My Empty Nester Redo | Inside Our Master Suite Transformation!
I’ve promised you a post on our big master suite empty nester redo out for quite some time now! Thank you for your patience. Honestly, I hope you’re still interested! ???? Today, I’m spilling all the details, including fabrics, purchases, the team that brought my vision to life, and more.
We built our home in 2003, and we’ve loved it! It was truly a custom build—personalized for our family—with things like a stage with lighting and a working curtain for our daughter the musical theater girl, a pool for everyone to enjoy, and a gym so we could all stay fit! (BTW, our daughter continued to follow her passion, graduated from college, and is now a working musical theater actress who is off our payroll—so we must’ve done something right! ????)
When we originally decorated our master bedroom, earth tones were in their heyday, and the soothing earthy teal we used for the walls seemed so restful and peaceful. (Exactly what you want for your master bedroom when you’re raising three kids, right?)
Fast forward 15 years and the room just looked tired and out-of-date. We decided it was time for an empty nester redo! Enter my friend Tricia Daniel, of Staffordshire Interiors. Last year, she’d helped me redo the kitchen and family room, and she was a genius at translating my vision into a design we love. I was so excited to get the team of upholsterers and drapery designers, etc. back together to tackle our master bedroom.
Empty Nester Redo: Before
Empty Nester Redo: My Vision
I told Tricia I wanted a show-stopper. (Like, magazine-worthy!) I wanted it light and bright so I could take selfies for Instagram, and I wanted it to be a room I absolutely loved. After all, I spend a lot of time in there every day! When it comes to design, I think one of the most important things to think about is how you use the space.
I actually sat down and made a list:
- Sleeping (Duh!)
- Getting ready for my day
- Having my daily Bible Study and prayer time
- Napping
- Working out (If I’m doing a video or something that needs a lot of floor space.)
- Taking selfies for Instagram
- Relaxing before bed
The room is right off of the family room on the main floor of our house. We redid that room last year, so I wanted it to blend and flow. For our empty nester redo of that room, we focused on blue and white, with pops of deep rosy pink, green, and a little yellow. I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that I unashamedly love color!
Since I work at home, Bob wanted me to be happy, and he trusted me not to go too overboard with girliness. (He knows that if I really let loose, the room would be all shades of pink!) I let him approve everything before we ordered it. (And he loves the finished product, just so you know!) What can I say, my man is secure in his masculinity! ???? I chose a juniper green shade to be the primary solid in the room, in a nod to his love of the outdoors.
Empty Nester Redo: The Paint
I found selecting the paint color to be the most stressful and challenging part of the entire process! We were looking for a barely-there blush pink. I wanted a warm pink, not a brownish pink. After sampling many options, and looking at them at different times of the day, we made a selection and called the world’s greatest painters! Brothers Oscar and Carlos Reyes own W.C.R. Painting, and they’ve worked for us for many years on various projects. They’re perfectionists! Their painters are respectful, diligent, and they clean up after themselves. We’ve recommended them to many people, and everyone raves about them. The raves are well-deserved.
The team from W.C.R. Painting came and painted the entire room. It took several days, and Oscar and Carlos came by to check on things every day. When it was time for the final reveal, Oscar & Carlos brought me in, and I burst into tears! It was wayyyy too pink! After much counsel and input from them, we finally settled on Benjamin Moore Shell PInk 883, and the team repainted the entire room. It was an expensive mistake, but we knew we had to get it right.
Once the painting was complete, we selected a carpet that complimented it, deciding on Fabrica Denali DN57 “Rose Petal.”
Empty Nester Redo: The Fabrics
We decided that our main fabric would be the blue Ralph Lauren Meadowlane Floral. (Number one in the photo above.) One thing we loved about it was the coral design in the background. It beautifully merged my love of the ocean with my love of floral prints! The rosy pink (Number two.) that you see above is a repeat of a fabric we used touches of in my family room.
- Main Floral Fabric (Chairs, etc.): Ralph Lauren Chintz “Meadowlane Floral”
- Rosy Pink Trim: Fabricut Protege 33
- Green Euro Shams: Kravet Smart 31682-323
- White Cotton Matelasse Coverlet for Bed: Fabricut Agatha 02 “Snow”
- Tiny Green/White Gingham Monogram Pillows in Chairs: Schumacher Dalton Silk Gingham “Chartreuse”
- Rosy Pink Trim on Bed Scarf: Fabricut Luxury Silk 75 “Confetti”
- Carpet: Fabrica Denali DN57 “Rose Petal”
- Rosy Pink Stripe: Schumacher Audrey Stripe Pink & Red
- Green Silk: Kravet 4070-323
Empty Nester Redo: What I Added
Aldina Golden-Beaded Floor Mirror (less expensive options HERE) | Diva Ring Light
A Beautiful Mirror
Since I work at home in a teeny tiny office under the stairs, (Photos HERE and HERE.) and since I have a job where I share my life with y’all, it was important to me that I have a great place in our bedroom to take selfies. I wanted a mirror that was like a work of art. (Also, I wanted a floor mirror so that you could see my shoes in all of my pics!)
A Professional Light
The lighting in the mornings in my bedroom is pretty and soft, but uneven, so I needed a light to help with evenness. This light is hilariously called the “Diva Ring Light,” and lots of bloggers use it.
Black Knit Jumpsuit (Under $25 and available in shorts too!) | Classic Black Pumps | Black Tassel Earrings (Under $15)
I wanted you to be able to see precisely how this selfie, er, situation, worked ????, so I had my photographer snap a photo of me from behind while I was taking one! To see how the actual photo went down, check out this Instagram post and scroll to the right.
A New Bed
We’ve had a queen-size bed throughout our marriage, but lately, we’d begun to notice how much we enjoyed the king-size beds when we stayed at hotels. Since our bed was 15 years old, we decided it was the perfect time to make the switch. We’ve loved our Temper-Pedic queen bed, so we chose a Temper-Pedic split king. We love it! If Bob is snoring, I adjust his head up about 2-3 inches and the snoring stops! ???? If I can’t sleep, I turn on the massager on my side, and it relaxes me. When Bob had his hip replacement surgery last March, the ability to adjust the head and foot of the bed was a lifesaver.
Empty Nester Redo: Bathroom
Matouk Marcus Collection Luxury Towels in “Juniper”: BODY SHEET | BATH TOWEL | HAND TOWEL | FACE CLOTH | TUB MAT
Super Soft Striped Nightgown (under $20) | Pearl Stud Earrings | Apple Watch
We didn’t want to do a full bathroom remodel, because there was simply no need! We didn’t want to change our bathroom fixtures, mirror sconces, or the granite. So we upgraded the chandelier, added a window treatment, reupholstered my vanity chair, and updated our towels to match the new decor.
Empty Nester Redo: After
Empty Nester Redo: A Few Fun Details
In every room, there are a few fun, personal touches that you might miss unless someone points them out to you. I’m going to share a few of mine!
My children all went to a wonderful classical, Christian school here in Dallas. In the first grade, they study colonial America, and they teach the students to write with a quill and ink! It’s a tradition that they write out Proverbs 31:28 as a gift for their moms. This is one of my most treasured possessions! (Mostly because the handwriting on each is completely reflective of my kids’ individual personalities!)
Here’s what’s on my bedside table:
Boutique Tissue Holder (similar) | iPhone + Apple Watch Charging Station | Fave book right now | Kindle + pink case
My bedside table isn’t just for show. I use it! It’s usually piled high with books, and it’s fantastic to be able to stash things underneath if needed. The pink iPhone + Apple Watch charging station on the right was such a practical find! It keeps all the wires hidden. #yay
This vintage china was my Grandma’s. I adored her. She’s the woman who led me to faith in Christ, and I named my second son, Weston, after her. (Weston was her maiden name.)
These baptismal gowns have been in my family forever.
This Victorian-era chair was a gift from my parents. When I was growing up, our family lived in England for three years. (I went to middle school over there!) They bought this chair over there. I love its shape and size.
During some parts of the year, our door closes on its own. (Does that happen at your house too?) I had a doorstop made to keep it open because I kept envisioning one of us breaking a toe! ???????? It’s filled with weighted plastic pellets!
Empty Nester Redo: The Team
We had an awesome team that brought my vision to life! I’m so grateful to each one of them.????
Interior Design: Patricia Daniel of Staffordshire Interiors
Painting: W.C.R. Painting, Oscar & Carlos Reyes, Owners
Upholstery: Perez Custom Upholstery, Ernesto Perez, Owner
Window Treatments, Bedding, Pillows, Table Skirt, etc.: Ellen Thompson of Elegance in Draperies
Have you done an empty nester redo? I’d love to see your pics and hear all about your experience! Leave me a comment and tell me all about it or tag me in one of your pics on Instagram or Facebook.
Thanks for your sweet patience as you waited for this post! I love looking at how other people decorate their homes, don’t you?! This was such a fun project for us, and my heart still skips a beat when I walk into our bedroom! I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I loved putting it together for you. ????
Blessings,
Photos by Megan Weaver.
SHOP THE POST
Most of what we did was custom, but here are the links for everything else!
P.S. As if this project weren’t enough, we’re in the process of redecorating our two condos at Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel Island, too! When I was down there last week, I bought these casual and beachy barstools for the kitchen island in one of our condos. I thought you might like to see them! ???? (Click on the image for more information.)
P.P.S. Don’t forget to Pin this image on Pinterest for future reference! (And while you’re there, I hope you’ll follow Empty Nest Blessed!)
Thank you for sharing !! love this post and the bedroom too !! xoxo
Claudia,
Thank you so much! You are so kind! That means a lot to me!
xoxo Suzy
That was a fun post and I enjoyed reading some new tidbits about you! It looks so pretty and I love your keepsakes from the children, such good ideas how to display them. Good for you sticking to your love of color ????and using what you and your husband enjoy rather than just whatever the current trends are!
Martha,
Thanks, Martha! Apparently color is coming back in, so there’s that! These things ENB & flow, right? I figure we may as well do what we like! ????????
xoxo Suzy
I’m certainly not an empty nester yet but I love following you as I envision finding joy in empty nesting. I really appreciate how you used your old furniture and reupholstered them. I like how it’s less in landfills and it allows personality to show. Those monogrammed pillows are ????????, especially since we share the same initials! Lol. Your humor about the name of the light cracks me up because I thought the same thing. I also love that your hubby went along with the floral; it reminds me of my grandfather who insisted their home’s exterior be painted pink for decades. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah,
Thank you! Ohhhh, since we share the same initials, I could certainly pass some monogrammed things along to you! Email me at [email protected], and let’s see what we can work out! I am so glad you liked it and I just LOVED the story about your grandfather! ???? He sounds like my kind of guy!????????
xoxo Suzy
Oh wow, how beautiful! I love your redo. The colors are gorgeous and so cheerful! I love that you were able to use your grandmother’s vintage china – what a special touch. Thanks for sharing!
Shannon,
Thank you! I feel like without the personal touches, it’s just a pretty room! They were key for me, for sure. I’m so glad you liked it!????
xoxo Suzy
Suzy , The Room looks just like you ! I love seeing the windows and the pale pink walls . Yet it is a cozy and comfortable place to plop down!
Thanks for sharing because you made i it seem like another fun project !
Love you ,
Joanie
Joanie,
Wow, that really means a lot to me! Thank you! So sweet of you to say.???? I am so glad you liked it!
xoxo Suzy
I love, love this room!! The colors, the light I could go on and on! I’d do it in a heartbeat, but hubby would never go for it. He is brown, brown and more brown all the way. I did manage to squeeze in a cream quilt but the walls are still Istanbul Beige. Hideous color. Italian men want what they want period. I tried, got nowhere and after all these years I finally gave up. There are no words to describe how much I detest a Brown house. I pretend I’m in your sunny, beautiful room!! So happy for you!!!
Suzanne,
Hahaha! All men are different, for sure! I have a sweet friend that has 4 sons and an Italian husband, and she negotiated to do whatever she wanted in the utility room! It turned out to be the cutest, goopiest, girliest room you have ever seen, and it brought her so much joy! ????????
xoxo Suzy
Good for her!!!!