We moved into our home about 14 months ago. You know how these things happen ... you work like crazy setting everything up, and there are odds and ends that linger. That last box of books still packed up because there's not enough bookshelf space, the food storage not yet organized, or in our case, the master bedroom still not really put together. Our problem was, the master bedroom is in the basement and we couldn't fit our box spring down the stairs. It's actually a nice room - spacious and calming with a couple of windows, a cozy gas fireplace, an attached bathroom, and a super walk-in closet. But we were basically camping in it, with our mattress on the floor and things placed in the room without much thought or care, and that was just silly.
I decided to set it up properly as a Valentine surprise for my husband. I started hunting for little pieces to complete the room. The
round lamp from this post was one of them. Then I found this nightstand at a local thrift store for $10. It is solid oak and ... horrendous, right? Looks like somebody kept it outside for a few years. But it has a gorgeous shape (love that slightly rounded front) and actually the wood is in decent shape - it's just the finish that was bad.
I sanded it down and painted it with some leftover ivory paint. My little kids helped and actually did a pretty good job. I just had to hurry and go over their paint work while it was still wet to even it out! I sanded and painted my nightstand, too, so it would match. It was from about the same time period, with the exact same worn greenish finish, amazingly enough! I got it from my parents, who got it from my grandparents. Yes indeedy, folks, it's a 1960s heirloom. Remember, my house was built in 1958, and I totally believe in respecting your architecture ... so it's perfect, actually.
I also wanted to replace the ugly Wal-Mart curtains (chosen and graciously left for us by the previous homeowner). They were shiny and green and ... oh, horrible. Also, they were hung on tension rods, which was just weird. I made new ones out of a sheet I got at Savers about a year ago. It has a Japanese-feeling print - ivory circles on a gray ground. They remind me of sand dollars and the beach, but in a very abstract kind of way. I hung the curtains on brushed pewter-tone rods with square finials. These, I will confess, came from Wal-Mart. (I have complicated issues with Wal-Mart, can you tell?) Still, pretty.
Wall art came next. I had enlarged a photo I took of an agapanthus bud in our yard in Merced. It is bright green, against a gray wood fence background. I love this photo - it's such a moment in time, just before the multitudinous lavender flowers burst out of this giant bud. Plus, it's kind of sexy. Framed it with a KMart frame, again in a brushed pewter tone. That went on my side of the bed. On G's side, our wedding photo.
So the next thing I had to do was get that darn box spring down the stairs. I had thought we would need to buy a foldable box spring and get rid of the one we had, but while googling for info on the foldable type, I happened on
these instructions at instructables.com. Once I opened up the mattress I remembered I had had to repair it before - the boards on the bottom were really cheap, flimsy pine, thrashed by my kids jumping on the bed, or something. So I had to take apart that repair job and then cut the box spring as instructed, then re-repair it. Actually I think it was for the best. In my garage there were some oak 1x2s left by the previous owner of the house. My box spring is now super high quality! My 11 year old helped me fold the thing and get it down the stairs. My 9 year old helped me unfold it. It had been in the garage all year so I scrubbed it down a bit, and then set up the bed. We have a metal bed I got from JCPenney several years ago using my credit card rewards. Got it all put together and the mattresses on.
I had also gotten G a new alarm clock, one that he can dock his iPod in, figuring it would make a nice change for both of us from waking up to the Christian Rock station that was the only thing his 25-year-old clock radio could receive in our basement. So far he is graciously not setting the iPod to play Pearl Jam first thing in the morning. I think I would die. So anyway, I set that up.
That's where I was when Dr. G got home from work on Valentine's Day. He was surprised and pleased. I still wasn't done, but the big stuff was taken care of and I felt good!
The next day I moved the dressers and took pictures, resulting in the photo you see above with my little girl jumping off the chair on G's side of the bed.
Oh, and that gas fireplace ... it is the corner of shame. Eventually when we get a better TV for our rec room, we will move the old TV into this room to sit on top of the fireplace. Someday we will probably get some kind of sofa or loveseat there to make a good space for movies and cuddling for just us.
For now, it looks more or less like this.
Laundry to be folded, craft supplies to be organized, garbage to be taken out.
Just didn't want you all to think I was too awesome.
Ana Montana
