Mid-Century Bedroom Weekend Makeover

*This post is sponsored by Lowe’s.

Last week Micah, Laura, and I flew to Arizona to meet up with Chris Loves Julia and give Chris and Cori Hutchison a bedroom they could love spending time in.  Sunny Scottsdale was sounding pretty wonderful this time of year, and their room had loads of potential hiding under original carpet and barred windows.  On top of aesthetics and function, this family has been through a lot and deserved some love and a chance to share their story.  In 2018, the Hutchisons lost their 2-year-old son, Will.  I asked Cori to share their story, and this is what she sent me.

Will was my third born and my only blonde. He came quick on his big brother’s 2nd birthday, and we gave him the same middle name as his older sister. He appeared to be a big healthy boy. But around his first birthday he started to show symptoms that something wasn’t right.

Will’s medical issues were complicated. The short story: Throughout his second year of life there were many tests, many scares, and many hospitals stays. It’s hard to explain exactly what was wrong because the doctors didn’t know. All we knew was that he had an issue with his brain stem and his vascular system around his spinal cord. When he got sick, even little things like ear infections, his vascular system would compress his spinal cord and cause permanent damage to it. He was completely losing his ability to walk and sit. And his reflexes were going. A few months after his second birthday he caught a cold. It quickly spiraled out of control and 5 days later he died. I still can’t believe it.

Will was such a sweet and handsome boy. He brought so much silliness to our family, just a total ham. He was a well behaved and easy going kid that just wanted to have fun. He was strong and so brave. He also loved to dance and wrestle. At the time of his passing he loved squirt bottles, dinosaurs, superheroes, and snacks. A month before he died he became a big brother. He was not as into her but tolerated her for a single photo that I’m sure she will cherish forever. After his passing he gave the gift of life through organ donation. I’m pretty proud of him for that.

It’s been over a year now and I long for him more than ever. I miss his voice, his touch, that blonde hair, and everything he added to our family. I wonder what his life would be like if he were here still. What would our day to day look like with his wheelchair? How could we keep him involved even with his physical limitations? What shows and toys would he like? And would he still be as obsessed with ice cream? (probably). I look for signs of him daily and sometimes they show up in things his little sister does- which bring the most joy.
I feel so lucky that I got to be his mom. I would do it a thousand times over- even knowing I would only get to watch him grow for 2 years.

I’ve only had one dream about him since he died 15 months ago. He had the biggest smile, his long hair, and he was standing straight. I felt comforted and excited for him. It’s a vision and feeling I hold onto tight. RIP buddy. You are still so loved.

Sometimes the things I love to do feel like fluff, like they don’t necessarily matter in the big picture.  But giving this family a place that can be a sanctuary for them, a place of rest and calm, a breath of fresh air in this home they bought for their son but never got a chance to bring him home to – that’s where I see design’s greatest purpose.  Let’s dive into the design and details.  As I mentioned in my mood board post, keeping with the homes integrity was a big thing on our list.  Cori isn’t afraid of color but wanted the room to feel light.  We took the more neutral walls on Julia’s board and mixed them with the blue/green paneling from mine, inspired by the landscape.  Accent walls can be a tricky thing, but these are original to the home and an element of mid century design, so they feel very appropriate.

We pulled up the original carpet and laid these beautiful, cork floors.  They are very true to the style of the house, went in pretty easily, and will hold up well.  The Hutchisons had a wonderful, arched window that was being brought down by the dated draperies, bars, screens, and film.  After talking with the homeowners were were able to take off the bars, screen, and film.  The amount of light and the clarity the film had a pink tint to it was incredible!  The original drapery track worked great, so we kept that and simply replaced the old fabric with these velvet drapes from Lowe’s.  There’s a quick tutorial in my Instagram stories, but we used drapery hooks to hang the curtains on the track in a way that feels very custom.  We went with three panels on each side for a fuller look too.

Julia and I both had the idea to do an upholstered headboard, and the curtains were the perfect fabric for that DIY.  We cut three rectangles with rounded edges out of mdf and stapled batting around them, then the curtain fabric.  Julia and I started this project but Jenny Komenda showed up and finished it for us!  It was such a joy to meet her in person, and her upholstery skills are unmatched.  We ended up washing the nightstands in the wall color for a softer look, and they really pop off of the headboard.  And how about those pendants?  They’re perfect for this mid century bedroom.  Would you believe we didn’t even have to wire them?  We used the puck light trick I used in the laundry room to give them light without the need to run electrical, and the result is beautiful and functional.  Another DIY you can see in my Instagram stories here.  

As far as the rest of the furnishings, we wanted to give them style and functionality while still keeping things calm and clean.  The platform bed and new mattress are such an improvement from their old mattress on the floor did you know you can buy mattresses at Lowe’s?  The dresser has a bit more space than their last one and we switched out the hardware it came with for some clean, matte black knobs.  We added lots of seating with the linen chair and pair of Bentwoods because the Hutchisons wanted this to be a space their whole family could hang out and read before bed.

The console is a great little piece to corral jewelry and treasures.  One of the things that drew me to this space was the treasures it held before we got our hands on it.  That little straw backpack had my heart, and I knew Cori had to have other gems elsewhere.  The room is mostly styled with things we found around her home and a few thrift finds I had been hoarding myself.  These personal pieces really make the space theirs.  The most personal piece of all is the portrait that Victoria, Julia‘s sister, did of Will.  Victoria sketched it at the Hutchison’s dining table while we finished the room, and the portrait really felt like the cherry on top of this makeover. I don’t think I’ve ever shared this many pictures, but the before and afters, in progress moments, and details all are so worthy of sharing!  Scroll to the end for all of the available sources.

FLOORING | UNDERLAYMENT | PAINT | RUG | MATTRESS | BED | CURTAINS | SHEETS | COVERLET | PILLOW | THROW | BENCH | NIGHTSTANDS | PENDANTS | PUCK LIGHT KIT | DRESSER | DRESSER KNOBS | CHROME LAMP | SIDE CHAIRS | HALLWAY ART | SHAG RUNNER | WALL HOOK | CONSOLE | HAMPER | CONSOLE LAMP | CONSOLE ART | READING CHAIR | MAGAZINE RACK

 

I would love to hear thoughts and feel free to ask questions in the comments!

Browse other bedroom designs and ideas!

 

 

My love of thrifting is always fun to join.  Do you @ThriftWithTheMakerista?