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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

My daughter’s bedroom–continued

To view full post online, or to comment on the post, please visit 
http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2012/12/my-daughters-bedroomcontinued.html

In a recent post, I documented the progress of my daughter’s bedroom, from the original framing of the house when it was being built, to the slow but steady progress that we made over the past 18 months. Above is a picture of the room after the basics went in.  It looked nice, but a bit bland and sedate.  My daughter wanted a splash of color and pattern, which was definitely lacking in the room!

My daughter and I worked on the décor of the room together, and we worked in the opposite order of what most designers recommend – we started with the paint (because we had to pick something when the painters were there painting all of the interiors), and ended with the fabric.  Most designers seem to recommend starting with the fabric, because fabric colors are so much more specific than paint colors (it’s much easier to find a paint color to go with a fabric than the other way around).  This definitely would have been a better way to go – it took me a year to find a fabric that worked with the walls and the color of the headboard fabric.

As many of those who follow my blog on facebook can attest, I spent quite a bit of time looking for a good accent fabric to use for Julie’s room. I quickly realized that we had different ideas and tastes for pattern. I like the trellis and geometric fabrics that are so prevalent in design today – Riad, Palace Fret, and others all had beautiful colors that looked great in the room. My personal favorite was tulips by Galbraith & Paul (3rd from left) in the mineral color (we almost used this in our master bedroom).  Julie did not like any of these fabrics. She wanted more of an organic and colorful style. So I found some more organic looking fabrics in the right colors, but these did not appeal to Julie either; they were too sedate, too mature, or too monochromatic. 

Then I stumbled upon this fabric, mint fleur by Caitlin Wilson Textiles; I am not sure where I saw it, but I had a feeling that it would work perfectly.  This pattern is fun and fresh, and very youthful – and had the look that Julie wanted for her room. I ordered some swatches, and showed Julie the pictures of Caitlin’s website. She loved the mint fleur, both because of the organic floral pattern, and because of the bright punch of color of the coral/pink.

What I love about Caitlin’s fabrics (above image via Caitlin Wilson Textilesis that she has recommended collections that are a definite mix of patterns, and yet coordinate beautifully together. I can’t say I would have normally mixed and matched a coral chevron with a flowery pattern, but after seeing it on Caitlin’s site, I loved how it all worked together. I did not tell Julie about the chevron ahead of time, as she would have probably rejected the geometric pattern – but when the pillows I had made appeared on her bed, it looked so pulled together that she loved it.

Caitlin’s fabric line does not have a solid coral to coordinate with the patterns, and we wanted a monogrammed pillow for the bed. So I pulled a few samples of solid linens that would look good. Surprisingly, it was not hard to find a good candidate – Duralee to the rescue once again!  I used the solid coral for an accent pillow monogrammed with a ‘J’ surrounded by a laurel leaf motif.

Julie_room_after3
And this is how Julie’s room looks now – not quite finished (we still need to re-cover the loveseat seen on the left side, and get a light fixture and perhaps some more wall decor), but well on its way! The room now has the soothing spa like elements that Julie wanted, with the foundation of aqua and cream, but also has a lively punch of pattern and color from the accent pillows and the fabric on the bench.  

Originally we were just going to have a few pillows on the bed, and some of the pillows were going to be on the loveseat, but Julie liked the look of all of the pillows on the bed – and she diligently makes her bed every morning, making sure to place every pillow is in its spot. 

The Simon Pearce lamps were in my master bedroom in the old house, and were in my dining room for a while, but I like how they look in Julie’s room. I think they have found a new home!

Ballard Louis chair
The final element that was put into place – a Louis XV chair that Ballard Designs invited me to create as part of their ‘blogger challenge’. Keith Arnold of Suzanne Kasler Interiors came up with the design based on the fabrics that I had collected, and specified an 8” stripe front and back.  The stripe is the perfect touch – created by seaming the pale green/aqua of the same fabric that was used in the headboard with the coral/pink fabric that I used for the monogram pillow (which picked up the color of the flowers in the fabric).  The chair was painted in Benjamin Moore white dove, which is the color of the trim in the room.  This chair is now my daughter’s desk chair, and is used on a daily basis!

Julie is thrilled with her room, which makes me happy.  It has taken a long time to get to this point, but I think this is a room she will be pleased with for years to come.

Now on to my oldest daughter's bedroom....stay tuned!

holly sprig
After my last post on cookbooks, and in particular, my love for crock pot cooking, I received many emails with questions and several with good crock pot recipes.  I updated the original post, but since it was days after I first posted, thought I would answer the questions here too. The top question was what brand I recommend to go with my favorite crock pot cook book, Slow Cooker Revolution .

SLOWCOOKERRevolution
The authors of Slow Cooker Revolution (America’s Test Kitchen) tested many brands, and like the Crock Pot programmable touch screen model (seen above) best.  Amazon has an excellent price on it, click here for link.

The crock pot I own is made by the Crock Pot brand (like the one above), but I bought it a long time ago so the same model is not available. The size seems to be the same as the one above (6 quart, which I like), and it has the time set and high/low/warm function.  In general, I think the best feature of a crock pot is the ability to set the time to the half hour.  When the time is over, the crock pot goes to warm, preventing the food from being overcooked and allowing the cook to be away when the meal finishes cooking. 


Designers favorite books: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2010/12/designers-favorite-books-and-mine-too.html

2012 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2012/11/books-for-my-christmas-list.html

2011 books on my Christmas list: http://www.thingsthatinspire.net/2011/12/my-book-list-christmas-2011.html

Small art, perfect for special, one of a kind holiday gifts or hostess gifts!http://quatrefoildesign.bigcartel.com/category/art

To see design, architecture, art, and decorative books that I recommend, please visit the Things That Inspire Amazon store  (newly updated!).

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34 comments:

  1. julie's room looks so fresh and youthful yet timeless. it's feminine without being cutesy. love it.

    and i'm clicking over to learn more about this crockpot because i could use an upgrade!

    smiles to you, holly.

    michele

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  2. I truly love this room! It will also grow with her and you won't feel the need to change it again! It's timeless! Thanks for sharing it with us!

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  3. It's beautiful Holly! Thanks so much for sharing and for the link love!

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  4. What a lucky girl. I like how she is taking care of her room with the new decoration, and making the bed every day. My teenager only makes her bed once a week if at all. It is good to teach kids to take care of what they have, and to create an organized environment.

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  5. Holly....gorgeous! Working together with your daughter and Caitlin...you all came up with a winning combination!!!

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  6. Really like the end result. The colors go perfectly with the walls. I also really like the stripe on the chair. Best Wishes! -Tonya

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  7. Perfect Holly! So sweet your daughter takes time to place her pillows!

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  8. Gorgeous fabric on the bench. Just beautiful.

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  9. Loved reading your description of the process you went thru as you worked with your daughter on the room. It's such an organic and often non-linear process, which you captured beautifully. You let the solution go where it needed to go as it spoke to you. Beautiful post!

    Cheers,
    John

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it was a fun process, but sometimes it is more satisfying to have a designer work it all out, present to you, and make it all happen! This took a long, long time. I have barely tackled my oldest daughter's bedroom as she will be a much more difficult client (if I say black, she says white type of person).

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  10. I LOVE my crockpot and use it weekly! I rarely use recipes but more 'experiment' with it and have yet to have a bad meal.
    Your daughter's room is precious -the fabrics bring it to life!

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  11. Such a beautiful grown-up room for your daughter. I love the soft colors with the pop of PINK!! Your large stripe down the center of the chair is a favorite look of mine. Great job and such a lovely room,
    Merry Christmas,
    Kathysue

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  12. It looks wonderful....the pink fabrics you added are so pretty and I love the chair with the stripe..The perfect detail to finish the room.....

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  13. Nice choices! Bravo!

    Can you tell me the fabric on your 'rejected' group of fabrics, the one on the far right?

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    Replies
    1. It's Schumacher. Not sure of the pattern. Schumacher has so many beautiful fabrics!

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  14. Beautiful job, Holly!!... You mentioned that "most designers" suggest starting with fabric. As a designer, myself, for over 20 years, I find that method often leads to designs that are somewhat contrived and boring. You were spurred by circumstance to choose the paint first...which may have caused some frustration along the way...but the journey to finding the "right" fabric opened your eyes (and your daughter's eyes, i.e. loving the chevron pattern) to choices that add MUCH more depth, personality and interest. The result is unexpected and STUNNING!!

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  15. Holly I adore your daughters room!
    Caitlin's fabrics and colors are a delight and just the right pop of color!

    2012 Artists Series,
    xoxo
    Karena

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  16. The end if the bed bench...my FAV!! franki

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  17. Your daughter must be thrilled! Caitlin's fabrics are perfect in her room!

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  18. It looks gorgeous. That burst of colour was just what the doctor ordered. Great choices, and yes, I can see why people choose fabrics first.

    I love her area rug. Is it broadloom that has been cut into an area rug? I am looking for something soft and just off-white for my bedroom.

    Is there different stuff on your facebook blog for followers than on this blog? Sorry, not on facebook!

    Love, terri xo

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    Replies
    1. The rug is just a loop wool rug, very simple, found in the remnant section of a local rug place and cut to fit the room.

      I often post small inspirations on FB - things I like, events, pictures.

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  19. Imagine all the different topics your daughter is learning, simply by putting her room together as a layered template.

    Adore the natural lite in her room.

    Garden & Be Well, XO T

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    Replies
    1. It was hard to take a picture because of the light, but it makes the room a nice cheerful place.

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  20. Holly-
    Your daughter's room looks amazing. I love the colors and prints ou have chosen.
    Teresa
    xoxo

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  21. Where did you find her desk? The room is beautiful!!!

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    Replies
    1. I got it at Ethan Allen about 6 years ago. The right side is open for a big CPU, which is not necessary anymore! I just checked and it has been discontinued - it's the Peggy desk.

      Delete
  22. Beautiful room! I like the White Dove color ~ a very crisp white. The natural light coming in is lovely and the pink patterns are perfect for a girls room.

    leslie

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  23. Holly, stunning room, we have used White dove in several homes....I love the pop of pink in the room it gives just enough color and energy for a young girl yet its very calming and serene. Beautiful job!

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  24. I would love to see a peek in her bath. Which tiles did you use on floors? Faucets? Did you use the fabric from her bedroom in her bath. I always love to see how decor flows from room to room. Her bedroom is perfection!

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  25. Holly,
    Your daughter must be over the moon!! Heck, I'd love that bedroom!

    The coral is a great contrast color and I love Caitlin's line. The chevron + floral is a winner!!!

    And, a friend just recently recommended Slow Cooker Revolution...so I'm hoping to fire up my crock pot over the holidays!
    Merry merry to you and yours!

    xoxo Elizabeth

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  26. Oh I love this room...What a great punch of color, love how just adding pillows can make all the difference and well that chair isn't so bad either. Thanks for posting, I enjoyed reading.

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  27. Soo adorable! i love the furniture and the fabrics~! and i love the chair - that is just beautiful. good job!!!!

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  28. Love the way this turned out! Would you mind sharing the name of the fabric you found to coordinate with the mint fleur, for the pillow and chair? Have been searching for one...all too pink or too orange! This room is lovely!

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