Despite all those windows the bedroom was originally quite dark. Painting the exposed timber a mix of white and cream instantly lightened the room and the addition of shutters increased airflow as well as controlling the light without the need for curtains. Adding built in wardrobes opposite the bed creates a more streamline look for the bedrooms storage and the new open shelving not only adds interest but also storage space. Overall we think this is a great example of how a little work can transform a dull bedroom into a beautiful retreat. For more info or other home projects visit Notebooks website Home Life here.
In an attempt to distract ourselves from the shambles that is our kitchen renovation, we've been absorbing ourselves in beautiful bedrooms. We came across this great bedroom makeover in Notebook magazine during the week and we were impressed with the results. Find out more below the jump.
Categories: Bedroom





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WOW! What a difference! The after is SO light, airy, and beautiful! However, I did love the wood wall that the bed was on in the before picture.
The exposure in the pictures seems so different that it's hard to judge. Pretty, though.
Oh, I hate this. I loved the rustic, peaceful before. The after seems too bright for a bedroom, not at all restful.
I feel like I'd sleep better in the before--the after is very pretty but doesn't seem quite as tranquil to me.
Got to be honest, while I think the ne wlook is nice. I liked the old look better. Perhaps if they had some better bedding and other accessories it would have been perfect.
I really like the before more. With a few more touches it could have been modern and rustic. The after looks like all that was charming with the before was bulldozed over and replaced with cutsie.
I'm somewhat torn. That before photo looks so cozy and is luring me in for a nap, but I also really like the shutters that were added to the windows. Was a balcony also added? I can see a railing and a chair in the after photos, but not the before. It really adds some space to the room by making the row of windows less of a precipice.
When you have a space with a great personality like the "before" photo, the "paint it all white" strategy fails so badly.
This took the space from "seasonal rental" to "year-round adult home"... with basically just paint and linens (and the way-smart investment in those shutters).
As it gets cooler out, I guess the darker may look "cozy" to some, but to me (the ex-Miamian) it just looks sweltering hot and humid.
After, by far.
But all the votes for the Before do not surprise me.
I would kill to have the back wall of our bedroom look like that.
I prefer the before picture. It looked so rustic and interesting.
I loved the detail at the corner of the room, where the top of the wood wall behind the bed met the top of the window. But this disappeared -- and the room made a little generic - when everything turned white.
I prefer the before. The after is too cottage cute for me and seems cheap and juvenile compared to the before. And the new white shutters also ruin the strong graphic quality of that wall of windows and doors.
They could have just painted the ceiling a light color, replaced the dull mauve-y carpeting with light wood floors and gotten new bedding and more lighting. That would've lightened things up without sacrificing all that aged wood.
The after isn't so bad (though I still prefer the before). The thing that really bothers me is how badly the carpeting stands out with the white walls...it looks very 90's.
I like the before better, too!
Before had character. After looks too Better Homes and Gardens; overdone and genericized.
I vote for the before.
Another before vote, like someone said just needed some touches. The light that comes in is so soothing but in the all white version that soothing light is gone.
Count me as another before lover. All the personality has been stripped from the room, and it is now too light to sleep. As a warm and bright climate dweller, I covet dim light esp. in the bedroom.
I clicked on this posting because I was attracted to the before photo. I was quite shocked that anyone would want to paint the room such a stark, manufactured white and replace the gorgeous windows with slats. The home went from something beautiful to looking like something you would find in a track home listing.
the before is kinda eerie for me... reminds me of slasher movies. but i have to agree, the after was overdone.
the before was definitely better. I actually thought that the before was the after when i first looked at the post.
Another before vote here- but I might be willing to change my mind if i saw more photos- were the closet door that glossy whit in the before? was the carpet the same? Maybe a better set of pics will reveal that it wasn't as tranquil as it looks...
mmm. I like the before bedroom picture the best. It looks more natural on several levels, but that's just my opinion.
It looks like a lot of work went into the renovation, so good for whomever got the room they wanted!
I prefer the before, as well. In fact, I clicked to read the article because I assumed the "after" would just be a refining of the "before." No such luck.
That is quite a transformation! It's amazing what paint and the right accessories can do!