one room challenge // bedroom reveal!

I started this series of posts 6 weeks ago, and opened with an inspiration photo that looked very much like the one above. Today, that inspiration is reality and -- I am still pinching myself to say it-- that photo above was taken in MY new bedroom! 

I can't thank Linda from Calling It Home enough for creating this challenge, opening it up to the blogosphere, and being a cheerleader along the way (as were all the incredibly sweet bloggers sweating this one with me)! I know without the motivation of posting weekly and having a deadline, our bedroom would not be a fraction as finished as it is today.

Should we have one more look at the "before" picture before jumping in to the reveal??

That sad dumping ground for leftover furniture was where we started. Here's how it looks now!

Pretty big improvement right?!!! Seriously, I feel like I'm in a dream when I walk in here now. I never gave much thought or consideration to how much having a really grown up space would feel- one that's clean, and minimal, and relaxing, and luxurious...I can't say enough good things. (And thankfully we've just turned the corner where the baby hands no longer pull down your glass vases full of branches).

Here's a before of the window...yikes, it was so bad!!

Those blinds have been sent to their permanent resting place! Here's that window now:

Painting the trim white and hanging neutral curtains far outside the frame make it look even bigger than it already is. The window is the feature now that it deserves to be. And without the broken dark old blinds covering it up now, it allows the light to flood the room.

Can I pain you with a couple more before photos? I do like that they were so bad, because it makes the reveal that much better, right?

OK, enough of those!

The leaner mirror has found a new wall to call home, one where it reflects the entire room and bounces the light from the window back around the whole space. I love this view!

I'm beyond thrilled to report that my quest for a vintage nightstand was successful! Last week on Thursday, I walked into Jubilee Furniture with high hopes and I'm not kidding, this night stand was the EXACT thing in my head. I wanted a three-drawer MCM nightstand with waterfall drawer fronts. It was there. With the original legs in the bottom drawer. Beat to heck wood finish. For $20.25. YES!!! I spent more than that on the chalk paint! I couldn't believe it. I am over the moon for how it looks with the painted creamy finish. It's the perfect touch of femininity in a room that could easily have gone over to the boy side and never come back.

It just so happened that the pear tree in our backyard burst into bloom this week AND also needed a little pruning, so I couldn't help but bring a few branches in for this reveal. (I am the yard forager out of the Found & Foraged girls, after all). I did catch a few photos of how I'm styling the nightstands when it's not pear blossom season:

And my foraging has been passed to the next generation! My daughter pulled up this rock from the backyard the other day, and insisted we keep it. When I washed it off to reveal a gorgeous green-veined gem-like thing, I was all too happy to grant her request. (Luckily she let me "keep it safe" in my room for her).

My copy of the Chronicles of Narnia is the one thing that doesn't leave my nightstand. I've been reading it to the kids and we are so addicted! (Also Trouve pretty much bombs all my photos- it's so perfectly gorgeous).

I like the simple look as much as the drama of the branches. It also lets those pendants we built be the stars of the show! (And believe it or not, those silver dollar eucalyptus are left over from Christmas! I saved a few stems from the mantle garland, and they looks as beautiful dried as they did fresh).

For now, as long as I have the branches on my side, Ryan needs a little height on his. So I have pulled out his collection of geek comics and nerd lore, and propped a botanical print on a book stack for some balance. (True confessions: His nightstand is normally pretty barren except for a late-90's digital alarm clock he can't bear to part with and I can't bear to have in blog photos).

Here's the view from our adjoining master bathroom, a room which of course is now the giant zit on my prom queen's face. ;)

Lastly, I thought it would be fun to show you how the kids and the fur-baby like to use the new room:

The Tuft & Needle has passed the jump test...

...and the puppy nap test. (Dyson posed just for you, Linda).

As much as I love this room during the day, my favorite time to hang there is at night now. I never used to go to my room except to stumble into bed for a few hours of sleep (or to dump laundry), but at night the glow of the Edison bulbs is so soft and lovely, and the room is so relaxing, it's the only place I want to be. Not a night has gone by where I am not filled with gratitude and an overwhelming sense about how very blessed I am to have this spot to lay my head.

Thanks for joining me on this crazy project! I am absolutely giddy to head over to Linda's and see how everyone else's spaces turned out...I know they're going to be stunning!

I'm also sharing this at my favorite Saturday night hang out over at House of Hipsters!