The Bonus Room Chronicles: Step 1: Move In, Paint Orange Design, Etc

Welcome back to our Funky, Retro Bonus Room! 
The Bonus Room Chronicles are just getting started. Come on in! It's time to blast some ABBA, install a disco light and put your dancing shoes on!

Today, we will be taking a stroll through Step 1: Move in. Paint the walls. Put up curtains. Put up art. Paint orange design. Paint polka dots.

I have already given away a lot of today's post when I introduced you to The Bonus Room Chronicles.

After we moved in we got to work setting up our fooseball table. I painted the funky, orange pattern on the wall, and we did our best to make the room as funky and retro as possible.

I spent hours painting that orange design. I cut the oval shape out of cardboard. Then I traced the oval and made 6 rows plus a tiny bit of an oval from top to bottom. I hand drew the little connections between the oval above and the oval below. Next, I marked each oval and line that were going to be orange with a little dot of orange paint. Then I jumped right in to the hours and hours of tedious painting.

The orange curtains were given to me by my just-had-a-birthday BFF, Dee Dee!

I painted the polka dots on the wall opposite the funky orange pattern. But I changed my mind and painted over them before I took any photos. I had seen a really cool overlapping polka dot design in a book (I wish I remembered which book) and I thought it would be great! It turns out that it was great in the book. But not so much on my wall.

So, in summary, this was an awesome post filled with mentions of photos that I should have taken but didn't, talk of books I don't know the names of, and a photo that you have already seen!

But wait! There is more! I have two more photo you have not seen. I really think they are going to drive you wild! (Sarcasm. Sorry, this is still a pretty boring post!)

I love that orange chair! Yes, he has seen better days but I cannot wait to get him reupholstered! You can't tell but he is tufted. He is a perfect fit for a funky, retro bonus room. I saw him and his cute TV stand buddy advertised on Craigslist about 5 years ago. They were being sold at a consignment store almost an hour north of Charlotte. I made the trip and rescued them! The orange thing next to the TV is a dinosaur pinata from our annual Christmas pinata tradition. 

The art above the TV is from this book by Charley Harper. I love his illustrations! Please don't forget that this photo was taken almost 5 years ago. At that time, I still thought that custom framing cost more than a new car. Hence, the reason the pictures are sticky tacked to the wall.

In the photo below, the four squares on either side of the window are canvases that I stapled fabric to. The yellow one is a sheet that I found at Goodwill.

To get you pumped up about the steps to come in the future I am going to let you in on a little secret. Step 2 involves Bob Barker. I will say no more.

You are going to have to be in suspense until The Bonus Room Chronicles return. Super duper Bob Barker suspense. Everyone knows that is the worst kind of suspense.
You will also have to be in suspense because I am not going to show you the final AFTER photos of the bonus room until STEP 7! Whoaaa Nelly! 

Here is the full Step Team... all seven members: 


The Bonus Room Chronicles Introduction Post

Step 1: Move in. Paint the walls. Put up curtains. Put up art. Paint orange design. Paint polka dots.

Step 2: Put up wire display.

Step 3: Put up wall of frames.

Step 4: Move furniture around. Get rid of TV. Add bed.

Step 5: Part 1. Part 2. Part 3: Build window seat and built in bookcases.

Step 6: Change out the bifold doors

Step 7: Part 1.  Part 2. Part 3. Finishing touches