Sneak Peak- Bedroom Design Via My Daughter

I have the most fun when decorating my daughters room.  However, now that she is almost a teen she has plans of her own-I am still having fun though!  We decided to do some improvements to her already adorable room.  My daughter has such creative ideas and has a great sense of design and color.  She is more fearless than I am and knows how to choose what she loves.  This is just a sneak peak and we didn't do any staging or straightening up for that matter!  Just snapped a few pic's for you all!  Couldn't wait to share it!  We just purchased this lovely antique bed at a local consignment store.  We got it for half off!  What a deal.  We have some crazy ideas for it....paint it a glossy color maybe black?  Red? Gray? Or just leave as is.  The green pillow was on my bed but my daughter snagged it and I love the way it looks (sorry bed looks messy).  Bedding we picked out on Gilt Group (starting to become a huge fan of that site).  She wanted a bedding ensemble with red in it and polka dots.  I didn't think it would work but I love it.  She is going for an "quirky" look for her room.  So far the colors she has chosen are red, green, black, and white.  All works well together!  Our dog loves this spot on top of the green frog.  Favorite place to go after a long walk.  She looks like one of the stuffed animals on the bed!

Fuzzy rug from Ikea (not the real lamb wool).  I love the touch of whimsy that it adds to her room.

Another pillow we purchased off of Gilt Group. We have been able to create a reading area next to her extensive collection of books (over 550 and counting-all read and re-read, amazing!).  She has turned her love of reading into a fabulous book review blog called Book Jacket.  She works so hard on it an writes the best reviews.  I am so proud of her!  We picked up a chair from Ikea and an ottoman.  She is so happy and enjoys sitting with a good book.  Now we just need a reading lamp and we are all set.  So currently she has a reading spot, working area with a desk and bulletin board, and sleeping area.  When we moved the furniture around, we ended up creating more room for zones.  She is ecstatic about it.  A real "teen" room.

Lamp from Home Goods.  Just adorable.  Her whole design really reflects her.  It is a joy and a bit challenging (for me to stay out of it) to hear her ideas (there are many) and help her bring about the design she is dreaming of.  Next on the list is roman shades for her windows, fashioning a canopy from curtain rods hung from ceiling around her bed, and maybe change the wall color to gray (although the current lavender color really works).  Not to mention that she wants chinese lanterns hung from her ceiling and a large wall mural made out of a collage (created by her)!  She is certainly good at this.   

My daughter's sketches for her room.  Read more about "Letting Go" (post) here.

Stay tuned for more from my designer daughter!

xojamilyn

{Photo's via me}

Two Benches I Ordered and some Feng Shui

I really don't like waiting for furniture to be delivered.  Actually just learned from customer service that there will be more delays and would I like to still keep the order?  Mmmm...I was tempted to say, "No thanks!".  Well, I did start to kinda say that and the nice lady on the phone offered me another discount on top of the sale that was running for the two benches.  OK!  I reconsidered and decided that would make it worth waiting another month or so.  I may get them in July.  I have been searching and searching for a bench for our bedroom which seems like forever.  Finally decided to bite the bullet and go for the Louise bench from Restoration Hardware.  I may put it at the bottom of our bed.  However, our room looks nothing like this and I hope it works!  I really don't like matchy-matchy so I am hopping I will love it.  Bottom line...I feel like I don't know what the heck I am doing!

via Restoration Hardware

Another idea that I am kind of sticking with is to put the Louise bench along side this "lonely" wall we have in our bedroom.  {There is really nothing else that can be done there} Above it I want to hang a really unique mirror.  This useless area will then serve as a place to sit and put on your shoes or to just gaze at our lovely selves in the mirror.  Did you know if you have a mirror in the bedroom that you are supposed to cover it at night?  According to Feng Shui:

Remove or cover any mirrors in the bedroom during sleep.
A bedroom mirror that reflects the bed creates the most serious problems. A single person is less apt to attract a romantic partner -- in fact, the mirror doubles his or her solitude. A couple with a mirror reflecting the bed is more apt to attract a third person who may disrupt their relationship. People with depression -- and related stress and health issues -- also are affected by a mirror reflecting the bed because it disturbs sleep. In all these cases, cover the mirror at night ... during waking hours it's fine to uncover your bedroom mirrors.

{Pay attention!  You may want to listen to this if you are having issues in your life!  Hee!}  Go here to read more.

OK, that doesn't inspire me to hang a mirror.  I guess I will have to cover it at night.  My husband will think I am wacky!  This mirror below is really pretty and I think it would look great above the bench.

Plus...

The bench...I have been waiting for forever!

via Restoration Hardware

Valorie from Visual Vamp blog uses a similar arrangement in her dinning room.  I really love how the mirror and bench look together.  To see more of her fabulous transformation in her dinning room, go here.  This is really the look I am going for in my bedroom.  Don't you just love it?

via Visual Vamp

Here is another arrangement but with artwork above it.  My foyer isn't big enough for this set up so I have to recreate it somewhere in my house!

via Visual Vamp

The other infamous bench I ordered from Restoration Hardware... the linen Toscane nail head bench.  I am not really sure where I am going to put this yet.  It may just serve as extra seating somewhere in my house.  Or just use it as an ottoman by a chair.  This bench was also on sale making it hard to resist!

via Restoration Hardware

Don't you just love how it looks at the foot of this bed?

Anyway, I am off to "try" and make more decisions for our home.  It gives me a brain ache!  Wish me luck!

xojamilyn

{Images via Restoration Hardware, Visual Vamp}

Photo's Of My Bedroom

I love making my rooms look better than they really are when I take photo's.  Or maybe, after seeing these photo's, they are not as bad as I make them out to be.  My master bedroom is terribly boring to me.  There is only the bed, nightstand (ready for a change) and lamp.  Not even a rug to warm things up!  Oh, there is a nice painting that we picked up at the Sausalito Arts Festival when we lived in San Francisco.  I guess there is also the cute green decorative pillow which I have had forever! There is no oomph!  No personality!  No warmth! I am really good at making my bed look decent and maybe my bedside table is a teeny tiny bit interesting with my pretty bird dish (given to me by my mother-in-law) to hold my earrings.  I cover my side table to protect it, with one of my most favorite finds, and that is a french tea towel with black and white toile.  I just love it and I guess that makes it better (just wish I ironed it for my photo shoot).  This room will probably be the last on the list of most important to tackle.  However, when I am in here, I don't find it conducive to sleep.  I need a cozy, serene, beautiful space. So, I may move it up on the list.  

So much to do...so little time...and budget's that get in the way!

{I did order a bench from Restoration Hardware for this room and will post soon}

For your pleasure and curiosity {if you are at all at this point}:

Bed:  Martha Stewart for Bernhardt

Nightstand:  Martha's also

Lamp: Restoration Hardware

Duvet: Shabby Chic for Target

Decorative Pillow:  Kar'a'van

Matalesse coverlet and shams:  I think Bed Bath (?)

Earrings: Banana Republic

Wall color:  Silken Pine by Benjamin Moore

Trim: White Dove by Benjamin Moore

Painting:  The Blue Angel,  odenarts@aol.com

When I see everything in my bedroom listed out like this, it strikes me as kind of funny.  I really don't think about all the different places I pull things from.  What a weird list!

So, there you have a peak into another of my decorating dilemma's.  I look forward to the book FLIP! For Decorating by Elizabeth Mayhew. Hopefully it can shed some light on how to move forward and get things done!

I decided it was best to extend my giveaway until Monday, 4/19/10 (closes midnight).  I will be traveling this weekend to NY and will announce winner on Tuesday, 4/20/10.  It will be easier for me!  Sorry for the confusion!

 I am giving away FLIP! For Decorating~ enter for a chance.  

This giveaway is now closed.

Thanks and I will let you know on Tuesday!

~jamilyn

*Photo's property of and taken by Living It At Home*