Rustic and Refined ~ A Makeover

The romance of crystal chandeliers and painted wood.

'Fetch' ~ Hillsborough, NC.

When I read these words........let the rustic and refined rub shoulders ~ go for the gold and the bittersweet...............ideas starting jumping around in my head and I knew what I wanted for the little guest room. A country French feel with a touch of old European elegance.

I like to start a file and a story board when doing a room makeover. Snippets of fabric, paint samples, photos from magazines of rooms I love such as this quite simple one below.

The guest room will get its makeover in time for Spring ~ season of renewal, everything fresh and clean, full of promise. The painter assessed the scene today, will call with the numbers tomorrow..............and then, hopefully, we'll get started later next week. This cold and snowy weekend you know what I'll be doing ~ looking at magazines, decorating books and paint chips. If warmer and drier on Monday I'll head to the paint store. Things I have to start working with which I love include this chair, two aging mirrors from SuzAnna's Antiques, and a length of linen I purchased in Cortona, Italy. The bed, chest of drawers, nightstand and armoire all match ~ changes desperately needed here. Guess we used to buy like that - matching sets, suites. I must decide whether to paint all and keep, sell some and paint the rest, or sell all and start over with a bed such as this................

............old French twin bed at SuzAnna's Antiques ~ if only it was queen sized.

This room above speaks to me. It has everything I love.

This bedroom has the rustic feel ~ typically European with exposed beams ~ and that lovely bed and nightstand adding the elegant touch.

My color palette? Perhaps. Maybe a flying visit to France would help me decide.