You've Got a Friend In Me... or "Keep Calm and Decorate"

So about two weeks ago I was minding my own business when I got an e-mail from my friend Rachel.  She's a real estate agent.  It said something like, "I know this is strange, and feel free to say no, but I have a friend who would like to borrow your master suite."  Her friend (also a real estate broker) needed an upscale bedroom/bathroom to film an audition video for the HGTV show Bang For Your Buck, which is apparently coming to Charlotte in August.

Um, Rachel dear, you've been to my house many times.  Don't you remember what my bedroom looks like?  "Upscale" is not exactly a word that comes to mind.  This ought to be interesting. Wanna know why? 

Because the room was a disaster since the day we moved in seven months ago.  I didn't take any pictures because I don't want to scare you away, but just imagine an unmade bed, baskets of laundry to be folded, an ironing board on permanent display, disposable paper shades on the windows, electric blue Rubbermaid totes piled high with curtains for three other rooms in the house. In short, a hot mess.

But a good friend I strive to be, so I got to work the next day.  First stop, Restoration Hardware for some curtains.  Now, there are seven windows in the bedroom and two in the bathroom, plus I need the available-only-by-special-order 120" length for the windows on either side of the bed (so they'll still touch the floor when they're open),  so I wasn't able to have everything here at once.  We'll just have to make do with one pair for now. (I got the Thai silk in Sand in case you're wondering.)

Next up, a panicked call to the upholsterer who has had my headboard since last August. 

Wha?! It's not ready yet?!

Pfft.

Next, I swiped the bedside lamps from the foyer table, the chairs, rug and floor lamp from the family room, and the framed watercolors from the dining room.  They are Paris landscapes and are by French artist Pierre Cambier if you're interested.  The blue dish (Homegoods) and the vintage Indian textile print blocks were dug out of storage.  Oh, and the hydrangeas are from the back yard.

I do have the perfect piece to go over the bed, but I'm not going to hang it until the headboard gets here. Assuming it ever gets here. You see, I have this hang-up about nail holes in my wall.  B thinks it's funny that they drive me crazy.  I mean, like, keep me up at night crazy.

My windows are actually pretty spotless since B gave them a celebratory scrubbing before everyone arrived; however, this photo was taken while it was pouring rain outside.  The view is actually the best part about this whole deal.  Who knows how much longer we would have kept those awful paper thingies up and missed out if Rachel hadn't put my feet to the fire.

Then I swept the floor, fluffed the pillows, lit a few candles and called it done.

The deadline to turn in the video was today.  I'll let you know if he makes it onto the show.