I have been working with American Express to redo a room for a reader.
I’ve been busy redecorating a bedroom for Kathryn and her husband, Finn. They live in Oak Park with their two kids, and they asked for some help with finishing their bedroom. The space was an attic once upon a time, but previous homeowners had remodeled it. Poorly. They longed to make it feel more put together, but their kids came first and the bedroom kept getting pushed back. I showed the space to you, in progress, last week. Now the room is finished though, and I love the way it turned out! I think Kathryn and Finn are pretty darn happy too.
American Express had provided a $1500 budget, and I used their Prepaid Card to help keep me on track. It was great because I could login to check my balance anytime I wasn’t sure, which was so helpful while decorating quickly and on a tight budget.
Kathryn and I swapped the Prepaid Card back and forth a few times as I would send her to pick up things like painting supplies and the wardrobe, and then I took it back to get the smaller decorative details. I was even able to pull a little cash out to pay for the end table I found on Craigslist.
Lighting was my biggest concern when it came to budget. The room is large, but it only has one window. And that window? It directly faces their neighbor’s bathroom. Not exactly a room with a view.
I wanted to be sure to provide plenty of light, but nice lamps tend to be expensive. It’s fairly easy to find inexpensive furniture that still looks good, but lamps are different for some reason. Luckily, I found some clear glass lamps on sale. They had a clean, simple shape with good proportions, and the added detail of the blue cord gives them some interest.
Originally, I thought I might put one lamp on the gateleg table and put the floor lamp I picked up on the other side, but I thought the room needed symmetrical lamps to balance the mismatched tables. The floor lamp ended up on the other side of the room, next to Kathryn’s pair of Eames chairs. A small task lamp that the homeowners already had was perfect on top of their dressers.
I hung art and photos that the homeowners already had in black frames, along with the print at the bottom that I created for them.
The doors to the kids’ bedrooms were curtained off. Perhaps Kathryn and Finn will add a sliding barn door in the future, but for now the curtains are a good solution. Such a simple thing to do, but it made a huge difference. Instead of feeling like an open area between two smaller rooms, it feels like a bedroom in its own right. The freestanding closet that we added helps too.
There were already four dressers in the room, but two were used as bedside tables and two were hidden beneath pipe and drape along the slanted end of the room. Pushing all four of them together made them look more deliberate in the space, and it was fun to decorate the top.
I loved working on a room in someone else’s home, and I hope to do more work for others in the future. Thanks, American Express for making this one possible. And thank you, Kathryn and Finn, for letting me takeover a room in your home!
* I’ll answer questions about where everything came from in the comments, but you can also check my Pinterest board for the room. Nearly everything (and more) is on there!
Violet
November 30, 2011 at 2:39 pmThat is pretty friggin’ righteous! Great job.
Lexi
November 30, 2011 at 2:39 pmTHIS is amazing!
Victoria
November 30, 2011 at 2:40 pmGorgeous!! Love that color scheme and my fave’s are the knitted pouf, the rug (LOVE), the owls, the wall wardrobe. Oh I love it all! GREAT job.
Chessa!
November 30, 2011 at 2:40 pmThe room looks wonderful! I love the chevron print carpet. such a great anchor. I would love to know where they got the UMAKEME…print. SO so lovely.
Making it Lovely
November 30, 2011 at 4:30 pmKathryn got that one from Frilly Chili’s Etsy shop.
Jules
November 30, 2011 at 2:41 pmIt looks amazing, Nicole. Great job!
Sarah
November 30, 2011 at 2:44 pmUmmmmmmmmmmmmmm this is incredible. I love love love love it! Gosh, can you just come to my house and make it awesome? My place is such a drag compared to THIS!
michelle
November 30, 2011 at 2:44 pmgreat job, well done. they love it, Iam sure!
Elisa @ What the Vita
November 30, 2011 at 2:45 pmA sweet and airy space, I love it.. especially the closet! I also like how you added these tiny pulls to the closet. Job well done and I hope you get to do many more spaces in the future!
Making it Lovely
November 30, 2011 at 4:31 pmI hope so too!
NicoleD
November 30, 2011 at 2:45 pmWhat a difference! Fantastic.
Victoria @ Edin's House
November 30, 2011 at 2:48 pmYou’ve done a wonderful job! It’s so fresh and inviting :-) I have the same pax wardrobes in my bedroom!
Victoria
Making it Lovely
November 30, 2011 at 4:32 pmI have a PAX wardrobe in my bedroom too.
emily @ go haus go
November 30, 2011 at 2:50 pmThis is absolutely beautiful! WOW! I love all the details and tabletop accessories.
Linda
November 30, 2011 at 2:52 pmLove it- will you provide the sources for some of the other decor in the room too?
I really like the bed frame- and it looks like it just has an Ikea fabric cover- but is it custom made?
Also some of the accessories and pillows are adorable!
Making it Lovely
November 30, 2011 at 4:39 pmYes, and I added a link to the Pinterest board for the room that has a lot of the items listed. The bed was already in the room, from Room and Board. Kathryn had upholstered the headboard already in IKEA fabric, so I had her to the footboard to match.
Brenda
November 30, 2011 at 2:55 pmGreat job! I love how it all came together.
JENNIFER O'CONNOR
November 30, 2011 at 2:59 pmi love the whole space– fab! where did you get the ceramic owls? they are too cute!
Jenna
November 30, 2011 at 3:07 pmI larger of the 2 owls looks like the same one I picked up at HomeGoods. :)
Making it Lovely
November 30, 2011 at 4:40 pmYes, I think those were from HomeGoods. Kathryn already had them.
Chedva
November 30, 2011 at 3:00 pmYou did a great job, Nicole! It looks really airy and like a fun room to hang out, and read a book or something.
victoria
November 30, 2011 at 3:01 pmthis looks amazing nicole! well done!!
Robyn
November 30, 2011 at 3:02 pmI’m interested to know why you didn’t push the night table over towards the wall so the bed is not in front of the window?
Making it Lovely
November 30, 2011 at 4:42 pmThe room would have felt lopsided. Plus Kathryn and Finn don’t like that the window faces the neighbor’s bathroom, so they were fine with not making it take center stage.
Giulia
November 30, 2011 at 3:02 pmLove this room! Great job. Love the Craigslist side table, the glass lamps, love how you use trays and the colours and patterns are great! Want to come to Canada and do one of my rooms?
Kath
November 30, 2011 at 3:09 pmWhat a GORGEOUS room!!!!
Kari
November 30, 2011 at 3:14 pmLove! Where is the bedding from?
Making it Lovely
November 30, 2011 at 4:51 pmThe striped sheets are from west elm, the white duvet cover was from IKEA, and the gray quilt was Kathryn’s.
Rachel Mowrey
November 30, 2011 at 3:25 pmReally lovely! Great job!!
Christina
November 30, 2011 at 3:27 pmEverything is gorgeous, but I love how you fixed the layout and storage best. Everything looks like it’s meant to be there and it looks so cozy.
Making it Lovely
November 30, 2011 at 4:52 pmThanks. I’m glad the room looks nice (I’m really happy with it), but I wanted to make it more functional first and foremost.
Kristin
November 30, 2011 at 3:32 pmWow! Would love a pricing breakdown. Really hard to believe you did that for $1500!
Making it Lovely
November 30, 2011 at 5:05 pmThe wardrobe took up $800 just by itself!
Josephine
November 30, 2011 at 3:42 pmWell done you ;-) Absolutely gorgeous.
Kristen
November 30, 2011 at 3:44 pmLove the room – love the gray quilt and shams – can you give the source for those puppies? (Didn’t see them on the pinterest) Thanks!
Kathryn Humphreys
November 30, 2011 at 5:04 pmThey are from Target, several years ago.
Kathryn Humphreys
November 30, 2011 at 6:08 pmFound it. http://www.target.com/p/Target-Home-Tile-Stitch-Quilt-Black/-/A-13691398
Melissa
November 30, 2011 at 3:49 pmEXCELLENT job! how exciting and WHAT a transformation :)
Keryn
November 30, 2011 at 4:00 pmNicole, it’s beautiful! I am in awe of your color use of color; edited just enough, with depth and cheer. Congratulations!
Katrina
November 30, 2011 at 4:01 pmThe room turned out amazing so much better! WOW :)
Danielle
November 30, 2011 at 4:03 pmWow! Looks like something out of a book! Great job!
Molly the Waffler
November 30, 2011 at 4:03 pmIt’s now such a lovely, inviting room. All the big pieces are great, but you really made it come together with the styling of the accessories. Love that West Elm vase!
Lindy
November 30, 2011 at 4:04 pmWhere did you get the accessories that are on the white dressers? The owls, little bowl, etc. I didn’t see them on Pinterest.
Kathryn Humphreys
November 30, 2011 at 5:05 pmThose were mine. Owls from HomeGoods, bowl from Anthro, tray from Ikea. All a couple years old.
Holly
November 30, 2011 at 4:08 pmWow! You are very talented – well done. The room is so well put together and looks so much bigger than before.
Kristín
November 30, 2011 at 4:27 pmwow Nicole, you really made it lovely ;)
Rachel @ I'm Loving Today
November 30, 2011 at 4:31 pmGorgeous room! I love how open and airy it is – and with having just that one, bathroom-facing window, it seems so bright! Everything in this room is just so charming, without looking too overdone. GREAT job – unbelievable it was done under $1500!
Mina
November 30, 2011 at 4:31 pmNice job! Very inspirational, since we need to do our bedroom from scratch when we move. Love it!
Beth
November 30, 2011 at 4:45 pmLike everyone else, I love it! What a transformation. You did an awesome job. :)
Lauren
November 30, 2011 at 5:00 pmLooks so fresh and open. Quite a transformation. Congrats on a great job!
houseofearnest
November 30, 2011 at 5:06 pmwow! It is even more amazing when you look at the whole transformation! Sometimes it takes an outside person to look at your space differently that you would.
Tiffany
November 30, 2011 at 5:07 pmWow Nicole I have been waiting for this post. Bravo!!!
Caitlin
November 30, 2011 at 5:31 pmGreat job!!! I love what you’ve done with the space :)
Daniela Conn
November 30, 2011 at 5:40 pmWow! It just came out so beautiful!!! I knew that it would. It was so fun to see you make over a room! I hope you do it a lot more! I used your inspiration in planning my own future master bedroom (just bought a home.) You can see here: http://thisshack.blogspot.com/2011/11/bedroom-dreams.html
Thanks!
Jan
November 30, 2011 at 5:47 pmYou did an amazing job Nicole, I love it!
claire@gibsonking
November 30, 2011 at 5:59 pmWow, it looks great! Well done. The blue poof is my favorite!
Kathryn Humphreys
November 30, 2011 at 6:06 pmIt is absolutely amazing, we’re so grateful you chose our space. I still just walk upstairs and look around at everything. Thank you!!!
Beatrice
November 30, 2011 at 6:09 pmIt looks gorgeous. It is so bright, fresh and simple. Love it.
barbara
November 30, 2011 at 6:15 pmLovely!!
Lindsay
November 30, 2011 at 6:22 pmThe room turned out beautiful! You really brought the space together with all the details: the art, vases, and pillows. And I just love the eames chairs and chevron rug!
Ash
November 30, 2011 at 6:23 pmWow – impressive on a tight budget – love it. Hope to see more of these – do you offer an international service :) WE’re moving to our new home in two weeks and it needs a complete overhaul! Well done – fantastic job.
Kahli
November 30, 2011 at 7:14 pmThis bedroom is great! I love all the natural light this room gets. It turned out so beautiful and done on a tight budget :).
emily
November 30, 2011 at 7:15 pmis that the mack lamp from crate and barrel i see? i have the same one with a white cord!
katieO
November 30, 2011 at 7:25 pmI absolutely LOVE how amazing the space looks.
Just curious…maybe I missed this part, but what did THEY think about the makeover?
Kathryn Humphreys
December 1, 2011 at 7:45 amThey think its unbelievably fantastic :)
YJ
November 30, 2011 at 7:56 pmHi, may I know where did you get the owls and that cute little bowl from? They look so good together!
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 4:17 pmThose were Kathryn’s! She picked up the owls from HomeGoods, and I think the bowl was from Anthropologie.m
Amber Baxley
November 30, 2011 at 8:50 pmSo light and bright and I love all of the graphic, bold fabric choices. :)
elisabeth
November 30, 2011 at 8:59 pmBeautiful makeover, Nicole. So absolutely well thought out and beautiful. Lucky family!
Carla
November 30, 2011 at 9:36 pmI love how this turned out! So relaxing and inviting, just like a bedroom should be. The wardrobe was totally worth it, it makes the room!
Jill Browning
November 30, 2011 at 10:32 pmVery nice!!! And the photography is awesome!
mari
November 30, 2011 at 10:51 pmI see West Elm! It makes me so unbelievably giddy to see you decorate again!! I love it so much.
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 4:47 pmIt makes me giddy to decorate too! ;)
Brankica
December 1, 2011 at 12:49 amWOW!Well done!
beth
December 1, 2011 at 1:41 amI need to know where you got those owls!
Also, I’d love to hear directly from Kathryn and how she feels about the makeover!
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 4:54 pmShe’s been popping in the comments! And the owls were hers, from HomeGoods.
Anna
December 1, 2011 at 2:41 amvery very very beautiful! want there to sleep and to live
Comeca
December 1, 2011 at 4:32 amSimple,Perfection.
my honest answer
December 1, 2011 at 5:07 amI’d love a before photo! I’m trying to work out where the bed used to be… I think it was on the wall to the left of the window. Did you move it to make room for the wardrobes?
Kathryn Humphreys
December 1, 2011 at 7:46 amclick on the links in the post. The bed is in the same place, however.
Vesna
December 1, 2011 at 6:51 amI think my favorite post of yours ever! You did an amazing job!!
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 4:56 pmWow, thank you.
Lindsey @ arkadian belle woods
December 1, 2011 at 8:18 amThis room is incredible! You did an amazing job!
Sam/LeavetheNestuptoMe
December 1, 2011 at 8:37 amEclectic but polished — looks great! Very soothing wall color too.
Dee in BC
December 1, 2011 at 8:44 amWow- That is now a beautiful room! What a great transformation.
Sarah M.
December 1, 2011 at 8:46 amI totally have room envy now! It turned out great! Can you tell us where you got those owls? Thanks!
Kate
December 1, 2011 at 9:01 amWow! I was wondering how it would all turn out after your last post about the limited budget…it looks AMAZING!!! Well done! And yes, to echo others, where did you get the owls?
Jill
December 1, 2011 at 9:46 amWhere did the white and gray striped tray come from?
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 4:57 pmThat’s a little IKEA tray that Kathryn already owned (I own one too).
Rose
December 1, 2011 at 10:48 amWhere did the owls come from please? :)
Kat
December 1, 2011 at 11:03 amThe room is beautiful! I love the details and the color pallet. My question is on one of the more simple elements of the room – where did you get the white duvet from? I love the texture it brings to the bed while still keeping a crisp look.
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 4:59 pmIt’s a duvet cover from IKEA. I had the same one in my bedroom a few years back.
Lauren
December 1, 2011 at 11:36 amCompletely and totally lovely and perfect. Oh and hey if you’re looking for the biggest challenge ever, I totally recommend my home. It may or may not be a total decorating disaster (it is.)
Kelly
December 1, 2011 at 11:43 amSuch an improvement, and I thought the “Before” wasn’t so bad. And, I feel so hip — I have one of those owls. ($7 at TJ Maxx!)
Kate @ change of scenery
December 1, 2011 at 11:48 amFantastic job! I love the mix of old and new, designed and personalized touches. The wardrobe is great and I love the detailing that almost makes it feel like paneling.
Erin - Erin Jane Designs
December 1, 2011 at 12:10 pmWow! So, so amazing! What a beautiful job. Truly unrecognizable from the “before”. I just love it! Oh, and those pillows…LOVE!
Heather
December 1, 2011 at 12:36 pmBrilliant! It’s serene and beautiful! Congratulations :-)
Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
December 1, 2011 at 12:38 pmWow – such a pretty space. It definitely has your gorgouse stamp on it, but really seems to reflect the homeowners’ style too. They had great pieces (the upholstered headboard, that fantastic rug) and you really let those elements shine!
Kathryn Humphreys
December 1, 2011 at 1:18 pmShe really did an amazing job of taking the things we liked but didn’t know how to fit in and making everything cohesive and cozy.
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 5:00 pmThanks, Kathryn. You had great things to work with.
jbhat
December 1, 2011 at 12:41 pmVery, very nice. Hooray for all of you!
jbhat
Evelyn
December 1, 2011 at 1:05 pmI can’t believe how many details were fit into that budget! Love that it feels so spacious and elegant with fun details! Great work!
Alana
December 1, 2011 at 2:09 pmCrud- I meant “not emasculatingly so”.
Darn you, auto-correct.
Jessie
December 1, 2011 at 2:09 pmLooks GREAT! The owls make me smile! :)
Tara
December 1, 2011 at 2:12 pmIt was good before, but now it’s great! So clean, yet cozy. The wardrobes and the dressers in their new space make such a big difference. My only question is, why block the window with the bed? Is it the only way to get the two tables to fit? In any case, GOOD JOB and I hope the homeowners love it too.
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 5:02 pmThe bed was blocking the window in the original layout too, so I knew the homeowners didn’t mind. It opens directly out to the neighbor’s bathroom, so they kind of wanted to take the focus away from it.
Angela
December 1, 2011 at 2:37 pmLovely! Did you slip cover the ikea bed with the fabric? I think I have the same bed. Also, is there a bed skirt? I also have nearly the identical bedroom layout – thanks for the inspiration!
Kathryn Humphreys
December 1, 2011 at 3:00 pmFinn and I put plywood in front of the steel and then upholstered the headboard around that with foam, batting and fabric, stapling it to the plywood in back around the bed frame. It doesn’t come apart now though. There is no bed skirt.
Lydia
December 1, 2011 at 2:44 pmGorgeous room! Very inspirational!
Very curious, though: where did the round side table between the Eames chairs come from – it’s so cute!
Kathryn Humphreys
December 1, 2011 at 3:01 pmThanks! That’s from Ikea about 6 years ago, we stole it from my son’s room :)
AnnW
December 1, 2011 at 3:15 pmYou probably won’t even get to this comment, but, great job. You made it very light, and modern without looking like something from the 50’s. AmEx should give you money every month for this. Whom do we write to expressing our gratitude that you showed us how to use AmEx for things? Ann
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 5:08 pmThanks, Ann. I’m sure they’ll check in here, but perhaps I should send them an email and quote you. :)
Natalie
December 1, 2011 at 3:45 pmOh my gosh, it’s gorgeous! You did SUCH a great job! I love how all of the colors coordinate without being too matchy-matchy, and the laying textures is just divine. Well done! :)
Make and Do Girl
December 1, 2011 at 4:49 pmWow. This is a beautiful room. Love the vibe. That floor is fantastic. It’s hard to tell from the photos, is that a rug on the floor or is it painted? Either way, I adore it and the graphic punch it adds to the room. Great job!
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 5:10 pmKathryn had that rug in the space already, and I loved it so I reused it. It was from Overstock.
J
December 1, 2011 at 6:42 pmLove!
nicole
December 1, 2011 at 7:21 pmStunning….you did an amazing job! Now will you please come over and redo my bedroom?
Bridget
December 1, 2011 at 7:24 pmI love the little, green, flowerish things coming out of the honeycomb vase but didn’t see it on Pinterest. What are the called? (Love the room.)
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 5:11 pmI think they’re called Kermits. They’re pretty readily available flowers.
Vanessa
December 1, 2011 at 8:24 pmI love this room! Feels so cozy and beautiful. Where did you get those cute owls!!
LisaInIllinois
December 1, 2011 at 9:09 pmI love everything about this room – especially the color scheme. I may steal it for our bedroom!
annie
December 1, 2011 at 9:22 pmLooks great! I didn’t see where the owls were from…..
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 5:11 pmHomeGoods. They were Kathryn’s.
Jenna
December 1, 2011 at 10:47 pmA.MAZ.ING!!! Wow…wow…I can’t think of any other words! :) This looks so fantastic! Great job!
Lauren
December 1, 2011 at 11:29 pmIt looks incredible! I’m aware that the amazing rug was already in the space before the makeover, but I would love to know where it came from?
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 5:12 pmIt’s from Overstock.com.
Bfordesign
December 2, 2011 at 9:27 amI like how you have coordinated the colors in accessories and fabrics
annelies
December 2, 2011 at 12:30 pmIt looks phenomenal. I adore the wall colour. Actually, I love the whole colour palette! Very well done.
jodi
December 2, 2011 at 1:24 pmit looks so great!!
Beth C
December 2, 2011 at 1:44 pmIt looks gorgeous! The owls are my favorite part!
Ann
December 2, 2011 at 2:53 pmThis room turned out great! I do have a question about the Pax wardrobe. Did you anchor it to the ceiling to prevent a tipping problem? Can you show how this was done?
Making it Lovely
December 2, 2011 at 5:13 pmThey aren’t anchored, but they can’t fall over because there isn’t enough clearance for them to tip more than an inch or two. Normally PAX wardrobes would be installed against a wall and anchored to it from the back.