The best thing about another renovation — nay, the only good thing about another renovation — is that I get to incorporate all of the things I’ve learned during and since the last renovation. The worst part of another renovation: I can’t completely start from scratch because I have furniture and decor that must be reused in our new home.
Case in point: my daughter’s room. To refresh your memory, here was her room in our old house (original post is here):
I still like the room, but there are a number of things I’d do (and will do) differently today. First, I think it’s a little too bold in too many places. A bedroom should be a calming retreat, and this isn’t necessarily that. I will forever love that Ellie Cashman wallpaper, but it now feels a little too much for what we’re going for in the new house. Simply put: I just think this room needed a few more quiet moments. Not everything needs to make a statement, but proper editing is something that comes with experience.
Having a sense of where I wanted to go with this room, I started my wallpaper hunt. I was really into Rebecca Atwood’s Blooms Wallpaper in Blushing Taupe for a while. Here it is in a few different rooms:
So pretty, right? But my daughter didn’t love it, so it was back to the drawing board. Chango & Co. (@changoandco), a design firm favorite of mine that I follow on Instagram, used the Swallowtail Wallpaper by Flat Vernacular in a nursery. I showed it to my daughter and she loved it:
Since she loved it, and it’s her room, I pushed aside my worries that this might be ultimately too bold for our home, or that she might grow to hate it in when she reached her teenaged years. But, I obviously kept looking. And that’s when I found the perfect wallpaper by Eskayel, called Lily’s View, Dusk (there is also a bright version, Dawn):
I love this so much because it feels like a custom watercolor mural rather than wallpaper. Thankfully, my daughter was obsessed with it immediately, and now will not allow anything else in her room. To me, it’s the perfect balance of color and calm.
Since I have to reuse a bunch of furniture, there will be compromises. However, one big item we’re going to switch out is my daughter’s bed frame. I actually still love that blush metal frame from the old bedroom, but the color isn’t right for the new room. Also, my daughter’s mattress is very, very uncomfortable (it was an Ikea purchase fail) and she needs a new mattress anyway, so we were going back and forth about whether we stick with a full or move her up to a queen. Ultimately, the marginal price difference between queen and full mattresses made the upgrade a no-brainer, especially since queen beds make bedtime snuggles/storytime so much better.
I’ve always wanted a canopy bed but have never had one. My daughter is her mother’s child, and also wants a canopy bed. Guess what: canopy beds are expensive, friends. So I went over to Etsy after an exhaustive bed search and found this inexpensive beauty ($557!!! and free shipping):
Once I had the bed and wallpaper chosen, it became a matter of deciding what stays and what goes. Here’s what I came up with:
So what’s old and what’s new? The Trellis Dresser and Uteki Lamp are from the old room. Not pictured but also staying: her old desk (but pairing it with a new chair). She wants to keep her enormous swing chair, which would actually be lovely in the space, but I *might* be able to convince her to switch to a smaller swing if we need the room; I also kinda love the idea of a double tree swing or two single swings, hung in front of her large window that overlooks the expanse of our property.
Everything else is new. With such an abstract wallpaper, I felt like the rug needs to be the opposite: something more geometric and staid to anchor the room. I can’t decide between the Amherst and Beaufort plaid rugs, found on McGee & Co., so both made the board until I make my final decision (likely when the wallpaper is up and the bed is in). I knew black bedside tables were needed to bring out the dark moments of the wallpaper, but was shocked to find the perfect Hensley Nightstand on the Amber Interior’s webshop, simply because it’s so affordable for the site (please don’t raise the price on me, Amber). The Avena Lamp was sent to me like a year ago by my friend and fellow design enthusiast, Julie (@1201North), and when I was pulling this room together it felt like a good fit. Does that Rejuvenation semi-flush look familiar? It should, because it’s also on my son’s mood board.
I love all of the pillows on The Citizenry’s website, and their quality is always superlative. These picks might change, especially since we probably have pillows in storage that’ll work in the room, but the Adhira and Zara pillows felt good together. Finally, we’re going to have to talk about the Calder storage bench, which is possibly the prettiest storage bench in the history of storage benches (and also comes in 72″, 48″ and ottoman versions).
I’m really excited about this room. It feels like my daughter, but I hope that it’s mature enough that she’ll continue to love it forever. Cannot wait until this concept can become a reality.
