TheDesignFile

Design Translation: We're done - under budget!

I'm so proud of all of you for choosing so well and so wisely as we've worked on a virtual remake of a bedroom from the 2009 HGTV Dream Home. That inspiration room is shown at right.

Last week, you decided we should buy a dozen 11x14 frames for $20 each from Target. Added to all our other purchases -- including everything you see below -- we spent $2,353 on our virtual bedroom. Amazing!

In fact, if we were doing this for real, we'd be left with $397 from our $2,750 budget.

What do you think? Did we capture the spirit of our inspiration room? Is this a room you could live with?

Please leave your comments below and tell us what you think in this poll:

Design Translation: The final room details

We've got just one more decision to make in our Design Translation, our virtual remake of a bedroom from the 2009 HGTV Dream Home, and it's a fairly simple one -- the wall decor.

But first, let me catch you up to date on our last vote.

You picked the black Swing Arm Floor Lamp from EuroStyle Lighting at right and the Black & White Damask lamp from Target. The floor lamp is $190 and the table lamp is $17.

I love the choices and they leave us with $637 from our original $2,750. That's amazing. Really. Our past Design Translations have had $3,000 budget and I thought it was a risk lowering this one. But you guys have made amazing choices. You can see them later in the post.

But first, I want to show you your options for our last choice -- the frames on the black frames in our inspiration room.

Make sure you read the details below because each option of the wall frame options will be used differently.

But before we get to those details, take a look at all our choices so far.

The collage at right shows you each of the items readers picked with their prices.

Then you can look at the inspiration room. Click for a better view.

So far, we've got the bed, bedding, dresser, rug, corner cabinet, chair, ottoman, and lamps. All we've got left are these frames.

I'm assuming we would use family photos. So we're really only focusing on the frames -- not what's in them.

Also, I've included some budget options, but we've actually got enough money to choose any of these. So you can just pick your favorite.

Here are the details:

Design Translation: The right lighting

We've got just a couple more picks to finish work our virtual remake of a 2009 HGTV Dream Home bedroom and today we'll focus on lighting.

We're picking two lamps -- a table lamp and a floor lamp. Remember, that means two votes. So you'll find two polls at the bottom of this email.

First, I'll show you the choices for the floor lamps, along with all the details and the voting poll. Then we'll move on to the table lamps.

So let's reset the situation.

We've already "purchased" the bed, bedding, rug, dresser, chair, ottoman and corner cabinet for the room. We've got the wall frames and, of course, the lamps yet to buy.

Our purchases have stripped our $2,750 budget down to $844, which is pretty good considering how little we have left to buy. I'm so proud of all your picks!

You can see how well our pieces are working together -- and how they look compared with the inspiration room -- at right. You can click to see them larger.

Remember, we're not going for a replica. We're trying to recreate the room's feel.

Here are the floor lamp details -- and then don't forget to move on to the table lamps!

Readers pick saddle-colored ottoman for room

You surprised me! I was sure readers would pick the ivory round ottoman for our virtual, budget remake of an HGTV Dream Home bedroom.

But instead, the Round Storage Tray Ottoman in saddle won the popular vote. It took 44 percent, compared with 33 percent for the ivory one.

The saddle ottoman is $126 from Overstock. I think It's going to look great with the chair we picked earlier (shown in the collage below).

The room is really coming together well and we're nearly finished.

All we left to "buy" is art for the walls and the lamps.

And with our most recent purchase, we've spent $1,906 from our $2,750 budget.

You can see how well our purchases match up with our inspiration room in the photos at right. Click either or both for a better view.

That means we have $844 for those last few purchases. Amazing!

Tune in on Tuesday when we'll start picking the lamps for the room.

Design Translation: An ottoman to match our chair

We're closing in on the final choices for our virtual, budget remake of an HGTV Dream Home bedroom and today we're picking the ottoman.

It's going to be especially important in this decision to not only consider the ottoman in the inspiration room but also the chair you picked a couple weeks ago. You can see it at left.

You can see your options below and then read more about them -- including their prices -- further down in the post. Then you can vote by clicking on your favorite in the poll below.

As you think about the ottomans, keep in mind that we now have $970 left from our original $2,750 budget. In addition the ottoman, we'll be picking lamps and wall art.

Already, we've picked the bed, bedding, dresser, rug and chair -- and of course the corner cabinet. Below, you can see how the room is shaping up compared to the HGTV Dream Home bedroom.

You can click on the collage at right to get a better look, both at the picks readers already have made as well as the inspiration room, shown below right.

Remember that we're not trying to replicate the inspiration room.

Instead, our goal is to create the same feel but on a budget. So choose wisely!

Our ottomans range in price from $49 to $300.

Here are your options:

Readers pick beadboard cabinet for room remake

In a relatively tight vote, readers have chosen the French Country Corner Linen Cabinet from Home Decorators Collection (shown at right) for our virtual remake of an inspiration bedroom.

The cabinet costs just $229, making it a great price for our room. It's also a great look. The beadboard gives us that great country charm but the drawers offer some practical storage.

The cabinet took 38 percent of the vote. You can see the full results here.

So, we've now got $970 left from our original $2,750 budget and only have the ottoman, lamps and wall art left to buy. I think that's pretty good.

Already, we've picked the bed, bedding, dresser, rug and chair -- and of course the corner cabinet. Below, you can see how the room is shaping up compared to the HGTV Dream Home bedroom.

Tune in on Tuesday when we star picking the ottoman...

Design Translation: A country corner cabinet

One of the most interesting pieces in the HGTV Dream Home room we're recreating is the corner cabinet, a sort of country-inspired piece that you don't see too often in more contemporary decorating. Still, I think it's what makes this room special.

Because these aren't the most current pieces, though, I had a bit of a hard time finding what I thought were some good options. Still, I have five to choose from below. You can click on the collage for a much larger image and get more details about each later in the post.

As we come into this decision, we've got $1,199 left from our $2,750 budget to pick the cabinet, ottoman, lamps and wall art.

Already, we've picked the bed, bedding, dresser, rug and chair. So we're doing very well.

You can see how everything is coming together in the collage at right.

As you consider the cabinets below, remember that we're not trying to replicate the room.

Instead, our goal is to create the same feel but on a budget. So choose wisely!

Here are your options:

The cool daisy chair wins a tie-breaking vote

I had to ask for late votes to break a tie, but ultimately readers of The Design File picked this cool daisy chair from Pier1 to replace the patterned chair in our inspiration room. It got 40 percent of the vote.

It's really nothing like the chair in our HGTV Dream Home inspiration room. But I think it's a nice choice for the price -- $300 -- and it brings a little more color and a great modern pattern into the space.

A black and white pattern chair from Target came in second place.

With this latest pick, our $2,750 budget is down to $1,199 with an ottoman, cabinet, lamps and wall art left to purchase. That's really good!

Here's how our room is shaping up. You can see the inspiration room at left and all our choices at right. Click the images below for a closer look.

Check back in on Tuesday when we'll start looking at corner cabinets!

Design Translation: Picking a chair for our room

It's time for the next choice in our virtual makeover of a fun bedroom from an HGTV Dream Home and today we'll be focusing on lounge chairs. The inspiration chair has a great red print on a natural background and I couldn't find anything quite like it. But I think I've got some decent options for you. You'll find all the details and pricing if you keep reading.

Remember, we're trying to pick a chair that isn't a replica of the one in the inspiration room (which is a good thing because I couldn't find that).

Instead, we're looking for something that creates the same feel and works with the other choices we've already made. You can see those below -- along with the inspiration room. Click the collage for a better look.

Those choices leave us with $1,499 left from our $2,750 budget to finish the room. We need to get the chair -- plus an ottoman, cabinet, lamps, and wall art.

I think we're doing pretty well. Still, try to think about the budget as well as the other choices we've already made.

Here are your options:

Affordable IKEA dresser is readers' pick

This was apparently a no brainer. Two-thirds of readers picked this HEMNES eight-drawer dresser (shown at left) from IKEA for just $279 for our virtual room makeover.

I love this choice. I've checked it out several times in the store and it's really a nice piece of furniture, particularly for the price. And I think it's perfect the room. You can see how the room is shaping -- compared to our inspiration room from an HGTV Dream Home -- below.

We've now got $1,499 left from our $2,750 budget to finish the room. We need to get a chair, ottoman, cabinet, lamps, and wall art.

Tune back in on Tuesday when we look at chairs!