Love it! It's so peaceful.

I love the color. What is it? The picture is a nice touch too.

picture rail*

Looking good! I love it!

The title of the blog this is posted from is waaaay better than the actual makeover! JK, the makeover is great, too :)

Like the after much better, though I wish he would have kept the art from the before in lieu of the shelf. Also, it looks like getting rid of that carpet-looking rug from before really helped a lot too!

I prefer it before. To me, the "After" pic looks like something out of a West Elm catalogue. To each his/her own.

Don't get me wrong...the room looks good and I think it's far better than the before. Maybe it's just not my taste? I don't know...but for me, the vintage feeling iron bed, the side tables, the lamp and the vintage fan seem so out of place with the new modern elements--the graphic bedding, the white shelves and storage boxes, and the industrial filing cabinet. I feel like the room can't make up it's mind about what it wants to be...

and @dirce, I don't think the carpet-rug is gone, rather it's the same small rug next to the bed that looks like carpet from the perspective of the first picture. Which is a nod to the fact that from a better angle and with better light the after picture is already a load better than the before.

Before... really? Those bed linens are ugh and then some!!! I mean, I believe I might even see some "head stains" on the pillows.

Much better! The bedding before was a little on the "worn" side...

I love it. I'd also love to know the paint color - I'm digging gray right now.

Looks nice and bright. It doesn't have to make up its mind as to whether or not it wants to be vintage or modern. It can be whatever AJ decides it is -- a bit of both. He has to live with it, he was just sharing it with us. I think sometimes people go overboard with the comments.

Thanks for all the great comments!

@dirce79 I did keep the silk screens above the bed, they were just relocated to the reading nook.

http://handjobsforthehome.com/2011/02/23/creating-the-perfect-reading-nook/

People are insane. The after looks way better. I really like the fan.

I must say, the use of screen-printing screens as art is uber cool!

Maybe I've lived in California for too long but anything above the bed that's more than a picture or a headboard just makes me nervous. One earthquake and bam concussion. Other than that it looks lovely.

To the CA comment - YES! Looking at this picture made me nervous because I imagine getting bonked on the head during an earthquake. It looks great though, maybe just wear a helmet to bed??

I like the change!

The new bedding in the "after" picture has also changed the green walls (as they are in the "before" photo) to grey walls?

While I think the things over the bed look nice, I would never have them. I don't want things landing on my head in an earthquake.

I like it! When you get tired of the picture rail above the bed you can replace it with a large piece of art.... that might help make it look less IKEA-catalogue-y.

the after's nice. the before is nicer though. just my view.

Glad I'm not the only one worried about the shelf above the bed - and I don't live in an earthquake prone area!

I LOVE the juxtaposition of the fan/bed/side tables with the crispness of the modern elements. Not feeling the IKEA thing either, in fact, I think the "after" shows just the opposite: a well curated space that is also very personal to the user. I very much like!!!

Adore the before!! But I guess I prefer the vintage whimsy (the great striped lamp!, the ticking stripe sheets, the sweet art) to the overly crisp and mod. I dunno: you do pull off the second look very well, it just seems a bit less original/more obviously designey to me.

The before looked messy and drab... the after... Bright, clean, crisp! LOVEit!! Love the mix of modern, whimsy of vintage stuff... the perfect eclectic mix! I'm inspired... What color/brand paint is that?! I am totally going to copycat!

Gotta admit the "before" looks better than my current bedroom. But the "after" is fantastic! Love it all and the orange is killer!

Nice after, but I'm not really sure what to make of the name of his blog.

AJ, if you ever find yourself near Virginia, look me up -- I want you to redo my bedroom!

I have the same bed - thanks for sharing this, now I know what I've been doing wrong in my room. I went neutral, but this bed needs oranges and reds.

Not to sound like a party pooper, but I'm tired of seeing BEFORE photos taken in harsh bad lighting at night with poor white balance and then the AFTER shot is fresh sunlight from the window shot with proper white balance and camera angles.

How about not over exaggerating makeovers?

And I agree shelves over your head while you are sleeping is way creepy.

After is lovely and flows better also due to the color being more uniform. The new bedside lamp works better too since it's smaller. It's a better scale & allows the bed to stand out more. Did you paint the walls also? If so, I think that should also be clarified as part of the makeover. Even still, not much done but much transformed!

Would you mind sharing the source of your duvet cover? I love it!

AJ blogged about his recent bedroom update at Handjobs (For the Home).

Wow. Way to be classy, AJ.

However the makeover itself is excellent. It's gone from looking like a hobo hospice to smart and chic.

Lovely! I have the same fan, it rocks!

Great upgrade!

Sorry, but for me it looks like a picture in a IKEA brochure.

Can't get past the hand job title.....fab hand jobs???

Hey, It's finally a real 'Before & After'!

I like the after better except for its colors, but that's just my personal preference. If the colors in your home please you, then they're right. Color choices are an individual, subjective, emotional expression.

i agree, i think that the after pictures looks generic and right out of a catalog...i miss the original artwork, although a bit shabby, had character. i love the bed frame, fan, and side table!

The "after" looks so generic and cliched. The "before" had character. But change the duvet and you should be fine.

Source for bedding, please.

I prefer the before. There's something about the linen with the bedframe that reminded of old Ralph Lauren. I agree that the new bedding makes it look very West Elm/Pottery Barn/etc

I loved the bedding and tracked it down- made by Divatex Home Fashions- it's discontinued, but you can buy it from Amazon and Wal-mart in Black and Spice.

http://www.amazon.com/Divatex-Cotton-Diamond-250-Thread-Count/dp/B002V92X3K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1300218803&sr=8-1

Wal-Mart.com also bought the rest of the inventory, and here is the set for $34...what a steal!! For those looking for the Spice set in Queen.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Divatex-Diamond-250-Thread-Count-Duvet-Mini-Set-Black/10996399

The reviews on Amazon said it was surprisingly soft.

I agree that it's a little mainstream, but it's a great way to add color to the bedroom. Great makeover!

what happened to the original art?? LOVED those. feel free to send them to me!

@ Jaguar1211-they have actually been relocated to another section of the bedroom and now adorn the reading nook.

@thenoshlife-the bedding is surprisingly comfortable after just one wash in the laundry. I felt it was a great update, on a tight budget.

I'd also like to ask what kind/color of paint AJ used? I think he picked the EXACT color I've been looking for to paint my living room.

I'm with the others that prefer the before. You went from sweet vintage 30's-40's to cookie-cutter generic gray ikea. I was so looking forward to a variation on the vintage stuff (maybe with a new paint color and some brighter bedding) and instead, I just got really bored. :(

I like the color changes but I agree with a few other comments. The furniture and accessories just don't blend well in my opinion. There doesn't seem to be any continuity or harmony.

You people are way spooky about these shelves! Get over it and learn to attach things as firmly to your shelves as you do to your walls. Then your head will rest easy on your pillow at night whether your favorite vase is over your bed or in your hall.

AJ, you are gifted at putting a lovely room together and I don't find much fault with either. So you will get mostly comments on which style an individual prefers. I love to look at clean lines but prefer to live with coziness. I really wish I knew what was in the area where the desk and shelves are now. Why did you crop that area from the "before" pic. It really isn't "before"and "after" unless you get the full picture.

So many of these people must be rank amateurs to critique the mixture of styles in the "after" room. Mixing styles is a 101 level design technique and without it the world would be homogenous and borrrrrrring! Your vintage pieces work quite perfectly with the clean, modern elements in the make-over version of your room. I love the graphic orange punch of the comforter against the variety of neutral hues. The orange bound books are perfect as is the bit of blue. I think you need a third small hit of orange over on shelves and a tiny snatch of blue above the bed. Of course I'm just looking at this vignette and not seeing the rest of the room which I imagine is just as well decorated. So forget me and ENJOY IT!

All the best to you!

Great "after". I did like the before photo except for the pictures above the bed.