Guest Bedroom Before and After | Sea Spray Condo

I feel a little silly dedicating a whole post to this room since literally all we did was paint the walls. However, it turned out to be such a cutie-patootie room, and I wanted to show how much difference a can of paint and re-arranging furniture can make. (Do I sound like a broken record yet? ;)

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Sorry that the pictures don't exactly match up for the before and after, but basically we moved the beds to the wall perpendicular to the one they were on. The tall chest moved to the wall directly in front of the beds and we put a TV on top of that. I think this layout is much better for viewing TV, but I also didn't like the fact that before when you walked into the room, you could see the bed. Not a whole lot of privacy for the person sleeping in here! I love that the beds can be pushed together to make a king size bed if a couple is staying in this room, or remain two twins for kids.

We were lacking a nightstand in here, so I found this little guy on Craigslist for $10. We lacquered him up in a pretty white with leftover cabinet paint and he looks right at home amongst the other white furniture. When we were taking this photo, the nightstand was still wet, so we couldn't put the lamp back on top. Did you spy the plastic wrap on the carpet? :)

The bedding was existing and so was the artwork, so we only spent $40 in here between the nightstand and the gallon of paint (Sherwin Williams Watery). I think it turned out pretty cute!

Kitchen Before and After | Sea Spray Condo

I have never been a very patient person, so we are going to start the rest of the Sea Spray Condo re-design with the most dramatic transformation!

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The only new things we purchased for this room were four dining chairs, three bar stools, gallery wall frames, a hanging frame, and a decorative tray. Everything else was existing and re-purposed. There is not a backsplash above the cabinets, but there was this old grasscloth wallpaper. We debated tiling, but thought it would make the rest of the space look old and dingy. To bring a little color into the kitchen, we ended up painting the wallpaper and I love the texture it brings to the room. Plus, it saved us so much time and money as opposed to tiling.

We painted the legs of the existing dining table to create a more beach cottage look. Such a different look! The table is actually great quality and has sentimental meaning to my mom, so I am glad we could make it work.

Here is my $15 gallery wall. Not my favorite project ever, but it was only $15. I wish I had splurged a little on nicer frames (these are from the Dollar Tree). It serves the purpose, ties in the satin nickel accents in the kitchen, and we won't sweat it if one of the frames gets broken. Maybe we will upgrade down the road. One thing about this project that did work out well was having the photo prints made at Staples. I wanted inexpensive color photos printed, and ended up having color copies made instead of photo prints. The quality is still pretty good and I think when the photo is behind glass, it is hard to tell it is not a photo print. They will only run abour $.40 a copy, as opposed to the $2.50 for a photograph which can add up when making a gallery wall.

It looks SO much bigger and brighter. Never underestimate the power of paint! The majority of the budget was spent on this room, as my parents opted to hire a professional painter to paint the cabinets which I think was a wise decision. He is a commercial painter and even he underestimated the work this job would take. The cabinets are original, super dark faux wood grain, and there are tons of drawers/cabinets. Brian and I were going to tackle this project, but I was worried our paint job would chip with use over time. Since this is a rental, durability is key!

Here is how the budget breaks down:

• Kitchen cabinet painting: $600
• Backsplash paint: $15 - Painted in Valspar Mellow Spring
• Cabinet hardware: $30 (DLawless Hardware)
• Dining chairs: $60 set (Craigslist) - Painted in Valspar Mellow Spring
• Bar stools: $60 set (Craigslist) - Painted in Valspar Secluded Garden
• Gallery wall: $15 (Dollar Tree)
• Kyrlon Looking Glass Spray Paint: $8 (for old window)
• Frame above stove: $7 (HomeGoods)
• Tray on table: $10 (HomeGoods)

While the $805 total is a little hard to swallow, I think it is a decent price for such a transformation. Plus, I can sleep at night knowing a renter isn't dinging the cabinet paint left and right. ;) Have you guys ever tried to paint similar cabinets? How did it go? Any tips of tricks to share?

Master Bedroom | Sea Spray Condo

Ok, another mini-makeover today at the beach condo. On a whim, we decided to paint the master bedroom, and I am so glad we did! My oh my, the difference a little paint can make. This is my new favorite blue/green/gray: Valspar Winter in Paris. So soothing, ever-changing with the light. I am in love. Plus, that name! Could there be a more perfect paint color name for me?

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The only thing we bought for this room was a can of paint. The art and lamps were stolen from the living room. We still need some accents like a few throw pillows, drapes, and a bed skirt, but I think this room is now soothing, clean, and simple.

Now, your attention is on the pretty view and not that over-powering baby blue wall color. :)

Living Room | Sea Spray Condo

We are just about done with the living room at the beach condo, and I would love to share a little before and after. Changes in here were minimal - switching out a few lamps, adding in a handful of accessories, and re-finishing a few pieces. I think the item that makes the biggest impact is getting rid of those treacherous vertical blinds.

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Here is the breakdown of the budget for this room:

• Lamp - $30
• Lamp Shades (2) - $30
• Throw Pillows (2) - $30
• Accent Sail Boats (2) - $20
• Curtain Rods (2) - $40

The rest of the new items in the room were re-purposed from other rooms. The curtains were ones that were given to us for free (!!!), the white lamp bases were swapped out from the bedroom, the new map artwork was in storage. We got a great deal on the sailboats and they totally make this room. The only other thing we did was remove a few items and de-clutter a bit. Small changes, but I think the overall feel is beachy, breezy, and cozy. So for a grand total of $150, we have a new look!

Flamingo Guest Bedroom Inspiration | Sea Spray Condo

It is a well known fact in my family that my mother has an obsession with flamingos. Flamingo lights, flamingo wine glasses, flamingo decor - you name it, she has it. As we are finishing up the condo re-design, I wanted to incorporate her love of this pink bird in a tasteful and modern way. The guest bedroom is small with two twin beds. This is the last room on the list to address, and the perfect spot to infuse a little Miami Beach flamingo love.

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Are you as obsessed with I am over the colors and patterns in these fabrics? I love pairing navy and pink together. The navy both complements and tones down the super sweet pink. Throw in aqua, and it is a match made in heaven. All of the bedding is on order and I am crossing my fingers it arrives in time!

The weather did not cooperate this weekend, so we are not quite done with the Sea Spray Condo. We did make a lot of progress in the living room and master. Can't wait to share later this week!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. :)

Beach Inspiration | Sea Spray Condo

I got the engineer print and gallery art prints back yesterday and I am pretty excited about how they turned out! We are headed to the beach this weekend, and I think we may be able to finally get the living room/kitchen done (minus a pair of lamps, whomp). Since we wanted to re-purpose almost everything in the spaces, it has been a bit of a challenge to figure out how to make it work all together. I think it is about time I share the inspiration for the room.

It all started with a sea foam green couch. It is beautiful, but there was literally nothing else in the space that matched it. See, this condo has been in my mom's family for over 30 years, so different people have decorated it little by little over time. In other words, it was a mis-matched beachy mess. My mom has tried to add modern touches here and there, but it really needed an overhaul.

We wanted to incorporate the couch while also infusing a subtle beach theme into the place. I think people tend to go overboard on a beach house with a "beach theme". People, hear me out. One - you are already at the beach. Less is more! Let the pretty surroundings shine. :) Two - colors alone can exude a beachy look. Soft blues and aquas, grayed wood tones, and navy accents will create a nautical feel easily. There is no need (I repeat, NO NEED) for a fish themed upholstered couch with matching chairs and coral kitchen cabinets with multi-color fish pulls. We get it; you are at a beach house. *end rant*

That being said, the inspiration here was pretty subtle and simple: creamy sailcloth fabrics, classic coastal accents, shades of seafoam and deep sea blue, and rattan accessories. We have a laundry list of things to paint this weekend, but I am hopeful we can pull it off!

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What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with me on the whole beach theme?