.  We figured it would look cool to have a little bit of it show on the sides of the mattress.  Go ahead be crazy and break rules!  Luckily, our suitcase side table covered up the ugly holes that we were too lazy to fill.  

Most common reaction after being painted. "Hey, that 's cool what's it for?"  See, spray paint really can work miracles.

The traveling guest room...

We recently finished a very fun project!  Our friend Cheri, mother of four boys (4 ultra-talented boys, I might add) just sent her 3rd boy off to college.  So that leaves and feel free to check my math for accuracy - one boy left at home.  When we first came to Cheri's house she confided in us that although she dearly loves her sons, she was tired of living in a "boy house" and she pronounced that now is her time.  I want to live in a girl house!  Sweeter words could not have been spoken.  'Nuff said, we went to work.  We dolled up her living room and bathrooms, dabbled a little in her room, kept the manliness up in her den/loft and then went to work on her guest room.  You will have to stay tuned for the pics from the rest of the house.  But for now, we wanted to show you her guest room.  She and her family have travelled quite a bit and they had some great photos and mementos from their trips.  So it was an instant theme...the traveling guest room.  We set out to create a cozy and fun room where her guests could rest their travel weary bodies.  Sorry no before pics in this one.   But did we mention it was a former boys bedroom so just use your imagination....

So it all started with the New York City print.  We loved the colors!

We added a vanity area for the guest of the female variety.

A little sparse at the moment, because the books still had to brought in from other rooms of the house.  But we integrated some of their souveniers.

They had so many wonderful photos to choose from!

Of course a globe and a journal for her guests to leave messages about their visits.

Here's a peek of our art project.

We bought an old atlas at a thrift store for a dollar.  We ripped that baby apart and modge podged it to the closet doors.  

Do you love our suitcase side table?  We hunted for days in old town for the perfect suitcases.  We had no idea how expensive they are!   The colors are not well represented in this picture.  The one on the bottom is the most adorable shade of green.  I really wanted to keep that one!

All ready for guests!

On a Roll . . .

We've been on something of a bedroom kick here.  It seems like everyone is finally taking a look at their bedrooms (which are often the most overlooked room in the house) and saying "Enough already!"  It is time to take your room back and make it your sanctuary.  Well we did just that for some wonderful friends of ours.  This makeover was a long time coming - they started it about 2 years ago but got sidetracked with their busy lives and never got around to finishing it.  Refresh your Nest to the rescue! 

Here's the before... they sold their old furniture set on Craigslist to make room for the new! Great idea to jump start your refreshing budget!

Worth waiting two years for?  Maybe!  Before, the room felt really dark and heavy, the healthy dose of white really brightened things up.

Hiding behind the dresser is the bed they bought a few years ago, but hadn't been able to use.  It came from Pottery Barn Outlet and was missing some pieces.  Luckily, we know someone who was able to actually make the pieces they were missing!!

Pretty amazing bed don't you think?!  Cute nightstands and lamps don't hurt either!

  Before, the window just on one side of the bed felt really off balance.  Their room is so big that we were able to move the bed to the corner.  We could still do our symmetrical thing that we love!  Plus, it just feels so luxurious to be able to have your bed angled into the middle of the room!

Don't even ask how we got those curtains hung from the ceiling!

So here's the other side of the room.  The retreat part of it all.
They sold the armoire and the rocker.
Craigslist is the way to go!

With the proceeds of the sale we were able to score these babies!  

I think I wouldn't mind "retreating" here...

The Italy prints just add some of their personality to the room.  They lived there for a few years, so it is a place very dear to their hearts.

Prettying up a useful trunk!
 This is where their kids' electronics get put in "time out".
Notice the padlock!

The bookcase was just about the only piece
of furniture that stayed in the room.

The family collage!  

There is even a cute little round entry to the room.
It's just waiting for the perfect mirror.

It's time for you guys to relax and enjoy your room.
Thanks for letting us in on the fun!

It's a boy!

No it's not that kind of news... it's a boy's room.  Finally, we were challenged to summon our inner masculinity and set aside the girly frou frou!  You know we can do flowers and ruffles.   But what happens when we are given the task of designing for a teenage boy?   Well, we took that challenge (stinky socks and all) and ran with it.  We love it, now we hope he loves it???

Okay here's the before.  We weren't kidding when we said teenage boy!

Ta da!  After and not a flower in sight, but he did think the long orange pillow was a little girly!

Thanks to the talented son-in-law, we now have beautiful paint and fresh new baseboards.  Us RYN girls hung those bamboo blinds ourselves (we are channeling that masculine side!)

Using some of his "guy stuff" as accessories in the room.  Hey, this is easier than doing a girl's room!

Before - that bookshelf was a little overwhelming for the amount of stuff he put on it.

We found a more manageable sized bookshelf in another room.

See what glossy white paint will do for those banged up doors.  Take a good look at the doors in your house, it's amazing what kind of abuse they take!

More boy accessories

The picture really helped us establish the color scheme for the room.  Don't you love it?

A $5 dollar picture and borrowing stuff from other rooms helped to fill this wall.

He had the papasan chair (it's former life was a dirty clothes hamper) so his mom wasn't sure she wanted to keep it in the room.  I hope he doesn't make her regret the decision to keep it!

Okay, so our Introduction to Boys' Rooms 101 is over, did we pass?