Your Extreme (but feasible) Home Makeover

My husband and I want to upgrade our master suite: knock down some walls, add a walk-in closet, create a huge master bathroom that actually has a window, etc. You know, the type of things you see on "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition" — minus Ty Pennington, the free labor, the free furniture, the fabulous vacation, and all the cameras.

While we want to make these massive changes someday, we don't have the skill or the guts (not to mention the funds) to do this massive remodel. Plus our home is only 3 years old... we should probably get some wear out of it before doing something that drastic.

But did you know that just adding a coat of paint can also be considered a remodel?

"Remodel (v. or n.) — changing an existing space into a new form or adding on to a space"

Good examples of bathroom remodels that I found on the internet

Remodels can be as simple as updating wall/floor/ceiling treatments, new lighting fixtures, refinishing cabinets, etc, or as complex as adding an additional floor, converting your garage into a den, or even creating an entirely new master suite :) The former can make just as extreme of a difference as the latter. Remodels aren't just for the professional contractors!

And that means that our master bedroom project was a remodel, as well as our family tree accent wall.

You may also hear the word "renovation" thrown around.

"Renovation (n.) — returning a home to a previous condition, without changing the space"

Think of old homes that people buy for the purpose of making it livable again in the modern day...

AFTER
(click here to see the full before and after shots... again this was not done by me)

BEFORE

Renovations typically requires a lot of time, money, and careful planning. They should not be confused with "restoration"...

"Restoration (n.) — returning a structure to its original condition"

Restorations usually require the use of authentic materials, designs, and colors as when the home was originally built.

So go ahead! Use the technical terms. When you are painting your room, you now have the right to claim that you're remodeling and creating your own extreme (but feasible) home makeover!

Next up, the remodel of our master bathroom. All walls will remain in tact, but the appearance will change dramatically.

{Rashida}

PS: This educational PSA has been brought to you by Inside the Frame (via my Principles of Interior Design class).

Textured Walls | Absence of Color

In addition to using found materials to give dimension and texture to the wall (see Textured Walls | Painting Techniques), you can also use the absence of color to provide texture.

Before my husband and I got married, he bought a new house and was living with his friend from college. This house was brand new, which essentially means that everything was shades of beige. Eggshell. Cream. Buff. Bone. Cosmic latte. Or whatever other clever names paint people come up with. From my perspective, beige means boring. Even though I wouldn't be moving in for another couple months, my first design challenge, was to redesign the master bedroom.

Pretty bare...

pretty basic...

and pretty uninspiring

I wanted my hubby's room (soon to be my room) to have some elegance to it, and there's nothing that a coat of paint can't fix... and some furniture maybe :).

I was inspired by this photo I found online:

I am really into gray. It's so peaceful, elegant, and neutral. As you can see in the picture, this room has paneling and molding and all of this other fancy stuff. At the time, we weren't that adventurous (or knowledgeable) regarding molding, so the best tools in our tool belts were paint rollers, tape, and a laser-leveler.

A couple hours (and a few trips to furniture stores) later, we completely transformed the room into something suitable then for a bachelor's room and, now our master bedroom.  

Remember what I said earlier about the absence of color? Well, this is where it can provide texture.  We created a similar pattern as in the inspiration photo, using tape to mark off the areas that were to remain beige. Of course, there are still some things to do to make the room "shiny", but that is step two. 

FUN FACT OF THE DAY: In my Art class (2-D Foundations), I learned about negative and positive shapes. Negative shapes recede in a picture; positive shapes advance in a picture. In the case of our bedroom wall, you would think that the gray is the positive since it is the painted shape. But actually, the white is serving as the positive shape because it pops... seemingly as if it is painted over the gray. Interesting, eh?

Until next time,

{Rashida}