CHEZ DUFRESNE: master bedroom makeover

i finally got around to working on our little 11 x 14 bedroom. given the window placement on the longest wall, our huge dresser, and the king size bed...there wasn't a lot of wiggle room.

the goal: ditch the dresser so we can center the bed under the high window and use built-ins surrounding the bed to expand our closet space.

yes, for the thousandth time, i toyed with the idea of learning carpentry so i could make just what i want in a built-in. but that would potentially be a lot of wasted money, time and effort since we eventually want to either rebuild or pop the top of our rambler and this (hopefully!) won't always be the master. also, i happen to have a full time job.

i figured there was really only one place to go for creative storage that won't break the bank: ikea. even the most basic furniture can be dressed up with trim and anthropologie knobs. i started searching on pinterest and google images for "bedroom built-ins ikea" and sure enough, my fav blog for inspiration, young house love, had a great post for almost the exact same bedroom layout!

here's the before:

before: bed off center under window and too close to exterior wall (dresser is just to the left of picture)

before: closet wall opposite bed, with cool original built-ins - note original sliding metal doors that make it so you can only see half the closet at a time

before: this is our first walk-through of the place, showing the only possible placement for a dresser

solution: (still need to do some crown molding that "attach" the ikea units to the ceiling and pick out a headboard)

ikea besta units with 5 drawers and one door each; home goods frames around window; ikea tv console with 3 drawers and cubbies to replace the bench at end of bed (storage for jammies!) - and note how much better it looks to have the bed centered!

anthropologie knob

etsy knob

etsy antique drawer pull

no more dresser! hmm what to do with the empty wall...

replaced metal doors with curtains for better closet access, painted trim white to emphasize built-ins, installed etsy antique ceramic knobs, painted the closets "sticks & stones" by sherwin williams (leftover from main living area, love how it goes with the green!)