My She Château- Room Makeover

When you become an empty nester, one of the perks is gaining extra space in your home when the kids move out!  When my daughter moved, I had the opportunity to convert her bedroom into my own creative space with all the things I love! However, my challenge was the space needed to be a multi-purpose room!  I wanted it to be a guest room, craft room, floral studio, sewing room, yoga/exercise room, and most importantly, a room where I could just relax with a cup of tea or glass of wine for a little me time! Whew! Now that is a lot to pack into one room! However, I was able to accomplish my goal and create my multi-purpose She Château on a budget that really reflects my personal style. Checkout this post to see how it all came together!

I started with a blank slate! The good thing is the room was in good shape! It is a pretty large room, the floors are in great condition, there is a nice big window, and although the walls could use a new coat of paint, I opted to work with the color and imperfections to save money and time! I may decide to paint later but for now the light blue walls will do!

I always start a room makeover project with an inspiration piece! Usually, a picture, rug, or some decorative item that sets the color palette or theme for the space. It was pretty easy this time because I knew I wanted to use this beautiful picture that once belonged to my mother. I just loved the colors, and the image of these beautiful ladies with their flowers, carefree but fancy is so me!  This picture definitely sets the tone for the feminine Parisian feel I was going for!

Next, I needed to find a convertible sofa or daybed so that the room could function as a guest room or bedroom in case one of the birds flew back to the nest, LOL! I was so excited to find this beautiful green velvet queen sleeper sofa in the Bloopers section of Jermone’s  Usually the “blooper” furniture has some deficit or problem but this sofa was returned because the husband did not like the color his wife selected! Poor woman, she needed her own She Shed, LOL! Anyway, I liked the color and the price was definitely right! It was 50% off! I paid $548 which is great for the amazing queen mattress and fabric, score!

Pro Tip: Always check the furniture outlet department at the back of the store for great deals!

Of course I added pillows, LOL! I had several pillows already, some I made and some I had stored away. Pillows are a great way to add color and texture to a sofa or bed. I decided to mix and match various fabrics and colors to go with the lush, elegant feel of the sofa and the picture I wanted to use on the wall.

When you have a lot of blank space on a wall it is great to make a picture/photo collage. I think it adds interest and variety and they are so easy to create if you follow a few simple tips.

1. Shop your home for pictures and images you already have. Try to look for varying shapes and similar colors or you can even use all black and white photos like I did in my family room below.
2. Make a layout of your design on the floor first, a good rule is to keep a straight line at the bottom or across the middle of the collage and build from there. You can balance size, shape, and even play with different textures. You can unify your design with similar frames or themes. Just move things around until you feel it works. There are even templates online that you can follow. Just Google picture wall collage and you can get a ton of ideas!
3. Once you are happy with your design. Make a template with butcher paper and tape it to the wall to make sure you like the design, it will be easy to move your paper design pieces and make any adjustments.  Don’t forget to mark the spot for your nail on the paper so you will know exactly where to place your nail.

Once I had the picture collage and the sofa ready the rest was pretty easy! I moved my floral worktable in from the den and placed it below the window.

I pulled out my daughter’s old bookcase from the garage and gathered many of my books to display.

I moved my sewing machine from the kitchen and plugged up a small TV. For now it is on a folding table until I find an antique desk or dresser I like, maybe I will restore something I find at a flea market!

I even made room for a little yoga area! Perfect for a morning stretch and meditation!

My finishing touch was this cute little ottoman I found at TJ Maxx. It has room for storage and it can be easily moved when it’s time for yoga or to pull out the bed. I just added a tray and now it works as a coffee table as well!

I still need to organize the closet with my crafts, floral supplies, handbags, and a few extra clothes! Turns out I have a lot of stuff in the house just waiting for a new home, LOL! Now that the room is pretty much done, I can take my time and organize things little by little.

I am already loving my She Château!  It has become my favorite place to relax and create! I hope you have enjoyed this post and I will keep you posted on my next project! Until next time…

Stay busy being fabulous,

Kery B.