Meaningful Painting In Guest Bedroom Makeover

My mother-in-law, Brenda, and I have a very close connection. Over the years, I have told many that my husband's mom gives the often joked about, mostly notorious "Mother-in-Law" title a good name. However, most of our deep connection is based upon great loss; she lost her daughter, Terri, to a rare form of childhood cancer, at the age of 12, and I lost my mother to breast cancer when she was only 44 years of age. Over time, she really has become a mother to me and I, a daughter to her. It's not that we never disagree, it's just that we know what's really important.

NOW, to break up the already serious tone of this piece, another interesting part of our relationship is that I saw my mother-in-law, some twenty years before I met her in person, on television. She was one of the unsuspecting guests on the tv show, Candid Camera. I vividly remember giggling as a youngster, watching her try to find a ringing office phone that was hidden. Apparently they had pulled this prank on others, but she gave them the best reaction. Okay, that is an entirely different story, but I will post as soon as I find the footage. By the way, having a Mother-in-Law with a good sense of humor is GOLDEN!  (Ok, found it, here is the link to Candid Camera, Where I First Saw My Mother-In-Law), ENJOY!

Now, when she asked for my help in turning an extra space into a warm guest bedroom, I was excited to help her with the challenge. It was a challenge because there was a very important dated piece that needed to fit in with the room, where it could serve as a reminder of all that God had brought them through since the year 1976.

In the newspaper picture below, there is a special painting in the background. Brenda had told me the painting was done by a prisoner who was able to paint their family portrait from a photograph used in their church directory. The photo was taken before her daughter's diagnosis and the painting was finished and given to the family before Terri's passing on February 25, 1977. 

Jump ahead some thirty plus years from this article and the two remaining children in the picture had grown up, married and had children of their own. Now grandparents, Roger and Brenda, had moved back to Georgia and had an extra room that we all called "The Children's Room" where there was a futon couch, television, toys, exercise bike and other miscellaneous items with no particular design in mind.

The grandchildren loved this room to hang out in, but as they got older, Brenda was hoping to have it transformed into a beautiful guest bedroom.

Brenda wanted to display this special family painting in the new guestroom, but how to design an updated room around this 70's style portrait would, at first glance, seem to be difficult. We looked at the colors from the painting to help us with choosing the fabrics and wall color.

In this painting done by artist, Boyd in 1976, we liked the burnt orange in Terri's collar, her father's neck tie and her little brother's collar. Also, we noticed the light, aqua blue in the brother's collar. These two colors would be our starting point. In the picture below, Brenda found this bedspread at Walmart, and we both felt the colors in this fabric, along with the neutral tan and white, tied in with the colors of the painting perfectly!

Our next exciting find was Valspar's Woodlawn Valley Haze interior wall paint that I found at Lowes. It had the perfect mix of that aqua bluish green that we were searching for with such determination. Thought it was great that my husband, the boy in the picture, offered to paint the room for us. To be completely honest, sometimes I 'volunteer' my husband for projects, but this time he volunteered himself, which I thought was a really sweet gesture to his mom.

---

Excitement builds when a room is all cleared out and ready to be painted!

We decided on a trade, our full mattress for her futon bed, but we still needed to find a headboard that would work.
Spotted this beautiful Leirvik white metal bedframe from IKEA with a tight and sturdy feel that we both loved. 

Also at IKEA, I found two Hemnes Nightstands that had that perfect shade of burnt orange! Then discovered two modern lamps at Marshalls with lamp bases that had just the right amount bluish green tint in the glass.

Love how well the lamp, bedside table, bedspread and bedframe all come together so wonderfully with the Woodlawn shade on the wall as the backdrop. 

Above the bed we needed a smaller picture. My mother found this painting at yard sale for me when I was a child and it hung over my bed for many years as I transitioned into an adult. I showed Brenda this picture and she loved it. We also thought it suited "The Children's Room" quite well.

Finally finished, the inviting new guest bedroom is ready!

Love the color scheme!

We were both so pleased with how well everything came together. This deeply meaningful family portrait now hangs across from the bed as a sweet remembrance of their beloved, Terri and all that God has brought them through in the last (almost) 40 years.

Psalms 145:1-4  A Praise of David. I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.
 
Thanks for reading,

Christina