Girly Bedroom Makeover

The Bedroom makeover is complete. The previously mismatched furniture and inherited wallcolour are gone. Do you need to be reminded about what it all looked like before???

(Styling by Miss Fab herself, I must point out)...

I began by painting the main wall with two coats of magnetic paint. This can be tricky and sometimes doesn't work apparently, but our wall is super magnetic! The trick is to leave lots of time between coats. Like days. I actually left the first coat untouched for about 12 days - the wall looked disgusting, but I was away on holiday, so I didn't mind. When we left, the wall wasn't magnetic. When we returned - it was! I think they call it "curing". So. Two coats of unpretty magnetic paint.
 

Then painting all the mismatched furniture white (using leftover white acrylic enamel)... the bookshelf, the little antique chair I bought for $20, the legs of the nasty 80's coffee table, the old dress mirror and the pretty plaster-of-paris angel mirror.
 

 
And then... the mural.
 

I found a can of green paint in the garage. Who knows what I bought it for, or why... or when?? But I put it to good use. I also bought half a litre each of palest blue and paler green,. My vision was blue sky, fluffy white clouds and rolling green hills. Not much detail... just add magnets! Flowers, butterflies...

Miss Fab wanted to help, so I let her fill in some green... and then bribed her to play with Scrag so I could get on with the job!

I also painted the opposite wall green, and positioned the newly-white bookshelf against it, with the (pink) pin board above to display her artwork and certificates.

The bean bag and cushions nestle next to the shelf, handy for reading.

A new lampbase (in metal, so it's Miss Fab-proof, since she cracked the last one) and gorgeous new duvet cover are birthday presents, the icing on the cake. I re-hung the mosquito net Nan gave her and returned her heart mobile (a gift when she was born) to it's previous home at the window (don't you just love those leadlights??)

If you look closely you will see that the pink wall is actually slightly... lilac. Er yes. Well I wanted to touch up some marks on the wall, so I went out to the garage and grabbed the can of paint I thought was the colour the previous owners had painted this room. It was gluggy and thick, not a lot there, but heigh-ho, it's just a touch-up right?

Oh dear. Now that it's on there, I can see that this is the pale lilac paint from the other girl's room. Not pink. I now have to paint the whole wall. What a nightmare. The lesson??? Never trust old cans of paint! The colour can be deceiving. But it looks lovely anyway and it's nice and clean and fresh. No more scuff marks. And there was just enough.

The dollhouse is at home on the freshly painted (previously hideous) old coffee-table and the mini bentwood chair is the perfect height alongside it. (Confession: I bought it online as a chair for her new desk... only to find out it was mini when I picked it up. But I loved it anyway, so it gets to stay).

 

The wardrobe doors hide organised colourful clutter: dress-ups and hanging shoe rack, clothes and accessories in colourful boxes and canvas drawers... I strung up a wire and attached some gorgeous pegs my friend Sammy gave me - perfect for scarves, beads and tutus (and way too good for hanging washing).

Front and centre sits the lovely (bargain) mahogany desk. I've told her if she looks after it this gorgeous piece will see her all the way through school and beyond. She said, "Yes, and I can show it to my children!"

Hidden in the ample drawers are her art supplies and endless bits of paper that used to clutter up the place. I found some silver knobs hiding in the garage and replaced the old back ones. That ties it on to the folding chair I got (since that cute antique one I bought is mini, remember?) Another bargain - $13, brand new!

I love it all. All day today I had to keep going in and opening the door, just standing there admiring my handiwork. I love the pink and green, the white. So pretty, so fresh. I'm scared of that white duvet cover though! What was I thinking?? Sigh.

Roll on Saturday... a Rather Fancy Sleepover and five little girls dressing up, doing hair and makeup... we are ready for ya (just mind the bedcover!)