About a month ago (nearly to the day, in fact) I took on a pretty big renovation project...four rooms, top to bottom re-design, with a three day deadline on the vast majority of the work. As I quickly discovered, there's a reason people don't typically do things like that...cause it's insane. Fortunately, I had an amazing can-do accomplice (my Mom) and a particularly strong attachment to the space (as it was my house) so we made it work. Every room turned out beautifully- more lovely than I even imagined they could be- and I'm excited to finally share pictures with you over the next few weeks.
Now, for the disclaimers.
1) Who knew photographing interiors was so tricky?! If not for the genius of my sweet friend,
Nina, I wouldn't have a blessed thing to share with you today. She worked every angle of the (somewhat oddly shaped) room to capture the best possible snapshots. If only you knew the balancing acts, wall sits and near hair-burning experiences involved in getting these pictures (darn those candles), you'd love them all the more.
2) The one thing I was ill-prepared for has, of course, come back to get me. I didn't think of taking before pictures 'til the rooms were already in a pre-renovation state of disarray. That being said, there are a few things I wish I could blame on the makeover that...well...I can't. The single drape hanging in the window, for example? That looked exactly that way for a year or more (I know- terrible, right?). The blank walls and general lack of decor? That was pretty standard as well. The only thing you can't really see in the picture (since it's covered in clothes) is the bed. Other than that, you get the idea. Bad, bad and more bad.
But the after on the other hand...well...see for yourself! I'm just crazy about it.
A few of my favorite things are:
*
The color! We're Benjamin Moore girls to the core and used their Aura paint (our favorite) in
Rendezvous Bay. For whatever reason it photographed very gray but the
true color is to die for gorgeous.
*
The bedding we found at Anthropologie. Those little notes you see? They're honest to goodness love letters collected from a vintage shop in Brooklyn. Can't even begin to tell you how much I love that.
*The recycled dresser. We replaced the knobs and voila! Brand spanking new.
*The personal touches...this- above any and everything else- is what makes a room. Between the bottles of my family's homemade wine, the cigar boxes and the mini art wall filled with things that remind me of my family and where I grew up (Beretta ribbon, a picture my Dad drew, etc.), I couldn't forget about the important things in life if I wanted to. And that makes me happy.
Although I'm sure I'll continue to tweak the space over the next few months, I'm over the moon delighted with how far it's come so far. Sooooo....what do you think?
