Bedroom Make Over – Orange and Gray Color Inspiration

After neglecting house projects for most of the summer,  I found myself scrambling to put together our guest bedroom for visiting in-laws.  By scrambling, I mean less than 1 week to put together an entire bedroom.  It almost felt like a HGTV show with someone saying, “here is your budget, an empty room, and 4 days…..GO!”.  Boy did we make it work, (‘we’ includes my husband and his friend who had no choice but to help paint and move the heavy furniture).

But before I could start on the room I needed inspiration.  The orange and gray color combination caught my eye not too long ago and sets just the mood I was looking for.

Colors are relaxing and suit any season 

Textures and patterns make this room so inviting.

 

This inspiration room sealed the deal for me.  When the time comes, keeping this color combination the room could easily be turned into a modern nursery.

Now that I knew which direction to take, it was time to get started!  Off I went in search of the perfect foundation pieces to build the room around.  I normally will not pay full price for a throw pillow but I splurged on this one since it was the perfect shade of orange and the texture was so inviting.  One of the most under valued components in any bedrooms is a good set of bed sheets.  I LOVE me a freshly laundered quality set of bed sheets.  Luckily this set was also the perfect shade of orange.  Another full price player in the room is the Target brand breezy white curtain panels.

It is amazing how a fresh coat of paint can transform a space.  After a much-needed paint job the room was well on its way to becoming an oasis.  I wanted something neutral in a light shade of gray.  The Home Depot paint employee watched me stare at gray paint samples for about 45 minutes before I made my final decision.  Some of you will understand, the process for the perfect paint color is crucial!  I wish there was a before picture of the room but it was so bad, I’m almost glad I don’t have one. 

With little time and a very limited budget for furniture and accessories, I had to get creative….fast.  The meat and potatoes of any bedroom consists of a bed and night stands, neither of which we had extra of.  A new bed would have to be purchased…check. 

With the paint (mostly) dry, the room started to come together

Orange printed mink fabric throw: Home Goods $20!  It pretty much jumped out, attacked me, and put itself in my shopping cart.

Now for night stands.  They vary in price and new ones were proving to be a bit out of reach financially.  Perfect opportunity to rescue and repurpose furniture to create a nightstand.  Here were some of the ideas I came across in search of an interesting nightstand to create:

A basket on the wall is a great space saver!  Not much surface space but still some storage provided.  Not to mention the visually pleasing texture of a weaved basket.  Oh, and the cup holder right above….perfect!  I do recognize that from the Ikea catalog!

 

An old wooden step-ladder given new life as bed side shelves.

Saved my favorite nightstand idea for last.  An old suitcase atop a stool, both painted to match.  BEAUTIFUL!

Off I went on a search for baskets, ladders, and suitcases in an attempt to duplicate on of these great inspiration photos.  Craigslist has proved to be a good resource for me in the past for ‘experienced’ furniture.  Unfortunately, time wasnt on my side so I had to find something quickly.  I refuse to “settle” for things and like to wait for those which “speak” to me (sounds corny but it is very gratifying to know I couldn’t be happier with how something turns out).  Needless to say, I did not find any ladders or suitcases waiting to be rescued in the 1 day I had to peruse internet listings…..instead I found 2 old wooden luggage racks that were perfect nightstand candidates.  When I saw they were listed at $20 each, I knew they had to mine.  I scheduled an immediate pick up. 

The size of the tables were perfect.  Small details in the wood made the pieces interesting.  Paint was definitely going to bring a new life to these gems.

On the same trip to the hardware store for my neutral gray paint, I stocked up on white spray paint and spray primer for the tables.

Due to the time crunch and the fact a lot of the work was being done at night, I don’t have any in progress shots.  After cleaning up the tables and sanding them down a bit, 2 coats of primer, 2 coats of white, and 1 final coat of clear gloss to protect the finish… here are the luggage tables serving a higher purpose as night stands:

A bit rustic and still original

 Although not essential in a bedroom, it is always nice to have somewhere to sit besides the bed.  It is also an added luxury to have a full length mirror handy.  By moving some existing furniture in from other parts of the house, we were able to make it an inviting space (you might recognize the rocking chair from my work room).

By moving a spare dresser into the closet, it freed up a ton of space and allowed for this cozy seating area.

The walls are still blank but they are bright and the room feels airy.  I am very proud of what we accomplished in such a short amount of time.  Have to say when we were done , I was jealous this was not my bedroom.  In time I will add more character with art and accessories but for now, I hope it serves its purpose as a welcoming bedroom for my in-laws and any other guest in our home.