My room is done...finally. Can I just tell you the week I had. Whilst Studly was off galavanting {okay, he was really working, but I love the word galavanting and wanted to use it super bad in my post} in Orlando last week I was dealing with no hot water, no heat, a puking child, another child complaining of a sore throat and stomach ache and a tempermental cable satellite threatening to not tape my favorite shows...and that was just one day. To put it bluntly...I was on the brink of insanity. Thankfully, it was only an air-locked boiler causing the hot water and heating problem, so I didn't need to spend thousands on a new hot water heater. The kiddies spent most of the day resting, which frankly, is the only blessing that comes from illness. And, I was able to get the satellite fuctioning before any of my beloved shows aired. Phew!!! After a good nights rest my sanity cup was full again and I was able to get the last few things done for the room. I love the way it turned out. The {funk factor} is high, but that was the look I was going for. I think it has just the right amount of {quirk}. I didn't really have a vision for the room, I just sort of went with the flow. That pretty much translates into me ransacking the house and garage for crap to use. But first, let me remind you of the heinous-ness that was the {polka dot room}.
Ya, I know. It's hard not to scratch out your eyeballs. And here is the new and improved {His&Her Freakishly Funkadelic Completely Quirktastic Bedroom}
See, even the rugrat loves it. I ended up keeping the old crate for an end table. It was originally $10 from the thrift store and had been collecting dust in the garage.
The lamp was one I already had. I spray painted the base white and recovered the shade in $6 fabric from IKEA. I was also able to make two throw pillows out of the same yard of fabric.
I funkified it by adding some blue grosgrain ribbon, pom-pom fringe and a piece of old measuring tape.
I saw this faux sheep skin rug at IKEA for $25 and had to have it. It totally kicks the funk factor up a notch. Oh, I decided to keep Mr. Nutter's too. I looks quite at home atop those old, coverless books. The
{her} side: I used bedding that I already had on hand. The details are subtle, but the {her} sheets have a little ruffle on the edge of the pillow case and at the top of the flat sheet. The damask pattern on the duvet gives it a little more femininity too.
Rather than utilizing a traditional dresser, I opted for a couple of vintage suitcases {I found the set for $5 at my local thrift store...HOLLA} at the foot of the bed. The room is too small for a full sized dresser. And the closet is full of toys, so I couldn't shove one in there. It may not seem practical, but it works for now.
Above the bed on {her} side I mounted a funky little baby dress I made. Initially, I had planned on hanging {her} blessing dress, but it just didn't fit the vibe of the room. I still kept the picture on the left, which is my little one's blessing date. I am a sucker for silhouette's so I added a silhouette profile of a little girl.
There the rugrat is again. I love that she loves the room, but skidaddle already so I can get a decent picture. The
{his} side Instead of vintage suitcases, I used an old steamer trunk I picked up from the thrift store a few months ago for $25. I think it looks a little more masculine, and it also serves as a great seating area for a little person trying to get dressed. Dual purpose...loooooove it.
I love this collection of ties. My little guy's worn each and every one of them and they all have special meaning. The little one on the top right was {his} very first tie. He wore it to church when he was only a few weeks old. The rest of them are for various Easter and Christmas pictures. I have a little obsession with ties. Guess I need to go buy more, cause they are all hanging on the wall now.
This picture shows the board and batten style shutters I made. I was kinda over traditional curtains and wanted to try something different. I love these shutters. They are great for framing the window and adding color, but they almost stand on their own as artwork too. I know that I had mentioned making {his&her} headboards...and I did, actually, but they kinda competed with the shutters. So, I decided to save them for another project or future room redo. The shutters utilized the bulk of my budget. It cost about $50 for all of the lumber and supplies to make them.
The accessories were a blast to come up with. First is Bob the zebra head. This is my favorite thing in the room. It's quirky, and possibly creepy. But, the little one's love it. I was inspired to make one after seeing some animal busts on Anthropologie's website. They were way to expensive for my taste, however, so I made my own. It ended up costing me about $10. I will be posting a mini tutorial soon to stay tuned.
I made this light out of a pile of random, paper mache numbers and an old, metal plant hanger. I wanted it to resemble a mobile you might find in a nursery, but with a slightly more mature edge. It casts a really cool pattern on the ceiling when it's turned on.
Finally, the alphabet border. I wanted the letters to have a collected over time look so I made sure nothing was too matchy-matchy. I used letters in all sorts of fonts and sizes. I tried to break up the monotony by throwing in a picture frame or 8x10 canvas here and there. I really like how it turned out. The room was beginning to feel a little bottom heavy and this border helps to draw the eye upward.
I love the "t" made out of old dominoes.
A letter covered in old book pages, of course.
I used tinfoil to give this letter a metal look. I went over it with gray paint to make it look old and tarnished.
I know I had a goal of redecorating the room for under $100 and here's the breakdown: $50 on shutters, $25 for sheep skin rug, $6 yard of striped fabric, $0 bedding {I already had it}, $5 old suitcases, $0 crate {sitting in the garage}, $0 on numbers and plant basket {also sitting in the garage} $0 on letters {already had them}, $10 on supplies for the zebra head, $0 Mr. Nutter's {he's been hanging out for awhile} and finally, two new bed frames $60. That's a grand total of $156, BUT, that includes bedrames that I didn't factor into the equation. Otherwise, I only spent a total of $96. Either way, it was inexpensive.
What's the moral of this story
1) Never discount the value of another's junk...most of the accessories I used came from the thrift store. You can save yourself a chunk of change plus add a lot of character to a room if you repurpose/reuse things. Besides, {matchy-matchy} is so yesterday. It's all about a {collected over time look} today.
2) Don't be afraid to make things yourself...like a zebra head bust for example. If you love something but can't afford it, make a good knock off. 3) Get creative about the things you feature...think outside the box. I love looking at old blessing/christening outfits, but for something new and fresh try featuring a collection of old baby shoes, or hats or ties instead.
All righty peeps. Now it's your turn. Let your funky freshness fly.
Just remember...make your Wonderland your own. It really doesn't matter what others think. But having your efforts recognized every one in a while doesn't hurt either. 
