Thursday, February 23, 2012

Zero Dollar Girls' Bedroom Redos: REVEAL!

It's that time again, amigos.  Can I call you "amigos"?  Just tryin' to switch it up a bit.  "Friends" is so three posts ago.  So yes then?  By the way, speaking of amigos, The Three Amigos has got to be one of the greatest cinematic achievements of  all time.  I will accept no arguments to the contrary.

Anyway.

It's time for some zero dollar room reveals!

For those of you just joining us (welcome!  Crack open a beer!  Drink an extra one for me!), here is the "before" post where I waxed nostalgic for the days before I was forced to fix up every corner of this hovel palace.  But everyone knows the "after" posts are way more fun, so I hope you're wearing your fun-havin' hats because here comes the good stuff:

Katie's room before we moved in...


 Katie's room at the beginning of the redo...

 Katie's room after!
She needs baseboards somethin' fierce, I know.  But that wouldn't have worked with our $0 budget, ya know?

 Remember this view of her closet?

How 'bout this instead?

I KNOW!

Now a few detail shots (feel free to click to enlarge to ogle)
she picked out this collection of photos herself.  mama had to regulate composition. 'cause I'm mean like that.
I won't pretend there's some significance to St. Helen or Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha in Katie's heart.  These just happened to fit into her frames.  How spiritually moving!
Free map from the Highlights Top Secret Agent program.  Winning!

This basket is another Goodwill find that was just waiting for a purpose.  Purpose found!  Plus, pig alarm clock.  Naturally.
If you're totally overwhelmed by this awesomeness, now would be a good time to take a break.  Maybe get a snack or take a power nap, because I'm going straight into room #2 and I wouldn't want you to die of fantasticness overload or anything.

Ready?

Lizzy's room before we moved in...

Lizzy's room at the beginning of the redo...

Lizzy's room after!




Remember this view of her closet?

How 'bout this instead?
I totally made those curtains out of a free duvet cover and a fitted sheet, too.  Because miracles DO happen.

Cue random extra photos.


all new frames courtesy of Target Christmas gift card from Grandma T.
Again, no moving spiritual meaning here.  Just a pretty picture of a pretty saint from last year's calendar.

You guessed it- another Goodwill catch all.  This is probably my favorite basket in the house.  So cute!
And there it is.  Two huge sighs of relief.  It's no Better Homes and Gardens, but it's no horror movie anymore either.

I'll take what I can get, and you know it.

Free paint from generous family friend who let us raid her basement leftover stash
Primer from Wal-Mart courtesy of Sam's gift card from friends in Texas many months ago
Free stack of linens to be converted into closet "doors" from bloggy friend Kristina
Frames and tension shower curtain rods courtesy of Grandma T. and her fab Target gift cards
Total dweej dollars spent:  ZERO

post signature

57 comments :

  1. They turned out so beautiful! I am so inspired to kick some rooms around in our house after reading this :) I bet they love it!

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    1. They do love them! Have been spending so much time in them just reading and writing. Oh and of course fighting :) They did a ton of the work, too. So it makes it extra enjoyable for them.

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  2. looks incredible!!! please waddle your way down here and help my pathetic butt and house out cuz i know you must be going through renovation withdrawals already

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    1. I've had to give up renovating for Lent. It really is a terrible sacrifice!

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  3. Aww I totally had a saint book with that St. Helen picture when I was a kid! She was always one of my favorites.

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  4. I love the new bright cheery rooms! Just looking at them makes me happy. Great job! :)

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  5. So you know I grew up in Michigan- and every time I see a "before" picture of your house, it brings back so many memories of the summer cottages that ringed the lake in the center of my hometown. Every single one of them featured the wood paneling and shockingly colored carpet. Every one.

    As I grew up, the town slowly changed from summer homes to multi-million dollar houses. All these transformations started with a bulldozer and the original house being leveled. You, however, have made the change without demolition machinery and a significantly smaller budget.

    The rooms look like a million bucks now. And the curtain on Lizzy's closet door is gorgeous. The colors and the way you layered them all is amazing! I don't know how you did it, but you managed to make a closet door a beautiful focal point of a room.

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    1. That must mean the previous owners weren't Satan worshipers after all! Thank God.

      Lizzy's closet was totally a happy accident. I had to work with what we had and they just happened to come together like that. So lucky!

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  6. You and Cari HAVE to stop with the awesome bedroom makeovers, ok? Pregnant -Lady-on-bedrest-with-a-crazy-nesting-urge is losing her mind b/c y'all do such a great job and I can't do a-nuthin' right now!

    Those colors are very soothing and 2 of my faves, to boot, so I approve!

    And, I beg to differ on the random-saints-in-a-frame thing; the Holy Spirit is working His way through your randomness and encouraging your girls to choose some rockstar Confirmation patrons!

    You make me want to buy a sewing machine and learn to sew, too. I really wish I could do that sort of thing.

    You did a wonderful job and now just freaking enjoy the rest of your pregnancy, OK? Dr. MK's orders!

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    1. I think I actually will, MK! Plus, I've sort of given up renovations for Lent because I'm supposed to be focusing on my "normal" homemaking duties. Like, um, blogging?

      You MUST learn to sew. Or embroider. They are fabulous bed rest activities!

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  7. GREAT job!! The rooms look SO GOOD! I bet the girls love them. That red carpet was just scary.

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  8. The rooms look great! The girls must be thrilled with the redos! And that piggy alarm clock is pretty amazing!

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  9. They look great! And so much better than the befores! That pic where your little one is peaking out from behind the door is sooooo cute!!:)

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  10. They look fab, Dweej! Amazing work!! I bet the whole family feels lighter.

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  11. Nice job! The rooms look great!

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  12. Like totally different rooms, I would have never beleived the before if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes!

    You do AWESOME work.

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  13. Those rooms look fantastic! Way to go Dwija!

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  14. They both look great! They fit each of the girls and are SO much brighter and happier now! Again, I say WELL DONE! ;)

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  15. What a huge difference!! I love the colors! I bet they never want to leave their rooms anymore.
    Great job, mama!
    P.S. How are you feeling?

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  16. well done mama! they look fabulous. I think the rest of us are out of the running for Mom of the Year :)

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  17. Ok I am beyond impressed and must beg your advice for how you did the windows. The windows in our house look alot like those - same ugly dark brown wood trim, etc. I desperately want to paint them but am not at all confident on how to do it. Are the windows in the originals the same as in the redo? In other words, did you paint the interior trim as well or did you go buy new windows with white interiors? Second, when painting the outside trim (the framework part) did you remove the wood first and then sand and paint or did you just leave it on the wall and do it. Ours is such cheap, crappy wood that I honestly don't think it could be removed and then put back up, I think it would crack or something so if I do this, I have to paint while it's nailed to the wall - is this possible or not?? Finally, our bedroom doors are all the same ugly dark wood so while I think I'm gonna just buy new doors, the door frames would have to be painted - any experience with this??
    Emily C

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    1. I think I'll write you a whole post, Emily!

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    2. Woo hoo!! Rick was a little shocked when he came home and I announced I might be painting all the windows and baseboards soon, but I'm super excited!

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    3. I think I'll post it on Saturday. Is that too late?

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  18. Oh, WOW! That's awesome, and awesomely-done.

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  19. You are kind of a goddess, you know that?

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  20. So glad to see my linens go to a good home. They look awesome!

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  21. awesome! I speacially like Katie's blue walls, I'd love it if mine were that shade :)

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  22. Seriously, you're a DIY genius!! Love the rooms - bet the girls never want to leave them now!

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  23. We should have consulted you before planning a surprise room makeover for our daughter's 13th birthday. Or I should say, my husband and his grandiose self should have consulted you. We're also at zero dollars, now that I think about it. Just, you know, there are some other numbers before the zero. :(

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    1. Oh no, Alli! I'll come poke around your blog and see if you posted about it :)

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    2. We haven't actually done it yet. We're sending her away for the day before her birthday and doing it ala Extreme Home Makeover. Paint, carpet, furniture, the works! She is either going to love it or hate us for touching her stuff, but either way it will make a good story!

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    3. I LOVE surprises like that! Yeah, no matter her reaction, it'll be totally worth it.

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  24. Looks beautiful! You deserve to be proud. You've inspired me :)

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  25. Anonymous: Paint those windows! It's not hard, it's just tedious. You have to buy that blue, low-tac paint tape and tape EVERYTHING. My first house had tall paned windows and we painted six of them!!! We did not bother sanding, we just primed and painted them. And the blue paint we used in one room was so crappy (Dutch Boy, in case you are shopping) that it took THREE COATS. Tape the inside of the panes, and the outside of the trim. IF you leave any spots between the tape, you WILL get paint there. But it has to be wooden trim, don't try to paint plastic or aluminum. If you've got that, then just buy sheers -- they will let the light in and you won't see the ugly metal or plastic. My advice with decorating is: Paint if it you can, cover it if you can't. But don't keep looking at something that makes you unhappy. Right now I have water damage in a corner of my home office and we can't figure out where the leak is, so I can't paint it and I have to look at it. I have gotten good at looking elsewhere. :-)

    Dweej: They look great!!! You go!

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  26. Love these renovation posts! those transformations are truly amazing.
    If "Zero Dollar Redos" was on TV, I'd watch the heck out of that show:)

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    1. I totally need my own show! I'd even mess up and get paint on the carpet mumble bad words under my breath just like in real life. None of that fake "this is so simple" stuff for me :)

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  27. They look amazing. Just amazing!! Your daughters must be thrilled! I love your ideas. You are so talented!

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    1. Oh Louise, I've never been accused of being talented before. You just made my day!

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  28. Those rooms look completely different! I am completely in awe right now of your pregnant awesome-ness. But, I do have to second one of the comments above...these renovation posts have been extremely difficult for the bed-rest mommas! I am in full-on nesting mode and can't do a dang thing about it! And I've got two bedrooms that need completely redone to boot!

    In all seriousness, Dweej, it looks fantastic, and I'm sure your girls are just in heaven with their brand new rooms! Great job!

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  29. With regards to the Saints, sometiems the ones whose pictures are just thrown up on your wall as a child come to be your greatest friends.

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  30. YAY! You're a miracle worker! They look AMAZING!

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    1. Thank you! I think the biggest miracle is that their finished and no one (my husband) killed anyone else (me) for neglected all of their other responsibilities for 10 days :)

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  31. I bet they feel soooo fancy! :-) When I was growing up, we lived in an old farm house. For my 10th birthday, my parents redid my room. It was on the cheap, but changed my whole perspective. I couldn't get enough of my room then. :-) Great job!

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  32. 50 comments??? Holy crap.

    The rooms look fantastic. My favorite is the two-color curtains in Lizzy's room. You did great!

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  33. Geez, I had to scroll down 500 times to just post a comment. What is your blogging secret?? Anyways, rooms look awesome! I am itching to redo my girls in time for baby!!

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    1. You guys are too funny! People just LOVE "after" photos. I bet you could take 'before' and 'after' photos of your laundry pile and get just as many comments :)

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  34. Totally awesome!! I'm in awe - really.

    My husband is redoing a room in our new place and just took baseboards off. If I could send them to you I totally would.

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    1. I dream of baseboards! (one of the possible names for my future show. You like?)

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  35. I love the new bright cheery rooms! Just looking at them makes me happy. Great job! :)

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  36. Very impressive redecoration work. Any bedroom is much more relaxing if it's tidy and well-decorated.

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    1. One of the best information that help readers about bedroom . Really appreciate with the way the information is managed on the blog

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