Friday, March 25, 2011

Upstairs Renovation: Kids rooms & Playroom

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I always enjoy seeing other people’s remodeling projects, and I thought you might like to see our latest completion. Remember this trip when we left the project in full swing? Well, we actually finished the renovation just after Christmas. I just never got around to posting pictures. And since I’m still mending, I haven’t got anything else to do today. ; )

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Before the renovation, the upstairs was actually a huge master suite. It was a wonderful space. You can see the before shots here if you scroll down through my old sewing posts. My sewing machine was parked in front of those gorgeous windows in Sara Lynn’s room.

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You may be wondering what would make a person be willing to give up such a wonderful space. One word: STAIRS. My bones need all the TLC they can get these days. And the kids aren’t complaining about the swap one bit. Everyone’s happy with their rooms now.

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Every piece of furniture in both of these rooms came from estate sales, yard sales, or flea markets. I much prefer the character and craftsmanship in older pieces. And the money I save buying things secondhand is a nice bonus. But mostly, thrifting is just plain fun. It just takes a little patience waiting to find the right piece at the right price.

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Daniel’s bedding came from TJ Maxx on clearance and Sara Lynn’s came from an estate sale. It looks brand new and was obviously barely used on someone’s guest bed. I still need to deal with the walls and windows in both of these rooms, but they are for the most part done. Whew!

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Are you familiar with Quercetti? Daniel received this gift for Christmas and he and all his friends love it.

It was just the right gift for a boy who feels he’s getting too old for toys but enjoys games and building things.

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This is the view of the playroom from Daniel’s bedroom door. It’s never this clean, which has a great deal to do with why I never posted pictures before.

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We have lots of books. (Mostly thrifted books). I can never seem to get enough of them, either for myself or the kidlets. We do use our local library frequently, but I don’t mind buying books either. Come to think of it, I can never have enough books, fabric, or seeds. Oh, and put a gardening book or crafting book in my hand and I’m in heaven!

With this remodel done, we have only the bathrooms left to tackle. Here’s what we’ve done so far:

Living room & Kitchen

Dining room (I don’t have a decent shot of this room – how did that happen? This is the before shot. Basically all that changed in this room was the installation of wood floors. But I can’t wait to show you my farmhouse table that seats 12! Next post?)

Sewing studio (Did I mention that this was the garage in it’s previous life?)

And of coarse, the upstairs. I’d love to see what you’ve been up to around your house lately!

6 comments:

Berit said...

I was planning to compliment you on the walls and windows!

They look so nice and clean, yet relaxing. I was about to say how nicely they co-ordinated with the shabby-chic in DD's room, but are also nice in a boy's room.

Or did you mean more like you want to add window treatments?

Our house really doesn't have furniture, or it's mostly ikea book cases! lol, really! I'd love to live in a house with built-in, finely crafted bookcases, but as i don't ikea is a nice modular solution for me.

Our apartment is really small, so apart from the sofa there's only my rather large drafting table in one corner (it's 4' x 3' ; I spent too many years in art and design school to give it up!), and then in another across the way is Marc's workstation. He's a programmer, and uses his computer for both work and recreation. The bedroom contains a hand-me-down suite from his parents which, while hardly constructed for posterity, is all in good working order and is a warm wood "finish" of a medium orangey tone that I don't dislike. Which is rare for me because I find fault with MOST bedroom sets, no matter how elaborate!

Theoretically I see nothing wrong with estate sales, but I don't go saleing myself. Maybe sometime. Unfortunately, bed bugs have been a terrible epidemic around here (particularly in the city) these past 5 years, so one must be over-careful when buying used home goods.

I put a pic on my blog recently of the not-quite re-done shelf by the TV; I am STILL in the middle of making quilted baskets to hold electronic accessories! Need to get back to that, heh. Maybe later today!

Melissa Price said...

Berit, I have that shade of paint throughout my home. I like the continuity that a neutral pallet provides. I choose to use accessories to define the feel of each room. The great part about decorating this way is that it's easy to change. I adore this wall color - Oyster White by Behr.

I was indeed talking about window treatments and wall hangings. I've already got a few pictures to put up in each of the rooms, but haven't gotten around to putting them up. And I'm waiting on my neck to mend to I can sew up some curtains. : )

And I already had mattress (Daniel previously had bunkbeds) so I donated the mattresses that came with these beds. I'm a bit paranoid about bed bugs, too!

MAYBELLINE said...

Those are some very lucky kids.

Melissa Price said...

I'm glad you like it, Maybelline. I would have loved a bedroom like Sara Lynn's when I was a little girl. I guess that's what was in my mind when I was putting it together.

Rhetta said...

You create beautiful spaces, Melissa! The kids' rooms are amazing; thanks for sharing!

I am resolved to buy no more new furniture--just acquired a coffee table for our finished basement last evening. It has tons of character--belonged to the seller's grandmother--and it makes me smile.

Prayers as you continue to recover.

Melissa Price said...

Rhetta, I'm so glad to see you around here! I would love to see you post that coffee table sometime. It sounds fabulous. I truly appreciate your prayers for my recovery. It's been a slow go and I'm still in quite a bit of pain, but I'm making progress. Thank you, Lord!