Before and After: Cool Blue Hues and Beloved Family Photos Transform a Drab Bedroom into a Sanctuary

Buying a fixer-upper home is quite an undertaking, but with the right amount of patience and dedication, the finished result can be totally worth it.

DIYer William Brown had always envisioned creating a serene master bedroom in his fixer-upper, 1950s Cape Cod-style home. After two years, he finally brought his vision to life by revamping one of the smaller bedrooms.

“Working on the entire house at once pulls you in so many directions that every room seems to be never-ending,” William says. But once he was able to focus on the new master bedroom, he chose a bedroom measuring 11 feet by 13 feet that was originally painted a drab yellow-gold. “The name of the paint is actually ‘loofah,’ and that is exactly what it made you think of!”

But with two windows and wood floors, the bedroom had good bones and just needed a little love (and color). “We put the most work into improving the trim and painting,” he says. He opted for a bold but calming shade of blue for the walls, setting the tone for a blue color palette in the rest of the decor.

Next were new window treatments. Flowing, light-blue curtains offered an airy contrast to the dark walls, making the room feel more open. Finally, William added a jute rug to the floor for some natural texture. The heart of this bedroom makeover, though, is in the meaningful finishing touches.

Inspired by his paternal grandmother’s cherished collection of milk glass and his own collection of old family photos, William carefully selected meaningful items to intentionally fill the rest of the space.

 “I wanted the room to be a sanctuary and a calm place to give me strength,” he says. “And what better way than for the room to be an homage to generations of strong women on both sides of my family.”

The final result is a serene and beautiful space in William’s home where he can rest and recharge. His advice to anyone toying with the idea of buying a fixer-upper? “Focus! It’ll take a lot of trial and error.”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.