I think the new master bedroom is one of the most dramatic transformations of the entire project. This was one room I didn't like to spend too much time in at the beginning of the renovation of the Myrtle House (which I am sure you can see why from these before photos). ;) I will spare you the details, but the kitchen was just abandoned as is - so all of the food in the cabinets and refrigerator were left. And then the power was turned off. You can see where I am going with this. I think the worst/most humorous day of the renovation was when Brian and I had to get that old refrigerator from the kitchen way in the back of the house to the front porch. I just chanted "ew, ew, ew" as we shoved it out on a DIY dolly, haha. To summarize, this room has come a long way! Considering how gross it was to begin with, I think subconsciously I stuck with a very clean (i.e. white) palette. Now after all of the changes, it is actually a very relaxing room to end the day with.
**Click on any photo below to enlarge :)**
Although it may look like we just cleaned it up, this room was far from simply cosmetic fixes. You can see a progress photo here (the chimney in the photo gives you a point of reference). We took EVERYTHING out except for the exterior shell and windows.
We added all new framing, drywall, flooring, trim, doors, and casing. Thankfully, the original beadboard ceiling was salvageable so we still had a little bit of character. The before photo gives you an idea for how gross this room was. Jarred tomatoes from 1982 anyone? We ended up saving that little spindle table shown in the before photo and turned it into a bar cart in the dining room.
We actually planned on trying to reuse the cabinets for the longest time, but after closer inspection, realized it was a lost cause. They were in pretty bad shape. Plus, we relocated the kitchen to another room in the house so we would have had to find another matching set to complete the kitchen cabinets.
Since we gutted most of the original elements due to termites (including those original floors), I wanted to keep as much character as humanly possible. I relocated one of the original mantles that we weren't using. We kept the double fireplace as exposed brick which freed up two original mantles. To add a little more contrast to the freshly painted mantle, I created a faux fireplace with chalkboard paint and fairy lights. I had some curtain hold backs we weren't using and made a makeshift log holder with some oak branches from the outside. I was worried it would turn out a little hokey, but I really love it!
Bright and clean were the name of the game for this room, so I tried to keep the decor to a minimum. I went with Sherwin Williams Magnetic Gray for the wall color. I was hesitant that it may be too dark, but it is perfect. It adds just the right amount of contrast to the new white trim and coziness while still being airy.
We are still toying around with finishing touches (thinking I may paint the old chimney stack gray for even more contrast) but it has come light-years from where it was!
That dresser was found at a Habitat Restore. I loved the design, but the finish and original hardware were in really bad shape. Even though I initially thought I would leave the original finish, I ended up painting it a clean white and adding these pretty distressed pulls that I snagged when they were half off.
We created a master bathroom and master closet out of the old pantry and laundry room. I wasn't sure if I was going to like having to walk through the bathroom to get to the closet, but I actually love it. If our closet is messy or there are piles of laundry, I am not eyeing the mess while laying in bed. Brian and I sometimes have different schedules in the morning too so we can now get ready without waking the other.