Relax in Aruba

I hung the picture above the bed and stood back to take in the view. The image looked bright and inviting with white sugar sand. I imaged it must be cool to the touch of my toes. The water in the shoreline appeared to be a most translucent teal meeting a deep navy line in the horizon which is connected to an azure canopy of sky filled with wispy white clouds. There are four palm trees to the left of the picture all being whipped by the wind and if you listened hard enough you could be there beneath the green fronds relaxing. It is a picture that could be many beaches in many places but for my customers it was Aruba! Let’s take a peek into the transformation of a Gardenia master bedroom that was inspired by memories of Aruba somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Flooring
The Flooring in the entire house was replaced about two years ago. The homeowners replaced the master bedroom with the same engineered hardwood that was installed in the rest of the house. I always recommend replacing the master bedroom with some type of hard surface flooring because in the Gardenia bedroom as in many, a definite walk path will develop and it will happen quickly. If you install hard surface flooring and then lay down a nice area rug you will have the best of both worlds.

• Rug
We chose a rug like the one in last week’s article. This rug has layers of blue and in particular this homeowner wanted to highlight the navy blue hues in the space.
In a Gardenia bedroom, you can use either an 8×10 or a 9×12. If you use the 8×10 pull it mostly up under the bed so that it does not interfere with the walk path into the room. If you use the 9×12 rug pull the rug entirely into the walk space so that when you walk into the room and go around the corner the walkway if full of rug. If the rug is half in the walkway, it becomes a tripping hazard.

• Paint
The walls were a golden color called Blonde and it was a pretty color but the homeowners wanted a coastal peaceful space for their makeover. We chose the color Window Pane 6210. This color is a little lighter than Rain-washed but is still a green based blue. The color is so restful and peaceful that it is beyond perfect for a master bedroom retreat. Also, the Gardenia bedroom can sometimes feel dark so the lighter version of blue really worked to keep it light.

• Furniture
The old furniture was sold at a consignment shop and the new furniture was purchased much lighter. The white and slightly distressed furniture looks amazing against the new wall color. We did not purchase the mirror that came with the six drawer dresser; instead we hung two mirrors side by side over the dresser. These mirrors add a special flair and elevate the space a bit because they look more expensive than the one that comes with the dresser. These mirrors not only reflect the art over the bed but catch light from the sliders and throw it back into the space.

• Bedding
The bedding is so simple but looks so good. Navy was the color that the homeowner wanted to highlight so we added navy Euro pillows along the back of the headboard. We placed king shams in front of the navy and finished it with an accent pillow that reads, “Find me under the palms”. We purchased the navy coverlet that matched the navy Euro’s and we folded it up and laid it in the center of the bed for a pop of color. Perfect and Inexpensive!

• Lamps
The lamps are tall and give lots of light. The color of the body of the lamps is a mixture of navy and teal. The colors are baked on and each one is slightly different. They pulled it together nicely.

• Upholstery
The homeowners had a small cane back chair that we re-upholstered in a navy and white fabric. The chair looks brand new, bright, and fresh! Also, we had a cushion made for the chest that was at the end of the bed. We moved the chest over to the wall beside the slider so that we had more room to walk around the bed.

P.S. –Attention, club presidents! I give free decorating programs! It is lots of fun and very informative. Call and schedule your club today or call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056.

Before and After Pics Below