Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Small And Simple Bedroom Updates

We’d like to present our bedroom with the award for Most Often Tweaked. It just seems like time goes by and a few things get added to the mix and it inspires us to remove the top bed rails, hang a ram above the bed, ditch the duvet, or move out some horse art. But we’re all about trial and error and learning as we go (who gets it all right on the first try? And if you do, please share your secrets!). It’s definitely one of our more out there rooms (read: not everyone’s cup of tea), but we like that since it’s our own private bedroom and not a common space where we entertain. So as long as we love it, my mom or the lady next door don’t have to understand our giant dandelion-ish chandelier or Señor Ram (who was originally seen here doing yoga with Burger)…

Ram Pic6

Although mom recently shocked the heck outta me and actually said she liked the whole room. I guess that means we have to do something crazier sometime soon. Haha. But really, one lesson that we’ve loved learning over the last few years is how much freedom there is in allowing yourself to make your home “yours” and not trying to please everyone – just do what you love so your house gives you a big ol’ hug whenever you walk in the door.

Anyway, this time the tweakage in here was inspired by our new nightstands. And those guys were much awaited. For the last 8+ months we’ve been using side tables from our first house’s living room, which were about 5″ too low (reaching down half a foot from bed was muy uncomfortable) and completely and utterly drawer-less (read: messy and waaay too tempting for a 15 month old to grab stuff and carry it around/hide it).

Nightstands Old Vs New

But thanks to the $11 yard sale nightstands that we grabbed last week in Delaware (mentioned here), we finally had two extremely appreciated features: about five more inches of much needed height (so they’re finally easily-accessible from bed) and drawers, glorious drawers!

Nightstand Close Up

Of course this side of the room is still only about 10% done (our last bedroom took about four years to evolve into the room we knew and loved when we left) so we still need a cabinet on the left wall to balance out the door, a longer and lighter bench at the foot of the bed, maybe a colorful throw at the foot of the bed, perhaps some smaller objects on either side of the ram, etc.

Vertical Bedroom

But before I get to the tweakage they inspired, I’ll go off on a side tangent. Typical. The cause of the tangent? Dude, our side tables stunk! So we had to deal with that super musty smell. And fast. They’re mid-century originals, so I guess we shouldn’t have been surprised that they smelled 60 years old. Maybe even 160. So to google I sprung, where I quickly read about and tried two different methods. The first was wiping them down with mild soap and water (Dr. Bronners). Total non-difference. Still smelled like a moldy rug. The second method was wiping them down with undiluted vinegar. Amazing difference! It worked like a charm. I just used a rag to rub them down inside and out with vinegar (which definitely smelled like salty potato chips until they dried and suddenly had no odor). Seriously, they went from smelling so musty that it smacked you in the face when you entered the room to not even smelling if you put your face in the drawer and take a nice big whiff. Woot. So if your drawers smell, you might want to try it. Not your underwear. I literally mean your drawers.

Back to our other night table related tweaks. Here’s the wide shot of that completely unfinished side of our bedroom again. With the pillows going both directions just for fun. Because I’m wild and crazy like that.  Oooh, hooorizontaaaaaal…

Bedroom Horizontal

Ahh, now they’re veeeerticallll…

Vertical Bedroom

Notice anything different besides the pillow turnage? Well, for one, the sleek lines of our new mid-century night stands have inspired us to remove the finials that we added to Ed the bed and try something that Bryn recommended to us a while back instead (she linked to this pic found here, and we really liked it).

Look, it’s Ed the bed. And he has some handsome contrasting post tops. But instead of using something permanent (like paint) I decided to use something free and completely removable (like ribbon). I already had some in my little gift closet full of to-be-regifted bags & bows. And I thought the greeny-gold color would tie in nicely with the curtains. So I cut four small pieces off of the long strand that must have come wrapped around some big box last December and used regular old scotch tape to attach them at the seam (which I faced towards areas that we don’t see, like the wall behind the bed)…

Nightstands Gold Band Close

Oh and I wrapped that piece of tape up and across the top of the post so they were nice and secure from the side and the top.

Nightstands Gold Band Top

Notice any other tweaks? The art finally got raised thanks to the new higher side tables (we were waiting to get them to see where we’d want the art to hang permanently so we didn’t make ten holes in the wall along the way). Originally we thought the art should line up with Sir. Ram, but we held it up in a bunch of spots and liked this placement best. Probably because it creates a triangle with the chandelier – and Sir Ram holds down the base of it like the bad arse that he is.

Oh and we also grabbed new lampshades from Target for $19 each (with 5% off thanks to using our Target card, I love that) because the last ones were looking a little dingy and the slightly wider shape of these guys slayed us. They’re actually either the exact same shade or extremely similar to the one that we purchased back in 2009 for our basement makeover (seen here).

Nightstand Close Up

Bedroom Horizontal

Oh duh and we finally put the Ikea duvet that we mentioned buying here on the bed. We heard so many good things from a bunch of you guys who had the same one and loved it. And surprise, surprise – we love it too. It seems to magically stay clean even with a baby and a dog and it’s comfy like a big ol’ cloud. We also love that it’s nice and calm looking, just because we like the idea of letting other things like our Alaska berry prints, the horse art, my paint chip creation, our giant mirror over the sink nook, and the big chandelier be the stars and add texture, interest, & color in other ways. But we’re still definitely thinking about bringing a pop of color to the foot of the bed in the form of a throw. Or we could build/upholster a longer, lighter bench with some color going on. And even bring some hue up on the ceiling. Oh the possibilities!

I’m banking on at least 50 more tweaks over the next few years as the room slowly fills in a bit more. Which is actually quite titillating to a gal like me. Seriously, that’s my idea of a good time. Look, here’s some photoshop fun. Ooh a bright throw and a soft plum bench along with a moody greeny-gold ceiling could be interesting…

Bedroom Playing Around1

Oh who am I kidding, we’ll change our minds a million more times (and it looks crazy because it’s fake – haha). But it should be fun to see where we end up someday!

Any tweaks going on in your bedroom? Do tell. But let’s keep it clean. My mom is probably reading (and admiring Sir Ram).

Comments

  3. Kathryn says

    I enjoy the tweaks! Looked at the picture of the future bedroom (and I realize the computer-generated furniture is just to give an idea, but it made me think…) There are a lot of straight lines in this room! In fact, from this perspective, even the planks of the floor make a quasi-vertical line. What if there were some architectural curves? Perhaps if the bench at the foot of the bed had a curvy frame (not my favorite example, but there’s this: http://www.ballarddesigns.com/antoinette-bench/furniture/benches/15024 ) or some sumptuous upholstery with gathers?

    Want to make clear I’m not knocking the room because I *love* it, just food for thought!

    Reply

  4. Anna Scherling says

    Another few points for amazing vinegar – our towels got moldy smelling because our rental apartment bathroom has no ventilation. We washed them with a cup of vinegar in place of soap, then again with soap like normal before drying. They smell like new! I bet it works on smells in fabric in general. AND you can use it to rinse your hair to get the gunk build up out. And once everything is dry (clothes and hair) it doesn’t smell. Eco-friendly and cheap!

    Reply

  6. Liz says

    Well, we have started on house number two as well and had a question about the bedroom. What is a good painted furniture to natural wood ratio? We have a king cherry wood sleigh bed (killer $50 craigslist deal and if no one can see why it was such a good deal, neither can I) However…no matching pieces. Can I paint two dressers and side tables or does that start to look like a garage sale threw up in my room?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I love a mixed and layered look! What if you refinished the dressers with a cherry stain so they relate to the bed and paint the side tables so there’s a little painted and a little cherry that’s repeated a few times so it looks intentional? Sounds pretty…

      xo,
      s

  8. Liz K. says

    I love the green-gold color on the ceiling! So much warmth. Please pursue immediately.(well, after the 100 other things on your list! :)

    Reply

  9. Liz R says

    Yay for vinegar. I’m going to try that on our musty kitchen cabinets. I washed them out with a Brommer’s baking soda mixture when we moved in, but that smell won’t go away. Nothing like putting nice clean dishes away into musty cabinets. Blech.

    Still on a quest for nightstands myself. Right now I’m still using my plastic set of drawers that holds toiletries and the husband has nothing. Klassy!

    Reply

  11. Val says

    That ceiling looks amazing. I like the ram a lot better without the dark candle sconces (?) that were there before–they threw it off for me visually somehow.
    I am still on a three-year hunt for bed side tables myself, as most nightstands are too low for my fluffy mattress. Thanks for the vinegar tip, as I almost always seek out mid-century furniture–it fits so well in a small house!

    Reply

  14. Rachael says

    OMG those nightstands are flipping gorgeous! I wish there was some more tweaking going on with our room right now. I did refinish some thrift store nightstands a couple months back. I painted them shabby chic, but am not sure if I’m sold on them or not. I also inherited a HUGE dresser from my grandparents and am not quite sure what I’m going to do with it.My entire house REALLY, REALLY needs help! I used to be so good at decorating, but now it’s as if I’ve given up and just don’t care because I change my mind so often and don’t want to waste money!

    Reply

  15. Saz says

    I love the feel of the room… But am I crazy or is that ram too small for the space? Maybe if he were mounted on something similar to the color of the frames on either side. Or even just framed..?

    Please don’t take that as an insult to your design sense. I love your blog and am constantly inspired by your work!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, he’s a little guy in that big square of wall. But I think since there’s a big chandelier over him and two large frames on either side of the bed we like the breathing room for now. But who knows where we’ll end up! The little candle sconces that I drew in photoshop on either side of him in the pic on the bottom of the post could be fun…

      xo,
      s

  16. Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says

    So the whole idea of painting a ceiling a color other than white throws me for a loop. You know, I had one of those “traditional” upbringings where nice, polite trim and ceilings are ALWAYS white and only those “loose” ceilings are colored. So… how do you decide what color to paint your ceilings?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We just play around. Haha. In our last bedroom we painted the ceiling a softer shade of the wall and with crown molding it really popped and looked a lot taller (since the ceiling wasn’t just a white box over your head, it sort of receded when we added some soft color). I say just get some swatches and tape them up on the ceiling and gaze up at them from bed and see what you think!

      xo,
      s

  17. tracy a says

    I have the hardest bedroom duvet in the world to coordinate things with (at least I think)…but I’ve finally settled on a contrast colour and am going for it. And I just finished making a deerhead silhouette like the one found here: http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2011/02/diy-deer-head-silhouette-wall-art-decor.html
    Needed to man-up the floral decor my duvet has going on!
    (just in case you’re wondering, I have calvin klein’s madeira bedding…sort of a plumy-gray colour with a slightly mauve background. not bad, just difficult)

    Reply

  19. Heidi says

    I love them! All you really need – 1 drawer and 1 shelf – and maybe an alarm clock would even fit in that space! with a hole for cords? Anyway, I love the clean lines of the nightstands and your bedroom in general. It is good when the room you dream in makes you happy :)

    Reply

  20. Ben says

    Do you know what kind of wood the side tables are made of? They look very Scandinavian to me, which leads me to think they could be teak. Careful cleaning teak. Avoiding Clorox wipe and such are imperative so they don’t leave behind a glossy coating of whatever are in those things. Instead they should be oiled with teak oil (from Scandinavia, not the solvent filled stuff from The Home Depot) every so often when the wood starts looking dry. Who knows, they might not even be teak… but just in case! Love them and you need to take care of ’em!

    Reply

  21. Bob says

    The ram should have the same mid-line as the wall decor. I expect to see that change 6 months from now when you come to the same realization. :)

    Reply

  22. Tabitha says

    I love the bedroom with the photoshop add-ins…. love the color on the ceiling!

    My bedroom is currently a wreck. There’s nothing on the walls and I just tossed out my headboard. No idea what to do. I am however, losing my IKEA virginity this weekend (I think you need to go to, and help me shop… afterall it’s the same you visit haha!!). Hopefully I can find some inspiration.

    Reply

  23. Peggy says

    Oh my tweakness! Love the tweaks and the room is really coming together. If only I had your photoshop skills to virtually re-decorate my rooms!

    Reply

  25. Dani says

    I love that you guys design your home the way YOU want it to be, not how a magazine tells you it should be. It’s very inspiring.

    On that note though, since your home design is very public, how do you guys deal with negative criticisms? I don’t mean the “eh, not my thing” comments, but the really mean stuff, assuming that you have had to deal with that. I had my bedroom (which is designed in a very personal way, definitely not everyone’s taste) featured on a design blog, and the comments were not only negative, but downright hurtful. I stopped reading after a while, because I figured the commenters were the kind of people with nothing better to do, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me. Enough that if someone was to ask to feature a room of mine again, I would think twice.

    Maybe you have some suggestions for how to deal with really negative comments or reviews for other bloggers out there that share their home designs?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh man, so sorry to hear that! We definitely get our fair share of “ick, that green color is so ugly” or “man, you guys don’t know what you’re doing” but nothing too personal or hurtful to the point that we’re deflated or scared to share stuff. I think we’re just annoyingly enthusiastic about over-sharing in general. Haha. Sure, some folks say things nicely and others definitely… uh.. don’t, but we always try to remember that it’s our house and not everyone who reads about it would make the same choices that we would – and that’s ok. Heck, it’s what makes the world go round! I wish I had great advice for you, but we just ask ourselves how our house makes us feel at the end of the day, and as long as it’s “good!” or even “wheee!” we’re psyched to share what goes on under our roof. There will always be folks who don’t agree with paint colors and DIY decisions, but that’s why they have their own house to decorate however they’d like!

      xo,
      s

    • Chrissie says

      Hi Dani,

      I am so sorry to hear about the reaction you got to your room. It sucks that some people seem to forget that this is just decorating – it’s not exactly life or death stuff, and personal taste is all very different. Heck, if we all liked the same stuff, how boring would the world be?

      Here are a couple of posts regarding dealing with negativity online. This is more extreme than your example – I’m talking death threats/wishes over weddings and a Wikipedia page dedicated to slagging out a woman for her (admittedly controversial) halloween costume!

      These are examples from people who have faced hatred and negativity online and lived to tell the tale, so hopefully they might help a bit. Sorry I don’t have any home decor-specific links to share!

      Offbeat bride: http://offbeatbride.com/2011/08/viral-wedding
      And from Regretsy: http://www.regretsy.com/2011/08/05/faux-bos-and-faux-pas/

      I hope you don’t hesitate to share your ideas in the future, but I don’t blame you for being nervous about it.

      xo Chrissie

  27. Dani says

    Oh, and if you have a couple of scratches on your end tables, you can cut a walnut in half and rub it on the scratch and it will blend in. I works great on mid toned woods.

    Reply

  28. Gracia says

    I love that you called the duvet cover a “cloud” because that’s exactly what we call ours (and we’ve had it for over 3 years and it still looks great). I’m absolutely in love with it.

    Oh and I totally loooove those side tables. I wish we had yard sales (or good thrift stores!) in Spain, but the last time I tried to score a small console/dresser, I didn’t see anything for less than 40€… and it was completely broken and had a drawer missing! Booo!

    Reply

  29. Mary says

    Looks great! The new height of bedstands (and subsequent picture hanging) does wonders in matching the vertical lines of the bed posts. I hope you are enjoying the changes!

    I am a big fan of the potential tweeks too. I admit that I prefer my bedroom to be warm and cozy as opposed to light and airy. So I think you totally should go for the ceiling color and bed throw! Coloring the ceiling (especially in a warm hue like the green above) would give the room a really cozy feel. One such idea: http://pinterest.com/pin/3025579/
    A colorful throw at the end of the bed would do the same. I have recently made some major changes to my bedroom (lots of painting and building a canopy!), but unfortunately I haven’t been able to post them yet otherwise I would share!

    Btw: I love your attitude of constant updates, even to something as private as the bedroom! (Though, with thousands of readers, I guess privacy might become a tad relative ;)

    Reply

  31. Aaron says

    I pretty jealous of your $11 night stands. I’m currently in the market for some thrifted/yard sale side tables and I have not had y’all’s (yes, two apostrophes) luck!

    They look great!

    Reply

  32. Lauren says

    Totally jumping on the vinegar bandwagon here.

    I was just on a beachy vacation for a week and being the incredibly pale person I am, I of course got insanely sunburned, even with the almost constant application of sunscreen. Aloe just wasn’t doing the job so I called my doctor (who is pretty much on speed dial since I am a total hypochondriac) and lo and behold, what does she suggest but vinegar. It totally worked too.

    Reply

  33. ashlee says

    “one lesson that we’ve loved learning over the last few years is how much freedom there is in allowing yourself to make your home “yours” and not trying to please everyone”

    how true is that?! it took me a LONG time to realize this. it seems like everyone i know has your typical cookie cutter homes, dark wood cabinetry, dark hardwood floors, the occasional family photo on the wall (but never more than one per room!), walls painted beige, black leather couches, brown coffee tables, brown side tables, brown brown brown.

    i’m finally being brave enough to be ME and it’s FUN.

    have you guys ever done a post on your differences in decorating likes/dislikes as a couple? forgive me if you have – you guys have a billion and one posts on here :) if so, i’d love to read it. if not, i’d love to see one! it’s nifty to see how couples mix their styles to come up with something that is a combination of the two. yes, i just said nifty.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, I don’t think we’ve done a post like that yet, but it would be fun. John wants maps and boxes and beat up old wood everywhere. Meanwhile I want metallics like mercury glass and ceramic animals everywhere. Haha. Somehow we meet in the middle.

      xo,
      s

    • ashlee says

      i’d absolutely love a post about comparing your tastes!

      that’s where my husband and i collide. although, i tend to win in the end because he doesn’t ‘care’ about home decor as much as things being functional :)

      he sounds a lot like john. my husband loves beat up old wood, although i have to say that’s the one thing we agree on. i love it, too. my favorite house crashing post you’ve ever done was jordan & landon’s, specifically for their use of pallet boards. my husband wants a map SO badly – the one on centsational girl, which is apparently available online somewhere – i might get it for him for christmas.

      i like feminine, breezy, whites with splashes of funky furniture. we both love photography, so that works in our favor.

      it would make for a totally interesting post! do it!

  34. Trude says

    Those side tables are such a great find! Good to know about the vinegar solution. I’ve got LOTS of tweaks planned for my bedroom (just moved in a month ago), including possible tack trim for my DIY’ed padded headboard, vintage chair for my desk, painting a metal drawer unit white to become my second nightstand, framing a few prints I haven’t gotten to yet, finally hanging everything, and finding a pair of lamps for my nightstands. Phew!

    Reply

  36. Emily says

    it’s funny that you mention the stench. my husband and i just inherited a grandfather clock from the from his grandparents (not really my style, but it has special meaning). it really smells like b.o.! i don’t really feel comfortable wiping it down with vinegar, but i did open the glass door and toss in a dryer sheet. we’ll see how that works out. vinegar may be my next step. anyone else have experience with grandfather clocks that have body odor?

    Reply

  37. GretchenF says

    I’m a lucky girl because my dad re-finishes wood furniture. He did a piece for us that had been damaged in a fire. It looks beautiful, but it still had a very smoky smell to it when he finished. We put some new Bounce dryer sheets in the drawers and it worked well to diminish the smoke smell.

    Reply

  38. Jen says

    Had I know about that vinegar trick last weekend, I might have come home from Labor Day weekend with two moth ball smelling dressers!

    I am currently working on sprucing up our bedroom, which after a year in our house, has been terribly neglected. This weekend is painting if only we can settle on a color. Then, it’s on to window treatments, a new dresser and a repainted dressing table!

    Reply

  40. Constance says

    I am totally digging the “fake” picture at the end of the post – the ideas look great and really bring everything together! I’m impressed with your patience, b/c I would look at that and say “that’s it – let’s good get all that stuff!”. Great progress – lookin’ sharp(er).

    Reply

  41. MJB says

    I bought two huge jugs of vinegar on the latest grocery store trip to:
    1. freshen up stinky towels (my kids tend to leave them on the floor instead of using the perfectly good hooks my husband and I installed in their rooms.)
    and…
    2. provide hours of entertainment for my kids. Mix vinegar and baking soda in empty soda bottle and seal. Throw soda bottle. Watch explosion/geyser. Repeat. The street smells like pickles for a while but then, I like to think, freshens the air. ;0

    Reply

  42. Claire says

    I’m about to make some changes! Soon to be installed in my bedoom: an accessory wall (someone has been watching too much Project Runway…). Complete with a flating white IKEA shelf (a la your old dining room), an oval mirror hung east-west, and some DIY champagne cork peg boards for hanging purses, scarves, belts, and necklaces! I am so excited.

    Reply

  43. Sharon says

    Can you send me a closer pic of that duvet. I have one I haven’t put on yet and want to see if it’s the same one. Then I’ll know to put it on cause I love yours. I do love the idea of removing the duvet and washing (in hot if needed)anytime without a trip to the laundromat.

    Room is coming along nicely. Happy tweaking !!

    Reply

  44. Amie says

    I haven’t read all the comments, but wanted to mention another good way of getting rid of bad smells in old furniture. Try using clean cat litter. It absorbs the smells, and works really well in suitcases, drawers and cabinets.

    Reply

  45. Debby says

    What happened to the West Elm duvet cover that you originally had. I loved the colors in it with the other colors in your room. Since the white duvet cover looks so nice, why not add a blanket inside the West Elm duvet cover and then fold it at the bottom of the bed like a coverlet. Gives you a splash of color.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We linked to that whole saga in the first paragraph of this post (just click “ditch the duvet”). We still have it, but even as a throw at the foot of the bed it looks crazy with the berry prints. Too much leafage in one room. Haha.

      xo,
      s

  46. Christina says

    Thanks for the tip on the smelly furniture issue. We inherited a china cabinet from my grams and I was so excited until we brought it home and realized it smelled AWFUL. A mix of mold, mildew and a hint of cats. yowza. Off to find the vinegar!

    Reply

  49. Ashley Jensen says

    I just bought 2 old ugly nightstands (with two drawers in each one!) at an antique store yesterday for 6 bucks each! We currently have a mismatching pair of tables which we have been using since we move in our house 5 years ago. The new ones will be getting a nice coat of paint and new hardware. I am thinking about adding some legs to get some height going on since they are a smidge too short.

    Reply

  50. Anna, Sydney says

    Speaking (although extremely briefly) of your basement makeover. That is still the most amazing makeover I have ever seen. (And you were so sneaky at the time too not having told us yet about brewing Clara.) Hoping your current basement will get a Petersik-makeover at one stage as well.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, I was quietly cooking a Petersik. As for our current basement- we’d love to do something like that again. Preferably when I’m not knocked up so I can do some heavy lifting!

      xo,
      s

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