Have you ever seen something that makes you stop in your tracks as your eyes widen and you lean in to get a closer look, utterly captivated?

That’s how I felt when I saw this picture :

Photographer: Hotze Eisma, for a Travel & Leisure article (I think)

Isn’t it delicious?!

For quite a while I’ve been “over” the current color scheme of our bedroom. It’s a watered-down version of what I dreamed up in my last apartment, kind of a Moroccan boudoir sort of vibe with deep reds and plush drapes, only when we moved in together I never got up the gumption to hang up the sheers over the boring off-white walls or even hang any pictures. And in the meantime the comforter that I searched high and low for is showing its age–the room desperately needs a makeover.

I’ll even show you what I mean.

The Before

Technically there’s nothing wrong with the room, it’s perfectly functional (if a bit snug), and we’re the only ones that see it and most of the time we’re asleep. So why the big deal?

I like having a pretty space to sleep in. A nicely-decorated room is relaxing to me.

So a course has been set, based on my inspiration photo and a few more I’ve found and added to the Pinterest board I created for the project. Thankfully the classic cars of the Orient Express are Art Deco (one of my favorite eras already) and inspiration abounds from that era and its subsequent revivals. And, of course, we’re still renting at the moment, so the walls will need to stay their current hue (I just hate painting only to repaint back to drab in the future), so I was searching for rooms that had the wonderful details that I loved but with pale walls instead of dark wood.

I love Pinterest for visual research, don’t you?

I was able to create my color scheme using my original inspiration photo and the CoffeeShop Instant Color Bar action for Photoshop.

Our new color palette!

Of course, budget is worth a mention. Namely, my current utter lack of one what with the wedding coming up in a shade over 7 months and the economy not exactly doing our industry any favors. But, hey, that’s where I luck out, too–I’ve got some diy plans that just might make this makeover possible without too much difficulty or expense.

First of all, linens can make a dramatic change in a room. Take a look at the above photo and notice that the linens are pretty simple: solid linens and a striped blanket. The patterned section below is actually the sofa seat if I’m not mistaken, but I love the pattern as a box-spring cover idea, and can search out some fabric to accomplish the same task. And since we’re heading into Florida’s warmer season (we only get 2, you know–chilly and hot-as-blazes), a nice blanket will be quite enough and give me plenty of time to find something heavier by late-Fall. By that same token, I’ll be on the look-out for some curtain panels to replace the red ones currently closing off our closets; I can see more trips to HomeGoods in my future!

Thankfully, our bedside tables and lamps will work for this idea as is–just need to recover the lampshades in that divine dusty pink once I’ve got the rest of the linens sorted out. A quick search is telling me I’ll be more likely to find a blanket in a tan pattern (stripe or plaid) and be able to accent it with a pink throw more realistically than finding a blanket exactly like the one in the photo. I think I can work with that.

Now that’s the purchased portion, what was that about some DIY?

Todd’s dresser stand-in is high on my list. One of these days we’ll build or buy something more permanent, but until then I found my inspiration in this Stanhope Chest found on Joss & Main:

Stanhope Chest via Joss & Main

I have a hunch that some silver spray paint, nailhead trim, and faux leather strips can transform those Sterlite stacking drawers into something pretty spiffy and steamer trunk-inspired. The same applies to our current headboard. Under yet another curtain panel hides a rather country headboard but with a nice shape. I plan to trim off the posts at each end and cover the whole thing with faux-leather and nailhead trim. I’m still deciding if I’ll do the same to the foot board, though we could also remove it altogether (and remove my tendency to hang things on it in the process).

The window, I think, needs a pull-down shade to hide the horrible mini-blinds, and then maybe some sheer swags on either side–I may have enough canvas yardage in my fabric stash for the shade and the antique gold sheers I used on my apartment walls might work well for the swag; if so, that’s a few trips saved to the cutting table. I’ll be on the hunt for a trunk or bench that will afford some extra storage so I can finally empty those boxes hanging out in that space, currently. Add some artwork for the painfully bare walls (some panels painted and lacquered a la the inspiration board would be divine) and we’ve got ourselves a room worth dreaming in and about!

I’ll be sure to keep you posted as the room comes together.

Have you ever gotten the urge to redo a room? I’d love to see some before and after shots!
And do you have any tips for my room makeover?