Home... Improvement?

I moved in to my condo (aka "the shoebox") almost two and a half years ago.  When I took possession I had all kinds of ideas about how I would decorate.  I pinned my heart out, signed up for every home flash sale site imaginable, and bought a few pieces of furniture.

And then I did nothing.

For two years.

When I celebrated my second year of home ownership I realized how little I had done and how embarassing it was.  Granted, I have been busy with work, personal obligations, and a pretty aggressive travel schedule, but these are just excuses.

I decided to focus on the bedroom first, because there's relatively little work to do in there.  I think with a new paint job, lighting fixture, rug, and some colorful artwork I can turn this:

in to something far more "me."

(Sidenote: All of the walls are the same color and these photos were taken at the same time of day, so I'm not sure why they photographed so differently.  The first photograph is a more accurate representation of what the room actually looks like.)

Right now my walls are a very pale shade of light grey/purple and most of my furniture is white.  This provides almost no contrast and makes the room super boring.  My family thinks I'm crazy, but I've decided on dark blue walls.  Something like this:

(c/o The Southern Eclectic)

I'm having a lot of trouble selecting the exact shade of blue - it's a big commitment and I don't want to end up with a paint color that isn't quite right - but I hope to have the room finished by the end of the year.  Then it's on to the entryway, living room, and kitchen in 2014!