Florence’s Bedroom
From a storage cupboard to a beautiful bedroom for Florence, this is one BIG transformation I’m so excited to share!
If you were to look at Florence’s bedroom now, you’d have no idea that it used to be a pokey storage room. When we started the big renovation of extending the hallway, adding new windows and doors and building a new room, we decided to turn the storage room into a bedroom (which meant adding a window, changing where the door was and more!) It was a big project, but so worth it. Watch all the BTS here.
I wanted to create a room that would grow with Florence. I wanted her room to reflect her personality and be practical for her playing and sleeping, but the biggest thing for me was for her to feel safe, cosy, happy and to feel like it was her ‘special space’.
Of course there were the non-negotiable elements, like bed, drawers, storage for books and toys etc, but I also wanted to incorporate elements that I knew would continue to be relevant as she grew, such as a built-in seat which is practical no matter what age.
The words that inspired me for this design were Earthy, Playful and Calm.
There was also one decorative piece I knew I wanted, and that was wallpaper! (We had never applied wallpaper before but like anything we do, we thought we would give it a shot! It is WAY easier than you think too, by the way.) See how we did the wallpaper here.
I grew up with traditional and timeless wallpaper in my homes as a child in England, such as William Morris and Sanderson. To this day I remember as a little girl lying in bed tracing my fingers over the motifs and patterns as I would fall asleep. There was such a story to tell; it was whimsical and exciting whilst the repetition of the pattern was consistent and relaxing. When I think of it, it makes me feel warm and safe with fond memories as a child, and I wanted that same feeling for Florence.
Like most rooms I design and decorate, I created a moodboard which is usually influenced or inspired by a hero element. In this case that was a vintage rug. Mood boards help guide you and allow you to play with colours and products before making a final purchase. They’re also great to refer back to throughout the process of the project to stay on track and not get easily swayed by all the other options.
I just love how welcoming, calm and cosy this space feels. It is also whimsical and reflects her growing character. I love seeing Florence choose to play in her room on her own. Often after a big activity or outing, she will say to me, “I’m going to go and play in my bedroom now and have some quiet time”. I’ll often pop in and put her little diffuser on, with calming oils and ballet music, and she will play for hours singing to her toys and sitting in the built-in seat reading books.
I think the built-in seat we did, really made this room. It’s beautiful, functional and utilises the space so well. It is such a focal point when you walk into the room and is definitely my favourite before and after moment of this project. As we were on a tight budget, the bookcase and seating area is something we built ourselves. You can see more details on this here. We outsourced the carpet and a friend made a simple box cushion for the seat.
It makes my heart warm knowing how comfortable and happy she is in her bedroom. I believe any bedroom should feel like a special and sacred space, especially as a child. Knowing that Florence loves her bedroom is my favourite part!
Links and sources:
Rug- One of a kind from a favourite vintage rug store
Wallpaper- Natty and Polly- Osier Rosewood/Sepia
Lantern- Edde Islington Lantern
Drawers- Recycled chest of drawers, painted Porters Paints, Olive Grove, chalk emulsion. Used Porters stucco wax for polish!
Brass Knobs- Lo and Co Interiors- Brass Knob 38mm
Carpet- FlooringXtra - Copenhaven Tivoli.
Fan- Haiku Big Ass Fans
Roman Blind- Black out linen blind from Blinds online. (Unfortunately a discontinued colour)
Baskets- Newest addition are from Target
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