Inside/Outside: Bedroom

Two weeks ago, I posted some early pictures of our mostly-unpacked house and thought I'd follow up with some posts re: the shape of things interior. The house is a work in progress, obviously. It's expensive to fill a home - especially as we've doubled our square footage. So! I've been experimenting with the things we have as we plan to slowly (when finances permit) acquire the things we need/would very much love.

Here's how the bedroom's shaping up:
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The mirror is ten years old - I bought it for my first apartment. It's the least flattering mirror of all time - which I have grown to love. This way? If "it" looks good in the mirror? It looks DAMN good in real life.

The chair is a cazillion years old. I bought it on consignment years ago. The dresser belonged to my dad when he was a little boy which I love because my dad is the coolest.
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Re: the painting (which, if you've read my book you may recall?) - it was something I painted for Hal when I was pregnant and didn't know it yet. Like, I was literally four weeks pregnant when I painted that sucker. And. Had. No. Idea. Crazy, right? It's kind of silly looking but it will be treasured always as one of the reasons Hal and I agreed on becoming parents when we did. Three months of dating, mere strangers, totally in over our heads.

The silly painting with the blue Hal coming out of "my" belly button? Was a sign. Even Archer knows all about it, loves to talk about how he helped me paint it when he was in my tummy.

Indeed he did, that little monkey.

So yes. It's totally silly looking. But also? A sort of masterpiece as far as kismet is concerned. (Ah, well. It is to me.)
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Other items shown above include an old Claire Luce/Julie Haydon reading of Colette's Music Hall Sidelights. A photograph an old friend gave me that says, "stop thinking about sex" which = haha! Oh, you! and a hand-sewn little number my mom bought for the kids that I am currently borrowing.
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Many have asked about my bedding. It's from Anthropologie (Surprise!) and is no longer available. (It was a birthday gift from years ago. They have a few similar options but unfortunately not the same.) The painting is also something I made. I used to paint all the time but haven't since Archer was born. I'm hoping to get back into it. It's meditative for me and makes me happy and yes, I know, I shouldn't quit my day job.
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Having no bed stands, I thought to use a couple of errant chairs my friend Frank found for me years ago in someone's trash pile. They work beautifully as book-stands and match the whole vibe of the room, me thinks.
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The gold sequined-jacket belonged to my grandfather's mother, Frances. (or Mimi as my mother grew up calling her.) I wear it often when I do dressy things and don't have the heart to store it in a closet with the rest of my coats. So? There beside my bed it currently resides. Inspiring fanciful dreams.
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Outside our bedroom lives my office, and (soon-to-be?) studio for painting/creating/eventually sewing my own clothes. Okay, so that's a dream I have little time for but boy, do I dream. I dream real hard.
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The opposite wall was empty for about a week before I had an idea. I collect hats and have many (typically men's) that are difficult to store. So? I made a hat wall! (Several of these belong to men in my life who have passed away, so they're very special things haunted by loving ghosts - even more reason to hang them happily on display ... much like the gold sequined coat!)
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And... that's all she wrote! For now. Eventually I'd like to acquire a new bed frame (something cool and canopy-ish) some cool mega-pillows, a whimsical little ruggy number for the foot of the bed and some funky bedside lamps but for now? I'm feeling all sortsa cozy-like.

Next up: the dining room! Where we dine by candles and books! Where Archer spends all day building things out of legos!

GGC

For bedroom inspiration c/o someone who actually knows what she's talking about? Check out Making it Lovely. Hers is a new blog to my radar and I want to marry it - so many great ideas + pretty things. Also? She's a mama whose daughter totally rocks like-minded frocks. That rhymed.

27 comments:

Anonymous | 1:21 AM

Nicole's blog is amazing! I LOVE her. Cute hat wall :)

eskimojo | 5:05 AM

I love the hat wall!

I've done something similar with all my dangly jewelery; your hats trump it with beautiful sentiment :)

Tiffany | 5:43 AM

Love those hats on the wall and I really like those mirrors.

Peace, Love and Chocolate
Tiffany

Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph | 6:01 AM

I love it all! And I had the pleasure of meeting Nicole recently and she's as delightful as her blog! (I'm a new fan, too!)

Steph

Anonymous | 6:12 AM

I could never go to sleep without something covering the window. Your neighbors will soon become peeping toms. I used to live in a neighborhood that had a peeping tom. He was always going into peoples yards and looking in their windows. He was creepy. He would also dress up like a woman too.

April | 6:15 AM

thanks for sharing! i love getting a glimpse of the more literal inside :-)

TKTC | 6:26 AM

I do love the painting AND the story...the fact that they can live together on the wall is pretty much the pinnacle of heartful home decor. Of course the part I need is the hat wall. I've run out of wall space in my tiny, beloved apartment and my poor chapeaux are stacked in two leaning towers on the floor of my "office" (kitchen annex/closet). They deserve this kind of loving...will revisit the space issue.

Still Life With Coffee | 7:02 AM

I absolutely love your new house and how you are decorating it. Beautiful.

Entwined Essentials | 8:07 AM

I love your new house and what you're doing with it. I think the chairs as bedside tables are awesome, what a great idea! Love your style!!!

The Hojo Family | 8:17 AM

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your style!! Your room (and everything in it) is amazing! I wish I had your talent for making rooms look like that!

Ashley Parker, 2008 Class Reporter | 8:33 AM

I would totally love have one of your paintings on my wall! They are so cool!

Nothing But Bonfires | 9:29 AM

Ooh, I love everything. The hat wall is a genius idea. I think I'm just going to make walls of everything I collect and have no proper room to store. Like, a wall of vintage juice glasses! Well, maybe not that. Probably not good in an earthquake.

I was admiring the Love picture above your bed and then when you said you'd painted it, I was very impressed. Now I want to commission something similar from you for my new house. I love it.

Erin | 10:06 AM

We have a hat wall too!

Mrs. Cline | 10:31 AM

I love the painting above your bed. Inspires me to paint something for Little Miss's bedroom instead of looking to buy something.

Sarah | 10:56 AM

what is so awesome about your bedroom is the nature through your windows, I just love that .. does it feel like you live in a treehouse, or a jungle ha ha .. love it!

I wonder if you could explain what you were trying to convey in that painting of your husband coming out your belly button .. interesting lol.

Your Love painting .. I totally thought you bought that .. it's gorgeous .. the colors are perfect.

Great job on the bedroom .. also love the side office/music room. My husband has 3 bass, I would totally see that as his music room too ha ha ha.

leel | 11:07 AM

thanks for telling us you painted that beauty over your bed. i was eyeing it last time. I love it! Get painting and sewing - I think you may end up with many day jobs if you so choose! the house is looking great :)

Glenda | 11:19 AM

Thanks for sharing your house. Looks beautiful. Thanks for the link to MakingItLovely. OMG! I spent over an hour on her blog. She's amazing! Love it! I'm hooked! Now back to work! Luckily I work at home.

Anonymous | 12:51 PM

I LOVE you room. The Love paiting reminds me of Dave Gerbstadt's work: he's a local (to me) artist that would do guerilla art, leaving it around town for people to find. Anywho, I love it and the first painting as well. I think when we create art is seems sillier to ourselves than to others. I'd love to see other paintings you've done!

emily bilbrey | 8:26 PM

very, very lovely! i really enjoyed the explanation about the painting you made (and archer's input. what a dear.)

hope you're enjoying becoming cozy & bonding with your new space. by the way, you totally inspired me to purchase a bikini for this summer with your previous post - my husband thanks you for that very much! :D

cheers!

Breezy | 5:57 AM

I love how you decorate! (dress, wear your hair, make-up...) Please consider having a sidebar/page from your blog to sell your paintings when you start it up again (at mommy friendly prices?) I would LOVE one!

Making it Lovely | 6:59 AM

Can we start a mutual appreciation club? Thanks for the mention. And I love seeing your space coming together… especially with the stories behind everything.

Sam | 10:48 AM

I love the gigantic windows in your house that are covered with foliage. It's wonderful! I noticed it in one of the common-area windows too in a previous post.

stevie | 11:41 PM

Totally in love with the hat wall.

Ray | 1:42 AM

WOW! I love your quirky room and how much history it has in it. With your father's dresser, your great-grandmother's sequined jacket and hat's from the men in your life. It just makes it an even more beautiful and meaningful place.

I haven't read your book yet (though I've been meaning to get it): so I'm glad you explained your painting. I think it's amazing that you didn't know you were pregnant, and that you painted yourself with Hal coming out of your belly button (probably meaning what you two manifested with your love for one another; which would be Archer) and the music notes. Which astonished me the most knowing how Archer loves music. It's like subconsciously you knew that you were expecting.

Reminds me of Britney Spears writing her song, "Someday I Will Understand" a few weeks before (if I'm correct) she found out she was pregnant with her first born. Things like that such as her song and your painting are amazing testaments, to a future unfolding that you didn't even know about, at the time.

I think it's great that you have an office for yourself to let your creative juices flow. START PAINTING AGAIN GIRL! You're good at it. I love your, "Love" painting as well. If you do start sewing, "I'd love to be let in on your sewing adventures." ;o)

Sorry for this ridiculously long comment!! I'm going now!!

Alexis | 8:44 AM

I have a hat wall too! Well, it's a hat/bag wall...I have TONS & when I found this rad asymmetrical wall rack thing at Urban Outfitters for ten bucks one day, it totally snapped into place in my brain. So now all my bags, hats, bracelets & necklaces hang on there, it works really well for displaying them when they're not being worn or used.

You have a really great eye, love what you've done with everything.

Oh, also, you're an awesome painter. I would buy your stuff, don't sell yourself short!

Anonymous | 11:02 AM

I like the chairs as tables idea. I have 2 old milk jugs as side tables!

Roya Rose | 11:05 AM

I like the chairs as tables idea. I have 2 old milk jugs as side tables!

I think your room is lovely. Mine always ends up looking like a bunch of crap thrown together when I try to get creative!