|
Lacamas Life Magazine
Be Our Guest
Having NO personality is the same thing as having a bad one and unfortunately the same holds true for home décor. The room we took on had no form and no function and was literally used only to store a filing cabinet. Fat chance it was stuffed with creative ideas on how to remodel the space because the homeowner only gave us a picture ripped from Sunset magazine of a desirable paint color…and of course her faith. It wasn’t much, but at least it was a start. After finding out that our hip homeowner wanted to use the space as a spare bedroom for guests and grandchildren we went to work. The task took vision since the stark white box of a room lacked any character or imagination, except for the ill-conceived blue trim. But a lot can happen when three friends have two days and one mission. In order to do a project of this size in a weekend you need to do your research and make your decisions ahead of time from ceiling fans to furniture. Luckily we had the picture of the paint swatch or else we would have been standing in Home Depot’s paint department dizzy from the rainbow of options. Here is how we tackled our task: Day One: We decided on a sharp and clean color scheme that was gender natural for guest, specifically Ralph Lauren’s Crab Apple paint for the walls with Ralph Lauren’s Mother of Pearl trim. We also painted the ceiling Crab Apple though we had it lightened considerably since ceilings always look much darker than walls because of the angles. For added character and a touch of whimsy the closet door was painted with Chalkboard Paint. Kids love it as it makes any wood or ceramic surface a usable chalkboard. The palette was pleasing and made the space much warmer from the start. With two coats we were good to go and instead of watching the paint dry we stained the outlet and light switch covers. The small 10X11 room did not have a thermostat or air-conditioning unit so we added a ceiling fan, which also added much needed movement and light to the space. Ceiling fans are much easier to install then I had first thought though it does take patience and strength to hold the unit up there that long. With the big task of painting and hanging behind us we turned our attention to the smaller details. The bamboo roman blinds matched our ceiling fan perfectly, both from Home Depot, and pulled the room together beautifully. It was a great day and we were inspired by our progress though thoroughly sick of pizza and very tired. Day Two: I declared that wearing the same pants as the day before is acceptable if you are still pouting about the fact that they are ruined before I got to work on going back over the painting project and cleaning up any edges and missed spots. The stronger two friends rolled out the cozy cream carpet and started to move in the new furniture. The navy blue and natural pine set from America the Beautiful Dreamer looked beautiful against the new hues and the full size bed allowed for guests without taking over the whole room. After setting up the bed, nightstand, dresser and hutch it was time for the fun part….accessories! Since we wanted shelf space we opted for a hutch instead of a mirror over the dresser but we hung a great oval beveled mirror by a pretty cream ribbon on the opposite wall. The mirror and its reflection added depth that was essential for such a small square space. The bed was made with beautiful 500-thread count monogrammed sheets from Red Envelope and a bedspread that mimicked the color pattern of the room from Target. I would highly suggest going online to order your accessories when tackling a room makeover like a “weekend warrior” because they start to arrive precisely when you need them and you don’t have to go shopping in crowded stores when your time is so precious. Whether shopping online or in the store try to think out-of-the-box when you are designing the space for its new function. The great spice rack from Sur La Table was chosen to house miniature plants and reading materials and the antique saltbox from Sur La Table made new friends housing crayons when the grandkids came to play. Our homeowner loved nature so her birdhouse from Red Envelope made a great decoration inside and would also be at home right outside the window. When designing a room for someone else but with limited input it is important to listen to what they do tell you and to also put a little of them in the room as we did with these picture frames that read Family, Sisters, and Happiness from Red Envelope. We also displayed some shells and driftwood that she gathered on the Oregon coast to make her new room feel like just that...hers. It was a great accomplishment to have such a dramatic before and after in just one weekend and we left with the homeowners seal of approval. Get inspired and tackle a space of your own, with a plan and some friends you can get ready to inject some personality into your living space. Nicolle Camarata is a style reporter from Portland Oregon and can be regularly seen on KPTV Channel 12 and heard on 1190 KEX. For more information you can visit her website at www.nicolleshopsportland.com.
|
