Monday, January 18, 2010

Guest Star



The Guest Room looks fab with its new headboard & I've been remiss by not giving it a wrap-up. But as I recall, I became somewhat distracted the week in November it all happened, something about seeing a Radiologist & an Orthopaedic Surgeon in a hurry. So, here it is in it's prettiness (well I think so anyways!).

For new Hedgies who may be interested, I posted a fairly in-depth discussion on the project here. Of all the rooms we've tackled so far, this is the one that feels like I'm in a whole different house. I'm still on the look-out for the right throw pillows for the bed, but I'm sure they'll find me soon. I always knew this house was going to be a challenge & I know people have thought us quite crazy. But the vision is still as strong as ever.

This house is slowly but surely emerging from its cloak of '70's dark brown glumness. The constraints of a tight budget & demanding outside work commitments has slowed progress this past year, but I reckon we're doing OK. Not too bad actually for Mr. 61 & his 'ol 54 side-kick! And I'm also happy to report, there has been considerable progress in the Bathroom-From-Hell over the past couple of weeks - but I'm moderating my excitement for the moment & so should you.

The bedside table is nearly 30 years old, was a Franco Cozzo look-alike in dark brown with doors & scrolly-things which I ripped off in a fit of pique one day. It held the sound system in our old house & I hated it, but once I stripped it & repainted it, it seems very happy to be 'repurposed'.

BEFORE - the room as we saw it at the Open Inspection with the previous Owner's stuff.

AFTER - quite a dramatic difference!

The 2 prints on the wall left of the curtains were a wedding gift 14 years ago from great friends. The frames were looking a little tired, so I refreshed them with new ones from Maison d'IKEA.

I cherish the note our friends wrote on the back.

I used Toiles De Mayenne Bandol Stripe Small for the bonded roller blind.

And the same to make a long cushion for the blanket box & had the edging piped on the diagonal.

The blanket box is another 'repurposed' item. It was the boys toy box for ever & ever & I just repainted it from a yukky reddish-brown to white. The child who the box was bought for is turning 30 next month, so it's given me great service!

The mirror was a good buy at the post- Christmas sales.

The bedhead fabric is Toiles De Mayenne Verola Stripe Wide - Oyster.

While pretty ugly, the original 1972 built-in wardrobe was functional & very well built, so MOTH saved it. However to give the room a better configuration for furniture placement, he relocated it.

.....from this wall where the mirror & blanket box are now

.....to this wall facing the window. The brushed silver wardrobe door hardware is still original 1972, they looked OK, so we just used them again. MOTH did build a plaster board bulkhead to give the whole thing a finished look. Otherwise the top of the wardrobe would just be a dust collector.

This was the empty wall the wardrobe was relocated to. MOTH getting rid of the hideous, unsalvagable nylon carpet for me.

Just before receiving a first coat of primer.

As I mentioned in the original post, MOTH had been pondering the ceiling for some time, & about a second after I took this pic, he turned to me & said 'That's it, I've decided to build a new frame, drop the ceiling & install down-lights.' And so he did!

I'm delighted with the fabric choice & so grateful to Miss Richfields for her gentle guidance. We have been friends since our kids were babies, so she has my number well & truly & knows how to 'manage' me!

Now that the Christmas lilies have all gone, things are pretty light-on in the garden, so the good old Agi's got a run.

This pic is for Ange who queried whether I did all my Domestic Goddess chores in my pearls & evening dress as depicted in my Home Page photo. As you can see Ange by the disgusting old t-shirt, no make-up, bad, bad hair & the absence of any pearls, the answer to your query is a loud NO!

47 comments:

  1. When can I move in Millie? The room looks so inviting and so calm. You've done a great job and re-purposed items work beautifully. 30 years out of one box and it looks like new! Congratulations.

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  2. hi Millie, I love the bedroom. It's simple and very nice. I'm doing decorating for my daughter's room now. Yesterday I went to shops hunting for curtain and bedsheet. I still haven't got the curtain like I want.

    I really love your curtain,could you please describe more details about it, what fabric is it ? Cotton ? It looks very nice.

    Many thanks and kind regards,

    Eva

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  3. We have also purchased a 70's house, much to the horror of many of our friends, but the gorgeous location, view and generous rooms won me over. I am so inspired by what you and the MOTH have achieved and I know that our ugly duckling will eventually become something wonderful. Your guest room is divine and the only problem I see with it is that the guests may never leave!!

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  4. Just beautiful Millie. You and MOTH have done so well!! So loving the re-purposed cupboard and toybox! Congrats. :^)

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  5. The room looks fabulous and I think you look rather glamorous even without your pearls!!

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  6. Millie I think you look great and well done for such a beautiful makeover on the room. I love the whole look. Great idea for the toy box. That will definitely go into my idea file. I am sure any guest who stays in your room will feel most welcome!
    Jeanne :)

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  7. WOW, Mill's.
    What a wonderful transformation. I love the material that you have used and how light the room looks after it's make over..... and, thanks for taking us through it, photographically
    It's great that white furniture is in fashion, isn't it ? We have painted everything in sight in the last six months and recycled so many pieces of old furniture. In the '70's we were stripping everything back to the wood and now we are painting it all again !!!! In a few years we will probably be changing it all back !!
    Another thing that I love about the room is the view into the garden and, are they shutters that I see ? I love a shutter.
    You have both done a great job and
    I still think that you look very glam. XXXX

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  8. I absolutely love it! It is so classic and clean and inviting. I would stay there and probably never leave :)

    And Millie, you are just so cute!

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  9. Millie- I love that you added the before photos. Your guestroom is delicious. You have taken some older pieces and turned them into new and fabulous things for your new space and yet retained the memories...the toybox! It has all come together so beautifully. Everything looks as if it just belongs there. Ohhh...KUDOS! I would love to rest my head upon those pillows. Very serene and calming.

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  10. Millie,

    How lovely, and what a great change. I like a guess room that is comfortable to both male and female guest and yet is comfortable. You two have hit the nail on the head with your hammer.

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  11. Sheesh, if that's a bad hair day I'd be happy Millie! You are a VERY young looking 54!!
    The room looks great. I love how you've hung the curtain rod up high. The bedhead is gorgeous. Bedside table and toybox....the magic of white paint yet again.
    Great job!
    Angex

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  12. Millie, it is such a dramatic difference! Obviously a lot of hard yakka went into that room to make it look so lovely now. Well worth the effort. xAnita

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  13. Oh Millie I cannot enthuse enough. That room looks brilliant, So calm and you know I think many people would have been tempted to plaster over the brick and make it all smooth but I like that texture it really gives the room a lot of character. And I love the way you cleverly kept the before shot to the middle of your post. I was happily scrolling through in a sea of creamy calmness and then that before shot came up. Gave me a right shock It did. If I had had a weaker constitution I would have been in trouble. xoxo

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  14. Wow - what a lovely transformation!! You have chosen such a lovely palette of colours and the room looks so welcoming.

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  15. Hi Millie
    It looks better than I could have imagined. Love your curtains and blind (I sell curtains so I know that's a very professional job).
    It's excellant that you've had the vision to repurpose things I love to do that too, did you use enamel paint on the wardrobe and cupboard?
    Kind Regards
    Karen
    PS: Haven't srarted our family room yet. I have emptied all yhe cupboards and ornaments out of the room Just waiting on the husband

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  16. Forgot to ask Millie how did you choose who stayed in the room dver Xmas? Hope there was no fighting.You look pretty good too me in the photo
    Kind Regards
    Karen

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  17. Your room looks just beautiful, I love what you have done with it. Well Done, you would never know it was the same room!

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  18. Oh, Miss Millie! I love it- it is so serene and gorgeous! I love, love stripes and these are beauts! I am a wee bit disappointed that you didn't keep that fab mod bedspread;)!!!haheehee!
    Cheers to you for having incredible "vision" and to you and MOTH for a fabulous renovation!
    Now, where do I put in my visit request on the blog?!!!
    joan

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  19. Millie,

    Just beautiful. I absolutely love what you've done with your guest room. I know there will be some very happy people coming to stay with you. So refreshing and clean. Love it.

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  20. Wow! "Fab" is an understatement! That is a very dramatic before and after redo....love the colors. I'm in the process of redoing our bedroom in gray! :)

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  21. Millie - it looks as peaceful and pleasant as a cloud. It would be a total treat to be a guest in your home! I adore the Pooh bear/ A.A. Milne sketches - the room had made an AMAZING change from the inspection photos!

    xoxo

    Natonius

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  22. Yep i'm booking in...Millie it seriously looks WONDERFUL. So calm and serene and stylish ! Oh and the difference from the old photo - INCREDIBLE. You have done very well there, now i want to go and do a spare room (not that i have one LOL), Mel xxx

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  23. Millie - what a transformation! (I'm talking about the bedroom here - not you without your pearls!!) Cool & serene & I love your renovation of the toy box and
    bedside table - much more satisfying than a shop bought replacement...well done you....Susie x

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  24. Holy Hammers Batman!! Thats an incerdible guestroom transformation Millie!Beautiful! ...and you look better than I do at 48!!
    What a woman!!
    Irene x

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  25. great job.
    there are few things i love more than brick walls painted white.

    it all looks super!!

    xx

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  26. omg! that is so gorgeous! what a makeover!!!! it could be in a magazine, incredible!!!!! moth did a great job and tell him -NO NO blogging for him! if he is looking for things to do, I'm sure you can find plenty for him to do around the house! ahaha!!!

    Joni

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  27. So fun to follow this project and see the finished project - simply terrific.

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  28. Oh Millie, what a wonderful transformation.... the vision you had from the before photo stage! Sounds like you are going to be getting a lot of bloggy visitors, now that you have such a beautiful guest room. Two trundle beds for my boys and we'll be there! A-M xx

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  29. Amazing! Everything about the makeover is perfect. The color palette you used looks so clean and classic. Great job!

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  30. HI Millie
    I remember you posting this room before and I am still in awe of what a wonderful job you have done.. It looks so relaxing and airy!!! like sitting in the garden under a tree with a good book!!!

    Now about that pic.. I wish I could look so good when I'm not making an effort!!... have a great week xx Julie

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  31. Millie - this transformation is nothing short of miraculous. Your spare room is beautiful! I actually said OMG out loud when I saw the before photo - the 70s are well and truly dead in this fabulous room. Can't wait to see the bathroom progress. Leigh

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  32. Millie, what an amazing transformation!! I wish I had the vision and talent that you so clearly have!

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  33. Millie, what a wonderful job. I so love your blog and your house is a dream.

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  34. Oh Millie, it's just so beautiful. Very "Something's Gotta Give". You should always trust your instincts on fabric....this room is perfection. Do the boys fight over who gets to stay in it when they come to visit? Thank you so much for sharing this. Meredy xo.
    p.s. you look as kind and lovely as you are.

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  35. wow this is just fabbo - very beautiful and serene ... lovely work - best le

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  36. You've transformed that room! I love the stripes and the peaceful fresh look. The headboard is a great finishing touch, and gives focus to the scheme. Bravo!

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  37. Millie - It's an absolutely gorgeous room! I keep going back to look at all the red brick and then scroll up to see all the soothing white. The headboard fabric is just beautiful too and the whole room is so quiet and calm. It's an amazing transformation (okay, I'll stop gushing, but it really is spectacular!).

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  38. This looks absolutely beautiful Millie, it really does....nice job!!

    Those bare bricks....yikes...my eyes, my eyes!!

    Glad to hear that the bathroom is progressing :)

    And you look beautiful by the way, I DO NOT believe you are 54!!

    :) xo

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  39. I love a great before and after. It all looks just fabulous, the best part was seeing you. I love all of the aggies planted by the thousands along side the road ways and in everyone's gardens there in Stirling. Big pats on your backs from Texas for a job well done. Love, Heidi

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  40. I love love love this room! I love all the white - so pretty and soothing.

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  41. Where do we sign up to be a guest star? ; ) The room is beautiful Millie, what an amazing transformation! You've totally breathed new life into the room. And I just love the garden view outside the window...it's all just very, very heavenly. xoxoTrina

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  42. Wow. Simply an amazing transformation. Happy New Year by the way.
    David.

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  43. Gorgeous Miss Millie!
    I love the headboard stripe. It looks wonderful with all the white =0)
    You guys are really giving your old place a new party frock to wear thats for sure.
    Ness xx

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  44. Hi Millie,

    I love your new guest room ~ you and Moth have done such a wonderful transformation. Was neat to see the before and after.
    Everything is so fresh and inviting.
    Great job and was lovely to see the beautiful Millie.
    Also loved the Winnie the Pooh card, and lovely verse.

    Have a wonderful week, dear friend.
    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  45. Fantastic re-do Millie.
    When can I make my reservation?

    xo
    Brooke

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  46. millie....
    i can't believe this.
    i have something for YOU on my blog.
    but someone else had the same idea.
    (my tag is cooler)

    love xx

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  47. such a peaceful and calm guest bedroom. You've done a beautiful job with the remodel.

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And none will hear the postman's knock
Without a quickening of the heart.
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?
~W.H. Auden

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