The ultimate bedroom redo

I was just browsing through some old pictures when I came across the disaster of a house we moved into three years ago.  Thankfully, the house looks a little different now than it did then.  Unfortunately, we are only renting, and if I owned it it would probably look completely unrecognizable, but we have offered up a lot of TLC to our humble abode.

When I first walked into the room that was to be our bedroom (we didn't see the house until we actually moved in) I literally cried for days.  

Something had to be done.  

First came the paint:

If you notice the shirt... it says BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY.  Apparently, I am NOT a big girl.

And then some furniture and decorations.  This is how it looked for a while.  We eventually got some pictures for the wall and so on.

Then, after awhile, I wanted to re-decorate... and bit by bit it became this:

  

Most of our furniture, including the headboard, end table, dresser and bookshelf is either gifted or thrifted.  A while ago we were going to purchase a bedroom set but I just can't bring myself to do it.  Maybe if Ikea was close enough I'd get something there... but I am just NOT a bedroom set person.

Almost everything in the room has a story.  The chest at the foot of the bed is from Japan, and was a present from my parents- the paper lanterns are from our wedding and the paper ikea lamp is from our apartment in university.  

I know that our bedroom does not suit everyone's taste... but here is a great example that any space can become beautiful.  Though I was devastated by this room when I moved in, it is the best bedroom I have had thus far.  With a little bit of vision, a little bit of money and a whole lot of colour you can fall in love with any room.  Whether you are renting, or you own your home... you should never settle for anything less than what you love. Don't worry about what's trendy, or having to buy fancy expensive things- keep your eyes open in all places for things that grab your attention.  I have found and decorated with things from the beach, my grandparent's cabin, yard sales and the local Salvation Army.   

Always remember:  A happy house means a happy heart :)