floor, but after having two kids 18 months apart we were running out of upstairs real estate.

We gutted the room down to the studs and removed peel-and-stick vinyl tiles to reveal hardwood underneath, refinishing the floor ourselves (as well has hanging drywall and such). We tore down some closets that blocked access to our eventual master bathroom and rebuilt some in a different location. We added trim and wallpapered an accent wall and painted our dresser all to coordinate.

We wanted this space to be a reprieve from our often chaotic lives as young parents to a special needs child, among the regular grind of family life. I wanted the space to feel luxurious and opulent while maintaining function and reflecting the calm and relaxation I hoped to enjoy in there.

The biggest issues we faced were building the new closets (they appear very small but actually aren't) and honestly, coordinating everything with the bathroom while still very much living in the space. So time and budget were always a factor, as were my two pregnancies and a broken leg last year. Luckily, we have friends and family who have lent us a helping hand more than once to help us have a space we love.

I know when many people see it they're put off by the all-black scheme. However, we love it (and an all-black room is super awesome to sleep in for sure) and it's honestly one of those things you have to see in person. I feel like every time I enter the room I'm travelling to a posh hotel somewhere that just happens to have all the amenities of home. ;)

I've joined forces with @lampsplus to turn take a cute teenage room from functional to fabulous! Let me show you how we're going to do that... http://www.mrshinesclass.com/2013/03/15/teen...

this small room would become the nursery. We did our best to keep the remodeling cost of the room down by using what we had and doing all the work ourselves. We installed a white wood plank wall to give the room some character and more light, painted an old dresser that was given to us to act as a changing table, sewed a custom crib skirt for an inexpensive, but high end look, and used a bed rail off an antique bed as inexpensive shelving for the room. Now the room has much more character and is already filled with all the love we poured into putting it together. #BeforeandAfter