Looking for decorating help...frugally of course

**Michelle** · 02-27-2002, 01:44 PM

I have vaulted/cathedral ceilings in my family room and in my bedroom.

I have a 6' tall entertainment center in my family room, which takes up most of the largest wall (the others have things up against them or windows). However, there is quite a bit of space above the entertainment center that it just bare wall. I am looking for something that will look nice up there but not overwhelm the area or make it too clutter-y.

My bedroom is an even bigger challenge. DH and I don't even have a headboard or footboard to take up some of the extra space. Our walls in that room are bare. I would love to get one of those big canopy beds some day, and then the bed will use a lot of the wall space in there, but what can I do until then? Our room is so bare that there is an echo

Currently we have a dresser, a tall highboy dresser, 2 nightstands, and our bed (mattress/frame).

I forgot to mention another challenge in the bedroom is that we have this ugly dark raspberry colored wall-to-wall carpeting in there that makes it near impossible to match.

Help!

**zoo keeper** · 02-27-2002, 01:57 PM

Got cable watch trading spaces. Plenty of ideas there. For the bedroom, go to their website and look up how they make canapied beds. Very cool. Only need some wood and materials. I would love to do that, but my room is way to small for that. Pick a color that goes well with the carpet, dont try to match it. Maybe creams, wines... As for the living room, I have seem people put large type pics on top of entertainment centers, accent with a plant. I personally love the photo of an old fashioned basket of twigs. Watch oprah today, its about decorating with things you already have. How cool is that. Spend no money, but get a different look.

**paelthom** · 02-27-2002, 02:19 PM

If there are any discount wallpaper stores in your area, look for the full wall murals. Its put up like wallpaper but has a nice scene like a painted mural. The after school care provider my daughter goes to has one that looks really cool. It looks like a tree house. Of course you would want something more refined but it worth a look.

**milach** · 02-27-2002, 02:30 PM

In the March 2002 issue of Better Homes and Gardens mag, they have an article on budget wise bedroom makeovers- for a headboard, they took one of those patio french doors that has separate panes of glass in it (do you know what I'm talking about- it had 3 panes going across, 4 or 5 paines going down with wood separating them). Anyways, what they did was they painted the wood to match the bedroom, and frosted the glass. They turned the door on it's side and cut the door down to the same width as the bed, and screwed it to the wall for a headboard. I'm sure you could probably find a used door like that at a yard sale.

If you don't like that, you could also try to find (at a yard sale, of course) a large painting ,tapestry, or quilt and hang it on the wall above the bed .

For the entertainment center, are you looking to fill the wall space, or put stuff on top of the entertaiment center? Maybe you could put some vases of different heights along with some different shaped wicker baskets. Or if you're artsey, you could make a eucalyptus swag with cheapo silk flowers and a nice bow and hang it on the wall over the entertainment center.

HTH!!

Laura

**Jerseygirl** · 02-27-2002, 10:00 PM

We always had a large basket of silk greens on top of our entertainment center, it added height and color and just one big thing could be taken down and cleaned. Over the years I have used pretty throws and blankets tacked to the wall or sewn over a long dowel stick and hung from a ribbon on the bedroom walls-it helps absorbe sound and again-easy to clean. you might be able to find a floral or paisley print with a bit of the carpeting color to match. We have some not so frugal-investment type framed prints that we have on the walls, but I found a few fabrics that all have the same few colors and complement each other that I am doing throw pillows and dresser scarves in, you can do that and match it to a quilt or something to put up instead of a headboard. Good luck!

**CarrotCake** · 02-28-2002, 08:07 AM

There are lots of things you could do as a headboard substitute. Some have already been said, but here are a couple more ideas.

paint a square of contrasting color on the wall over the head of the bed
use wallpaer border to frame a "headboard"
hang an interesting architectural peice (like a gate or piece of railing)
hang several full length mirrors stacked on top of one another or side by side
hang a garden trellis with artificial flowers
buy a super size artists canvas and paint it a contrasting color or make an interesting pattern on it
hang an old window that you've attached a shelf or window planter to
use wallpaper paste to apply a large print to the wall over the head of the bed

Okay that was more than a couple. I apparently watch way too much HGTV. LOL

You could also check out the HGTV website and look for directions on making a simple canopy bed or an upholstered head board. I have seen both of these done easily and inexpensively.

Good Luck!

**milach** · 03-06-2002, 04:08 PM

OOHHH! I like the trellis/flower idea. Too bad I have a brand new 4 poster bed! My dh welds, so it would be nothing for him to make that. He made a wrought iron headboard for my mom for X-mas one year. He used a bunch of spare tubing that a friend had laying around. Came out great, saw one kinda like it at a furniture store for $800.00!!!

Laura