{Before + After} A Painted Bedroom

Posted on November 5, 2013November 5, 2013 by Apartment Envy Posted in Before + After, Tips + TricksTagged before and after, Decorating, interior design, makeover, weekend project

It is time.

I know I brought this up a long time ago and then I left you hanging, It was only because I wanted it to be finished and pretty before the big reveal! Remember my bedroom with 9 doors and 3 windows?

These move-in photos don’t even come close to doing this crazy bedroom justice. Seriously, being in my bedroom was like being in Grand Central Station. So after much thought and consideration, I decided there was really only one solution: Paint everything the same color.

(crickets)

I know. You think I’m crazy. But remember when I showed you all those fabulous Hidden Door Inspiration Photos?? This one was my absolute favorite:

They camouflaged their door by painting the door and trim the same color as the wall and hanging artwork on the door itself. Using a dark color also helps the door recede into the background and helps the eye to ignore it. MAGIC TRICKS.

So, I chose a dark, rich taupe and pulled out the paint brush. Now my bedroom looks like this:

The set of 4 vintage wood dining chairs from India can’t be left at the dining table when we’re not using them because the space is too small, so we keep two of them upstairs in the bedroom and bring them down only when we need them. The small chest of drawers I found in the trash room at our old building and I rescued him with some paint and glass knobs. Now it holds the Fur-Babies‘ sweater and jacket collection.

The desk is a vintage find from Craigslist that I use as a vanity. Since the bathroom is so small I keep my makeup and hair styling tools in it. The mirror is another vintage find that I spray painted gold to give it new life, and the gallery wall is a mixture of personal photos and original art. I went with a mixture of frames because it’s a smaller collection than I have on the staircase and I liked the eclectic look.

Now the doors aren’t the first thing you notice in the room, right? And I LOVE the color. It makes the space nice and cozy for bedtime. Do you have a space you might want to try this in?

Sources:

Paint: Benjamin Moore “Taos Taupe”

Duvet Set: Dwell Studio “Pearl Chinoiserie”

Throw Pillow: Custom

Sheets: IKEA

Euro Shams: West Elm

Bed: Custom

Chairs: Vintage

Ikat Rug: Overstock

Bedside Chest: Vintage

Lamps: Crate & Barrel

Dresser: IKEA

Vanity: Vintage (painted in Benjamin Moore “Newburg Green”)

Sheepskin Rug: Wayfair

22 thoughts on “{Before + After} A Painted Bedroom”

November 5, 2013 at 2:02 pm Reply
designwithj9 says:

All I can say is WOW! The designer in me says “thank you” for taking the plunge with the dark color. So many shy away from this, especially in a smaller room, and this is proof that it works, & works well. Hanging art on the doors, genius. The mix of styles between furnishings and accessories is lovely. Congratulations on a job well done and for finally tackling this beautifully crafted room.

Janeane
1. November 5, 2013 at 2:09 pm Reply
  Apartment Envy says:
  
  Thank you so much!! I agree, most people are afraid of dark or bold colors — especially in small spaces — but that’s when they work best! I’m always trying to convince my clients ;)
  1. November 5, 2013 at 7:15 pm
    designwithj9 says:
    
    If you don’t mind sharing, what did you use to hang the art on the doors?
  2. November 6, 2013 at 11:32 am
    Apartment Envy says:
    
    That’s a funny story :) The doors are the standard hollow doors with veneer on top. First I tried regular nails but they wouldn’t go through the veneer! I kept hammering but the nails just bent in half. Then I bought special artwork nails made of iron with brass heads at my local hardware store. It took a few good knock with the hammer but those went through :)
  3. November 6, 2013 at 12:21 pm
    designwithj9 says:
    
    Ha ha! I was wondering, only because I have attempted the same thing, but I was not as persistant to find an iron nail to do the job. Thank you for sharing.
November 5, 2013 at 2:37 pm Reply
Molly says:

I really like the paint job and especially the splashes of red-orange color. Also admire the way you mix photos and original art on the walls (and doors1). The whole look is beautiful!
1. November 6, 2013 at 11:30 am Reply
  Apartment Envy says:
  
  Thank you!
November 5, 2013 at 5:57 pm Reply
Chelsey says:

That’s beautiful! The color you picked is beautiful and works really well with all the natural light you’ve got going on in there.
1. November 6, 2013 at 11:30 am Reply
  Apartment Envy says:
  
  Thanks so much! I love the color, too :)
November 6, 2013 at 1:45 pm Reply
Found This Painted That says:

Once again - inspiring! It’s very inviting! Not sure I’d ever get out of bed……If you can’t nail the door, 3m makes a kind of velcro product which has worked for me.
1. November 6, 2013 at 4:31 pm Reply
  Apartment Envy says:
  
  Thanks so much! And good tip!
November 6, 2013 at 6:55 pm Reply
Marissa Gandee says:

LOVE! Someday, we’re going to hire you to design our next space. We are huge fans of your design aesthetic.
1. November 6, 2013 at 9:05 pm Reply
  Apartment Envy says:
  
  Yay! Thanks so much, Marissa!
  1. May 16, 2017 at 8:58 pm
    Bunny says:
    
    Hi! I&8v712;#e been following your blog for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Kingwood Tx! Just wanted to say keep up the good work!
November 8, 2013 at 9:19 am Reply
mcopenha says:

So great. I might have to borrow some ideas :) The room has a lot of natural light, so the darker tones work well. Are you a fan of Lauren Leiss? She has a similar style, and loves Malm dressers too! Nice work.
1. November 9, 2013 at 8:11 am Reply
  Apartment Envy says:
  
  Thank you! Lauren is so good a creating warm, lived-in spaces that feel easy and just right. I especially love her furniture layouts. I’m very picky about those, and she does things just the way I would! ;)
November 12, 2013 at 1:25 pm Reply
jill says:

I’m wondering where you found your drapes? They match perfectly!
1. November 13, 2013 at 8:20 pm Reply
  Apartment Envy says:
  
  These were a lucky (and inexpensive) find on Amazon.com!
November 23, 2013 at 6:34 pm Reply
Kate says:

Love it! Where did you find that ‘for like ever’ print?
1. November 25, 2013 at 10:01 pm Reply
  Apartment Envy says:
  
  Thank you so much! The painting I did myself but it was modeled after a print I love. Here’s the post so you can read all about it!
  
  http://aptenvy.com/2013/02/14/how-to-create-hipster-art/
December 30, 2013 at 8:30 am Reply
Tracy Sturdivant says:

Simply genius. The raspberry color is such a perfect accompaniment with the bedroom color. I have a large home, but your ideas can actually work anywhere. So glad I found your blog. Would love to hire you to help with my meditation room!
1. January 2, 2014 at 5:25 pm Reply
  Apartment Envy says:
  
  Thanks, Tracy! Such a lovely compliment! Send me a message if you want extra help with your space and we’ll see what we can work out :)