Playing House

Dorothy in ~ The Wizard of Oz

Now that the Christmas decorations are put away and the last of the pine needles have been swept out the door, I finally feel as though I can settle in for winter. It doesn’t take long before I begin looking for things to do around the house to make things more comfy-cozy here at home and at my mom’s house too! My Mom, Joy, and I love to decorate. In fact, she worked as an interior designer once upon a time. She’s got a great eye for the kinds of details that make a room sing! Candles, flowers, and a little WOW factor are among her favorite things to surround herself with.

This little Cheetah table is one of our hand painted furniture pieces.

My Mom lives in a mobile home. Her bedroom is a cozy 9×10 with three windows that let in plenty of natural light during the day. When she moved in 7 years ago the paneled walls were brand new with a warm wood tone to them. She liked that, but not the business of the lines and wood graining. So we painted the paneling a soft ivory and color washed them with a warm brown paint mixed with glaze to mimic a sunny day. I textured one wall with texture paint to add an old world cottagey feeling to the room! After recovering from two back surgeries with her room in its original configuration the seven year itch took hold. Is there anything more refreshing to the spirit than to rearrange a room? One day last week, I was scheduled to do moms hair. It just so happened I woke up that day in the mood to play! It took a little convincing on her part to the point she finally broke out in laughter ( when I told her we would be tackling her room too ) because I refused to take NO for an answer! She said, “you have that same look in your eye’s you used to get when you were little and were determined to have your way “! Who ME? She was right! I was in the mood to play and nothing was going to stop me! Besides, this sort of NO-COST MAKEOVER project is right up our alley and the benefits far outweigh the time it takes to make it happen!

I love how a photo can provoke certain memories for the viewer. I gave my mom one of my picket fence images for her birthday this year. She had it matted and framed to go in her bedroom. It has her favorite colors in it and she says it reminds her of her Grandmother Lucille’s gardens. To say Lucille was fireball is an understatement. She was known for tackling big projects all in a day’s work. She would hit the ground running and wouldn’t stop until she was done. And I mean DONE! I’m pretty sure I was channeling her that day! Here’s a peak at what we did while we laughed and giggled about some of Lucille’s escapades.

We moved the bed under the windows facing the doorway. Now as she enters her room the bed invites her right in!

The red headboard is another one of our (painted lady) furniture rescues. One of mom’s tricks to soften her space and give it a cocoon like feeling is to minimize additional lines and patterns. She hung spun gold sheers on either side of the large window wall to blend in with the wall color. Her room came with sliding accordion closet doors which she removed and in their place she hung two “ rose covered “curtain panels. Talk about cozy, feminine and romantic!

This solution is much cheaper than buying two new closet doors, and it’s so much prettier. The red lamps make a huge WOW statement in this small space.

Over the smaller windows on either side of the chest below we hung a vine with natural twigs, clear crystal and red berries just for fun. This is another creative way to add some whimsy and it gives the overall space a light- hearted charm!

We found room for a small chair next to the table now so she can have a throw on hand or sit down and put her shoes on! The chair was a gift from me too! I gussied it all up in fall colors and named her Autumn Joy after my mom. Fall is her favorite season.

We had a great time rearranging her room and I’m happy to say she loves it! We didn’t spend a penny and she got her hair done to boot! Don’t you just love to do a project, then sit around afterwards saying how much you love it over and over and over again? We do!

As this post comes to a close, the snow is flying outside. I’m slow cooking a pork roast smothered in bbq sauce and feeling happy inside to be warm and cozy in my little nest here at home and to have had yet another shoreline visit with you, my dear farmgirl sisters!

Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home.

~ John Howard Payne

Before we say goodbye, I’ll leave you with some tips for your own

 NO COST room MAKEOVER~

1. Start by choosing one room to re-arrange.

2. Clear away the clutter, dust and vacuum.

3. Decide on a new arrangement for the furniture.

5. Borrow accents from other rooms such as, candle’s pillows, family photos and artwork to freshen your new space.

6. Don’t forget lighting. Bring in additional lamps or fixtures for reading, atmosphere and general purpose.

7. Make it personal, make it YOUR space. You’ll know when you’ve got it right when you don’t want to leave!

8. When it’s all done, be sure to spend plenty of time admiring your handy-work!

9. Now it’s your turn! Add your creative tips for no- cost makeovers in the comments!

Until our next shoreline visit~

Happy ” House Playing ” and Beach Blessings!

Love,

Deb ( and mom too )

P.S. Here’s my easy Crock Pot Beef Stew recipe for your next play day!