I’m learning Christmas presents are not always best when wrapped in a box. This year for Christmas, we gifted our grandma the best thing we knew how: a master bedroom refresh. I had never done a makeover in someone else’s space before. If there is one person I would risk it all for, it is the most deserving grandma, or Babci, as we call her in Polish. With the pandemic, Babci has spent more time at home and after two years, she needed something new. We can all relate!

Before

For Christmas, Babci had mentioned all she wanted was a nice velvet headboard like my mom’s back home. All the cousins chipped in for a wonderful cream velvet queen headboard. My parents had also gotten Babci some new bedside lamps so that she would be able to see better at night. Once we gifted these items to Babci, the room started to evolve.

We quickly realized the yellow paint clashed with the headboard. The paper blinds were crumbling off the windows. The entire room needed a deep clean. So, I did what I do best: enlist others to get on board for a quick bedroom refresh. Babci expressed she wanted a silvery grey color for the walls. And if there is ever a time to believe it, let me tell you that paint changes everything.

During

Ty and I made a quick trip to Lowes to get new cordless blinds and paint supplies. Kelly, Logan and my dad moved all the furniture to the center of the room while we were gone. The furniture is very heavy, solid wood so all the drawers had to come out. We started by wiping down all the walls and prepping the room for paint. We laid down the plastic floor covering, opened the paint, and got to work.

We patched the walls with spackle and trimmed out the walls while we waited for the spackle to dry. The room is roughly 15×12 so with four people on duty, we would knock this out of the park. Here’s the catch: Babci had no idea any of this was going on. She thought after the headboard and lamps, that her room was perfect.

While Babci was cooking a delicious meatloaf, we closed the door to the bedroom and started rolling the walls. The yellow was still showing through after one coat so we went back and painted everything a second time. The walls were drying while we enjoyed a delicious meal together. All together, the room transformation took about 4 hours across 4 people. It was worth every minute.

After

This color is like a chameleon. It is the perfect silvery grey in the morning and light blue at ngiht. It was hard to find a color that wouldn’t clash with the navy rooms around it and the blue carpet, but Sherwin Williams made it happened. The headboard truly shines against the light blue wall but really elevates the space. The new silver lamps with white shades brightens the space. The real stunner of the space is Babci’s original prints from Paris that used to blend in and now they POP with the yellow matt and pinks of the pictures.

It doesnt take much to tranform a space. When coming into someone’s home, you want to make sure that they still feel like the space is *theirs* and feels like them. It can be eeasy to bring too much of yourself into another’s space. With just a few simple upgrades, Babci now has a beautiful bedroom that is true to herself and also feels like a “spa”.

This project was a culminations of the entire family chipping in so many different wants to make this a dream for her. We know Babci will continue to love this space for all the days to come. This space went from “mellow yellow” to “happy blue” with a couple hours of work and a lot of love.

Happy Birthday, Babci

Babci, I am so glad that you are able to be reading this post right now. It was such an honor and blessing to be able to create a wonderful spa like space for you. You have given so much to our family over the years. I want you to know that you are very deserving of all the gifts life has in store for you. We know you love your home and are so glad you can enjoy this space even more. We love you very much and are wishing you the happiest 93rd birthday!

I love you. – Sarah

Budget and Supplies

Gallons of Paint $35 x 2 = $75
Painting Supplies $50
Blinds $60 x 2 = $100
Velvet Headboard $125
Bedside Lamps $75
Total: $425