Master Bedroom Makeover - Therapy for Bipolar – The Paint.....

Number 2 in a series on how we (I) am trying to help my husband deal with his Bipolar with ways other than traditional medicines (which we have tried – long story there). 

My paint choice and why.  I had read online in my searching for ways to help with Bipolar and Depression that colors can affect moods. So naturally the bedroom makeover had to include a new coat of paint.  But what color? Then I thought about what I wanted in the bedroom. I wanted it to be an oasis from the world. A place where we can close the door on everything and just be me and my husband. Relaxing and sleeping.  Sleep being a big thing, since my husband has a very hard time getting a good night’s sleep (which effects MY good night’s sleep).  So we both wanted the bedroom dark. We have always used black out curtains – why not darken the walls too.  

So I got onto pintrist and searched dark bedrooms. And somehow came across the picture of this bathroom.  (purple and grey)  And our colors were picked.  And I read on a color chart of how colors effect moods … a purple room can calm the nerves and allow relaxation. AWESOME! (Purple has always been a favorite of mine – it was an easy sell)

Then since the picture was two colors … I figure the best way to replicate that and come out a bit cheaper was a simple chair rail.  But here is where the research got sort of interesting.  While searching how to install a chair rail I came across a great article about how high to place it.  Here is the quick version of what I learned. If you follow classical design proportions (started by the Greek and Romans in there columns) you need to split your room into 3rds. Place the chair rail at 1/3 the height of your room.  I looked at many examples and the article was right. A chair rail at 1/3 the height of the room WAS a more soothing and comfortable looking room. So there is your simple trick for a more soothing room. Split it into 1/3’s!

And here is my painting adventure. Tip for painting -a good paint job is in the prep work. Clean the walls. Take the doors down and hardware off. Don’t try to paint around them. I have tried that before and trust me it’s just about the same amount of time as doing it right in the first place and looks better in the long run.  Take out the furniture – it’s easier than working around it. Cover the floor. Use painters tape. And this is very important … buy good paint. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Behr!!! I have tried other brands and just ended up doing more coats of paint. So I use Kilz2 primer EVEN on Behr that says primer is included. Because I have just found that if I do that the color is true and covers in 2 coats every time. And I use a Shur-line edger. I don’t cut in because every time I have tried it you can tell the difference in the places I used the brush. 

And if you get in the right frame of mind … painting can be soothing. You just stand there and do it. 1 wall at a time, and then you move on. Let it dry and repeat.  Soothing ……

 #1 empty the room.

 #2 protect the floor

 #3 painter tape - tape it off

 #4 work from the top down

 #5 paint 1 wall wall and then move to the next one. I do right to left.

 #6 add the trim. I painted it in the garage and then just did touch ups once installed.

 #7 its the little things that make it work. vintage switch plate from eBay.

 #8 Take up all prep work (floor coverings and painters tape)

 #9 rehang the doors, put hardware back on

 #10 add your furniture back in.

Now things next on the list to complete our bedroom makeover ....

I want to add crown molding.

Then I will make custom curtains.

Then I will make a headboard.

Then I will make the bedspread.

I will need to buy a sheet set that matches the bedspread.

I am looking for second hand furniture that will be all ours. Possibly paint it.

I am also looking for a neat electric heater fireplace. 1 for warmth in the winter and 2 watching the flame even a fake one can be relaxing.

So that is the rest of the plan ..... it will take time and effort, but I am confident it can be done.

Master Bedroom Makeover – Therapy for Bipolar - The Beginning.....

OK – So my husband is Bipolar. And there is nothing wrong with that. It’s not a disease you can catch or that you bring upon yourself. Some people just have it. It’s there trial to overcome. And those of us who love people who suffer from Bipolar ….. it’s our trail to try and help them as we live with it too.  I also suffer from depression, it really started with PG – and I have been dealing with it ever since.

That being said …  I searched for ways to help my husband live a more normal life. I researched, and I prayed to be guided to things that will help us.  I am not sure where all this started. I was reading somewhere about minimalism I think, and about how it helped someone with what they described as depression. Have less, and having less mess, helped them overcome their depression.  And that got me thinking.

We have small kids. Toys everywhere! Not as many toys as some of their friends. But still – they make a mess of whatever they can get their hands on. And I like it. It helps them use their imagination. I don’t want to squash that. So how can I make a room that the kids can’t mess up?

Finally my thoughts turned to my husband and my bedroom.  Probably the most overlooked room in the house. We have never had the nice looking matching bedroom.  You know… the dresser’s all match, the headboard matched, the comforter, sheets and pillow all go together, and curtins that looked good in the room. When we had money it always went to the kids or something the family needed. Nothing for our bedroom, we always sacrificed that first – so often it wasn’t even a thought.  And our bedroom was sort of the dumping ground for other stuff that we cleaned when we did the rest of the house. Then we could close the door and have company over. (Raise hands how many of you do that too!?) * A side note … we do have a bedroom set at the moment. It’s my parent’s spare bedroom set, and they are using their spare room for something else right now … so it’s on lone…..

So here is it – it’s all is messy glory. Our bedroom the day I decided that I would turn out bedroom into an oasis away from the world, to try and find a better balance in our lives.   I walked into our bedroom and took pictures right as it was. To be honest, it looked like this or worse most of the time.

 I mean really - who could relax at the end of the day in that room?  It was more like turn out the lights and hide from the world.  Not really the best way to live a happy and fulling life.  There wasn't much change that I could afford to do that day. But what I could afford to do was clean and minimize. I took everything out that didn't need to be there. The huge storage rack - gone, my kids dirt and clean laundry piles - gone! (I have been working hard with them since that day in the picture teaching them to do laundry and put it away. My 7 yr old ... is getting it. 4 yr old, not so much. But given time and effort on my part, they will!) And I just love a made bed.

 This is how it looked by bedtime that day. And the good news is it has stayed mostly this clean ever since then. Its probably been about 4 months total since the day these pictures were taken.  :)

That night I spent time on pintrist looking at master bedroom ideas. Colors mostly, because paint was about all I could afford in the near future. And that is OK.   I somehow stumbled across this picture. I am not sure how since it was a bathroom, but it fit the feel of what I was looking for.

Now what I was looking for .... it’s hard to explain because I wanted a feeling. I wanted to feel away from the hustle and bustle of life. I wanted to feel detached from the world and its worry's.  I wanted it to look nice - so you enjoyed walking into the room. But simple so it didn't overwhelm you.  I liked the color schemes. White on top, purple for the top half of the bedroom and grey on the wainscoting (I have always been a sucker for wainscoting). It looked like it would be nice to walk into - but it’s not so busy as to overwhelm you. I felt like I was looking back into time - into a simpler time.  And that is what I wanted. I was sold. It was so different from what we normally had in apartment living, that being able to paint was a wonderful treat for us! And when i showed my hubby he was all on board with this picture. He is awesome.  (I might add that he read somewhere that people who sleep in purple bedrooms have more sex ... so he thought the purple bedroom idea was perfect. LOL Men ....)

Vent - supporting the Artist Craftsmas Muscians Etc ....

I am venting. I am venting for myself and on behalf of everyone who has ever had a talent and tried use that talent to help or completely support their family.  We the crafters, musicians and small business owners (insert whatever you do if it fits this rant) around the world are sick and tired of being taken advantage of! (OK or maybe it’s just me!) I have more than 20 years of experience in developing my “gift” or “talent” whatever you want to call it. I have put HOURS (also read years) of practice and learning into my trade. Money into decent quality tools to help my work be at a professional level. Time, effort and money on upkeep of said tools. Classes to improve my talent and then to excel at it.  I look for quality material’s to use for my final product so that YOU the user have an item of quality above that which you can buy at those mega markets of today.  I have use my own 2 GROWN UP hands so that you my customer can be sure that you have not endorsed child/slave labor in some unknown place at some unknown time, well hidden from your eyes. SO now I ask you, why do you expect to get a deal from me because I am your friend or family? Why do you deserve a discount? Don’t you KNOW how hard I have worked? Haven’t you seen the YEARS of effort I put into this? And now you degrade me by asking me to “help you out” or “hook you up”?!  And you think this is helping me along my path? Do you think I would even sleep well at night thinking I was doing work for you and I was your “charity” case? Would that make me feel accomplished?  Why do you think that my work, when done for you, is worth less?

And to all those starting out … do it the RIGHT way. Put in the hours/days/weeks/years of practice. Save up and buy those quality tools. Find someone who is BETTER THEN YOU … help them out in return for them teaching you. (It’s called mentoring … or a job….) Don’t just see someone’s talent and say “I can do that too” and then want the same prices as those who put in the time and effort. Don’t sell yourself off comparable, because you are not (yet). And when you put forth work and it is NOT (trust me you don’t have the practice under your belt yet, little grasshopper) I repeat NOT as good quality as a professional, you cheapen the true artists work. People are less and less willing to pay for higher quality work because they cannot weed out the “in it for quick money” from someone with talent. So now we ALL suffer.

People of the world. What is your time to you? Do you think after 20 years you deserve to make more than minimum wage? Because I think I do. Newcomer’s, wanna-be’s, impersonator’s (because if you haven’t put in the time yet your billing yourself as creditable you ARE an imposter – a “posser”). You all make it so that a person who has done the time can’t make a decent living. On average my talent makes half of minimum wage. All because you (the people of the world) compare my work with crap that is spewed for mass consumption, made with the cheapest materials to be found on the cheapest labor to be found. 

Maybe I will start asking clients to show me last year’s taxes. We will figure out your hourly wage (hey I will even be generous … hourly wage AFTER taxes) and THAT is what I will charge you. Why should you get paid anymore an hour for your hard work then me? You really want to go head to head with me and see who has put more percentage of hours into developing our skills? I say percentage because since people of the world won’t pay a fair wage for my talent/art that they want utilize … I have had to work outside where my talents are, to earn money for food for my family (again at meager wages).  So we are just talking say Continuing Education for your career. Because I bet I could win …. Let’s say we do that. You show me your CE hours you put into developing your trade/art/career … I will give you a discount (based on your salary after taxes) IF I put more hours into developing my trade/art …. You pay me DOUBLE your hourly wage. OK off my vent now – I think we just found an equitable fair trade system.

To my family and friends. I love you. I am thankful that you are in my life. But I am no longer working for nothing. I know you are all hurting for cash too. I am sorry. My family can no longer sacrifice to give you a discount. I hope you understand.  I may even have to stop practicing my talent altogether …. One more artist disappearing into the sunset. As much as I wish I could share the God given talents I have and continue my craft …. It’s not feeding my family.