Remember our playful visit with Katie and Jeremy of All Bower Power back in May? Here’s a never-before-seen look at what happens when two women who love home projects are in a room together: within minutes they’re directing the guys, moving furniture, and creating a mini makeover. Best part: it cost precisely zero dollars.
To set the scene, the sprucing took place in Katie and Jeremy’s bedroom—the very room that brought us together. We actually met Katie online when she shared her bedroom makeover inspired by ours, and we hit it off immediately. Before long we were spending a weekend nearby, and one morning the two of us were itching to move a few things around. The room was already lovely when we arrived, but sometimes a small shuffle makes a big difference.
We started by asking the boys to lift a heavy dresser and move it across the room to where a slipper chair used to sit. They relocated it effortlessly, and we placed a mirror and a vase on top to add height and bounce more light around the space. The new placement opened up the flow from the door into the room and made it easier to move around the bed—simple changes, big impact.
That left the slipper chair needing a new home, so we tucked it into the corner the dresser had vacated. We added an old floor lamp Katie had on hand—but it didn’t have a shade yet. The boys were politely dismissed to watch some TV while we got to work on the decorative touches.
Next we turned our attention to a blank wall. We had already borrowed a mirror from the hallway and used it on the dresser, so we were out of obvious hangable items. Then I found an old parasol in a basket in Katie’s office. She explained it was leftover from her wedding and that she had a few. We both got excited and decided to make a three-dimensional piece of art from it.
Down in the basement we set to work with power tools—no help from the men required. We cut the parasol’s stem so it would only protrude a few inches from the wall. Flipping it over, we looked for a way to hang it so the lovely pattern on the inside would face out into the room. Beneath the top nub of the parasol a small hole revealed itself, perfect for slipping over a nail in the wall. That simple solution turned the parasol into an instant sculptural focal point.
For the floor lamp, we didn’t find a traditional shade that fit the look, but we did spot a blue wire basket candle holder. We set that on the lamp to act as a graphic, openwork shade, which echoed the parasol’s linear pattern and added visual interest without covering the light entirely.
We finished with a quick pillow swap to boost contrast against the tan chair—the same Dolce Lounge Chair from Target that a lot of readers will recognize. In no time at all we had a cozy little reading corner, or a convenient place to toss clothes if you’re like me. It was a charming combination of thrift, reuse, and a little bit of craftiness.
Yes, a parasol isn’t a conventional wall art choice, and a candle-holder-as-lamp-shade isn’t typical either. But repurposing what you already own is a hallmark of DIY decorating: it challenges you to be creative and keeps the budget friendly. That’s the joy of fostering online friendships and turning a sleepover into an impromptu design session—fun, resourceful, and memorable.
Want to see a silly table-setting video of the two of us goofing around? We made one during the visit—full of mispronunciations, potty humor, and smiles.