Asher's Room - the process

Asher's Room is finished!

Actually, it's been done for about a week - but I'm slow to post.

I bought his new furniture at The Wood Connection furniture store.  They sell amazing quality solid wood furniture at awesome prices.  You can buy it unfinished for a lot less - which is what I did :)

We bought a headboard and a dresser and I stole an end table from my family room.

(Then I bought a gorgeous sofa table to replace said end table, yay!)

I finished everything myself with a Navy milk-paint that I also bought from The Wood Connection.

The side table was the most work, so it was what I started with.  It took quite a bit of sanding, and I replaced all the hardware.  It was a bit beat up, so I decided that rather than fight it, I'd go with a distressed look.  

Asher was a big help!  He was really excited to help sand :)

Two coats of paint, some strategic sanding (followed by wood stain on the sanded areas) and a light lacquer finish.  I love the way it turned out.

The headboard was one that the Wood Connection owner had built for his mother, who then decided she didn't want it.  I was able to buy it as overstock for only $89!  It already had a finish on it, which I sanded before I painted and lacquered it.

The dresser was the biggest piece of furniture, but required no prep-work.  Just two coats of paint and a light coat of lacquer.

I used a stencil to add cowboy hats and boots to the border that was already on his wall.  I was hesitant to do it, but finally decided that if I hated it, I'd just rip the whole thing off the wall.  I love how it turned out, though :)

I took a picture of Ash in a cowboy hat and made a "Wanted" poster in photoshop with it.  Matt built me wood base for it and modge-podgedit together.  It seems to be indestructible, but we'll see how it stands up over time...

I bought a cheap navy sailcloth valance from Target, but thought it looked chintzy on the window - so I doctored it up with some fabric from JoAnn's

Then there were a lot of other little things - I spray painted Asher's name with a black 'hammer finish' paint.  I hung his bulletin board on the back of his door.  I moved his shelves to his closet and bolted them to the wall.  I went to Callister and bought real cowboy rope, then I hung it on the wall.  I framed a couple of copywrite free images from the Pioneer Woman.  I moved the stars on the wall around.  I removed a section of border, painted a square of red on the wall, then hung a cowboy hat and frame there.  I dug up an old belt that Jesse won riding bulls (seriously) and hung it on a hook.  I tied a bandana around Asher's lamp.  

I'm really happy with how it turned out.  Formal "AFTER" pictures in a second post - just so this one doesn't take up the whole page :)