Room Transformation

Surprisingly, I hadn't drawn my room in AutoCAD until anticipating this move (don't laugh...I'm an aspiring architect...I think it's allowed). I can't believe how teeny tiny it is! The bed takes up half the space! I knew it was small, but now, more than ever, I am happy to expand to a little more space (see New Room). This is the layout I am planning on, but you never know how it will stay until you live with it for a while. 

Kurt and I started by spackling all the holes and painting the walls. I know it is boring, but I wanted the walls white. I like the look of white walls with more colorful furniture and accessories. Plus, I'm lazy and only want to paint this room once. Red is a notoriously hard color to cover, so I was afraid my wimpy white would be no match for it. Luckily, I found a mystery can of grey primer in our apartment which laid down a good foundation. 

Everyone, please note the Block O Kurt painted on my wall. He was very proud of it and wanted to make sure everyone saw it. Isn't he special? (Also note Aubie Cat checking out his new space. I think I caught him at a bad angle. He's really not that plump.)

I really liked the grey and momentarily considered painting the whole room in it. However, I stuck to the original plan and we moved along with the white. Most walls got one coat to freshen them up and the scarlet/grey wall needed two coats of white.

Kurt rolled the walls while I went around with a brush getting the more detailed areas. It was a pretty good system. The non-color I used is Benjamin Moore's White which you can buy right off the shelf without any tinting. The overall effect is a little sterile, so I couldn't wait to move things in to warm it up.

Window treatments first.

Then all the other junk! (See those reimagined dressers?!) The move from next door was pretty easy. I carried armfuls over while listening to Obama give the State of the Union Address. Pardon the mess. It's still a work in progress. I still need to move my clothes and get rid of lots of junk. The walls are in major need of some art. I have tons of maps that should brighten it up. I also think that stretch of wall between those two windows would be the perfect location for a plate wall (sans fish) (thanks for the idea, Mack!). I also plan on giving my old room a deep clean and fresh paint on the walls so the new roommate has a clean slate to work with. 

I'm in love with the few extra square feet I've gained. It's amazing what a little breathing room and brightness will do for you. I can't wait to see what the new roommate brings for the common space and we can start putting the apartment back together. Maybe I should host a dance party while there is absolutely no furniture in the living room!