Bea’s Big Girl Room
My sweet Bea has been in this room for over a year now and it’s taken me that long to get this post together (in case you’re wondering how life with a 4 year old and a baby during a pandemic is going). I was really excited to make this room magical for my big girl because I wanted her to have a space she loved that was just hers before the arrival of her sister that would, inevitably, turn her life upside down. And who would be taking over her old room. She wouldn’t miss the old room if the new room was amazing, right?!
Camille (my almost official sister-in-law) is an incredible designer who loves pink and flowers and all things really girly as much as Bea so she took the lead on the design. Our home is a mixture of vintage and contemporary and we wanted Bea’s new room to combine both. First we had to get rid of the last of Randall’s former bachelor life. These pieces are all that remained from his old condo and this guest room was kind of a place we just stuck stuff we didn’t know what to do with when we moved in here 6 years ago. I’m actually laughing to myself thinking that when we moved in here we had SPARE rooms! And free time, and less grey hair. I digress…
This room started to come to life when we found this antique wrought iron bed on our family’s annual antiquing trip to Michigan. I went there hoping we’d find one and once I spotted it she was mine – for $80! I love all the intricate details as well as how feminine it is. Our theme or inspiration for this room was a whimsical rose garden and I think it came together quite marvellously!
Some of the details on the what and the where:
Paint is “Pale Hound” by Farrow & Ball
I booked a day off and stayed home to paint Bea’s room; I really wanted to have the memory of being pregnant with her sister and getting her big girl room ready. When I picked her up from school that day I told her what I’d done and that she was going to LOVE IT. She walked in, looked around for a couple of seconds before asking “where’s the pink?”
Thankfully we had a plan for that with this rug (love that it’s washable) and this duvet set from Ikea (which is now discontinued, sorry!) Camille found a similar one for you here.
The drapery is from Wayfair. I ordered 2 of the valances and had a seamstress sew them together to fit the large window. Camille took one of the extra curtain panels I had ordered and made the custom bolster pillow which I think just pulls the whole thing together.
If you’re looking at the dresser and night stands thinking “those looks familiar” well, that’s because they’re everywhere. It’s the classic Hemnes from Ikea. I hired an Ikea pro on taskrabbit because while I wanted to have the experience of painting the room (I actually love painting) I did not need the experience of building any more Ikea furniture in my life.
We found these super sweet ribbon knobs at Crate and Barrel which I knew Bea would love to add a little personality to the simple white dresser.
The green nightside lamps are vintage from that same trip to Michigan. My Dad collects and refinishes antique lighting so he rewired these and I found the shades here. He also chose and hung the ceiling light. It’s really special to have some of his pieces in Bea’s room. Actually, he also found the vintage mirror that hangs over the dresser!
Camille also added some beautiful pieces like this chair , the vintage wrought iron book stand and other feminine details to add pops and really finish the room.
I think it all came together beautifully and is a room Bea can enjoy now and grow into as well. I’ll never forget that first night tucking her into that big bed, she was so excited (and a little scared) to sleep somewhere new. She looked so small but so grown up at the same time. Sigh.
Big love,
Danielle
Cast iron bed - Antique
Gingham bed linens - IKEA (discontinued) similar here.
Green fringed throw - H&M Home
Hemnes dresser - IKEA
Hemnes nightstand - IKEA
Bow drawer knobs - Crate & Barrel
Velvet armchair - Kare Design
Pendant light & tables lamps - Pickwick Antique lighting
Floral curtains - Wayfair
Bloster pillow - Custom
Dalmatian statue - Vintage
Floral etched mirror - Vintage
Area rug - Ruggable
Floral arrangement - Wild North Flowers