The last time I shared my master bedroom I had just finished the laminate flooring!

In this post I shared the "before and after" of my bedroom furniture.....

The bed was just so big and heavy and dark! Painting helped a bit, but it was still pretty big and "scrolly"...and I was just never really fond of it. For the record, I was madly in love with the entire set when I paid a fortune for it 16 years ago...but not so much these days.

It is no secret that in my OWN home, I have been slow to embrace the "country" style in large scale...mostly because I am afraid it will be a "passing fad." Not as bad as the chevron and burlap "fad" of 2014, but I worry enough about it that I am not going to start dragging my prized furniture to the garage and slathering it in chalk paint. (And for the record, it is another reason I am a HUGE advocate of sealing chalk paint with poly rather than wax...when the fad fades, you can easily repaint the pieces without having to strip the wax! And yes, you will have to strip the wax!)

What I have done is be very selective about incorporating the style into my home decor with a few pieces that I won't be too torn up about when the "fad" fades and I have to restyle them or dispose of them.

To me, that is the secret to decorating. Incorporate the latest trends in less expensive ways...decorative pillows and curtains, wall decor, small furniture, wall paint.

It is one reason I have not jumped on the painted white cabinet train...it is a HUGE undertaking...both financially and physically, and when the trend fizzles in a few years, there are going to be a lot of people not so happy with a kitchen filled with expensive painted cabinets. (For the record, I am NOT opposed to painting some kitchen cabinets...just not mine...yet!)

"But white cabinets never go out of style" you say. Well I say you obviously don't remember "honey oak" or "cherry furniture." EVERYTHING goes out of style. So be selective and proceed with caution when shelling out big bucks and Herculian effort to follow the trends! Do what you love, but think very carefully before taking on a massive Pinterest project!

Sooooo...back to the big, heavy and still too "dark" bed frame.

Since I have not been "in love" with this piece of furniture for many years, and since I have made an effort to TRY to fall in love with it again, and failed, it is time to make a change.

And here is how I did it....

Now, before you think "OMG, she bought an expensive country style bed frame," let me tell you how I did a little horse trading to get this piece without breaking the bank.

First, I bought an entire bed room set at an auction. I didn't take pictures of the bed frame, but this is the matching dresser and nightstand...

Honey oak...EEEECKKK! My least favorite wood and color. And it is certainly "not my style." But stay with me!

So it came with a mattress and boxsprings...I didn't need them so the auctioneer resold those for me...deduction number one. Then I sold my old bed frame...deduction number two. At this point, I am at "break even." The dresser and bedside tables are getting a makeover and will be sold. The frame got a little makeover for my room.

This is how I justify incorporating the latest trend in my bedroom...it didn't cost me anything but a little time and paint.