Spare Bedroom ~ Inspiration Found!

Thank heaven Spring is here to cheer me up with its bright, long days and budding green-ness.  I really needed a pick-me-up and the weather (and gardening season) is lifting my spirits.

In typical Spring fashion, decorating dreams begin to unfurl and the list of projects grows in my head.  The room that's been on my "to do" list is our downstairs spare bedroom.  I will post photos soon, but suffice it to say this is a favorite room, very small and cozy (10'x10'), with tall built-in bookcases, a big shaded window and a large closet.  It's very cool in summer for sleeping and we've actually grown accustomed to sleeping here more and more of the year!  There is something charming about a small, breezy room.

The room is very plain Jane right now and really needs some decor-love.

So in an effort to kick-start the process, I've compiled a few of my recent favorite inspiration photos here.  

If you've visited me before, you know I'm a fan of graceful, cool neutrals and soft grey blues.  I want this room to evoke one word:  SERENITY

  

I love the neutral walls above, but I'm considering painting the room blue (Farrow & Ball's Skylight) and using all white, cream and taupe accents.  If you recall, I bought a splendid Laura Ashley quilt (below) in Paris last Fall, as well as the little pillow at BHV in Paris.  I would like to use them both:

I also love the tranquil colours in the photo below.  The wall colour is Farrow & Ball's Pavilion Gray, which is a little too somber for me.  But I love the room's tranquility and many of the details, including the blue-gray roman shade with the striped trim:

In the furniture department, I'd love an upholstered headboard, but cannot find one that meets my specifications.  And I'd prefer to orient the bed under the window anyway, which leaves me restricted on headboard height (43").  After an exhausting search, I found this modest bed from Ikea (Vanvik), which has a low headboard and is very cost-conscious.  I plan to go see it tomorrow and pray it's suitable.

Ikea also has a Hemnes four-poster bed that caught my eye.  It does not appear to be available in white, so would require a paint job.  I don't know if the room's proportions would accomodate a four-poster, but it might enhance the nest-like quality, don't you think?  I love the idea of draping pretty fabric over the top, like this:  

Or even better...this pretty floral fabric:

The room has built-in bookshelves across one entire wall.  I would love to paint the interior a contrasting colour (perhaps white) and have been considering wallpapering the back wall of the bookcases.  But since it is built-in, it would be a sheer torture to cut and wallpaper all 24 cubbies.  If you've ever painted a bookcase, you'll know that painting the 24 shelves/cubbies will be bad enough!  But wouldn't this pretty damask paper look nice in the room?  

Perhaps I will just have to do a single panel to hang somewhere (not that I can afford F&B wallpaper, which requires a minimum two-roll purchase at the one available dealer in Calgary).

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Besides damask, I also really love this striped fabric from the beautiful and gracious Windsor Smith. She has a gorgeous, sophisticated fabric line, and I like the versatility of this stripe, perhaps for a roman blind:

Or maybe I could paint stripes on the back wall of my bookshelves?  Ah...I can see there is a lotta, lotta work to do!

Here is a Parisien inspiration room with peaceful colours, published by My Notting Hill:

I also love the photo below (the romance, the colours), but can't see myself under a gauzy coronet every night.  Perhaps in my dreams....

I will post photos of the room when I get ready to paint in a couple of weeks.  In the meantime, I am busy pondering the infinite variations on my theme.

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Photo credits: 1.David Oliver   2.UK Homes & Gardens   3.Our house   4.Eric Piasecki photographer

  5. Ikea   6&7 Living Etc.  8.Farrow & Ball website   9.Windsor Smith Home   10. My Notting Hill photo   11. Unknown UK magazine