Sonya Hamilton Designs

Our Master Bedroom, A Pallet Project and Being Content

By

Beyond the Screen Door Master Bedroom (6)Years ago when my kids were younger and my Stay-At-Home-Mom hat was bigger than my Interior Designer hat I had a projects for my own house going all the time. Sewing, painting murals, switching the kids bedrooms, painting faux brick walls, etc.

We lived in one home for 10 years and I painted every single room 3 times or more. By comparison, in this house I’ve painted 2 rooms in 7 years.

It was nothing for my husband to come home for lunch and – to his utter surprise – find all the furniture moved to the entry hall, plastic tarps covering furniture or blocking off rooms, me decked out in some of the worst looking clothes you’ll ever see, sporting eye goggles and a dust mask, standing on a ladder scraping popcorn ceilings and getting ready to paint.

I miss those days.

Beyond the Screen Door Master Bedroom (5)

I honestly do.

But “To everything there is a season…”

I readily admit my house will always be a work in progress but these days it is a slower process than it used to be. This season is more about working for others than for myself. And I’m so very thankful.

But the desire to always be changing and doing is still there. Recently Debbie from Debbiedoo’s ask me to be a part of her weekly home tour series. I have to admit this stressed me a bit.

Beyond the Screen Door Master Bedroom (4)

“Nothing is finished! Everything looks the same! I haven’t taken full room pictures in FOREVER! I don’t have time to clean to take new pictures! I need to repaint this, move that, make new this, make new that! How long does it take to make a headboard? These accessories have been in the same spot for years! Where are the photos I put away to make room for Christmas? All the windows are dirty! Can I Photoshop in clean windows?”

Just a few of the irrational thoughts running through my head during the weeks prior to the house tour deadline. 

Beyond the Screen Door Master Bedroom (2) I finally realized I was being ridiculous. “I will NOT live in discontent with what the Lord has blessed! So what! It will never all be done and ready for a whole house photoshoot so get over it! Do what you can and be glad!”

Just a few of the more rational thoughts just prior to the house tour deadline. 

Beyond the Screen Door Master Bedroom

But true to my nature I had to do something new to fill the empty spot above our bed so I whipped up a pallet wood project the day before the deadline.

I asked my husband and son take apart the pallets I’d been hoarding in the garage. We screwed the boards to a couple of back braces and cut out as large a circle as we could using a jigsaw. (I wish it was a bit bigger but I’m being content.)

At this point I had NO IDEA what I was going to do with this thing past getting it to a circle shape. This was pure winging it.

I tried to stain the wood but due to how dry it was the stain was too dark (see above – the very bottom board). I decided to “brown-wash” it with watered down brown latex paint to mimic the look of stain.

1-001

We experimented with what I wanted to paint on the board, random numbers and/or letters, but nothing clicked. Finally, I decided to use our last name. Not very creative and thinking outside the box here but it made sense.

After coming up with the placement and a font I liked, I printed it off the computer and free handed the letters onto the board. I could have used a projector to make it more accurate but this was faster. I was on a deadline.

1-003(Don’t ask me why there are bags of beans in this photo. I haven’t a clue.)

I filled the letters in with black craft paint, added “est. 1982” (partially over a knot hole), sanded through the paint to age it a bit more, added a wire hanger to the back and…

Beyond the Screen Door Master BedroomViola! New…relatively quick…free…handmade…made to look like “we found an old wood sign with our name on it, how cool is that?”…artwork!

I took the time to make something for myself!

Beyond the Screen Door Master Bedroom (3)In the end I took a few new pics for the house tour but mostly used ones from a couple of years ago.  I’d still like to update my house photos but for now…I’m content.

You can see the before of our master bedroom in one of the first posts I ever wrote when I debated my color vs neutral dilemma. The debate is still on but the Neutrals won this room. Other projects: Lampshade, Pillows, Bench.

Pin6
Share
Tweet
6 Shares

Comments

  1. Great job on the pallet sign, Sonya! I love that you did your last name. Love your bedding and the neutral scheme in your bedroom. It looks very calm and relaxing, which a bedroom should be. We will be painting here this year and I’ve been debating myself whether or not to keep it neutral or add some color {to the master bedroom anyway}.

  3. It’s gorgeous Sonya!! I’m very impressed, especially that you freehanded the letters, wow. Your bed is beautiful.

  4. So true Sonya! I too don’t ever want to have a heart of “discontent” …so much to be thankful for. Your home is beautiful, love your bedroom and your sign…perfect!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

  5. Love this project. It sure looks perfect over your bed too Sonya. So happy you shared your lovely home over at my place. It will forever be there for others to enjoy.

  8. That is one gorgeous bedroom! Don’t you just love your artwork? It looks so current and the fact that you made it is amazing.

  9. Hi Sonya, your bedroom is a vision of creamy white goodness! I love the sign and the placement of your name off center. So creative!!! ~Kristie

  12. wow!…That is gorgeous…a job well done!…As you stated,iIt really looks like you found an old sign with your name!!..Looks fantastic over your bed!….Your bedroom is so beautiful…just love the linens!

  14. I really like your pallet art! Like it A LOT 🙂 and I totally know how you feel – I felt the same way when Amy from ‘It’s Overflowing’ did my house tour. But I managed too and you are so right about being content!

  15. Absolutely beautiful! I can’t believe you free handed the letters ~ great job. That’s a part of the artist in you. 🙂 I understand everything you said and yes, “being content” is so important isn’t it? I think we all like changes and updates but being grateful for what we have is #1.

    Thanks for sharing!
    xo
    Pat

  16. This couldn’t be more relative to my life RIGHT NOW. I am experiencing the same angst as currently my decorator hat is bigger than my Stay-At-Home-Mom hat (love how you said that!). Thank you for your transparency & the reminder to be grateful for what God has already done/is doing/will do. My house won’t be all I want it to be for an upcoming event but I will decide to have a grateful heart thanks to you!

  17. I absolutely love what you have created here! That looks stunning! I love that your family helped you too…so special. Your home looks perfect!
    Jenna

  18. Found you through The Scoop and am so glad you stopped by! This artwork is gorgeous- I love how personal it is in that space. It’s perfect (:

    ps: Laughing out loud at your “irrational thoughts” because I can definitely relate! (;

  19. Hahaha….I loved when you said what you said about cleaning! How many times have we taken a great picture only to see the mess below the camera lense…my sister in law teases me that I only take up close pictures…and I laughed that I would have to clean to take a wide angled shot! Anyhooo….you did a great job.
    Blessings,
    Debbie

  20. Sonja,

    You did a truly remarkable job with that awesome project. it really DOES look like “Hey! I found a really old wooden sign with our name on it!”

    Well done.

    And good thoughts, too – it’s important to know I am not along in thinking it’s never done and never quite perfect.

  22. Your bedroom is really lovely. Your sign is great and it has given me a little bit of inspiration….I’ll send you a link when I’m done. New follower via No Minimalist Here.

  24. Your entire bedroom is so fresh, calm, and pretty! Loving your pallet art over the bed. Happy Thursday from the enchanted oven.
    xo,
    Lisa

  25. So have you been in my head or what? I feel like I could have written the first five paragraphs of this post too. Your life is my life. 😀 I even have a round lazy susan made from an old oak barrel that I could copy your project. 😀 Unlike you, though, I have not done a thing to our bedroom in the fifteen years that we have lived here and it shows. Somehow I was too busy doing all the other rooms in the house I guess. So now I am planning and digging it. The only difference is – this time I’m hiring out a lot of the work. I may need some lifts and tucks myself but the upside of this stage is that we have a bit more discretionary money. 😀 Thanks for sharing your project. I always love seeing what you are up to.
    p

  26. I love that sign, and I think I need one of those in my bedroom! I have a serious commitment issue with things on my walls, as in, I won’t hang things forever until I know exactly how I want it to look! Sad, I know…
    Visiting from Tuesday Treasures… Rhonda @ home.made.

  27. Your bedroom is beautiful and the sign looks just perfect above the bed. I love everything and it’s all new to me since I’ve never been to your sight before. All that fretting for nothing. Newest follower.
    Cindy

  37. Hey Sonya, Just want to say that it is so exciting to see you featured on so many blogs this week! You are a blessing! ~Kristie