“If ever I had a house, I would have old furniture…It is not as expensive as modern furniture, and incomparably handsomer and better made.”
-Beatrix Potter
I hope you enjoyed my art room tour last week. The next step was to redo the two upstairs bedrooms that are mirror images of each other. Both needed to be completely repainted, including walls, trim, inside the closets, etc.
Here is the before and after of my room. Both rooms were over the garage, which serves primarily as storage so they are relatively quiet and peaceful. From my room, I have views into the garden and catch the sunrise through my alcove window. The walls were beige again. The beige had to go. Most of my paint colors were left overs or bargains. My room was one of the few colors I picked from a paint swatch. I wanted a peach color, but then was nervous about it being too bright. I think I finally hit on the right one. I laughed when I hung up the antique magazine I framed for the room. This issue is from 1917, the same year my house was built. Apparently peach/coral walls were a historically appropriate choice. I have a vision for a collection of artwork and needlework on the blank wall above the bed, but I am still gathering before hanging the artwork.
The furniture for my room was purchased at an estate sale. The 5-piece art deco set hadn’t been used in decades and was very…very dirty. After hours of scrubbing inside and out with vinegar and water, re-staining the cedar chest, touching up scratches, and giving all of them a good wax, they were fresh and rejuvenated. If you try this yourself on wood furniture, don’t let the vinegar solution set too long, but use a clean rag damp with just water to rinse.
The bedroom that became the guest room had a royal blue ceiling which needed three coats of stain blocker before we could use regular white ceiling paint. For the walls, I picked a calming blue and found a more modern wicker set of furniture at an estate sale that still had a retro feel to it. This past week, one of my friends moved into this room and is now making it her own.
Updates Completed
- Baseboard heaters removed and capped
- Telephone and cable wires removed
- Walls scraped, patched, and painted
- Trim scraped, patched, and painted
- Closets painted inside (for the first time!)
- Blue ceiling of the guest bedroom painted white
- Light fixture in guest bedroom updated
- Outlets replaced
- Door hardware stripped of paint and cleaned
- Toe kick installed
Welcome To The Carriage House 