A Room Makeover - Step-by-Step!

I love a good room makeover so had to share this step by step transformation from Better Homes & Gardens.

Here's the BEFORE, not awful, but pretty dull and boring (hate the wall color):

And here is the AFTER!   Funny, my brick orange dining room was unique for years and now 

that I've changed it I'm seeing that color pop up all over.  It is a beautiful warm color though...

Here's the step by step process used to transform this room from blah to beautiful:

After clearing all the furniture from the room (just like a redesign :)), they applied a modern damask patterned paper to one wall and painted the others the warm terra-cotta shown in the after photo.

Love the coral patterned fabric they put on the taupe patterned chairs.  Not sure if that's a DIY job I would attempt, but if you're so inclined there are a lot of bloggers out there with tutorials.

A nice big zebra print rug delivers some drama...

Strict contemporary isn't really my thing...I don't care at all for the artwork, but I do like the other pieces they chose for the room.

 

For example, I like this round table - on casters no less!  Tons of storage and ideal for a family or singles/couple.  

This console was placed under the window and offers plenty more storage to tuck toys away when guests visit.  I have those baskets in several rooms in my house - love them. 

The equally boring and uninspiring dining room got a makeover too.  The homeowners wanted to start entertaining and this space clearly isn't up to the job.

Here's the BEFORE:

And the AFTER:

The existing table and chairs (70s style garage sale finds) were sanded and given a fresh coat of white paint.  Paint is a beautiful thing isn't it?  If you hate it - paint it before you decide to throw it out and buy new.  You may fall in love with that ugly table, chair, console once it's been given a fresh new color.

The seat cushions were recovered with new fabric that ties in the terra-cotta used in the living room.  Recovering seat cushions is a super easy DIY job that the most inexperienced of us can handle.

 

Wallpaper is applied only to the bottom of the wall.  As you may know by now, I'm not a fan of wallpaper but the pattern here is fairly simple and with just the bottom half of the wall covered, it's not too crazy making.

A chair rail is installed.  This is also a fairly simple DIY project if you have a miter box, hand saw and staple gun (or adhesives).   

Texture is added with woven roman shades.  I would love to find something like this to put under the new silk drapes in my dining room.  I like the idea of layering the way I have in some of the other rooms in my house.

This is a pretty modern piece and not really my tasted, but provides great storage and, as with the seat cushions, the orange ties it in with the living room.

I'm a sucker for open shelving.  Love the idea of putting your useful pretties on display where you can enjoy them daily. 

As you ease into your weekend, think about what you can makeover.  It doesn't have to be this major to make a big difference.  Pretty much anything can be painted and there's probably something in your house you would love a lot more in a different color.

I have to caulk the bathtub (yuk doesn't adequately express my feelings about this project, but cussing isn't an option).  I also plan to paint the tiny landing off the garage and maybe (if I'm feeling particularly ambitious, the front door really needs a fresh coat of paint).

Happy Friday!