I've been teasing you with the reveal for a few days and now it's here. First of all, I'm going to share my entry post for this week and then I'll take you on a tour and tell you how I did it.
"I can't really say how this project came about. Last week, I had no clue what I was going to do. I walked through the aisles of Lowes, talked to people in every department and asked questions like, "Do you think I can pull this fence apart and use the pieces for something else?", "Do you sell this piece by itself?" and, my favorite, "I know this sounds really crazy, but could I use that like this?" My mother-in-law and I hummed over roofing supplies, turned plungers upside-down to see their potential, and zigzagged from one side of the store to the other in search of the perfect materials for the perfect project.
I've had a thought in my head about creating an exposed board wall for a while and my guest room needed a makeover, so this is the idea I kept coming back to. I live in an older home, but my walls are plaster board and I don't have boards to expose, so the only way to get that look was to create it. This challenge was the perfect opportunity to make my idea a reality.
I looked at materials all over Lowes and the best and cheapest solution was hardboard. I purchased three 4x8 sheets, but only used two. At $11.00/sheet, this project was $22.00 for the hardboard, $5.00 for a gallon of Oops "Crisp Linen" paint from Sherwin Williams, and $19.00 for a gallon of tinted primer.
My husband cut the hardboard in 4" wide strips using his table saw and I attached them to the wall using the beastly DeWalt finishing nailer. (I'm pretty proud of myself for that.) I also used a chop saw and jig saw to cut pieces to the proper length and around the angled ceiling. This project then snowballed into painting and redecorating the entire room.
I am absolutely in love with the finished product and how it totally transformed the room. This dark and awkward space is now bright and filled with character. It's now my favorite room in the house."
If there was enough closet space in this room, it would become our master. There's still a little bit more to do, but I love the look and feel of this room. I really hit my style on the head with this one. Sort of American Farmhouse meets Europe meets Junk.
Here's a breakdown of the room...
The bed is an antique pineapple bed that belonged to my great grandmother. I hand painted the "Gasthaus" sign on a piece of wood pulled off an old crate. Gasthaus means guest house in German and since I grew up in Germany it's very appropriate for me and my family. The lamps were about $15/each from Ikea and the side table was a $5 yard sale find.
My dear friend, Shari, purchased this antique coverlet for me from our favorite antique haunt (Fox Den in Warrenton, Virginia.) I pined after it for years, but, at $110, it was too expensive. She was able to negotiate the price down to $50 and bought it as a going away/baby shower present for me.
Do the trim around the ceiling? This was my solution for a room with rounded ceilings. It gave a natural place to stop the paint.
I slipcovered the $8.00 thrift store chair in a white cotton twill. The monogrammed linen pillow was about $11 from Ikea and the throw was a wedding gift from Russia.
My parents purchased this Indonesian dowry chest for me as a high school graduation present.
I purchased the vintage wire locker basket from Lucketts Fair for $5.
I made the curtains and bed pillow out of eight yards of remnant fabric I found at a small fabric shop in Carlisle, PA. I don't remember how much it cost, but it was something crazy like $15 for all of it. The curtain rod and rings are from the BHG collection at Wal-Mart. (Don't mind the window A/C unit. This is one down side to living in an old home.)
The baby dress belonged to my husband's aunt and the printing press drawer was purchased by my grandmother years ago.
The mirrored sconces were $3.00 for the pair at a yard sale and the US Army ironstone medical pitcher was $8.00 at an antique shop. I purchased the boxwood bunch at Hobby Lobby for $4.00.
The chalkboard was $3.00 (I think) from a thrift store.
I hung it on the wall with some hemp twine.
The Scrabble letters came out of my grandparent's attic.
The dresser was a $30 Craig's List find that only needed a rub with some dark walnut stain. The mirror was a $6.00 auction win that I painted a creamy white and the fan was $15 on E-bay. I'm still working on this side of the room, but it works for now. If you noticed, I'm still moving things around...
These antique dresses are hung on an antique crib rail that I purchased at Lucketts Fair for $50 (for the entire crib.) The cream dress is from my husband's family and the white one was found in my friend's barn.
In the corner by the door I hung an antique grocery scale above an antique folding wire laundry basket. This area still doesn't look right, but I'll share it when it's done.
What's so cool about this room is that aside from the hardboard to create the wall treatment and the curtain rod, I owned everything already. Most of it I have owned and loved for several years and just never found the right place for it. Even the paint color was purchased months ago, not knowing what I would use it for. I love it when that happens!
I was going to include some directions on the board treatment, but I'll save that for another post.
Make sure you visit So You Think You Can Decorate to vote for your favorite.
