013009alexwallbedroom01.jpgAT reader Alex is our DIY hero. He first impressed us with his Loft Room Divider and Wardrobe, an IKEA-based solution which provided privacy and storage in his downtown Los Angeles loft. Then he came back with an even better solution for hiding a fugly air conditioning unit into what many readers appointed a "10 out of 10". Looks like Alex is batting is batting a perfect 3 for 3, as he dropped us an update of his most recent loft project: the bedroom...

013009alexwallbedroom02.jpgAlex explains: While I love high design, I can't always afford it. Like the rest of my place, I try and achieve the look I want by looking at things that maybe are meant for one thing and tweaking them. As a photographer, I also like being creative and creating things on my own rather than buying off the shelf.

013009alexwallbedroom03.jpgFirst I painted the wall with chalkboard paint again. Even if I don't plan on using chalk on it, I love the color. Anyway, I then took one of my photos I took of a friend and converted it to a graphic image. Then projected it on the wall and painted it using a "blotting" motion with the brush to maintain the rough edges. The wall shelf is from ikea with lights from home depot inside. The pendant lamps are also from Ikea but are designed to be table lamps. Most of the cylinder pendant lamps I saw were just too expensive for me so I simply turned these $35.00 ikea ones over and hung them.

013009alexwallbedroom04.jpgI also found the bedside table in the as is section of ikea but put short legs on it instead of using the much higher ones that came with it. I think it retails for $80.00 but got it for $30.00 because it was being discontinued. I have twelve foot ceilings so curtains can be a hard thing to find. Had the sis make the 11.5ft curtain for me for christmas complete with a chain sewn into the bottom to keep them hanging right.

We don't know if there was any better way to conclude this month's focus on the bedroom than Alex's inspiring bedroom project. Sexy, creative and affordable...illustrating that chalkboard paint's matte finish can be utilized just for its texture and colour. She's a beauty, Alex.