The vibe: Ocean-inspired, relaxed, and airy.
The style: A little bohemian, a little nautical, and as always, eclectic.
The palette: Natural blues like periwinkle, cobalt, and navy.
What I love about this room: Its size. Because it’s small, you have to be very discerning about how much stuff you bring in. That’s a good thing for a bedroom, since clutter=chaos. Keeping this room tidy is a must (although I still don’t make my bed often.)
What I don’t love so much: Its size. I would love it to be just a tad larger so I’d have more rearranging options for the bed.
How this space is ME: Blue has always been my favorite color and the beach has always been a calming force to me.
Confession: I’ve lived here for more than a year and have not only decorated it, but have made it over. What you’re seeing here is version 2.0. The first time I decorated it, it just felt like something was lacking–I had to find the perfect balance between airy and layered. So a few months later, I found myself making a few tweaks to the space. I won’t share the original version since it was kind of meh, and will gladly share this version instead. Now, the bedroom has Goldilocks status: just right.
The first go-round, I had the bed and dresser reversed. With the current arrangement, there’s a much better flow. Plus, the bed isn’t right across from the doorway now. I don’t know if that’s bad feng shui, but it never feels right for me.
The dressers were also made over when I moved here. I transformed them from this to a rich, cobalt hue. I used this DIY chalk paint formula from In My Own Style so I could avoid priming and sanding. The formula wasn’t not as best as chalk paint you can buy at the store (perhaps I didn’t mix it as well), but using this let me customize the dressers by selecting from many colors. (See the Source list at the bottom for the paint color.)
To complement the dressers, I bought a large mirror. Its frame originally had an antique bronzed finish, so I painted over it with white chalk paint and distressed it a bit. (I did the same to the mirror next to the bed, shown a few photos down.) The handles were spray painted with a champagne gold color and help infuse some boho flair.
I love these curtains. They were a little more expensive than I like, but the color is perfect and the pattern adds just enough interest without being bold. When the curtains are backlit, you don’t see the diamond pattern but instead see a soft striated pattern. Flanking the window, I hung several necklaces. They help decorate the space, but more importantly, won’t get tangled up by sitting in a dish.
Above the bed, I hung 2 wall ledges from in finish that looks whitewashed–I favor headboard alternatives instead of traditional headboards. Also, the cool tone of the faux wood is perfect with all the blues in the room. For this section of the room, I continued the natural vibes and infused a little tropical energy.
This shark-tooth necklace was my late grandfather’s–he got it on a trip to Hawaii the same year I was born. I don’t think I can ever part with it.
I bought a basswood tray from Michaels and painted it in coordinating colors. The diamonds are so MCM and remind of playing backgammon with my mother as a child. I probably would’ve enjoyed it even more if the board were these awesome blues!
This sea turtle artwork was a makeover project as well. It was originally painted in greens and creams/yellows and was part of a tropically-themed bathroom years ago. I never got rid of it because I loved the pattern so much, which I created by referencing Polynesian tapestries.
These are just some happy lil plants. I’ve had the best luck using terra cotta pots vs. plastic, which is wonderful because they’re so easy to customize to your decor.
Nearly all my pillowcases are homemade, using my envelope pillow pattern. The bed pillows were sewn from Kona cotton fabric, the body pillow from a cotton batik, and the small pillow from calico fabric.
Sources:
- Olympic Dragonfly OL673.6 (dressers)
- Sherwin Williams Divine White #6105 (walls)
- Bed – unknown
- Dressers – IKEA/DIY
- Stool – IKEA/DIY
- Pillowcases – DIY
- Ledges — Target
- Wicker candle holder – Lowes
- Mirrors – Home Goods/DIY
- Artwork – DIY
- Tray — Michaels/DIY
- Sconce — secondhand
- Curtains — Target
Would you be surprised if I told you I’ve already made changes to my bedroom decor since I took these photos several months ago? Of course not. I actually had to replace the dressers; unfortunately, the drawers were too sticky. The paint likely expanded the wood and got to become quite annoying. I replaced it with a secondhand MCM dresser that is positively fabulous–and was only $85. Aside from that, I’ve kept everything else the same. I did make a pledge, after all.
That’s the final room in my new home reveal! If you missed the other rooms, head over to the Reveals + Makeovers link.
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Filed under: Bedroom, Color, DIY, Furniture, Rental Decorating, Reveals + Makeovers 
