I’m not going to lie, it’s been a difficult month filled with highs and lows and today, is a low. With so many unfinished projects, I decided to take a little time today to outline our master bedroom. Decorating always brings me joy. Like most home projects, it’s evolved a little since we first moved in, but I’m increasingly excited to bring it to life. We started transforming our master bedroom by painting it a soft cream, adding a natural brass chandelier and repurposing the Belgian linen drapes from our previous dining room. Along the way we added a beautiful leather club chair to create a cozy reading nook, a brass reading lamp and an antique milking stool we found in Rocheport, Missouri.
Steve and Brooke Giannetti’s Ojai home, fondly named Patina Farm is the inspiration for our bedroom. It feels romantic and relaxing and is filled with light.
9 years ago when we married, we were excited to purchase our first bedroom “set”. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. You know, after years of hand me downs and just scraping by, a set like the mature thing to do. Flash forward to today and I dread entering the room and seeing so many matching pieces…we’re down to 4, but it feels dark and uninspired. We had started to think about replacing it when I came across a beautiful dresser and chest of drawers at the Restoration Hardware Outlet, on an incredible sale. One piece was perfect, but the other wasn’t. I did my best to wrap my head around the prospect of adding a couple of pieces while still working with my Grandmother’s chest and I just couldn’t commit that night, by morning, they were gone. Six months later, I’m still dreaming about them {and on the wait list}, so I won’t make that mistake again!
As for the headboard, I’m not venturing too far – we’ve selected the Parsons Camelback headboard that is the sister to our dining room chairs. Hey, I know what I like! Since we have 3 girls and a dog, we’re going to retain our existing linen duvet and just add new pillows.
I keep going back and forth on what to do for the floors in our master bedroom. Last summer, we had the hall carpet replaced with wood and have considered doing wood in the master as well, but also know that we’ll eventually renovate the master bathroom and closet area, which may change the footprint of our master slightly. Decisions, decisions. If we do carpet, I’ll definitely do something similar to our former sunroom, which mimics sisal, but lighter. Either way, I plan to layer it with a rug under the bed and chest. I look forward to bringing our master retreat to fruition in the coming months, I need a good night’s rest 😉
Furnishing or redecorating an entire room can be a daunting task. Sometimes just adding a few pieces can completely transform a room. This year, I’m focusing on decorating one area at a time to make it more feasible & more enjoyable. We recently moved into a new {old} home & to date, I haven’t done a lot of decorating, but I wanted to alter the decor a little without spending a lot of money. First, I decided I wanted to eliminate family photos from our master bedroom. There’s plenty of room in the hallways, stairwell, family room & living room for that. I wanted to define it as a peaceful & romantic space. I think I achieved that by adding a removing a few small pieces.
I’d LOVE to update our furniture, but for now, it’s not a priority. When we married, I wanted a matching set more than anything. After years of mismatched pieces & living the college dream on a shoestring, I thought a matching set was the “grown up” thing to do! Now I appreciate the variation & interest a collection of pieces offer. To “break up” the monotony, I added an antique milking stool that I purchased last spring.
To make our master more romantic, I added a chunky throw. Just having it in the room makes it feel more cozy & intimate! It’s so soft & adds a lot of texture. I became obsessed with finding one after pinning a dead-end image last fall. I was elated to see that Pottery Barn is offering them this year!
In lieu of the bronze reading lamp, which was repurposed in Chris’ office, I added a brass lamp. It alone makes the night stand! It pairs perfectly with the antique brass scientific I had originally intended to be a paperweight. I’m also a fan of adding something organic to every room. I added roses in a planter I found a few years ago in St. Helena. I have one in nearly every room! It brings to the room to life & adds a pop of color to an otherwise neutral space.
I believe in function over aesthetic, so rather than displaying beautiful hard back books, I kept the books that Chris reads on his side table, along with a small pocket watch clock we already had.
For a quick refresh, I propped a piece of botanical art that was previously used in our dining room. I used a bud vase, that was formerly a glass lotion bottle to hold a couple snips of the houseplant from our family room. It looks fresh for nearly a month! I paired it with a brass bowl to hold my jewelry at night & the bronze monogram we used in our previous master.
I have so many ideas that I can’t wait to incorporate into our master bedroom including new furniture – piece by piece, wood floors, a rug & a brass chandelier, but for now, I’m incredibly happy with the refresh. This mini-makeover has made me feel at home, without a lot of investment or effort.
very impressed lovely work
Thank you, Marlene!
Hi Julie, I love your blog, but why do I keep getting one copy in the morning and a repeat copy every afternoon? Is anyone else experiencing this?
Hmmm! I’m completely unaware of this! Do you mind emailing me the copy you received this morning to julieblanner(at)me(dot)com? I really appreciate you bringing this to my attention!
Love the headboard! Where did u get it? It’s exactly what I’m looking for. Thanks!
JC Penney in 2007
So pretty Julie! I love the natural and peaceful vibe 😉
Thanks, Allie!
Where did you find that darling brass lamp??!!?
Pottery Barn! I love it!