Written by Kim Harris
Happy Mother’s Day to all you gorgeous Mumma’s!
A day to honour the seemingly endless kindness, compassion, endurance and love that Mum’s supply.
A common theme on social media each Mothers’ Day is Mum’s getting breakfast in bed accompanied by beaming offspring. Mumma looks tired – but appreciates the moment so much.
She is ok to put a raw, unmade, private, braless, often unflattering photo – wearing pjs in bed on social media for all to see.
I can’t think of another occasion when women share themselves this vulnerable… except perhaps photos taken at childbirth – blurry eyed, blotchy, bloated, exhausted, overwhelmed, and incredibly proud. The intimate photo from a hospital bed.
A mother’s bedroom is more than just a place to sleep. A feeding station for babies, a place to go when a bad dream or thunderstorm strikes. At my house it’s where we did readers, watch movies, talk about late night problems, perform minor operations, medical inspections and cuddle the sick or emotionally bruised back to health.
This Mother’s Day I hope to inspire you to refresh your bedroom – to create a space that serves your current stage in life. Pregnancy, babies, toddlers, teens, or empty nest: very different life stages. If your bedroom is not evolving with the flow of life, it might be time to invest in a new energetic vibration – DIY.
My hungry human housemates are 14 and 11. I feel like I need to use my new bedroom as a retreat! A space to call my own. I intend the space to feel clean, uncluttered, relaxing, stylish, creative, put together and grown up. Have a look at your bedroom and feel what it is telling you about you. Write down what you like and what you think needs a change, and record what items you might like to sell.
Start a vision board or notebook for the project.
A change doesn’t have to cost the earth, so set a budget. A new set of linen, clean plump pillows, feature wall painting or hanging print accompanied by a declutter, tidy and clean may enough to reinvent your bedroom to fit your next chapter.
Having renovated a few homes; my first stop is always a House & Garden style magazine. A mag will get the excitement levels happening and point you in the direction of what style you are vibing on.
Paint choice is important. It’s relatively cheap and easy to do. Painting provides big bang for your buck!
Home Magazines often provide the paint brand and colour used in the featured homes. If you like a paint you see in a magazine, it can be a good, safe choice rather than picking from 1000’s of options.
Google 2022 paint trends and 2022 paint colour of the year. You will find latest international colours. Dulux Australia 2022 Colour trends is current to Australian season.
I ended up using: Dulux NATURAL WHITE Low Sheen and Porters Paints GULF STREAM.
For skirting/trims/doors, I used Dulux NATURAL WHITE gloss Acrylic. Applying Acrylic on trim provides durability for the knocks and dings. More challenging than water based paint to work with, cleaning brushes requires Turpentine but do some research if you haven’t used oil-based paint before.
Painting not your thing?
Try readymade VJ boards panels (Bunnings Warehouse) to create vintage drama or ready to hang wallpaper sheets, they have the wow factor. There are loads of gorgeous patterns to choose from! Be brave.
Thinner style sticker vinyl floorboards are impressive as a feature wall, planks will need to be screwed or nailed to secure – the forces of gravity will drop panels if not securely affixed.
I previously used stick-on vinyl floorboards on a small entrance ceiling. It looked impressive!
Lighting and electrical is the one thing that I don’t skimp on when planning a project. Good lighting is not only practical but sets the mood of the space.
Low light is great for relaxation, but equally you need good bright light to see in drawers, read, do makeup, clean or whatever. If you can’t get an electrician, there are many affordable lamps available or use an LED strip lighting system to create mood. Many options of LED strips are available, but prices greatly vary depending on the quality and features.
If you are getting an electrician out it’s a good time to check if you have enough power points available for your room’s devices. USB ports are available in power points. I’m not a fan, but many people are choosing the convenience to have the USB port hardwired.
Matt Spargo and the team from Kool Spark Electrical Hervey Bay installed the air-conditioner, tv port and extra power points. Kool Spark are fully licenced and professional. Matt was super helpful and patient when making design choices.
Always use a qualified electrician. DIY or dodgy unlicensed electrical can be fatal.
I am loving my Hisense Air Con purchased from Good Guys Hervey Bay. Robyn helped me find the right sized unit for the room to ensure efficiency.
The carpet in my place had to go! It was tired, buckling, stained, and worn. I choose Andersen’s in Pialba.
Tim from Andersen’s was helpful when deciding what product would suit my house. Andersen’s provided take home samples and a free in-home measure up.
I decided on a Vinyl Planking for easy clean, durability, and affordability. There’s a big variety of options to choose from. I choose an earthy neutral wood look commercial grade 0.5mm SD435 Laurel. Super durable option with 20-year residential warranty.
Prices vary depending on quality and thickness of vinyl. Planks are adhered with a commercial glue; a great feature is the ease to remove and replace individual planks if they get damaged… not an easy thing to do with other flooring varieties. I love this feature!
I was warned DIY vinyl planking is not straightforward to master. Ensuring your floor levels are even can be the challenge. I would love to hear your opinion, feel free to drop a message on my socials.
Replacing flooring is a major expense and having carpets professionally cleaned or using a feature rug may be a decent alternative. Tiles can be brought back to life with a grout clean and seal.
Polished concrete is not to everyone’s taste, I appreciate the industrial look in a home. It’s durable and easy to clean, certainly worth considering.
Andersen’s can help you make a choice on what options best suit your space, lifestyle, and budget. My two inside doggies Luna and Scooch are a factor when making purchases. Select products that fit your whole tribe. No white carpet for me!
Window coverings need to be practical to your life; consider location, sunlight, and sleep patterns.
I love the floaty look of sheers however sheer curtains aren’t always practical without a block out blind behind to keep out sunlight, plus save the neighbours from a free peep show!
Installing blinds can be fiddly and somewhat challenging if you are not the best on a drill and tape measure. Ready to hang curtains are simple with only the rail to master. Ensure your curtains aren’t too heavy for your rail choice or the screws could rip out of the wall with use.
Before hanging gently wash, warm iron (follow cleaning guide on label).
Hang immediately after ironing. Play around with the folds in the curtains to ensure the drapes sit nicely before they set.
If you are not changing walls, a good clean with a bucket of warm water/sugar soap will get rid of oils, fingerprints and scuffs leaving the walls fresh.
Big stuff done – floors, walls, electrical!
Playtime now with furniture, linen, art, and accessories.
I like to play with layers, textures, plus different heights. It’s your private space, be creative, make it sing with your personality.
The room makeover incorporates a hanging moon feature, faux fur, cord macrame, and velvet cushions, which creates visual, and tactical variety. All purchased at Spotlight.
Indoor plants add life to any room. I love my tall cactus … it creates boho drama! I incorporated a small pink/green Polka Dot Hypoestes plant. I am little bit obsessed with indoor plants and I know many of you are too. They are the perfect Mother’s Day gift I say!
Choose a sunny spot and don’t overwater. Feel free to chat with your plants, apparently, they like that!
I really wanted a mix mash of levels and colour. I used a preloved black bar stool as a bedside table, with a gold metal drum style table on other side.
You can play with what you have available. DIY metallic paint would bring new life to a tired bedside table. It doesn’t have to match.
The pattern/glow/scent of a lantern really is the cherry on top of any Mumma Bear bedroom makeover. I picked up mine ages ago from DUSK, but you could be clever and DIY… like I did In the February edition of ALIVE Home Projects. You can access the project on the ALIVE WIDE BAY website.
I enjoy hanging out in my new bedroom. The space feels like fresh, vibrant, and alive.
If your bedroom is not feeling like you, write a plan, start daydreaming, make a project for you. I hope I’ve given you some ideas to get started, feel free to get in touch if you have questions.
It’s a really challenging job being a Mum – all the little things and the big things too.
You are doing great and are absolutely enough! Happy Mother’s Day.
@messyzen @diykimi @messyzenart