Bedroom Ideas

So I know that the house isn't even officially mine yet, but I can't help planning it out over and over again in my mind.  I guess that's the designer in me.  What I really want to do is wallpaper one wall and paint the other three walls in a color that coordinates with the paper.  Unfortunately, all the wallpapers that I've fallen for are wayyyy out of my price range.

I love the teal color of this wallpaper from Twenty2.  I also plan to make my own upholstered headboard, and I'm really liking the dark grey/brown color of this one.

I also love, love, love this paper from Anthropologie.  However, at $148.00 a roll, this would be quite the splurge. 

I did find this wallpaper at Home Depot.  While I'm not completely in love with it, the price is right and it's pretty cute.  I think I'm going to keep looking though, until I find something that really speaks to me.

The way the bedroom is layed out, I'll most likely end up putting my bed in front of the window.  I know that a lot of people have a knee-jerk reaction to beds infront of windows, but I think that if done correctly, the result can be quite nice.  It's just an average-sized single window, so I plan to mount my window treatments higher to make it appear a little bigger.

By hanging the curtains like this, it makes them look larger.

I like the color of the walls in this house that was visited on Apartment Therapy.  I think the window also makes for a nice headboard look.  I think an upholstered one would look dandy.

 

Another Apartment Therapy tour featured a window behind the bed.

The cute couple at Young House Love also have their bed infront of a window.  Their window is higher than mine, but I still love the look of this and hope to duplicate it in my own home.

I think once all my ideas come together, I'm going to have the perfect bedroom.

Images: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7)

The Hunt

The last few weeks have been a very exciting time for me.  I started my first (real, full-time) job as an interior designer and have been on the hunt for a new place to call my own.  I have been staying with my parents since I've come back to Illinois, mostly because I am still paying rent for an apartment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and can't afford two apartments.  After weighing out my options, I decided that I would rather own my own home than pay rent to someone else.  So, I have been searching for a house that I can afford.  Lucky for me, real estate in Freeport is super cheap.  Like, super cheap. 

I first looked at a house that seemed to be priced fairly reasonably.  However, after an inspection of the roof and porch, I came to know that unless the owners were willing to drop the price significantly, I would not be able to afford it.  I was pretty bummed out.  I mean, I had been obsessing about it for a couple weeks, imagining everything I was going to do to make it into a dream house.  I think one problem I have with this sort of thing is that I tend to look past flaws and see only potential.  Not such a good thing when you're on a shoe-string budget.  But look how cute it was inside:

 

I had reason to believe there was hardwood under that old carpeting.

Look at that charming window seat!

Ok, I'm not going to show you any more pictures of this house because I'm not buying it.  It's got some cute features, all things considered, it's not really worth all the work I'd have to put into it.

Then I went and viewed a cute little 1950's ranch house.  That alone screams my name, right?  It was basically move-in ready with the exception of a few little details.  It was also a bit more expensive and had only one bedroom (the second bedroom had been converted into a formal dining room).

Aren't those vintage cabinets are great?!  I'm pretty sure they were custom made when the home was built in the 1950's and are still lined with retro contact paper.

While the kitchen was adorable, I wasn't sure how I felt about having to chose between a second bedroom and a dining room.  I know I don't need more than one bedroom, but I really want one!  We looked at two more houses, one of which I'm not even going to show you because it was just gross.  And tiny.  And kinda awkward.

The final house was a little cedar-shingled bungalow built in 1926.  It's a HUD house, meaning dirt cheap and usually in need of a ton of work.  Upon first glance, it looks sort of plain and boring. 

Yeah, it needs a paint job.

And some new railings.

It's little, yes, but charming, right?  I love the dark natural woodwork and archway.  At one point, my dad pulled up the carpet and confirmed our thoughts that there might be hardwood under all that gross carpeting.  Those are my darling parents in the picture.

The galley kitchen is bright and inviting.  Like almost everything in the house though, it could use some loving.

The closet in the front bedroom is actually twice the size of my current closet.  Those of you who have seen my current closet are probably quite aware that it is actually not much of a feat, but I am still pretty excited about it.

The bathroom is also about twice the size of my current bathroom.  It needs a new toilet, new vanity, and windowsill.  But I love the fact that the archway from the entrance is repeated in the bathroom.

The back bedroom comes complete with an equally large (but really not all that large) closet and a staircase that leads up to the attic.  The staircase is hidden behind a door in the little nook pictured above.

The attic seems pretty standard.  If the insulation were in the ceiling though, this could be a pretty useful space, I think!

So, in short, I put a bid in on house #3.  And (drumroll), they accepted!  I'm not sure what the whole process is when purchasing a HUD house, but they stated on the website, "time is of the essence," and that it shouldn't take any more than 45 days to process.  Hopefully that means, in 45 days or less, I will be able to take possession of this little charmer and start fixing it up and decorating.

Also, when the time comes, if anyone would like to volunteer to help me with carpet-ripping, floor refinishing, painting, etc, I would greatly appreciate it!  I'll provide the beer and pizza.