Often, as we’ve finished bits and pieces of this home, I look back on the pictures we took the very first time we set foot inside…

…and I wonder what the heck we were thinking.

But, though it took an abnormally large dash of vision and plenty of elbow grease, we’re pretty much loving how everything turned out. Recently, we (finally!) got several of our pictures and bits of artwork hung on our walls, and things are feeling very homey. One of my favorite spaces in the house is now our peaceful master bedroom! What it lacks in size, I hope it makes up for in charm ;)

Now: It’s a bright, eclectic, secret garden-grandma’s attic-farmhouse-chic space (yes, I just made that a thing) that makes me just want to ZZzzzz…. But, that was not always the case. Enter, the before:

As with most rooms in the house, this one was painted pink. And the carpet was pink. And the light fixture was pink. And though though you couldn’t keep those airy windows down, the space needed a bit of sprucing up…

…juuuust a bit.

So, carpet was pulled up, a million tacks were yanked out, walls were painted Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray, and after we found this inexpensive solution to the roughly-worn hardwood flooring, and added a few personalized touches, a real, live master bedroom was born!

Shelving was found at (one of my favorite places on earth) Homegoods… or three different, Homegoods, actually. I was determined. And even then, I still had to paint the metalwork so they all matched. But, it was worth it, right?!

Our bedding, curtains and curtain rods, like our rug, are from Ikea (you’ll see this blessed, inexpensive, trendy, retailer pop up a LOT in future posts!).

Our dresser was salvaged from a curbside when I was in college, and my mama refinished it. I just added a touch of earthy-gold & glass with knobs from Hobby Lobby – these pay homage to our front door’s antique doorknob – a detail I immediately fell in love with.  

Our bed, my round mirror, favorite perfume, a “treasure box” and jewelry tray (featuring one of the first x-rays ever produced – demonstrated to the public at the turn of the century, this image is of a woman’s foot in a victorian high-laced boot… so quirky. I adore it) are all items we’ve had and loved for years.

|Quick Curtain tip – hang higher and wider than you think you should, and usually it’s just right – it maximizes the light and size of your window, and ads drama! Check out the difference in the photo below, and the snowy New England view at the end of the post! |

A few photos from our wedding and our whirlwind trip to europe, along with a couple of antique books from my personal collection, round out the space…

Finally, I must note that while it has long been the stuff of my daydreams, one distinct drawback of living in an historic home is that the (most likely, as based on my extensive Little House on the Prairie/American Girl research ) three dresses and two pairs of shoes that the original owner possessed fit much more neatly into these tiny closets than my wardrobe…

But, with a some creativity, along with kicking your husband’s clothes out into the office closet and taking over one of your son’s two random closets, it all works out. And that giant mirror is awesome for selfies. 

So, small changes can go a long way. Unlike our kitchen space, walls didn’t come down and there were ZERO professionals involved (like, we’ll see how long those shelves stay in place, but we tried our best), but the before/after speaks volumes! So, get out there and tackle a project of your own – tell me how it goes!