Last year as we prepared for our move I had to make some tough decisions. There was sorting, packing, and a lot of decluttering. We were moving into a smaller place, and although this house is chock full of storage for such a small space, it was still much less than what I'd been accustomed to for the previous 19 years. I ordered the packing pod and made the commitment to take only what fit inside the pod - if it didn't fit, it had to go. I wasn't completely faithful to this promise; there were the items, such as clothes and toiletries, that we had to take to my daughter's house until moving day. There was also a TV cabinet that didn't fit in the pod that my son-in-law's parents graciously took to their house and brought back whenever we finally moved. But there was one room that didn't make it into the pod: the master bedroom. Once we had most of the furniture and boxes in, it became clear that neither the king size bedframe, mattress, box springs, or nightstands were going to fit. The pod was packed solid and there was no more room. Yet I wasn't bothered or concerned about it. We'd had this furniture for 17 years - yes, that includes the mattress - and it was time for a change. As my realtor put it, the bedroom furniture represented the past, the marriage that had ended. I actually looked forward to upgrading and making the master bedroom a place that looked and felt like me.
Of course, it meant shopping the way I like to shop: on a budget. As I sat in my daughter's dining room waiting for closing day, I scanned furniture sites like Wayfair, Overstock, Target, and of course my fall back, Amazon. I knew I wanted something classic, something that looked fresh without being too modern or trendy, that would stand the test of time. I looked at a lot of furniture, y'all. I'm happy to say I found what I wanted and I couldn't be happier.
I ordered my bed and mattress off of Amazon. I'd bought my son E a Zinus bed whenever his older brother moved to Central Florida and his dad sold the twin bed he'd had before. It's a good solid bed that's also pretty comfortable. Having experience with it before helped make the decision easy. The really nice part about this bed is that all the components come apart and fit inside the headboard. It made unpacking and putting together a breeze. I went with a queen size bed because, even though a king size would easily fit in this bedroom, I had no need for anything larger. That meant, of course, that I also had to buy all new bedding. I found the bedspread and sheets at Costco. I've purchased sheets from Costco before, and not only are they very affordable ($15.99 for the set that includes 4 pillow cases and one each flat and fitted sheets) they are so soft and comfortable! The same is true with this bedspread, which can also be used as a blanket and cost $19.99. I knew I could upgrade the bedding later on if I wanted to, but this is so pretty I'm in no rush. The throw pillows were ones I already had. The walls in the master bedroom are painted in the same sage green as the dining room, a color that is near and dear to my heart. It was easy for me to accessorize because many of my home decor pieces matched or complimented this color. And what about those wood floors?! They are laminate but a good quality, and they look gorgeous!
I ordered the nightstands even before ordering the bed. These are the Picket House Channing nightstands from Walmart, and I love them because they have that classic, traditional look that pairs well with other design styles. I ordered two even though technically I only need one, but symmetry in design is a must for my brain. My original plan was to just get the nightstands and put all my folded clothes in there just as I'd done with my old furniture, but I ran into a problem. These nightstands are much smaller than my old ones, and only have two drawers where my old ones had three. Because of that I went ahead and ordered the matching chest of drawers. I decided against getting a dresser with a mirror because I wanted to find a makeup vanity instead. All the decor seen here are items I had in my old house except for the lamp. I purchased the set at TJ Maxx - or rather, I got them from there for free, thanks to a gift card I'd received.
I looked for a makeup vanity from several different sites and stores, but all were small and expensive and not what I wanted. Ultimately what I found was a writing desk from Target that fit the bill (it's no longer available at Target but you can find it here):
I put it in a corner of the room where I could get some natural light from the window while covering what may not show very clearly in this picture: the internet router (it's behind my makeup on top of the desk). In this development, the association decided they didn't want the unsightly internet boxes in the front of the homes, so they put them in the back. This meant that, to get the best reception, the router would have to be in the room closest to the box (or at least that's what the internet provider explained to me). In my case, it means the master bedroom. This is pretty upsetting, because not only is the router there but so is that ugly cable and another box on the other side of the wall. My hope was that I'd be able to cover it with the vanity, but it didn't look right in the corner, and if I centered it the router would be on the floor in plain view. I needed another solution. This is what I came up with, and I love it.
Yep, curtains! Floor to ceiling curtains that cover everything on the floor but don't cover the window or the views. That was my main concern, and why I originally hesitated to add curtains. I didn't want to cover the windows and the lovely plantation shutters, nor did I want a long curtain rod over the window. Instead, I used two smaller curtain rods on either side, so that the curtains are just decorative. Of course, they're also functional, but they don't appear to be because the internet equipment is nicely hidden.
Here is what the bedroom looks like now whenever you first walk in:
The picture above the bed was in my living room at the old house, but it worked perfectly in here. I bought it years ago from Kirkland's. Other than the lamps, the only new thing here is the rug which I picked up from Ross for $44.99. I wanted something soft and cushy underneath the bed and this one looks and feels so lush!
This is the view from the far left corner. I was using a dining room chair at the vanity for awhile. I looked for a chair for the vanity that would match the headboard on my bed, but they were way too expensive and not the right size. I found this chair at TJ Maxx for $39.99 and it's so perfect it looks like it came with the desk. The chair in the corner is actually a piece from the living room sectional. I thought it looked so good here in the corner and made it not look like a big empty space. The shelf on the wall was in the entryway of our old house. The metal art piece is new; I found it at Hobby Lobby. The wall looked so blank that I knew it needed something. Even my son E said it looked really good there.
The mint green pillows and the throw are from Walmart, and the lumbar pillow was a Target clearance find. I don't like to spend a lot on throw pillows; they can be very pricey and, let's be honest, they go out of style quick. Yes, I can buy pillow covers, but I've been able to find throw pillows for cheaper than some pillow covers - this one was just $8.
Even though I had to completely furnish this bedroom, I'm happy to say I managed to stay under budget. Everything that I bought - including furnishings, bedding, and decor - came to just over $1400.00. Some folks spend that just on the mattress! But even though I furnished it on a budget, it's still a cozy, comfortable room that I can enjoy and relax in.
Just outside my bedroom is the laundry closet, and the other door leads to the next space in this home tour - the master bathroom. Stay tuned!
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