Bedroom Series

Bedrooms

I am going to do a little series on bedrooms, it's a fun subject and a place we are always wanting ideas for. I don't claim to be an expert on the subject but throughout my shop years I have carried many lines of bedding and dressed many beds. I have decided to include children's rooms also... I have decorated my share. 

I don't know about you but my bedroom was often the last room to get decorated in my homes past especially when the kids were growing up.

Quite often the kid's rooms took precedence over all, then came the living area and then the kitchen and my bedroom became a catch all. 

Many good reasons for it, if I was entertaining which we did quite often, I  wanted to put my best foot forward and that of course would be where people could see your home and one always could shut the door to the bedroom.

It really wasn't until I had the shop, did I really start appreciating good bedding and a place of my own. I only had two girls left at home and by this time I needed a sanctuary.

Jennifer's Room

My bedroom today has not been redecorated for quite some time, it is on my list to update soon. 

My home has 3 bedrooms. It is an old home as you know, so the bedrooms are small. I don't mind it.

 Some things you just give up to live in an old home. (Well, lets face it a lot of things).

When I start a decorating project as I have said before I sit in the room and let the room speak to me... ha, not literally but I let my eye wander and ideas start to come. 

Quite often what inspires me is fabric. I love fabric and when I find some I like, I tuck it away for the right project, usually vintage. 

That is probably why I am so attracted to bedding. 

I love bedding and when I had the large store Simply Posh I dressed 4 beds, plus carried several added lines of fine bedding. Some of my favorites are Bella Notte', Peacock Alley, French Laundry, Pinecone Hill, Traditions, Amy Karine and House. I had more but since they have been discontinued.  

There are several cardinal rules that I have set for my rooms, but number one is "good sheets"! 

Do not skimp on the sheets. 

You do not have to pay a fortune anymore to have a good thread count with  stores like Home Goods, Tuesday Mornings and TJ Max around. I have found some wonderful Egyptian cotton sheets with a 600 thread count for under $100. My mother taught me early to buy 100% cotton sheets and all my girls too :)

A footnote here, if you are not on a budget go for the Bella Notte' sheets at $245 per sheet they are fabulous but since most of us are now on a budget, I would rather put my money on a Bella Notte' duvet cover and shams and buy my sheets elsewhere. 

Cardinal rule number 2, for me is using down. 

If you are allergic to down, my condolences... 

I grew up with a down feather bed and pillows made by my Austrian grandmother (who actually plucked the goose down).

 I am addicted. I have funny story, growing up I had a favorite pillow and had a hard time sleeping without it. My father always teased me and said, "I would probably take that pillow on my honeymoon". Years later I told him, "I took that pillow on all 3 of my honeymoons, dad"... I know there was not much left of that pillow and it is gone now but I have another favorite pillow and yes, I bring it where ever I travel. So much for true confessions!

My husband cannot sleep on a feather bed because it is too hot but we do have a down duvet and pillows. I find the down duvets are cool in the summer and warm in the winter. If you are allergic, Ogallala Down Company makes a wonderful milkweed alternative.

This bedroom (Jennifer's room) has the original wallpaper from the 20's. We spent a summer scraping old wallpaper off that was on top of this. It was featured on HGTV Country Home.

So now that I have picked out my bedding, I will choose the curtains and then paint for my bedroom. It is much easier that way. 

If you have a piece of  upholstered furniture you are working around and you don't want to re-upholster it, I would either slipcover it or cover it with a throw... I would not tie myself into a color of a whole room just because of one or two pieces of furniture. There are always ways to get around it.

This is the master bedroom

I am thinking about redoing it this winter.
I don't know what yet but it will come to me. I have had it like this for too long now, I need a change.

 This little dressing room area with the closet was a 4th bedroom that fit a single bed and we knocked the wall out and turned it into a closet for the master.

As I said earlier my inspiration is fabric and for this bedroom I loved the vintage fabric drapes I had here. It is unusual to find this many panels, so I took advantage of them and made a coverlet and curtains. 

From the drapes I took the wall color and ran with it.
It took quite a few trips to the paint shop to get the right color and I don't think I could duplicate it if I tried.

I will be posting again on small bedrooms and also a couple of my grand daughters bedrooms that I designed. 
So I hope you will join me.
I will be linking up with my friend Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday
Blessings
Rebecca