Design Resolutions-part 1

My skilled design assistant hard at work.

My friend, the Vamp, has decided on some design resolutions for 2010 (read about them here at visual vamp and here at discover interior design). Inspired, I've decided on a few design resolutions of my own. I'm keeping the list short--only three main resolutions, and I'm trying to keep the list quantifiable if not unambiguous.

My number one resolution is to make my home "magazine worthy:" Letting my hatin' be my motivatin'. Last year, I became (thankfully briefly) obsessed with the trainwreck that was The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Bravo where a couple of characters constantly said, "Let your hater be your motivator." I don't have any haters, but I do have a couple of rooms which, while I don't exactly hate them, I don't love them either. However, I had been living in the less than loved spaces while making other people's home lovely--the classic case of the shoeless cobbler. At the same time, I've had the dream of all professional designers, design lovers, and design bloggers----having my home published. Then I realized--if I did get that call and they asked, "When can you be ready?", would my answer be two days, two weeks,...two years? Anyway, I decided that my first and major goal in 2010 will be to finish those little half done projects, rework the rooms that aren't working, and polish my interiors--even if I never get the call. At least I'll have a more comfortable, lovely home. (BTW, #2 is to keep my house clean "enough" and to live well--fresh herbs, cloths napkins, setting the table, fresh flowers, etc. And I'm stopping at 3--I think the less, the more likely to achieve.)

First room on the way to achieving my first goal is my bedroom *note: since the following are before pics, I deliberatly left them unstyled so that the contrast betwteen before and after will be greater, i.e., I'm a lazy s.o.b. and moving the can of pledge out of the shot seemed like too much work*:
It's a small room, 14x12, and the furniture, except for the bed, has to stay. The closets in the house are tiny, so I need the dresser and chifferobe for storage. The furniture arrangement is also the best for the room, but some of the finishes will change. I also have to keep thomas's vintage draperies that he loves. The wall color is definitely changing. I love blue-greens, but this aqua is just a little too bright ( I ignored my own advice and did not do a color sample before deciding on my paint color)---I want a darker, richer, more dramatic tone in the same color family.

I'm keeping the white sheets, but changing the other bedding to the knitted cream coverlet in the back of the photo with a bedskirt made of the natural canves to the right of the photo. The vintage waverly fabric from the 1970s at the bottom of the photo will become a throw for color at the foot of the bed.

A shot of the bed:

The sconces are staying, but the bed is going, to be replaced by a headboard made of this incredible salvaged and stripped door (note: Thomas wanted everyone to know that HE is the one that stripped the door at the risk of lead poisoning, dismemberment, etc., etc., etc.):

The single painting over the bed will be replaced by a gallery wall like the one in my stairwell:

This beautiful moorish inspired Wisteria chest will be the inspiration for the finish on

this: one of the ugliest pieces of furniture ever made. New pulls too.

Since most of the changes are relatively small, I'm hoping to complete them before the christmas party I'm giving on the 20th. I'll keep you posted.