Mixing Things Up!

I have survived the energy sucking, motivation killing, head cold that has been plaguing our household.  Actually, I was feeling much more energetic last Thursday and spent the better part of the day cleaning and organizing my house.  Then Friday morning dawned and I awoke with the intent to get back to work--I had plans, and lists, mind you.  But then, while making beds after the kids caught the bus, epiphany struck.

I suddenly wondered why the heck Signe's room was THE smallest room in the house--with her two twin beds and more clothing than any seven year old will probably wear before outgrowing them (not to mention her sister refuses to sleep in her own room, and so sleeps in the extra bed and contributes to the massive mess . . . in the room at the top of the stairs, visible from the entry way).

So my plans and lists went out the window while I proceeded to shift rooms counter clockwise: Signe's room became Hannah's room (after all, her bed is a full, her furniture and bedding is lovely, and she never spends any time in there--it's really a glorified dressing room),

Before

After - Much work is still needed

Hannah's room became the guest room (or at least it WILL be the guest room--right now it is my temporary work room. I need a craft room. My sewing stuff keeps roaming around the house! I decided to paint the bed before I set it back up.),

Before

After - Clearly not an improvement!

and the guest room became Signe's room (and essentially Hannah's room too).

Before

After

 The guest room (now Signe's room) was the largest of the three rooms and rarely got used.  And it only took me three and a half years to come to this conclusion.

So now I have some painting to do and some lighting to address, not to mention curtains and wall decor.  But it all got me thinking about painting pretty much all the furniture in these rooms and making/buying new bedding.

I have a thing for white linens (bet you're surprised!) All my towels and sheets and a lot of our other bedding are white--except Signe's room.  But she wants to redo her room with lots of white and accents in bolder colors.  So I have been toying with ideas.

The girls produced this lovely artwork, which I decided to put in the frames which previously displayed pictures of green things--moss, ferns, ivy--when it was the guest room:

Signe has requested I use bold colors from the pictures here and there in the room.  So I have been trying out bedding ideas.  I made a couple pillows inspired by some I saw at Pottery Barn (though here they are on Hannah's bed). . .

But I wonder if I need to incorporate color with a ribbon or something--maybe make the ties on the end colored.

 Or maybe I don't need color here, but rather in the other bedding, like the inspiration picture:

I think I will paint the headboards, the dresser and night stand, and the desk I bought at Goodwill (which is not yet in the room).

Oh, and bring her chandelier in from her previous room--I bought a new one for Hannah's new room.

Whew! That was--and will be--a LOT of work.  Stay tuned for more progress!