Bedroom Makeover: Sculpted Shag to Modern Blush Pink and Gray

This bedroom, interestingly, was the reason we decided to buy our old, barely inhabitable house in downtown Anchorage. It wasn't the old shag carpet or that gorgeous light fixture up there. It was the view outside.
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Tranquil bedroom
Tranquil bedroom

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This bedroom, interestingly, was the reason we decided to buy our old, barely inhabitable house in downtown Anchorage. It wasn't the old shag carpet or that gorgeous light fixture up there. It was this view:

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During our remodel process (See what we did to the bathroom, living room and kitchen), we painted the room white, changed out the carpet and put in new windows, but it took me a while to actually make it feel like a restful sanctuary. (Haha! Ironic to have a comfy bedroom, though, because with two kids we never really get sleep).

I was inspired to decorate it by this image that I found on Pinterest:

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I liked the blush pink and gray combination. (Here is my Pinterest bedroom board if you want more inspiration.)

Here's what I ended up with:

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The light fixture is IKEA, just a basic drum shape. I actually carried it home on the plane last year. The curtains are hand-me-downs, from West Elm. The rods came from Lowes.

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My dad and I made the headboard from a solid birch door that used to be downstairs. It's a little beat-up, but I like it. The house's former owner made all the doors and they have really grown on me. The blush bedspread is DKNY, I found it at Bloomingdales.com. The throw pillows (fuzzy and metallic) came from Pier 1. The light gray sheets are flannel from Costco. I already had the gray blanket and pillow cases.

I really liked this CB2 lamp, but it was a little spendy.

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I found similar bedside lamps at Target, for $30 less. The bedside table is a hand-me-down. I got a new drawer pull at Target.

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I wanted a desk area, which I TRY to keep from becoming a repository for clothes and books. I found this one for under $100 on sale at Target. Desk lamp is Target as well. The rug came from an Urban Outfitters sale. The chair belonged to my grandparents. I replaced the foam on the seat and recovered it with new fabric. The artwork on the upper left is a gift from my aunt, artist Laura Myntti. The one on the right is by local Alaska artist Jimmy Riordan.

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I moved the old wall mirror to the corner, which probably isn't feng shui.

The view remains the same.

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Julia O'Malley is a freelance writer who lives in Anchorage, Alaska, where she writes about food, travel and culture. Her blog is called An Alaska Life. Find more of her DIY home projects here.

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