Our first example is a home office space/extra bedroom that we converted into a cozy guest bedroom.   With a small budget, we needed to be creative in finding the perfect headboard for a queen bed.   Our inspiration was a beautiful hand forged steel headboard in white that we had seen on a popular website.  Unfortunately, at around $1000, it was too expensive to consider.  So instead we headed to a consignment shop and found a wonderful, albeit dated, bright brass headboard for $45.  We had it powder coated in white for $70. 

The wall paper in the room was removed and the room painted a soft gray.  Drapery panels were added to frame the window and a book case was painted white to complete the room (painted bookcase is out of camera range in after photos).

Our $115 investment!

Another guest bedroom needed new life.  Simple changes made this room become a space that any guest would love to stay in.  The walls were painted khaki with bookcases and trim painted white.  We did not have the luxury of having the chaise reupholstered, so the solution was to “camouflage” the upholstery with a white blanket and a pretty new pillow.  The pharmacy lamp in rubbed oil bronze was the homeowner’s.  

We added matching sconces for lighting flanking the bed.  Notice the silver bench in the before picture.  To make the room cohesive, a couple cans of rubbed oil bronze spray paint transformed the bench to match the other metal pieces in the room. 

Shopping at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore can yield some great finds.  It is where we discovered the night stand that we used in a redesign for a little girl.  Originally the piece was a battered, brown end table.  A small can of hot pink paint was all that was needed. Our young client now had a super night stand for her pretty new room.  Accessories can be reused, too.  An old frame also from the ReStore was a great solution for highlighting our client’s achievements.  Total cost for the items not including paint:  about $10.

Take a look around your house and before you banish old pieces to the basement or put them at the curb, see how a little paint can put those pieces back to work and make your rooms look beautiful once again.