One of the things about being a young couple is that all of our furniture is an amalgam of pieces lovingly donated to us or purchased on the cheap. Many of the pieces we have received are quite nice, while some are just begging for replacement. While moving our bedroom furniture into the house, it really hit me how incoherent everything is. Our bedroom doesn’t look finished, and never has. We currently have one hand-me-down dresser that a relative of mine made some decades ago, a new dresser that experienced an unfortunate encounter with a wall during our last move, and a bed frame that, well…doesn’t exist. We sleep with our mattress on the floor. Luxurious, I know. I feel the jealousy.

So I got to thinking. and googling. Some time ago, I found a lady with a website that is a great source for beginner furniture builders, and her name is Ana White.

I hesitate to use the term “wood workers” as I know a few, and that is certainly not what this website touts. No dovetail joints or blind mortises. Cheap and easy are the goals here, which is right up my alley right now. This lady really shows that making most of the furniture in your house is a totally feasible option. So browsing through her website, I was able to find build plans for many of the furniture I want to bring into our home. Beyond this, I would love to have a more cohesive scheme regarding linens in our bedroom. It’s not super practical, but I’m a sucker for a nice looking bed (though you wouldn’t know if it you saw my own). Here are my thoughts for our bedroom:

(1) Farmhouse 2-Drawer Bedside Table (Pottery Barn)

I like the look of a lot of “Farmhouse” style furniture. Simple, yet practical. All you really need next to your bed is surface for books, a drawer for stashing things when people come over, and a shelf for a trash can.

Here‘s an easy to follow plan from Ana White for a near identical table.

(2) Reclaimed Wood Shelving (West Elm)

Don’t need a plan for this…all you need are a few boards and some brackets. Can’t decide if I want ornate or simple brackets…but I can’t believe I haven’t finished this project yet.

(3) Gradation Seychelles Bedding (Pine Cone Hill)

Boy, talk about luxury. Not like Pine Cone Hill is top-of-the-line, but their sheet sets are silky smooth and they have both fun and neutral color schemes. I really love this neutral brown/gray set. I’d be running to the bedroom when I got home if my bed looked like this…

(4) Inspiration Colors: brown and gruple.

Gruple. Grayish purple. I love it. I want to swim in it. Some of our better linens are in this color family, and I’d love to keep it going. Earthy browns make me happy, and somehow grounded. I would love this combination, especially with a colorful wall (see below).

(5) Paint (Valspar’s Perfect Storm)

This is the color we painted our bedroom (photos to follow). It is awesome. We got Valspar’s Ultra no-VOC paint in flat. I was pleased with the low odor, yet still found that I got a pretty nice headache the first night we slept in our freshly painted room. The color came out rich and just what I wanted. Every morning I wake up and smile…this is the first bedroom I’ve been able to paint such a bold color.

(6) Parsons Floor Mirror (West Elm)

I need a mirror in my room, and I love the look of the thick wood frame. I imagine this leaning against the wall next to my bathroom door. And lucky for me, the ladies at Shanty-2-Chic came up with this cheap alternative…to frame an inexpensive mirror from Wal-Mart or Target.

(7) Sumatra Bed (Pottery Barn)

Love the simple Farmhouse look again. A classic frame that will go with any color scheme, and I just love the look of a rich wood finish. Once again, I was able to find plans for a similar bed from Ana White, the pieces for which are in my garage right now. Looking forward to finishing it and showing it off!

(8) Farmhouse Extra-Wide Dresser (Pottery Barn)

My hand-me-down dresser has taken some beatings in the last few  years. It’s covered in scratched, and one drawer has a corner broken off. The slides are also worn and don’t work as smoothly as I would like. For some reason I am drawn to short dressers over tall ones. I appreciate the smaller drawers and the ease of access. I practically have to stand tip-toe to reach anything on top of my current dresser. Shorter guys also leave room for more art. Whoo, feeling like a broken record here, but here‘s another plan from Ana for a similar dresser. I love the metal corner accents and casters! talk about an easy move… and I can size if for the exact wall I want it on.

Speaking of art…that’s also on my agenda. I’ve got some ideas brewing that I’ll hopefully share soon.