Our master bedroom was due for a makeover. I knew the colors I wanted, so I ordered a bedding set and logged onto Pinterest. I started gathering images of grey and red decor, looking for pieces that would inspire the design for the room. I knew I wanted it to be modern, yet soft. I was tempted to go monochromatic and just do greys, but I’d seen some greys paired with a bright red and I fell. in. love.
I started out with 3 obstacles:
- We rent, so I couldn’t paint the walls.
- My furniture is antique and all dark brown. No changing that.
- Budget. While I had saved up a little for the project I didn’t have a lot to spend
The bedding came from Bed Bath and Beyond. Nothing fancy. Under $100 for the whole set: Comforter, bed skirt, 2 shams and 3 decorative pillows. I picked up the white sheets at Tuesday Morning.
After that, I lived and breathed Pinterest for about 3 hours. I searched, pinned and dreamed. My husband isn’t big on having floral patterns or overly girly stuff in our bedroom, and we both lean more towards either modern or retro decor, so traditional or chic was out of the question. These bird pillows caught my eye, and I knew right away I had a theme. I brainstormed a bit and came up with an idea for the main piece of artwork. We don’t have a headboard, so I wanted something big that would go above the bed and form the focal point of the room. I came up with this 3 dimensional wall hanging. Everything else would have to tie into that.
HobbyLobby became my obsession. At least 1 visit a day, sometimes 2 or 3 for about 4 days. I scoured the sale items, used coupons on the full-priced items and came away with some really good stuff.
Here’s what I ended up with:
- Pinterest Inspiration Board for Grey and Red Bedroom
- 4 large blank canvases, some acrylic paints and brushes, branches from the floral department, and a feathered bird
- 2 red flameless candles and 1 red ball candle
- 2 black woven baskets from Hobby Lobby and 2 matching red ones from Tuesday Morning
- Metal bird on a branch from Hobby Lobby
- 3 large red silk flowers and more sticks from Hobby Lobby floral dept.
- 2 – 1/2-yard pieces of fabric from the local quilt shop
- 1 black plate – already on hand
- 1 large metal vase – already on hand
- black spray paint – already on hand
- 3 black and white family photos in black frames – the only existing wall decor in the room (sad, isn’t it?)
- 1 large oil painting my husband did in high school. I’ve loved it forever but we’d never hung it up.
With a little craftiness (the good kind!) and some holding things up in different places, trying to decide what to put where, I ended up with a room I adore.
It’s so relaxing now to walk in there and have everything match. It’s modern, yet soft, and just what I hoped for. While the planning and dreaming took about 4 days, the actual project only took 2 afternoons. This includes painting and assembling the decor. There is a certain pride in knowing I created this peaceful retreat myself!
A fun note? My husband’s painting was not a part of my original plan. I actually had almost everything else hung and was lamenting over the blank space above the TV when I spotted the painting leaning against the wall in the livingroom. I’ve always wanted to hang it, but never had a space for it. I tried it. The colors matched perfectly and it was just the right size. Also? It has the whole “branches theme” going on. Love.
What DIY projects have you been up to lately? If you could make-over any room in your house, which would it be and what would you do?
PS. Are you on Pinterest? If not, get yourself over there. Pronto.
Jenn says
This is so nice, Erica! Great job! It’s inspired me to think about some desperately needed changes for our master bedroom 🙂
Erica Mueller says
Thanks! I’m really enjoying that our space finally feels lived-in!
Jenn says
I noticed that it didn’t log me in as my UTH profile, but I’m a fellow writer here too. I enjoy your articles.
Christina Gregoire says
Erica, That came out wonderful. What a great inspiration. I don’t think of myself as a grey person, but your room is fabulous. I’m rethinking grey.
Erica Mueller says
Oh, Christina, I am currently in love with grey. I always thought of it as a ‘cold’ color, but lately I’ve been seeing it paired with beautiful, vibrant colors that make me swoon. Red, teal, green, orange… so many possibilities!