I’ve been teasing you with the reveal for a few days and now it’s here. First of all, I’m going to share my entry post for this week and then I’ll take you on a tour and tell you how I did it.
“I can’t really say how this project came about. Last week, I had no clue what I was going to do. I walked through the aisles of Lowes, talked to people in every department and asked questions like, “Do you think I can pull this fence apart and use the pieces for something else?”, “Do you sell this piece by itself?” and, my favorite, “I know this sounds really crazy, but could I use that like this?” My mother-in-law and I hummed over roofing supplies, turned plungers upside-down to see their potential, and zigzagged from one side of the store to the other in search of the perfect materials for the perfect project.
I’ve had a thought in my head about creating an exposed board wall for a while and my guest room needed a makeover, so this is the idea I kept coming back to. I live in an older home, but my walls are plaster board and I don’t have boards to expose, so the only way to get that look was to create it. This challenge was the perfect opportunity to make my idea a reality.
I looked at materials all over Lowes and the best and cheapest solution was hardboard. I purchased three 4×8 sheets, but only used two. At $11.00/sheet, this project was $22.00 for the hardboard, $5.00 for a gallon of Oops “Crisp Linen” paint from Sherwin Williams, and $19.00 for a gallon of tinted primer.
My husband cut the hardboard in 4″ wide strips using his table saw and I attached them to the wall using the beastly DeWalt finishing nailer. (I’m pretty proud of myself for that.) I also used a chop saw and jig saw to cut pieces to the proper length and around the angled ceiling. This project then snowballed into painting and redecorating the entire room.
I am absolutely in love with the finished product and how it totally transformed the room. This dark and awkward space is now bright and filled with character. It’s now my favorite room in the house.”
If there was enough closet space in this room, it would become our master. There’s still a little bit more to do, but I love the look and feel of this room. I really hit my style on the head with this one. Sort of American Farmhouse meets Europe meets Junk.
Here’s a breakdown of the room…
The bed is an antique pineapple bed that belonged to my great grandmother. I hand painted the “Gasthaus” sign on a piece of wood pulled off an old crate. Gasthaus means guest house in German and since I grew up in Germany it’s very appropriate for me and my family. The lamps were about $15/each from Ikea and the side table was a $5 yard sale find.
My dear friend, Shari, purchased this antique coverlet for me from our favorite antique haunt (Fox Den in Warrenton, Virginia.) I pined after it for years, but, at $110, it was too expensive. She was able to negotiate the price down to $50 and bought it as a going away/baby shower present for me.
Do the trim around the ceiling? This was my solution for a room with rounded ceilings. It gave a natural place to stop the paint.
I slipcovered the $8.00 thrift store chair in a white cotton twill. The monogrammed linen pillow was about $11 from Ikea and the throw was a wedding gift from Russia.
My parents purchased this Indonesian dowry chest for me as a high school graduation present.
I purchased the vintage wire locker basket from Lucketts Fair for $5.
I made the curtains and bed pillow out of eight yards of remnant fabric I found at a small fabric shop in Carlisle, PA. I don’t remember how much it cost, but it was something crazy like $15 for all of it. The curtain rod and rings are from the BHG collection at Wal-Mart. (Don’t mind the window A/C unit. This is one down side to living in an old home.)
The baby dress belonged to my husband’s aunt and the printing press drawer was purchased by my grandmother years ago.
The mirrored sconces were $3.00 for the pair at a yard sale and the US Army ironstone medical pitcher was $8.00 at an antique shop. I purchased the boxwood bunch at Hobby Lobby for $4.00.
The chalkboard was $3.00 (I think) from a thrift store.
I hung it on the wall with some hemp twine.
The Scrabble letters came out of my grandparent’s attic.
The dresser was a $30 Craig’s List find that only needed a rub with some dark walnut stain. The mirror was a $6.00 auction win that I painted a creamy white and the fan was $15 on E-bay. I’m still working on this side of the room, but it works for now. If you noticed, I’m still moving things around…
These antique dresses are hung on an antique crib rail that I purchased at Lucketts Fair for $50 (for the entire crib.) The cream dress is from my husband’s family and the white one was found in my friend’s barn.
In the corner by the door I hung an antique grocery scale above an antique folding wire laundry basket. This area still doesn’t look right, but I’ll share it when it’s done.
What’s so cool about this room is that aside from the hardboard to create the wall treatment and the curtain rod, I owned everything already. Most of it I have owned and loved for several years and just never found the right place for it. Even the paint color was purchased months ago, not knowing what I would use it for. I love it when that happens!
I was going to include some directions on the board treatment, but I’ll save that for another post.
Make sure you visit So You Think You Can Decorate to vote for your favorite.
75 Responses
Girl, it looks awesome! I've been wanting to do this to a wall in our bedroom but haven't had the guts. I think this project just moved up on my list of things to do …
Oh my, this board treatment is wonderful! It totally changed the look of the room. Love all the accessories..especially the antique dresses. I have enjoyed seeing your creative ideas on SYTYCD.
Love the wall, what a difference! I would be a guest in that room anytime!! Great work!
Great job! Love the beadboard, I put it in my bathroom just like you did. It gives the room a cabiny feel to me. Everthing looks so good together.
Good Luck!
This is beautiful!!!! Wow! I'm so impressed by all the neat things you have done and the creative ways you have displayed or used items you already have! Great finds too!
What a beautiful haven you've created! I can't believe it's the same room!
All your choices are elegant, timeless and perfect.
A beautiful entry!
Donna
you are one talented lady. i've been to gettysburg…but i hope to go again…if only to come to your shop and meet you!!!!! 🙂
-Sierra
OH It's gorgeous! I love the red!!
You did a fabulous job with this room.
Oh I love this idea, it really makes the room. Your house is so cozy and charming.
I love everything about this room. I'm sure your guests will love staying here and admiring all the antique treasures.
Amazing make over. Truely inspiring.
Very peaceful. I love it!
Absolutely GORGEOUS room. I'm going to have a hard time voting this week. I LOVE your red and white combination, and the stained furniture. Not EVERYTHING has to painted, right?
I love what you've done to this room! I would love to stay in it. Looks so comfy and welcoming. Especially love the fabric and that fan. I saw one in a 2nd hand shop for $85.00 last week. You got yourself a great e-bay deal!
That is beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!
I love this room. The boards on the wall is a terrific idea. Love that antique bed and chest. You have some really pretty pieces that just fit in so well in your old home. I just love the cozy inviting feeling you have created throughout your home.
What a job, but it looks beautiful! It does really brighten up the room and I love the touchs of red you brought in.
Ok, I love, love, love, the thinking out of the box on the wall. It may have to go into the idea box for future use. The room looks great, your guests will love it.
Your room looks amazing. I love everything. Such wonderful detail and the wood on the walls made such a difference in it's character. All of your furniture and accessories are lovely too. Beautiful transformation. Hugs, Marty
Wow! It's so beautiful! I love all of the personal touches. It just makes the room. I always check the "oops" paint just in case I find something I like. 🙂
It looks wonderful!!! I've been wanting to do this in our family room but have been too scared. You might have just inspired me to go for it. Thanks!
LOVE THE WALL!!!!!!!!! I would surely be missing a few fingers, LOL.
Great work,
Carol
I look forward to your post each Monday, the last few weeks. Great job!
What a beautiful room. Timeless.
I have been trying to figure out how to do this wood treatment on my walls,for cheap, for sometime now, never occurred to me to use hardboard…(had to go to Lowe's to type that in to find out what hardboard was!) We call it paneling…lol.
Thanks for this post. And hey, I love the old house and don't mind the window unit at all.
It's how we live!
Okay! This is awesome! I have been staring at the wall in our office/guest room imagining the cheapest/simplest way to create this look as well! Well, you've done it once again… shown me a way! And would you believe that my Craigslist desk is going in the same room {the one you inspired me to go for}? It's me, Melis, the Frog Tape winner. 😉 My desk is complete {minus some hardware for the top three drawers, but once I get those on I will send you a picture}. I absolutely LOVE it! Like LOOOOVE it! Thanks tons for this post! Can't wait to get going on it!
Oh I love it! The entire room change is beautiful! The planks add so much to the room.
But…I would have LOVED to see what you would've done with the upside down plunger! 🙂
I'm so glad I put you on my blog list! This room looks so inviting and fresh. I love the white dresses hanging up. And the wall looks so authentic. Great job!
You know Missy, your taste is impeccable. And that is why I'm handing over the sunshine award to you. No pressure. Just perhaps a funful option. Have a wonderful day, lovely.
I love hearing the provenance of your treasures. They mingle so well with your creativity!
: )
Julie M.
ps Oh, that dress that was found in your friend's barn is…lovely!!!
awesome. love it. and what a great idea. Love the bedding and drapes too..
Love love love the wall. Looks like it has been there for a long time. Fabulous! And the way it brought the room together is awesome. Well done!!
Hugs
SueAnn
Love the room! You KNOW how I am gonna vote!!
I really like this! This is exactly how I want to decorate in our house but it is not coming together like this. Maybe I need more stuff. Hopefully I can get all my furniture the same color soon! Love those lamps!
I love the make over! That room looks so beautiful, and all your little touches and gorgeous accessories make it even more lovely! The wall is such a great idea… nice work with the nail gun!
🙂
It looks so good and you are doing such a great job in the competition !
Agh, I love the hard board planks, what a great, GREAT idea! And there are so many little great details in that room that it makes my head spin.. I think my most favorite is the chalkboard with the lovely saying, and the Scrabbled Welcome. Just perfect. Oh, but I love Guest House in German…. and your Grandmother's bed, argh, just too much to love about that room!
Your guests will be so lucky to stay in such a beautiful room. Your wall treatment is great, how did you possibly think of that? I love it!
holy moley i absolutely adore this. it is so calm and inviting. guest are going to love this room!
I'll add to everyone else – wonderful job…I'm SO inspired by this and have a similar room that this would work in. You are so talented – I love your ideas, thanks for sharing them! Jen
It is so lovely in that room!!! I'm learning so much from you. Guess what I learned today?
That cord cover up thing on the wall with the sconce!!!!!!!!!
I was so excited to see that A HUGE light went off in my brain! Call me a simpleton. It doesn't take much to get me giddy!!! Makes me want to jump in the car and go buy a bunch of those strips and then pick out my favorite sconces and put them every where.
None of this was the point of your post. I know.
But you never know what is gonna hit on the creative radar!!!!!
And besides, I love everything you do!!!!
Wow! The wall turned out wonderfully and I love all of the vintage pieces you have. What a beautiful guest sanctuary you have created!
Dena
Yowza! Great post. I've been thinking of doing something like this in my house – so glad to see a tutorial on it! THANK YOU.
Today I posted about my problem living room. If you have any ideas/comments I would love to hear them.
http://www.northdixiedesigns.com/2010/04/autism-awareness-designers-of-america.html
I keep coming back to this post to look at every detail. So yes, I'm stalking you. 🙂
Donna
It's absolutely beautiful, great job. I love the board treatment on that wall, can't wait for further instructions. I have a master bedroom that needs a little love, and that just might look great in there. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, that's gorgeous! I've always wondered about how to get that look. You made it look easy!
That is an amazing guest room. Very inviting and cozy. I love the baby dress hung on the printer's rack – unexpected but it works.
This is truly one of the most beautiful, well put together rooms I have ever seen. I am beyond impressed. You have such a talent! Very wel done!!!
Beautiful job adn looks like it has always been like that! Love the entire room! GORG!
Thank you for your kindness in giving some ideas for my room – very much appreciated. I'll be back. Love, love, love this room!
I savored every word on your post…and you've totally 'wow~ed' me once again. It is absolutely fabulous!!!
Miss MS does it again!! Gorgeous!
I love the attention to detail of simple but lovely scrabble letters!!! 🙂
This is genius. The whole room pulled together so nicely. I love the color choices and the wall detail was outstanding. Wonderful effort.
Pamela
WOW! This turned out so great!!
Check out my new
GIVEAWAY!!!
~Morgan
Meet Virginia!
Meet Virginia!
Meet Virginia!
SHUT.UP. You are too much! Those dang walls are perfect. At first, I thought this guest room was for me, but my sign would have said "Brick Haus". weeeeee. another fan-freakin-tastic project!
What a fabulous project, especially after scrolling through all the treasures that truly made this room! Thank you for continuing to inspire me with your wonderful projects!!!
What a lovely room! the board walls are my favorite part, that and the wire basket from Lucketts!
Loooooooooooooove it! Great job! It is just precious…everything!
I love the dresses hanging on the crib rail! So dreamy!
love the love that has gone into this room. my fav thing is the way you used the red fabric and tape/twill to line the top on the long panels and use to secure on the valance curtain too.
Thanks for some lovely ideas. Great work!
WOW! What a transformation! This room looks like it belong in a cottage by the sea…
You have my vote… looks awesome… I love the whole room… so cozy and welcoming… I would be proud to stay in there… I can't guarantee that there would be anything left after I did my midnight run though… LOL… you have some beautiful things in there… you are making me drool… absolutely gorgeous.
Hugs, Deb
I felt my breath catch as I saw how you did the "plank" wall. That is exactly what I want to do in my pool house and I have been searching on how to do it as cheap as possible. Thank you, thank you!!! I can't wait to get started!
I've been pining after a plank wall, too! Love how you did yours.
The whole room is amazing. Amazing.
Love it.
I absolutely LOVE what you have done with this room!
Hi I'm visiting from Kimba's party & I just love this room! It's the perfect blend of vintage chic. It's just beautiful & such a job well done. Take care!
Oh my gosh!! You just totally blew me away!! I will be featuring this later on this evening so stop by and grab a button!! The room is so beautiful!!
OK….don't know how in the world I missed this but it is sooooooo beautiful!!! I LOVE the wall w/ the hardboard!! And I love every single other detail, like the curtains w/ the upholstery strapping, the crib w/ the vintage dresses, the dresser….wow $30 amazing! And well yeah, pretty much everything you did….You are so totally creative girl~ I am really liking that idea….hmmmmm feel a project coming on…..;)
Shellagh
It was touching to me how many things you used that were a part of your personal story and journey. I just bought my first home and sometimes feel discouraged that there isn't more "done." Lovely homes are built organically over time. Thank you for that ever-so-needed reminder. I'd like to blog about how your post touched me on my blog!
I think you are very talented and your room is just lovely! AND my family lives "up the road" from Lucketts (just past the winery)! My sis-in-law has a booth there every year! You made me homesick….:)
I really love everything you did. Especially the part where most of the things that you used you already owned. And I love that you tell everyone how much you paid for almost everything, us nosy people want to know things like that!
Wow. Wow. Wow. I love everything! I love the board treatment you did. All the old finds that you had. I want to come and sift through your things. 🙂
What a wonderful transformation – and you really transformed it!
WOW! I'd move into that room anyway and just walk down the hall to get my clothes out of my closet. 😉 AMAZING!
AWESOME room! you did a great job putting all your finds together. It is just perfect!
Your room makeover is splendid! I have wanted to add some sort of texture to our living room walls, and your hardboard treatment is very inspiring…..I'll probably do wainscoting, but your idea is more unusual and original. Thanks for showing each and every decorative piece in the room….it really shows folks how inexpensive it can be to transform a room.