Master Bedroom Redesign

For Christmas, the boy and I decided to get ourselves a king size mattress to replace the the old queen mattress we had been sleeping on. See more about that decision and how I configured our floor plan in this previous post.

Of course, a new mattress size meant that we also needed a new headboard and bed frame, and we would need new bedding. I think you know where this is headed. If you give this mouse a cookie, she’s going to want to resdesign her whole bedroom.

It’s not that I wanted to RE-design our bedroom so much as I wanted to actually design it. Our bedroom in this house never really worked stylistically, and I was pretty much resolved to the idea that maybe it never would while we live here. So much of our house is like that right now. The living room is the closest thing to finished we have. We’re saving money to renovate our first floor so other spaces haven’t really been a priority and it drives me crazy that everything is a work in progress. All I’ve really wanted in my home since I started designing spaces for other people was to be able to create a plan for a room and execute it SOMEWHERE, instead of doing things piecemeal and ending up with a house full of “unfinished” spaces.  I am cool with living in an evolving home, but I really want to focus and get at least one space to a point that feels complete.

All of that to say, I jumped at the possibility of being able to finish our bedroom. It’s the perfect space for it because it really doesn’t require a lot of furnishings, and we have a good base to start. I’m reusing our dressers, one of which I’ve had since I moved out of my parents house after college. I’m keeping the same curtains and blinds, and I’m using an end table that came out of my grandparents’ house as my nightstand. I’m reusing the Euro Shams I bought a couple years ago, and I’m happy to say I had the forethought to purchase an extra one in case we ever upgraded to a king (although they are still available).

I’m also making a couple tweaks that may seem insignificant. I am switching out our current navy blue lamps for slightly larger ones because the scale of our current ones drives me nuts. I removed my old ipod dock/clock radio in favor of a smaller battery powered clock and an Echo Dot. We added some smart bulbs so that we can turn on the lights by asking Alexa to do so.

Quilt | Duvet Cover | Euro Shams | Velvet Pillows | Faux Leather Pillow | Bed | Vintage Rug (Similar) | Vintage Wash Stand Vintage | Vintage End Table (Similar) | Lamps | Curtains | Barn Print | Lake Print | Indigo Flower Print | Sleeping Print | Paint Color

The idea for this room was to give it a cozy, layered look that feels like it fits in our eclectic house but is also restful. The room is already partially put together but I’m still waiting for a few pieces to finish it off and style it. I can’t wait to show everyone the final product!

Natural Neutral Bedroom

I grew up in suburban Northern Virginia and have gradually made my way closer to urban life as I’ve grown up. As a kid, my family took the same vacations every year, one to the beach and a couple to visit my grandparents on their 5 acre property in a rural area of upstate New York. The grown-up preppy bedroom design board, which I showed you a few weeks ago, is representative of the side of my personal style that is closer to my somewhat urban lifestyle. There is part of me, though, that thinks about what it would be like to live out on land, in an old farmhouse or cozy country cottage with room for the dogs to run, to host family kickball games, and to have a big vegetable garden like my grandfather’s. I like to think that this bedroom design board represents the more “country” side of […]

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Grown-Up Preppy Bedroom

As an interior designer, there are so many ways to engage in the trade (one of the reasons I love this field so much!). When I was in grad school I worked for a great local designer, and we primarily helped homeowners furnish their spaces. Now my day job primarily involves more interior architecture, including kitchen and bath design, working out interior trim details, helping clients choose finishes, and supporting the construction process of residential renovations. Plain and simply, we don’t do furniture. I love my job, but sometimes I miss the furnishing side of the business and wish I could work on a whole house project from architecture through furnishings (kind of like this notable local designer). To satisfy that craving and keep my portfolio fresh, I’ve started creating a series of design boards and I plan to post them here as I finish them. I’m also hoping to […]

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Rustic + Glamorous Living Room

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a mood board so I’m very happy to get this post up today. This living room is meant to capture a rustic glamorous feeling–to incorporate some of the glamorous elements popular in today’s trends but use more rustic elements to make it a comfortable, accessible space. The elements in this space are definitely a mix of high and low. The sofa is about $1,300 (which really isn’t all that high when it comes to sofas, but it is on my budget) and the side chairs are only $169 each. Some of the decorative boxes are in the $50 – $70 range while other decorative items are less than $20. Although the items aren’t all inexpensive, they are definitely on the lower end of investment in a space using retail pieces, and it’s a space that someone on a budget could build over time. […]

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Room Inspiration: Things We Love

Kate Spade’s new book, Things We Love, is at the top of my wish list. And I have to be honest, I’m totally judging a book by its cover in this case. I LOVE this cover. The colors are amazing. So amazing that I decided to create a mood board inspired by the cover art. Midtown Taxi Throw Pillow | Empire State Building Pillow Cover | Green Ruffle Pillow | Pink Lawrence Throw | Roy Lichtenstein Kiss II Print | Ektorp Sofa |  Perch Yellow Table Lamp | Gold Pig Bookends | Ceramic Telephone Smartphone Dock | Beagle Ceramic Decorative Plate | Small Ceramic Lattice Canister | Fuchsia Nina Chair | Between a Rock Gold Lamp Base | Vintage Globe | Brass Urchin | Smart Round Marble Top Coffee Table | Stockholm Rand Rug | Background Color: Benjamin Moore Jamaican Aqua As you can see, the primary inspiration for this space is the book […]

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