How I made my upholstered headboard

I LOVE the look of a big tall upholstered headboard. It's a really easy and inexpensive way to add drama to a room.

I knew I wanted an upholstered headboard when I started my bedroom makeover. I also wanted it to be inexpensive and easy for me to DIY.

I started with a 4'x 8' sheet of pegboard I had cut down to 4'x4' at Lowe's. While there I picked up two French-Cleat Art mounting brackets.  Then I went to Jo-Ann and bought 1" foam and quilt batting.

To start, I laid my pegboard down, and sprayed spray adhesive all over it.
Then I laid the foam down.

Moving inside, I laid my face fabric (a flat sheet from Target) down on a clean surface.

Then I laid my batting on top of that.

Finally, I laid my foamed- up pegboard down on the batting, foam side down.

First, I stapled the batting to the pegboard with my trusty staple gun. You want to pull it taut, but not tight. Try to keep even pressure all the way around so it doesn't wave.

Then, repeat the process with your face fabric. Staple one staple in the top, then one in the bottom, one in the left, and one in the right. Go back to the top and staple like hell.

When you get to the corners, you'll need to pretend you're wrapping a package or making a bed.

Pull one side down, and add a staple.

Then pull the other across and staple again.

The finished product:

Now time to add the mounting hardware.

I taped my cleats in place first:

Then screwed them in with the provided hardware.

Next I measured where the cleats were in relation to the top of the headboard and each other:

You need to do some math to figure out where to mount your cleats on the board and on the wall.

Then mount the cleats on the wall according to your math.

The cleats have an angle to them to allow the part mounted to the headboard to slip on to the wall part.

Now just get someone to help you hang the headboard on the wall cleats, and you're done.

I finished this in February (bad blogger!) and am STILL debating about adding nailhead trim to it. Any thoughts? 

Master Bedroom: European Pillow Shams with Flange

I LOVE European shams on beds. They add such a nice finished look without being 10,000 things to take off when you want to go to sleep. (Which is a plus if you have a Mr. in the house. They don't seem to understand decorative very well.) Also, Euro shams are a great size for propping up in bed to read.  So they were a definite must-do for my bedroom makeover.

First, I washed and dried my fabric. If you don't wash before sewing, your piece just became dry clean only.

While I was waiting on the fabric, I did my math.

European pillows are 26" x 26" square. To make sure the pillows were nice and puffy, I wanted them to squish inside my shams. Therefore, my space for my pillow is 24 x 24. I wanted a 3" flange around the outside.

Therefore, my finished dimensions of my sham would be 3" flange + 24" insert size + 3" flange = 30". I added 1/2" on each side for a seam allowance, giving me 31" x 31" for my front piece.

Now, I needed to figure out the back. I wanted an envelope closure that overlapped in the back. I decided on a 2" overlap.

So 3" flange + 12" (half of the insert) + 2" for front hem + 1/2" seam allowance = 17 1/2" wide x the same 31" high.

Then my last piece needed to be 19 1/2" wide to give me a 2" overlap.

Next, I ironed my fabric to get it nice and flat.

Now, to cut my pieces. I have a bit of trouble with straight lines, so I opted to let the fabric do it for me.

I laid it out flat on my table, measured 31", and cut a small notch.

Rip across to get a 31" tall piece. Measure across the width 31", cut, and rip again to get 31" wide.

This is your front. Label and set aside.

Repeat the measuring and ripping to get your three pieces.

 For both back pieces, fold one edge over 1", and iron.

 Fold over again, and iron again to make a double hem.

Sew along the front with a 3/4" seam allowance to secure the hem. It will look like this from the back:

 Repeat with the second back piece.

 Now it's time to assemble the pillow. Lay the front piece on your table, face up.

Lay the 17 1/2" wide piece face down on top of the front, lining up the edges.

Lay the remaining piece face down on top of the other two, again lining up the edges.

Sew along the edge, using a 1/2" seam allowance.

Turn your sham inside out and press.

Top-stitch all the way around, 3" from the edge to create the flange.

Stuff your pillows in and enjoy!

I love the pop of floral and green they add to the room! 

This method can easily be adapted for any size pillow, just change the sizes based on your insert.

5 Ways to bring Las Vegas luxury to your bedroom

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Vegas for work (my first time!).
Being a designer, I of course dissected every inch of the room and took a gazillion pictures.
My second morning there, I was sitting watching the sun rise and thought " there's a post here."

So many of us (myself included) look at articles about how to be a better hostess, how to create a great guest room, etc., yet never focus on the room we stay in every day. My guest room is probably the best night's sleep in my entire house, has great towels, lots of toiletries, etc.. My room, well, it's a dumping ground for laundry, halfway finished projects, and part storage shed.

As part of my inspiration to make my master bedroom a more luxurious suite instead of a room with a bed
Here are five things I found that make this room a luxury and not just a place to sleep and take a shower.

1. Use layers of lighting.
You need more than just an overhead. Put a chandelier on a dimmer switch, use multiple lamps, and add recessed cans if possible for a variety of lighting configurations for various tasks.
The room I was in had nightstand lamps, small cans over the bed, and larger cans around the room for general illumination.

2. Be deliberate with your design choices.
Make every piece functional, and be ruthless when enforcing your concept. If grandma's dresser doesn't fit your contemporary spa idea, make it over so it does, or find another spot for it. Every item in the room should serve a purpose. Even accessories should serve a function- adding color, texture, or shine, adding storage, etc.

3.Make yourself a minibar.
It doesn't have to be elaborate- some bottles of water and/ or glasses on a pretty tray, up to a coffee service for that first cup in the morning. If you have the room, a cube refrigerator to keep water cold is always nice. These are often on sale during back to school, and can be found cheaply on Craigslist or at Goodwill right after school gets out for summer.

Studio one thirteen  made a coffee bar for her hubby out of pieces she found around the house.

source

4.Add glitter.
Add a special touch that adds a sparkle, like a mirror to reflect candlelight or an item with special texture and shine. In the Palazzo, that was the glowing onyx top to the dresser. In my bedroom at home, it's my capiz shell lamp.

5.Make the bed a focal point
Most importantly, make your bed the focal point of the room. A dramatic headboard, framing it with curtain panels, or a contrasting accent wall all draw attention to the biggest piece of furniture in the room. Dress it in layers of the best linens your budget can afford. White is always a popular choice since it can easily be cleaned, but dramatic prints like those from Dwell Studio for Target are also popular.

Elements of Style has a whole post on the subject:

source

Hopefully THESE give you some ideas on how to transform your bedroom in to a suite worthy of Las Vegas luxury.

Emilee's E-Design

I've mentioned I'm giving away a free E-design to all three entries in my giveaway.

Today, I'm here to feature the first design, Emilee's Master Bedroom. Be sure to go check out her blog Sweetly Made (just for you)- she has some great ideas and projects!

Emilee decided to get a design for her Master Bedroom. She and Hubby have a young son, so they need a romantic retreat!

Their space has some great architectural features, but a lack of personality. They've fallen into the trap most young marrieds do- they get so focused on the public areas of the house and then the kids rooms, they forget to focus on their bedroom- the escape from the hustle and bustle of life.

Here's a few before pics:

Look at the awesome vaulted ceiling- and the builder's grade light fixture. This room is just calling out for some romantic style!

Emily responded in her questionnaire that they liked contemporary lines, dark woods, and their new blue sheets. She and her husband are also looking for some romance in this space. Looking at their pictures, the room also functions as a home office, and one of them is a big reader. They'd like to keep this re-design around $5,000 total.  They love the style of Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware. Emilee hates clutter, so integrated storage is a plus.

Here's their E-design board:

The big feature item in this room is a new bed. I recommended they splurge and invest in a bed they both love- like the one shown above from Pottery Barn. The rest of the room is budget-friendly, and as they can, they can upgrade to more investment pieces. 

Both Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware feature beds with lots of layers, so I recommended adding in a coverlet and a throw blanket on top of a white duvet cover with some detail- like the one from Target. Matching the coverlet to their existing sheets will really make the blue pop.

Other features of the room are a reading nook in the window alcove, and a steamer trunk to hold linens and serve as a place to put laundry.  The computer stays in the same location, but hides away in a computer armoire. A white Ikea chair adds a pop of freshness to the room.  I also recommended they start a gallery wall by enlarging photos that have meaning to them. 

The design finishes out with soft blue paint for the walls, a large rug for the floor, and a chandelier on a dimmer for mood lighting. I always recommend putting ceiling lights on dimmers- it makes so much difference to be able to adjust lighting to fit the activity taking place in the room. 

At $3,800, there is still plenty of room in the budget for Emilee to hire painters, seamstresses, and electricians if she so desires. 

So there's Emilee's Master Bedroom. I can't wait to see how they take the design plan and run with it! 

If you're interested in your own E-design, click on the "Interiors" tab at the top!