Our Bedroom
Even though I’ve been blogging nearly six years, I realized the other day that I’ve never once posted a picture of our bedroom. This room was decorated about nine years ago and even though I still like it, I am contemplating a change.
The birdseye maple bed, armoire, rocking chair, and two dressers are part of a set that belonged to my great aunt purchased in the 1920’s. I also have a dressing table that goes with the set in our guest room.
This is Great-Aunt Fannie. She was a milliner as a young woman and then helped her husband run a store. She raised my grandmother and was a grandmother to my dad and aunt. My father loved Aunt Fannie and introduced my mother to her before he introduced her to his own mother!
The bedside table is maple and was made by my grandfather for my dad when he was a boy. The pictures on the bed wall were both my grandmother’s. The cedar chest at the base of the bed was a gift from my parents for my high school graduation. Mr. SP made the trashcan for me after I saw it in one of the first Southern Living at Home catalogs.
Border is definitely out of decorating style but I still love this one because it is toile. I made the toile curtains, bed skirt, and pillows.
The two floral prints belonged to my grandmother and they are flanked with calendar plates from our birth years, 1969 and 1963. We are both Monday babies! The plates hanging around and over the dresser were all my grandmother’s.
I’m pretty slow to make a decorating decision, so don’t expect to see any immediate changes in this room. Mr. SP might prefer a more masculine look when this room finally gets a makeover.
Sharing With:
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
It’s a very bright and cheerful room. I love the furniture and all the sentimental ties to your ancestors.
Such a classic style, and I just love all the history you have woven into your home!
Hi Paula
Love your bedroom and that is was passed down in family. Also it is definitely well made furniture than what they have on the market today. It adds character to your room along with sharing a family heirloom. I still am a fan of toile too!
Both my girls are Monday babies!
Your bedroom is stunning. I love your pretty furniture! Birdseye maple is so pretty. And I love toile, and I have a little bit of it in almost every room in our home, even in our “new” kitchen (French door shade). Our powder room is covered in a crimson and mustard toile wallpaper.
I think this is the first time I’ve seen this room! 😀
xo,
RJ
I love the history in the room. I agree with the other comments about the furniture – it is quality furniture and the Victorian-feel to it is great. My husband and I would never go for something like this – we definitely like a much more modern feel but I do think it would be neat to see how you update the style while still incorporating the furniture (if you choose to do so).
OMG! Can’t believe how our tastes are similar! Put a solid Wedgewood blue bedspread on the bed, keep the curtains, and the pillows, add blue toile and accessories wherever, blue and white prints, and you would have our bedroom. Love yours. I think it is timeless.
I think it’s beautiful! I love toile and you’ve done your room in a classic way. And, thank you SO much for NOT PAINTING YOUR PRECIOUS BIRD’S EYE MAPLE! I sometimes wonder what is going on in the minds of some bloggers when I see that they seriously do not understand what it is they are painting over, RUINING perfectly good wood, that only needs a little TLC instead of somebody’s “chalk paint” just in order to be “on trend” or whatever the heck it’s called. OMG! Your room presents so many intriguing possibilities, if it were mine I am already imagining what I would try. I look forward to visiting again and reading about your progress, if you choose to share it with us. I know – a bedroom is such a personal space. It should be YOUR space, and not what anyone else of us out here might like or not, or be on trend, or – whatever. You and your spouse are the people who sleep there every night, after all 🙂 Go for what you like; design from your heart, and your gut, and you will get it right.
So pretty Paula. I love toile, especially blue & white…it never goes out of style! Your furniture is beautiful, love those gorgeous wood tones! 🙂 So enjoyed your family bits and Aunt Fannie with beautiful dress and hat! I wouldn’t redo a thing, but Joan adds an idea of maybe a blue throw at the bottom of the bed where you have the white one now and hook rugs look nice with toile…but it is truly beautiful just as it is!
Blessings,
Cindy
The comment about people painting over wood with chalk paint hit a nerve~~I wouldn’t paint over bird’s eye maple, but what I have is NOT pretty wood. Everything wooden is not always a good looking wood, and some would definitely benefit from some paint and maybe ‘antiquing’. My mother painted a bedroom set blue with one of those kits that used to be in style, with lots of brownish glaze. It has definitely seen better days, and I’m thinking of doing white chalk paint with a glaze over some ‘distressing’. I tried a bit in an out of the way place, and it was an orangey type finish under the blue, I’m thinking I know why she painted it!
Kudos on the toile and using familly heirlooms, it looks wonderful and I would only add some darker blue accents as someone else suggested, .and maybe some candle sconces flanking the picture over the bed. But that’s just me, always gilding the lily so to speak~~
I agree with you that not all wood is pretty and that some pieces are improved with the addition of paint.
Loved reading about Great Aunt Fannie. So wonderful to have these precious pieces!
It’s toile good! (Couldn’t resist) what a lovely room!
My great grandmother was a hat maker in Hollywood in the 1920’s! All kinds of elaborate beadwork, I’m told. My mother also shares stories of when she was a young girl, she’d point out some special dress she liked and my great grandmother & grandmother would make an exact replica, without patterns. Amazing.
I love your bedroom, but then, I’m partial to toile. Classic & timeless, just like your beautiful furniture.
Thank you, Colleen! Don’t you wish you had some of your great-grandmother’s work? Now I know where you get your artistic talent!