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#JKID Project | My Bedroom | Before and After

Do y’all remember that time I took you on a brief tour of my bedroom HERE?

Well you get to see her all fancied up and gussied out, but what you rarely get to peep is the process behind the madness preceding the final phase of installation.

On the Hunt

My shopping routine goes a little something like this: Online> in stores > flea markets > ebay> Craigslist! Craigslist! Craigslist> REPEAT! I regularly patrol my FAVE online trade secret of shopping Craigslist for beautiful bones of antique or contemporary furniture in dire need of a facelift. What I get is top of the line designer items at a minute fraction of what it would cost in stores or online. As my style is very vintage-inspired with an au courant edge, I tend to gravitate towards traditional shapes with a bit of a bohemian vibe. My first love? Design! My second? DIY baby!  I’ll be the FIRST to tell ya us interior designers are farrrrrrr from rich y’all. It’s all about ingenuity and here’s how YOU do it!

Start with an existing piece of furniture


I found this 4-poster bed (above) on OC Craigslist for $150 and promptly negotiated her down to $100.  *NOTE: NEVER ever accept the first price listed. Buyers (on CL) expect you to talk them down since this forum is priced so low, so DON’T disappoint!*  Although the existing wood grain/stain was quite gorgeous, it didn’t go with the Hollywood Regency redesign I was going for when planning the renovation.

Materials

Enter my go-to design tools for refinishing wood furniture:  Sand block | Clear lacquer | Black lacquer | Work gloves

Prep Work

Start by sanding the entire thing down. Since this bed had so many curves and trim, I opted to sand her down by hand since machines tend to like flat surfaces. Once she’s completely sanded down, wipe down dust and particles with a clean cloth. Proceed to spray paint/ lacquer the parts you want to cover.

 

I removed the 4 posts for ease of painting. You see all those little trim parts surrounding the posts and head/footboard? I wish I took images of the process but they got gilded y’all. Gleaming gold to add a bit of glamour to an already high-fashion home piece. I then took the headboard and footboard to my factory upholsterers to add a bit of fabric and padding. I am NOT an upholsterer by any means so I find it best to leave this part to the pros.

Matching Pieces

Next…I needed matching nightstands but couldn’t find a suitable pair anywhere since the above bed was custom designed to suit my new space. I shopped my local HomeGoods and found this pair of small scale stands at $59.99 apiece.  But black + black = BORING!!!
So I suped them up using the same formula for the bed…

 

I started with a fresh coat of black lacquer for a high-gloss finish. After drying, I prepped the drawer face and taped the edges for a contrasting band of gold spray paint to highlight the trim. After all coats have dried, I finished it off with Krylon’s Triple-Thick Crystal Clear Gaze ‘cuz that’s how I like it, honey! High gloss = HIGH GLAM! To further customize the look, I measured the drawer face insert and cut some leftover upholstery fabric (same fabric as the bed) to affix to the front.

 

 

Customize

Using a fabric adhesive, I sprayed the backs of the upholstery fabric and carefully applied it to the drawer face inset. Remember to cut a hole for the new knob!

 

Before

After

I know!  What a crazy transformation right?  How’d I do it?

By upcycling a mix of Craigslist “trash” and store-bought items into the fabulous treasures you see right before you.

 

 

All it takes is a little creativity, a big concept, and PATIENCE hunnies!   Much to HGTV’s dismay, these things don’t happen overnight ya know??!!  What do you think of the process??? Is upcycling worth all the trouble and man power???

 Comment below!

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21 Comments

  1. Cat Pham Reply

    Fabulous, as always, Ms. Julie! Beautiful, beautiful!! Who wouldn't have sweet dreams in a space like that? I love to upcycle too. DIY is totally worth it. There's nothing better than knowing that nobody else on the planet has the same exact thing as you because you made it yourself! Great step-by-step, btw! Can't wait to see the rest of the house! 😉

  10. Elizabeth Woods Reply

    Total Transformation! What did you use for your jewelry rack? Its both functional and decorative to see all the necklaces on display!

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