Operation Home Decorating: Guest Bedroom

There's a lot to cover in my home decorating adventures.  Thus, the first of multiple posts on Operation Home Decorating.

Suggestion.  If you want to keep your sanity do not volunteer to host you and your spouse's families for a holiday just two months after moving cross-country to a new state.  Then again, sanity-free can be fun!  The mad dash to furnish and finish decorating the house before Thanksgiving will go down in history as one of the craziest times of my life.  Self induced, of course, because I suffer from mild decorating OCD.  To the point that I learned how to use my sewing machine one week before Thanksgiving to sew curtains, valances, and table runners for the dining room.  But that's for another post.

This post highlights the Guest Bedroom, formally known as the very blue room.

Blue walls, blue bedding, blue pictures.  Oy!  So it became this.

Doesn't it look bigger?  And it feels so much warmer.  Remember the headboard?  Let's take a closer look at the details of the room.

Remember this beauty?  She's been accessorized.  I went with some twiggy, potpourri things in a bowl for a natural element and a vintage picture of my Grandpa for a personal touch.

Remind you of someone? 

I love that a picture of my Grandpa, taken before I or my mom was a glimmer of a thought in his mind, can remind me of my brother.  Is it possible to feel your heritage?  

So the dresser finally got a partner.  Also an antique store find, though it's transformation was not logged.  This guys sits next to the bed.  

I like the detail at the bottom.  Sadly, the holes that existed for the hardware were too far apart for me to match it to the dresser.  But these handles work fine and the brushed nickel matches well.  Can't sweat the small stuff.

Another coordinating factor.  The shelves.  

Mostly filled with candles, except for this hand painted picture of Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Bought this seaside while there in 2005.  I love the colors and love the memory.  Another personal touch.  I'm finding that's important to me as I get older.  Being surrounded by familiar things.  Speaking of familiar...

I call this the Heritage wall.  I found all these coordinating, vintage looking frames at Michael's.  One of their infamous 50% off sales.  Some of the pictures were already matted, some needed matting, and some didn't.  I like the mix.  These are our grandparents.  Even though Scott no longer flies for the Air Force both of our Grandpas did so we loved being connected to that, and them, through this wall.  

My mom's parents on their wedding day.  I love that this artistic shot through the back of the getaway car was taken in 1945.  Edgy for the era?  I like to think so.

My beloved Grandma, years later.  She was a teacher and had gone back to school for her Master's degree in the 60's.  This was her graduation picture.  Her hair.  Her skin.  Wow.  Oh!  And looking at this photo is like looking at my cousin Emily.  Wish I had a picture of her to show you.  Again, that familiar feeling.  Awesome!

Scott's Grandpa in his pilot school graduation picture, and receiving his Flying Cross.  He was a great pilot, but sadly, he lost at least three radio operators in battle during WWII.  Experiences that shaped who he is today.  Oddly, our grandpas achieved similar awards for their heroism during the war.  Scott's fought in Japan, mine fought in Europe.  Both received Purple Hearts.  Their stories are treasures.  I could write about them for ages.  Fortunately, my grandpa's POW story was published, and Scott's grandpa recently taped an interview recalling his experiences.  Priceless treasures.

So there you have it.  A room full of familiarity, personal touches, texture, natural elements.  I'm no designer, but it feels like home.  And that's what matters.  It's ready for visitors!