Empty Nest Redecorating Reveal

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about my experience as a new empty nester which you can read about here.   In that post, I shared about my grief, but I also let you in on a fun little secret...  How I cope when children leave the nest -  by REDECORATING!  

As the weeks moved toward our empty nest, I would think about the colors I wanted to paint the rooms that would soon be vacant; imagining how I would style each one.  

I decided to paint the guest room a crisp gray which I knew would go well with the black furniture that was already in the room.   It would take some time to find the right gray - a cool gray - as there is only one window in that room which faces east and only gets the morning sun.  I poured over paint swatches (no pun intended - lol) and settled on one.  I brought the paint swatch home and hung it up in different parts of the room at different times of the day.   After much deliberation, I was satisfied with my choice.  

I would like to say that once I painted the room I was completely happy, but with the color gray, it can either have a green undertone or a blue.   Due to the shadowing of my guest room, mine tended more toward blue which of the two, if it had to tend toward another color, I'd prefer the blue over the green.  To help counter the blue hue, which only occurred during certain times of the day, I made sure to pick out a lot of gray accent pieces.

The paint color for my office took a lot longer for me to pick out.  I had settled on choosing a darker tan color for that room which I felt would work well since the room faces west and the sun floods into it most of the afternoon. I was a little nervous because the room was currently white, and I didn't want an already small room to appear even smaller with a darker color.

I was very particular about the type of tan I would paint my office.  I did not want it to have a purple undertone as some taupe's tend toward.  I wanted the color to definitely be in the brown family.   I probably stood in Lowe's paint department for almost an hour trying to find the right swatches.   I found several contenders and brought them home.  The process of hanging swatches and moving them around the room at different times of the day commenced in the office.   I would even put the swatches behind my back and mix them up and then quickly hang them without looking too closely at the names to determine if I would consistently pick the same color, and I did!   My decision was made - one that I could not be happier with!!  I LOVE the color in my office.  It is so warm and cozy.  

Funny how I went in two opposite directions.  The guest room - monochromatic with a crisp airiness to it; and my office - warm with earthy tones.

Once the rooms were painted, I started to search for pieces that would fit what my mind's eye had imagined.   I didn't want to rush and just buy anything, but was deliberate and patient in my choices.  Ten weeks later, the rooms are finished!!  And I LOVE them!! 

So as promised, here are my reveal pictures!  :-)

{I must make a disclaimer here.   You will not find high-quality pictures from a special blogging camera or pictures taken with a photographer's eye for showcasing a room and its contents in their best light, but you WILL find humble pictures taken with my Iphone.}

Enjoy!

THE GUEST ROOM

I knew I wanted to do some type of wall stencil for both rooms.  
I found this perfect one for the guest room!  

Which came first - the tree over the bed or the tree on the night stand?  The tree on the night stand! I found this free Scripture printable and I just loved it!  That's when the tree theme was born!

When my husband and I found the metal tree at Hobby Lobby which matched the night stand picture, we knew we had to get it as it was perfect!  We absolutely LOVE how it looks!

 I was very particular about how I wanted to do the bedding.  Since we have such a high bed, it is nearly impossible to find a bed skirt that goes long enough, and they can be difficult to work with.  I was searching around online and found this great idea which apparently Martha Stewart suggested which is to put a fitted sheet around the box spring mattress, and I did!  The dark gray was the perfect contrast to the colors I had picked out for the bedding.  I found the sheets with the gray accent along the edging at Anne & Hope.  The bedspread was exactly what I had envisioned and I was so happy I found it.

I've had this book case for years which was perfect for housing items for our guests.

That glowing orb on the right is just the sun.  I warned you about my photography skills!  LOL.

My husband and I found this picture at Hobby Lobby.  Isn't it absolutely perfect?!

I've always admired lifestyle bloggers and how they style their rooms which inevitably always have white flowers in a silver box-shaped vase.  lol  I thought that would be the perfect accent for on top of the bookshelf so as not to take away from the picture above it.  I set out to look for one thinking never in a million years would I find it, and sure enough, I did!  On clearance at T. J. Maxx!

I knew I wanted the guest room to have lots of Scripture verses throughout.  I found this candle at Hobby Lobby and thought it was so unique and perfect!

In the gray bin on the first shelf, I have travel size toiletries for our guests to take if they forget something at home.  Imagine my delight when I found this perfect free printable online to go alongside of it!  The printable fits perfectly in this gray shadowbox type frame which I bought at Hobby Lobby!

I found this free printable online which goes along with the tree-theme of the guest room.  :-)  I love how the verse is written throughout the branches.  The frame I found brings out the colors of the printable perfectly.  And, by the way, this frame is outside of the box for me.  You see I  have a problem.  I need symmetry!  lol.  To have a bronzy colored frame when everything else is silver or gray cool tones was a real struggle for me.  (True story!) But I was like, nope, it's a bit of  warmth and color which adds more interest to the book shelf.  So I am at peace with it.  ;-)

Why looky here!  A pop of color!  lol.  I bought this chair at Target a few years ago.   It serves as a nice statement piece for the room.

I've had this bowl and pitcher for years and liked the idea of having it in a bedroom hearkening back to another era when you would find a wash stand and bowl and pitcher in the bedroom. (I actually just remembered I have an antique bed pot.  I need to go retrieve that!  lol.)

It was actually my husband's idea to put a clock on this shelf.  I was somewhat surprised since he doesn't like the sound of ticking clocks. I personally find them soothing.  lol.  I can hear this clock ticking from the hallway and I love the sound.  We found it at Hobby Lobby and the gray weathered color goes perfect in the room.

Another Hobby Lobby find in gray. Perfect!

I was looking around online for free Guest Room printables and found this 
quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  I liked the sentiment and placed it in this metal 
frame which I bought a few years ago at Hobby Lobby.

The Office/Second Guest Room

I absolutely LOVE how my office came out!  The contrast of the white curtains and the white trim against the the tan walls work beautifully together.   As I've shared before, ever

 since I was a little girl, I have always loved curtains; in particular, tie-back curtains. 

 I found these curtains at WalMart, and they were EXACTLY what I envisioned, especially

 with being blessed to have an office space that looks onto my backyard, 

and the fields behind it - a beautiful frame for a very peaceful setting.

I wanted a Scripture stencil that would speak to my heart every time I entered this space, 

and indeed, this was the perfect one!

It was important for me that my desk showcased pictures of my son and 

daughter-in-law; my daughter and son-in-law, and granddaughter.  

Sweet reminders of the most cherished blessings in my life.

I had went on quite the search for a table lamp that actually used a bulb that would provide good lighting.  I had settled for one that I wasn't happy with, but then randomly found this one at Christmas Tree Shop last week.  The colors are absolutely perfect!

The sweet frame for Lexi's picture I bought at Hobby Lobby, and matches perfectly.

I had chosen a gold theme for the room's accents.  Coincidentally, I received this vase as part of a Ghiardelli chocolate gift basket from the Superintendent I work for.  I couldn't get over how perfectly the colors matched my theme!  And it was the perfect home for my artificial plant from Ikea.  :-)

I found both of these accent pieces at Hobby Lobby.  I got the idea for using my initial from another lifestyle blogger, and I think it works quite well in this particular cubby of my desk.  :-)

I love all the shelves and cubbies that my desk has; a desk I found at Wayfair.  

The L-shape makes the desk very functional.

As you can tell, I am loving free printables!  

I wanted my desk to have inspiring verses everywhere I looked.  

As I shared in an earlier post, my son brought back the adorable 

owl calendar from Punta Cana. 

I am a to-do list person and ended up buying this $1.47 small white board at WalMart.  

It seems to be working well in this space.  :-)

It was becoming apparent that I had a need for a month-at-a-glance calendar. 

 I found this free printable online and framed it.  I love it!

Both of these pictures sit over the desk's extension.  My mom had given me the picture of the Irish landscape with an Irish blessing written on the top right corner.  

I find the picture so calming.  Maybe it's because of my Irish ancestry.  ;-)

I found the plaque at Hobby Lobby.  The inspiration from Micah 6:8 is a good daily reminder for me.

Another wonderful blessing of having my office located where it is in my house is that the afternoon sun streams through the back window.  I have ALWAYS loved how it looks when the sun casts a shadow of the window panes and curtains onto the wall.  It just feels so cozy. 

When I used to visit my dear friend Bekki at her momma's house, I always admired the vintage paintings her mom had hanging on her walls.  They just invoked such peaceful feelings.  

I knew I wanted a vintage picture for my office.  I found this classic - Charles Burton Barber's "Suspense", and it looks perfect over the bed.  :-)

The color of the walls probably looks the truest in this picture

It took me a long time to find a bedspread, but I knew that I would know the one when I saw it!  And I did!! The colors of this bedspread compliment the colors in the room beautifully!  

I found this on super sale at JC Penney's.

My good friend came over when I was deliberating on what type of picture I would 

 hang over the head of the bed.  I showed her my choices.  One was another vintage 

picture which we both loved and another was a nature scene.  I ended up 

going with the vintage picture only to find out a week or so later that they could not locate one in stock.  Back to the drawing board I went.  {No pun intended.  ;-) }  

My friend Debbie told me that when we choose art it's not about being matchy matchy, 

but how it makes you feel.  When I found this picture, I couldn't stop staring at it!  

It's like I feel present in the picture, and it just makes me feel happy and at peace.  

It is called The Oak and is a painting of a scene from California with the mountains in the background.  I just LOVE the colors against the tan wall.  When I hung it, I literally clapped with joy! :-)

I wanted to have a neat space to hide keep all my stuff.  lol.  I bought this nine compartment cube at Big Lots.  The cubby bins match the room perfectly!

I'm told I get my love of family pictures from my grandma.  She was always taking pictures.  After she died, my dad gave me her camera.  You know the old kind that had the flash cube which connected on top.  It brings back so many wonderful memories.  <3

So with my love of family pictures, I knew I wanted my cube to showcase family photos of my brothers and their families, my parents and the annual Thanksgiving group shot of all of us together.

The large picture on top is of my Aunt Laura when she was about four years old; an aunt I never met because she died when she was six years old.  I've always treasured this picture; even more so now as her resemblance to my granddaughter is stunning.  How special to see such a strong family resemblance span generations.

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my home.  I've loved sharing it with you.  :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While proofreading this blog post, I realized I repeatedly said perfect when referring to the pieces I found.

As I pondered whether I should go to the Thesaurus, I decided to leave every perfect in the post as a reminder of how God showed appreciation for us.

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. 

Genesis 1:31a

We are His creation.  He sees us as perfect through the blood of the Lamb.

For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

Hebrews 10:14

The definition of appreciate is to recognize the full worth of...

Our Heavenly Father appreciates us!  He recognizes our full worth in Christ Jesus...

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus

Ephesians 2:10a

 Let us all walk in the knowledge of our full worth in Christ Jesus.  Amen!

You might find me on these link-ups:

Grace & Truth, Woman to Woman Ministries, Inspire Me Monday, A Wise Women Builds Her Home, Spiritual Sundays, Soul Survival,  Good Morning Mondays, Tell His Story, Faith & Fellowship Blog Hop,   Tuesday Talk,    Faith 'N Friends,  Sitting Among Friends   House to Home  ,Wonderful Wednesday , Literacy Musings Mondays,Imparting Grace, Dance with Jesus,  Booknificent Thursdays ,  Fresh Market Friday Moments of Hope Wonderful Wednesdays , Tea & Word Tuesday Heart Encouragement Thursday Hearts for Home Messy Marriage Link-up Friday at the Fire Station Link-up Tune In Thursday Faith on Fire Link-up, Sunday Scripture Blessings Link-up, Sunday Thoughts, Writer Wednesday, Faith Filled Friday God Sized Dreams Link-Up Sitting Among Friends Be Thee Inspired Graceful Tuesday Link-up Aprons & Pearls Link-up Trekkingthru Link-up  Encouraging Word Wednesday  Grace Moments Link-up  Encouraging Hearts and Home Worth Beyond Rubies Seeking Sabbath Scripture and a Snapshot IHeart Verse Welcome Heart Kingdom Bloggers Outdoorsy Mommy Anchored Truth Tuesdays IHeart Verse InstaEncouragements

Recharge Wednesdays Kingdom Bloggers