Text and photos by Jordan Burgass
After moving into a spacious five-bedroom house, Christy Greagor and her husband, Steve, found themselves in a bigger bedroom that they had difficulty filling. “Definitely a larger bed, now that we have the space” was near the top of their dream-bedroom list, and Christy found it important that the space be “a quiet and calm place” where she could retreat when “It’s Mom’s time out.”
As the winner of Oregon Home’s Dream Bedroom Makeover Contest, the Greagors’ bedroom got the makeover it deserved. While Christy and Steve’s bedroom already possessed style, it wasn’t entirely cohesive. The size of the room was underutilized, and the paint on the walls made the room appear smaller than it was. The bedroom’s closet lacked strong organization and was nearing its storage capacity. The couple’s bedroom was by no means an eyesore, but it needed the aid of two professionals to transform the space into the bedroom of the couple’s dreams.
In stepped interior designer Amy Troute and professional organizer MaryJo Monroe. Troute and Monroe sat down with Christy, to understand her bedroom needs: “a simple and clean space.” With Christy being a mom of four while holding down a full-time job, her days tend to be long, and she finds much importance in possessing a relaxing space where she can get away.
With Christy’s desires in mind, Troute wanted to give the room a “vintage, soft look,” which she felt would reflect Christy’s style and provide that space of tranquility she was in search of. She lightened the space with Colorhouse paints, Nourish .02 on the walls and Bisque .01 for the trim. With budget in mind, Troute found ways to renew Christy’s space without breaking the bank, like utilizing the free paint from Colorhouse to renew a dresser. They purchased two vintage trunks that both contribute to the room’s “vintage” look and provide more bedroom storage.
The most arresting aspect of the bedroom is the custom headboard Christy and Troute worked together to build in order to frame Christy’s new king-size mattress, provided by Parklane Mattresses. Using fabric Troute had tucked away at her house and salvaged wood, the piece is a work of both art and functionality.
The room now possesses a warm, elegant look with touches of rustic character. “The scale of the new pieces —the king bed, large headboard, ample bedside dressers and wall-to-wall drapery treatment—fill the space and create the grandeur that was missing before,” Troute remarks on Christy and Steve’s newly remade bedroom.
MaryJo Monroe of reSPACEd and Amy Troute of Amy Troute Inspired Interior Design.
When MaryJo Monroe began working with Christy through the closet-organization process, she was relieved at how organized Christy already was. “Her closet was great because it was already pretty well categorized,” Monroe recounts, “but there were some miscellaneous things on the top shelf” that Monroe wanted to better arrange. Monroe uses a four-step process when working with her clients: analysis, categorization, installing systems and maintenance.
The newly organized closet now contains tags that hang from new storage totes denoting what item goes where, a system that will promote maintaining the organization.
With the Dream Bedroom makeover complete, Christy couldn’t be more pleased. “It is wonderful to go in there at night,” Christy says of her new bedroom. “I go in there, I shut the door and it’s my oasis.”
For the room makeover the winner received a free mattress from Parklane Mattresses, paint by Colorhouse, painting services from FreshCoat Portland, design services by Amy Troute along with professional closet organization by reSPACEd.
