2014-12-10

As promised last week, I will be sharing my thought process behind the design of our guest bedroom and will also include the complete source list today!

Before we move along, I want to thank Kimberly and the wonderful people at Arhaus again for providing me this gorgeous bed. Without their generosity, this sad little bedroom wouldn't be getting a makeover. I also want to thank Donna from Fabricadabra for providing me the fabulous ikat pillow covers. If you like to catch up on previous installments, please click here.

When we moved into this home, the room was painted a pale yellow. There was nothing offensive about the color but after a few holes were patched, the room was in desperate need of a new paint job. A few years ago, we need to get this room ready for guests so I painted the room first. The color I picked was a light neutral gray, a color I figured would work well with whatever design I come up with down the road.

To be honest, I was not planning to make over the room within a few months. Instead, I was planning to transform it a little by little due to budget constraint but when a great opportunity presents itself (thanks Arhaus!), my plan changed and I decided to go for it!

Before the start of the makeover, I already bought a pair of inexpensive green night stands from Target last year. After a bed was selected from Arhaus, I went into full design mood. The beautiful green nightstands and the gorgeous bed was the starting point of the whole makeover.

This was the plan I came up with in the beginning!



Interestingly enough, I managed to stick to my overall design plan but in the end I decided to add a few more pieces to create a more layered look. My goal is to create a fresh and inviting room with a whimsical, playful touch. I also want the room to feel sophisticated, chic and luxurious. This room was done on a small budget with a few splurges.

(Warning: photo overload)



With the bed and nightstands already picked out, I went online to look for table lamps for the room. There were many wonderful options online but most were out of my budget and some didn't have the scale that I wanted so when I stumbled upon the gorgeous, luxurious looking and inexpensive lamps at Target, I decided to get them.

However, my local Targets didn't have the large lamps anymore so I had to order them online. I really wanted the large versions so the lamps wouldn't look out of place next to the tall bed. I also like that the shape of the lamps mimicked the curves of the bed.

Next, I went online to look for window treatment for the room. Since the space is so small, the only place to put the bed is the wall with the windows. Using regular panel curtains would be impractical in this situation so getting a pair of roman shades is a natural choice. I have always wanted a roman shade with a ribbon trim and a bedding with a thick band so I selected a similar color for both to create cohesion and continuity!



For the pillows, I picked the yellow ikat covers for a fresh look. Since the bed is placed against the window, I can't hang any artwork above the bed. I really wanted something whimsical so I selected a leopard lumbar pillow (a pillow I have been wanting for a while) as the final pillow mix!

Would you believe I have had those flowers for a few years already? They were silk flowers. I cut the long stems and trim the leaves to create the arrangement I wanted. My initial idea was to get real flowers for the room but I didn't see any flowers that I really like so faux flowers it is!

I have always wanted a cloche but they are usually quite expensive. I found mine on clearance at Target so I snapped one right away! When I bought it, I wasn't sure where I would be using it but it looked great in the room so it stayed.

I have been a collector of beautiful boxes in recent years so when I found this adorable golden poodle box for less than $5 at HomeGoods, I purchased it right away. I think the poodle box looks great inside the cloche, it was fun and absolutely unexpected!

The faux fur throw was a last minute addition because I really wanted the room to feel more cozy and layered. I went to a few brick and mortar shops and online to look but ultimately, this one won me over because it's absolutely gorgeous and had the luxurious look I was looking for!

I like that it referenced the color and design of the leopard pillow right from the start. This throw was a splurge and I wouldn't have mind one bit if it didn't shred so much. I was quite bummed because I can't return it since I got it from a flash sale site. I love the look of this throw so much but I will have to put it back in its original bag after the photo shoot. :(

I always knew I wanted to make a design statement on the niche wall so I painted it a dark navy blue to carry the blue accent color in the room. To make the wall niche really pop, I wanted to incorporate something three dimensional and chic so getting a gold taxidermy was an easy choice.

To enhance the niche further, I knew I wanted a pair of lighting on either side of the niche. Wall sconces were the first thing that came to my mind but after considering the cost of hiring an electrician and the cost that went into rewiring and etc, I threw the idea out of the window. The next best option is to get a pair of candle holders.

To find my perfect candle holders, I went online again. I had a few picks before getting my most favorite candle holders, a vintage pair from Etsy. I couldn't be more thrilled. They had some imperfections (color wise) but I was fine with it. I think they really enhanced the niche wall area with its bold, fancy door knocker look!

I knew I wanted to get hot pink candles so that would tie in with the pink leopard lumbar pillow. It was really hard to find individual candles online because most sites sold them by the dozen. I finally found these pretty pink candles on an Australian website.

I have always like anything quartrefoils so when I saw them on West Elm, I knew I had to incorporate them in my guest room somehow. They were so popular and were out of stock when I ordered it so I had to wait for them to restock.

There's one of the reason why the makeover took so long to complete. Besides using the mirror as decorative accents in the room, I wanted them to hide one of our high electrical outlets. No more eyesore anymore!

I really love this artwork I picked for a review so I incorporated it in the room!

After the room was completed, I felt the entrance area looked a little bland so I picked up a paint brush and painted the door using leftover paint from the niche wall. I really like how the dark blue door contrasted against the light gray walls!

I wanted to spray paint our silver knobs in gold but hubby mentioned that it might ruined the mechanics of the knob. Since we bought an older home, we inherited quite a few gold door knobs so with the help from hubby, the silver hardware was promptly replaced with the gold.

This is another artwork I picked for the same review. I love it for its vibrancy and the colors worked really well in the room, so it stayed.

I have searched high and low for beautiful brass/ gold coat hooks for the room. In the end, I selected this pair for its stylish and playful look!

Some people have asked me if these two fashion artwork were from my living room and the answer is yes! When I put them above my living room fireplace mantel, they were intended as stand-ins. Now, they were replaced by a beautiful white deer head. Do you see my fascination with faux taxidermy here? I really like them for their beauty and sculptural quality!

This waste paper basket was an unexpected purchase. It was on sale and the color worked so I went for it!

I have had the topiary for a few years and while playing with the styling one day, I decided it had the height and look I wanted for the room so it stayed!

This clock was another unexpected purchase. I stumbled upon it online while I was looking for something else. It was colorful, whimsical and inexpensive so I decided to get it. Some people reviewed that the clock was a little wonky so I went to the a brick and mortar store to get it!

Our guest bedroom in all its glory!

I never intended to purchase a rug earlier because of budget restraint but ultimately got one when I spotted this huge rug on a sale. I like that it added another layer of visual interest in the room!

Everyone loves a good before and after so let's take a look at the before and after pictures, shall we?

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I hope I didn't bored you with my long-winded thoughts about this space. Now, let's get to the best part, the complete source list for every purchase you see in this room!

The sources:

Wall paint: Gentle Rain from Behr

Niche and door paint: Planetarium from Behr

Roman shades: $495 (on sale) from PBTeen

Bed: Sponsored from Arhaus

Down sham pillows, shams and duvet cover: $249 (with discount) from Crane & Canopy

Ikat pillow covers: Sponsored from Fabricadabra

Pink lumbar pillow: $165 from Zhush

Organic sheet set: $99 (on sale) from PB Teen

Table lamp bases: $39.99 each from Target

Lamp shades:$25 each (discontinued) from Target

Nightstands: $79.99 each (color discontinued) from Target

Cloche: $12.99 (discontinued) on clearance from Target

Poodle box: $3/$4 from HomeGoods

Vase: $4.99 from Ikea

Silk flowers: $5 each (discontinued) from Pier 1

Boxwood topiary: $13.90 at Meijer

Clock: $24 from Anthropologie

Deer head taxidermy: $60 (with applied new card discount) from Z Gallerie

Candle holders: $22.50 each from Antiqued Angel

Candles: $1. 21 each from Party Swizzle

Throw: $194 (with a discount) from Gilt

Rug: $178.80 (on sale) from RugsUSA

Quartrefoil mirrors: Free (early Christmas presents from hubby) from West Elm

Waste paper basket: $41 (discontinued) from Wisteria

Artwork (fashion ladies): $29.90 each from HomeGoods

Artwork (Awakening): Free (in exchange for a review) from RedBubble

Artwork (Aspects of Whitby): Free (in exchange for a review) from

King wall hook: $20 (on sale) from Fab

Queen wall hook $20 (on sale) from <a href="http://fab.com/product/queen-royal-coa

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