apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

What a transformation - from "Grandma" to "Gracious"!

All it needs now is a luggage rack or a bench at the foot of the bed for the weekend bags...

Wowza! That is gorgeous. I especially love the headboard and lamps. I'll bet this is a fought-over bedroom now in the vacation home!

WOW!

What a change

Doesn't look dark to me in either picture, but the new headboard is sweet and it looks much more inviting in the after photo.

Well done!

Great job, Elizabeth! Love the new room!

I love it! What a huge change for the better. Really like the lamps and headboard.

Hmmm, I would have gotten rid of those blinds, but that's just nit-picking, it really looks fantastic! And I like that everything is now much more symmetrical. :)

Nice work. The pops of lemon yellow are great.

Fabulous makeover. And the headboard is my favorite part too. Well done!

Just saw sparkle's comment about the blinds (which I didn't really notice before). Yes, I think that could have been updated (maybe some Roman shades?), but totally minor point.

And I love that the room is pink and yellow without being overly feminine or preppy.

Haven't we seen this before?

I love this, but I'm wondering why you went for the dark rug? It doesn't look bad, it just struck me as an unusual choice when everything else is light and bright. The dirt factor?

wonderful change

where are those darling lamps from??

What a difference - so much better!!

INSPIRATIONAL!

Bee & Venus' (me) bedroom is getting overhauled this weekend now... show no mercy! LOL. :)

beautifully done! you should be proud!

wow! thats awesome!! love it.

Lovely room and enormous improvement, but one tiny complaint-that window molding is chintzy and the windows break up the flow of the room, so why not just paint them out maybe in a shinier version or a slightly lighter or darker version of the wall colour?

wow! you did a great job!

I like those side tables, where did you find them?

I L-O-V-E that you left the wood trim. Everyone paints them now a days and it looks all the same. It looks cozy and wonderful and like a space that can actually be lived in, instead of one that you would be too worried to be messed up.

Beautiful!

The after is very nice, but the before wasn't terrible. I guess I have a soft spot for all things grandma.

Beautiful

It looks much bigger after your improvements. Nice job!

I had to keep flipping back and forth to see that it was the same room! I like the nice pathways to either side of the bed now. Also the simpler common frames was a big help.
Great job!

what happened to the bird/tree tapestry though? I love it!

The after is certainly prettier, but the before seemed to have a nostalgic, homey charm about it that I appreciate. I hope you didn't throw out the tree rug thing behind the bed.

Great job. I agree that a nice bench or trunk at the foot of the bed might be a nice addition.

what happened to everything that was in the dresser?

LMG, I was wondering the same thing. There appears to be ZERO storage in that room now.

This does look better, but, as Jezebella noted, there is no storage in the room now. The dresser leaving the room seems to mean that you don't need your clothes anymore or have copious amounts of storage elsewhere.

It look super, but is pretty impractical for most people to attempt to emulate.

I'm assuming that some storage is on the back wall behind the camera. I really love your headboard, I just wish I had gone to Alameda and seen it before you though ;)

It looks great! I disagree with Bo Placebo though, I like that you kept the window frams and doors their natural wood tone, especially since it's a vacation home.
I too wonder about the missing dresser though. Is it on the fourth wall where we can't see it, or is it no longer in the room at all? If it's gone, then a luggage rack will do. Something like CB2's double Axel Bench, but in a lighter color.
And I really like the yellow screen over the bed! :)

STUNNING! It looks so much bigger and lighter now! My favorite part is the headboard. Bravo!

Great job! the room looks twice as big and three times as nice.

Looks like there is a closet, so you probably don't need any other storage for a vacation home...

What is that wall color? It's fantastic :)

Much better!!!

What a transformation! The side tables and lamps add some nice drama.

It looks wonderful and cheery now. I hope you kept that tree wall hanging for some other use, though. I also was wondering about the dark rug.

Fantastic job of visually opening the space and calming the atmosphere!

~Lorrie @ MyDesignSecrets.com

hello every one. actualy i did'nt really like the chage, there were not a big change anyway. me i would change the door and put a nice closet, change the entire bed not only the covers. and great site bytheway

Ugh! Beautiful!!

The after looks like a hotel. The before looks like a real house.

Where did that rug come from? I like it.

Very interestng that you switched out the tree of life for a tree theme headboard. Must be something that draws you to trees?

Great job with the makeover.

This was one of the first before and after columns where I actually said "wow" to myself out loud without even thinking. Brilliant, beautiful. The colors are my favorite part. I also wonder where you put everything that was in the dresser, but I hope regardless that you feel satisfied with this one!

I love to see this kind of transformation... lots of small thoughtful inexpensive changes adding up to a vast improvement. I think most readers here enjoy it too.

I have a question: were you able to change the ceiling light seen in the before? That ceiling light is one of the worst features in the 'before' room. You can't see it in the after pix. Was keeping that light one of of your limitations?

I wish the dark rooms in my house had three windows.

Also, why couldn't you paint the trim? Is it a time share?

Nice color changes and headboard, but I have an issue with the scale of some things and I feel like the space has gotten too cold and impersonal. I'm not nuts about the row of small high hanging art on the left wall at the same height as the windows- it forms a visual "stripe" around the room that feels oppressive to me. That wall could have either held one much larger piece of colorful art or a large grouping of smaller family photos, etc. I'm also not nuts about the tall lamps visually blocking the windows, I think smaller lamps would fit the scale of the room better and made the space look bigger. Also I don't think that's the right place for the too dark floor rug, it pulls attention to the 'walk through' area of the room, in an odd way..I'd have put smaller rugs on either side of the bed so it felt cosier. Maybe if there were a small storage chest or chest or drawers at the end of the bed the rug would work better. Speaking of storage, how about a nice long low MCM chest of drawers/ credenza against the left wall? If it were wood it would pick up the colors of the window trim and warm the space up. Sorry to be negative I guess aside from the yellow I'm really not a fan.

I like the "after", but it still seems to be missing something. Maybe a starched, white bedskirt with a kick-pleat, a tucked in coordinating quilt and a comforter or a contrasting throw folded at the end of the bed would really add to the tailored look.

nice and decluttered, but wheres the furniture gone to?