Bedroom Set Makeover

One of the best things about moving is that you get to start fresh! New bedding, new artwork, fresh paint and more. When I moved for grad school I was in need of a new bedroom set... on a budget of course. Long story short I found a fabulous set on CraigsList for I think around $125 - YES $125 for all of it! Yes, it was loved and in need of some sandpaper and paint but it had great character and was high quality. I love French Provincial styled furniture and the deal was too good to pass up! I later found that there were several sites devoted to people trying to find the various pieces. 

Here are some before pictures:

 It came with the hardware but I took it off before this picture

So literally dozens of hour later, all of the pieces were sanded and repaired (I had to use wood putty to fill the defect on the large mirror frame when I sanded out the bit that had been burned by a candle). Priming was the next step. To get the best overall coverage I ended up painting rather than spraying them. Finally, I did two coats of an off-white paint made by RUST SCAT  (http://www.coronadopaint.com/). This paint is the Best! It's great for trim or any other area that will be high traffic or daily use.  It's a bit more expensive than your regular paint but believe me, it's worth it!  I liked the fresh white color and when you are living in a cute (but small) apartment light furniture makes the space look bigger and more open. In total the primer and paint for everything was under $100

You may have noticed that not all of the hardware matches. The vanity, one mirror and the bed turned out to be another line of furniture but with a new paint job who would know? For about $7 each I was able to find 5 handles that matched the rest. I washed the hardware with spick and span to get off any dirt without removing the finish. And voila - c'est fini!!

The finished products:

I found this adorable lamp shade at Pottery Barn Outlet. I had this lamp already but it was made for a clip-on shade so I just went to home depot and bought a harp kit and finial to top it off.

Got Corks? Show 'em off! You know those big cardboard letters you see at craft stores? One coat of paint in a fun design and you have a piece of art!

I found the curtains (above) at PBO for a steal and miraculously they all are the same coral-ly color of my TH comforter.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 I found this great chandelier at Pottery Barn Outlet                for $20 (originally $100) Woo Hoo!                                  

To finish the look, I picked up this chair for $5 at a garage sale. With paint and a new seat cover it fit right in!

In all, this project cost me less than $300. Just goes to show that with a little searching and a bit more elbow grease you can have the bedroom set of your dreams for much less than you thought! Just because you are a poor grad/med student doesn't mean you should look like one! 

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