It could have been a nightmare. But Venie turned out to be a dream come true.

The before pics above will show you just how desperately we needed a bedroom makeover. The former owner might have thought she was being really clever in creating a wainscotting effect with two different types of wallpaper, but it wasn’t really my look. Did I mention it was vinyl wallpaper? Oh yeah, taking that stuff off was a real treat. It’s a good thing I grew up in a newsroom, because I needed all the expletives I learned there.

The shag carpeting was a nice touch, too. I was thrilled when I started to rip it up, and found that under a layer of linoleum lay hardwood, although the linoleum had been GLUED to the wood. More expletives.Turned out that for some reason, there were three spots where the old hardwood had been torn out and patched with plywood. Don’t ask. !@!!##$%%^!!!!***&^!!!!!!!

Because the room was so cramped, the closet door tuned into just another obstacle in an already awkward space. I got so fed up that in the end I took off the door and hung a curtain there. Unfortunately, it turned out that my Huskie loved to curl up in the bottom of that closet, leaving about 15 pounds of fur behind after each visit.

So what was stopping us from refreshing this space? Well, a budget for one. (Whose idea was it to have four kids?) We thought about tackling the whole thing on our own, but were smart enough to recognize that we just did not have the skills necessary.

The superb, the spectacular, the super-smart Venie

We lucked out when we discovered Rona’s project guide service, in which a qualified Rona employee who will lead customers, for no cost, through a project.  Our luck went through the roof when we got connected with Venie Rodrigues of Rona’s Stockyard location, who offered advice, provided product information and options, and organized various installers. She was, in a word, fantastic. For the full story, check out this week’s New in Homes section of the Toronto Star. In the meantime, take a look at the before and after shots.  And for product sourcing, see the list below.

 

 

 

 

Same room, different bedding (all Ikea) proving grey is the perfect backdrop for everything

 

 

White is nice, too. Cover from PC home, bolster shams from Ikea, queen shams were made from vintage linen by Albertine Dawn www.albertinedawn.com 

 

RONA - Flooring, ceiling fan, closet doors, hardware

Au Lit Fine Linens - Bedding

Ikea  - Chair, bedside tables, artwork –

Bouclair - Lamps