Sunday, April 6, 2014

The Little Dumplings' Room

The second upstairs bedroom in our rental house is quite small. So, we had to be creative in finding ways to make the space work for our needs - primarily, to provide a cozy and safe place for our dumplings to sleep.

Looking at the room when we moved in (above), our 'to do' list included patching the plaster in a few places, applying a fresh coast of no VOC paint to the ceiling and walls, and giving the floors a good cleaning. 

Next, we needed to come up with a bed, and some other items. 

I thought that finding an antique full-size bed would be a breeze. Hadn't I just seen a million of them over the years? Well, I looked in antique stores in three counties (with two little ones in tow), and afterwards resorted to Craigslist - something I had never done before. 


Eventually, I found this lovely bed (photo from original ad), though perhaps for a bit too much money ($200). 

 The bed wasn't what I originally intended for the space (I was looking for a light wood bed). But weeks had passed and we wanted to get the bedroom set up before the holidays. 

First order of business was to paint the bed light blue. Blue you say? Well, I ordered the paint online using a color wheel that I had on hand. Let's just say it turned out a bit lighter than hoped. It is a very light blue color, which we ultimately made a decision to leave for various reasons (primarily, cost and time).

Since this is the first time I've ever painted furniture, I was at a loss as to what sheen would be most appropriate. So I asked my friend and amazing interior designer Amy Meier and she said eggshell - for durability! 

To start to make the nest cozy, I used organic pillows (a long body pillow for padding the headboard and two infant pillows), with flanged slipcovers that were made by Patricia Banner of Cottage by Design. Patricia is my go-to custom sewer and she is wonderful. I sent her organic fabric that I liked, she sent me some ideas, and together we came up with a plan for them. 

She's also made other things for me - a special pillow case and a changing table skirt


After trying a half dozen curtain options (all patterned), in the end I recycled curtains that we had purchased for our first house rental. I had to have them hemmed a bit as the ceilings are quite low upstairs. They may appear a tad grey in this photo because there are black-out liners hanging behind them. 

The chair doesn't really get used much, but I like the texture it adds to the room. The walls are so delicate (two hundred year-old plaster), and the floor space so limited, that there isn't much room for anything else. 

But it's cozy and that's good for a bedroom. 

So the small space works well enough. All of the toys are kept in the big play room downstairs. 

I removed the right side-rail to take these pictures but you can see the left side rail in this photo. Patricia Banner made covers for them from 100% linen using the original polyester covers as templates. They create a very nestlike feel which is perfect for little three year-old hatchlings. xo

At the foot of the bed, we keep a basket for bed time books. 


Bed time books and friends. 

Other things I would do to this room if we owned the house include adding a lovely colored stencil on the walls. 

I would also try to find a slender dresser to keep pajamas in, and perhaps even install some bookshelves on the wall. 

Sources: 

Full-sized organic bed, full size organic wool comforter, organic body pillow and organic infant pillows: The Clean Bedroom 
Organic fabric for pillow sleeves: Organic Cotton Plus 

Organic full-fitted sheet: Gaiam 

Light blue paint, eggshell, Air 06: Yolo
Flat white wall paint, Imagine 01: Yolo 

Everything else was recycled from our old house. 

48 comments :

  1. How cozy and dreamy it looks ! I love the color .. I love the bed :)

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  2. What a lovely little room for the twins! Your rooms always look so fresh and crisp, like fresh white laundry! A lovely and relaxing space for your precious babies (that aren't really babies anymore!)

    Tim

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  3. Oh the bed is fabulous and the linens are stunning. Such a lovely little room.

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  4. Love how it all turned out! Thanks so much for including me in making your linens. : )

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  5. Such a pretty and cozy little space. Love the bed!

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  6. What a sweet sweet bedroom. Love everything ~ Love the bed

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  7. I love reading your blog, and I am very interested in your green living practices which I am also trying to incorporate in my own life. I hope you include more posts about this and how you apply it to your life. For instance, I am interested in what cleaning products you chose to use as well as personal products (i.e. hair products, etc.) in order to live a more healthy lifestyle.

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  8. It's all so sweet, Catherine, and you absolutely achieved cozy.
    The bed color is so perfect, really!

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  9. Wow! Absolutely beautiful!! Thank you for this fantastic inspiration! We're in the process of moving, and I'm excited to decorate the new place. Seeing this transformation was definitely a great source. Blessings ~ Vanessa

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  10. Stencils would be fun, but I think it's perfect the way it is. It's so simple. I think it's more restful this way. Love the little pom-poms on the curtains.

    Take care, Em

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  11. The bed came out beautiful. I love it. It looks so comfortable and cozy. I could just see them snuggled in. So sweet.
    Love the touch of the little bears too.
    Perfect post as usual Miss Catherine.
    xoxo
    Lisa

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  12. Room looks lovely, so cozy and fresh. Love the bed and basket for books (and friends) :)

    Elina
    www.ourowncherrytree.blogspot.com.

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  13. Dear Anon, I have been thinking of doing a post on green living. I am very passionate about it as you know and would love to share what products I/we use. I will try to do it in the next week or so! Best, Catherine

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  14. The room is picture perfect, Catherine. The bedding is lovely, Trish Banner is the best! And I especially love the ball fringe curtains, I have them in our kitchen, bedroom and bath. I first saw them when joining a friend for an open house in our neighborhood. The owner had them in every room and I fell in love with them. They are charming, wash well and best of all are made in the USA (New England). You have put your beautiful touch on every room! Deni

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  15. Catherine,
    Such a sweet room for your precious littles. Everything you do has such a serene look. I adore your blog, you are an inspiration!

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  16. I think 200 smackers for that bed is a steal!!!
    Love the tone on tone effect, even if you did want a stronger blue. It may just be that you take a mean picture, but the overall look is something I would put in one if my books. Lovely!

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  17. Your home is so cozy, comfortable, and elegant. I am wondering if perhaps you could write about your planning stages; how do you come up with ideas, where do you start, what is usually driving your design/style. Also, you appear to have a very distinctive style- how did this develop? what has been your influence?

    Hope that is not too many questions but I think it will be helpful to those of us learning about design/style/decorating and building a home.

    Anyway- your home is so lovely and I hope to see more
    !

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  18. what a snug, cozy place for the babies to sleep in. it looks so inviting. linda (phila burbs)

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  19. I think it's wonderful that your little ones get to snuggle-up together - this just seems natural and comforting. And it's a nice message to them that they have each other and that sharing is assumed.
    I was wondering about the lovely sea-grass (or matting) on the floor- How do you clean/dust?
    Debbie

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  20. Beautiful! Love the bed and chair.

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  21. It really is such a cozy, little space. To me, a small cozy bedroom is so much more inviting than a large, open one. It's like a perfect little nest or cocoon.

    I also love the linens. And the pom pom fringe is a fun little detail. They're pretty and a little whimsical, but in a subtle way.

    I love viewing more of your "in-the-meantime" home.

    Maria
    thegrowersdaughter.blogspot.com

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  22. Debbie, I used a chemical free jute rug for the floor. It comes from the Company Store - hemmed company jute rug is what they call it. Best, Catherine

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  23. I love this room! It's wonderful in every way! Isn't Yolo paint the best?! We used it to paint our kitchen cabinets (Imagine 01) a couple of years ago. I really enjoy your posts!

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  24. love the bears! It looks very cozy! You could also get some under bed storage bins or baskets if you needed more storage space! We got a couple from Ikea ;)

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  25. Your master bedroom is just gorgeous!! What a good feeling you must have to have such a beautiful room!
    Bedroom Designs

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  26. What a dreamy transformation! Isn't Trish Banner wonderful?1!

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  27. What a beautiful room .Simple yet sophisticated at the same time. I'm in the process of putting together a nursery and just feel clueless as to where to start. I think I may take inspiration from this room and keep things airy and simple.

    ~D
    http://bmorebungalow.blogspot.com/

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  28. Oh my goodness! It is beautiful!

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  29. The idea of a basket full of bed-time books is great, as well as the article. Thanks,
    Thea

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  30. This reminds me 100% of our upstairs rooms, complete with the dormer look. I love that you went with such simplicity. Looks amazing.

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  31. I love your beautiful cozy home! Can you tell me how you painted the bed? What method and what kind of paint? Thanks, Kristy

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  32. Thank you for this glimpse into the babies' room - it is timeless and beautiful! Sorry to be putting questions to you again, but I wondered about your process of repainting the bed... Did the paint require you to sand first (lots of work!), or could you just paint it as it was? Were you happy with the finish, does it seem durable?

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  33. The room looks great (of course). I am in love with the bed - it looks so cozy.

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  34. Hi,
    I have always enjoyed reading your blog. I am in Australia and we have 'stickers' that you can apply to your wall called wall decals. You can stick them to your walls and easily peel them off if you want a new look. I thought they may be perfect for your stenciled look in the twins bedroom.
    Libby

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  35. Mike sanded the entire bed to rough it up a bit before applying the primer (so it would stick). We used Yolo paint primer and then two coats of Yolo eggshell finish.
    Good luck!
    Catherine

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  36. What a charming little retreat! I think the bed looks great with the light blue paint :)

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  37. Oh. My. Word.....only thing cuter would be to see the two little dumplings sleeping in there!

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  38. If you have time, would you give me the measurements of your side rails? I have a similar bed; however, the side rails are missing. I'm assuming they are shorter due to the wrap around. Love your style! Nancy

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  39. Hi Nancy, The side rails were purchased on Diapers.com. They did not come with the bed. They have two sizes, extra long and regular.
    Best, Catherine

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  40. Hi Nancy, The side rails were purchased on Diapers.com. They did not come with the bed. They have two sizes, extra long and regular.
    Best, Catherine

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  41. Catherine, did you roll the paint on the bed or spray it?
    Thanks!

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  42. Dear Anon, He used a paintbrush and also a sponge brush! It came out very smooth. Best, Catherine

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  43. So lovely!! Perhaps some large, shallow baskets could be put under the bed for clothing storage? That's what we're doing in our limited-space areas, and it looks nice and is functional. :-)

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  44. Love those adorable bears, where are they from?!

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  45. I can't remember who made the Teddy Bears - we bought them awhile ago. JellyCat perhaps?

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  46. That bed is dreamy. Love it!

    www.designsbykaty.com

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Thank you for leaving your thoughts. Kind regards, Catherine

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