At the farm we have a bedroom for our girls and one guest. This is what it looked like last time I showed it on the blog. It’s not exactly a French bedroom, but it has some Frenchy accents.
I’ve been enjoying the look, but I was ready for a change, and I found some things at Restoration Hardware on sale. Well… it was too much for me to resist. Before I show you what I’ve found and what we are doing in here, I want to show you where the room has been.
I am showing you the different looks this room has had over 9 years. When we had the house built, we didn’t have the funds to make it fancy, we were just thrilled to have 3 comfy beds. The point I want to make upfront is that it’s okay to go slowly and let your room evolve over time. Embrace each small improvement, even the bad decisions. You will learn from the mistakes. Try new things and have fun. I’ve had many missteps in my decorating journey, but I’ve learned so much along the way. If you sometimes feel frustrated by seeing only perfect rooms on Instagram, this post is for you. Get ready for some real, raw photos!
This is how the room looked in the beginning, long before my blog. The dresses are cute, but seem to be floating and lost on the large wall. There are no headboards or lamps.
Then I found some cream matelasse quilts for the beds and it really helped pull the beds together visually. I also added the ottomans and made burlap slipcovers for them. The ottomans were very practical, since the room has no chairs.
Finally we had headboards for the room. And I switched out the dresses for white ones. I also added the arched frame that fixed the floating dress syndrome. The other big change was adding the French nightstands, and the baskets at the foot of each bed. I also made the red grainsack striped euro pillows.
A reader said the room looked like the hospital scene in Downton Abbey. Oops, that was a mistake.
Speaking of mistakes, today’s podcast episode is about common decorating mistakes and how to avoid them.
I had to agree with the reader. The room did look a bit like a hospital ward. I decided it needed a little color. I added duvets wrapped in colorful throws.
I also tried these red striped duvet covers, but in the end, I didn’t like them.
Ever tweaking, I found these gingham duvet covers on clearance so I used them in the room.
Next we traded out the dresses for shutters. Nope, not working.
But I did add the purple benches that are nicer than the old burlap covered ottomans. One step forward, two steps back, but it’s always a learning experience.
Finally we added the rug which gets us back to the photo at the top of the post. My friend has been telling me to add crowns to the beds and I have resisted and resisted until Restoration Hardware Baby and child put them on sale. They must have sold out, since I don’t see them on their website any more. Here they are below. I like the new look already! If you love the dresses, no worries. I still have them, plan to use them elsewhere. Sorry Peggy and Ginger, I do plan to keep them (although I know they would look better in your houses.)
affiliate links
Obviously the crowns need curtains. Soft Surroundings (my sponsor) is sending some balloon drapery panels. CLICK HERE. It’s beginning to look like a French bedroom.
I also ordered new headboards from Restoration Hardware Baby and Child during the big sale. Here they are ready to go! I looked on the site, since I was going to provide a link, but I don’t see this bed on their website any more.
I love the detail on the top. When the delivery guys came, I grabbed some quilts for them to put between the beds so they wouldn’t get scratched. I just realized when working on this post, that one of the quilts I grabbed is one of the quilts shown in one of the very first photos.
Finally this will be a French bedroom.
I haven’t decided yet which bedding I’m going to go with. Have you seen any that you love? I am looking for ideas. Should I go with what I have or do something completely different?
I’ll share more photos of the transformation when we put the headboards and the curtains in the room.
Remember you can always find many of my favorite items on Amazon HERE.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I am sorry the headboard and crown are no longer available. I always like to provide sources, since that is what people most what to know. So, I did find a few things that I thought you might like for a bedroom. Just click on the photos below for pricing and more info.
Wow! Can’t wait to see the room when you get done with your French magic! And, just to make you feel better – I’m ok about the little dresses. I have one that looks great in Ella’s room. So, please don’t feel bad – 🙂 (Love you!)
Well, you sure shut Peggy and I down in a nanosecond! But, I’m with Peggy on this. I’m ok about the darling little dresses too. The crowns and headboards are going to be so fabulous and truly French. Much more farmhouse before, and I really did like the red striped grain sack euros and red striped duvets for that look, and might look good again with the new French twist. But the lavender gingham has always been my favorite, and I think it will look great with the new look too ???
I like the ones with the pink or lavender color covered duvets. All look beautiful. Hugs, ps, I do love the crowns.
Anita, this bedroom with the little dresses has always been a favorite of mine! I thought the dresses were so cute, and so unique! But, I must admit, the crowns are gorgeous! I cannot wait to see the room finished with the crowns and those cute headboards all in place! And personally, I adore the purple gingham, but I know whatever you decide will be gorgeous!
I also want to say how thrilled I am to be joining you as part of this amazingly talented group! Thank you for having me, and I look forward to sharing every Friday with you:)
Sheila
xo
It was fun to see how the room has changed over the years. I like both the grainsack and floral bedding, but I think the grainsack goes better with your usual style. Perhaps they could be changed seasonally – florals for spring and summer, grainsack for fall and winter.
The crowns and headboards are amazing and I know that whatever else you do to the room will be great. However, like others in the comments, the lavender gingham has always been my favorite and I can’t imagine anything else that would be more farmhouse French. You probably want to go in a direction you haven’t gone before, so we’ll all just wait and see what you come up with.
Hello,
I’m agreeing with some of the other gals here – the purple gingham looks fantastic, adding charm and totally in sync with the purple benches. I do not personally care for the current floral with the wall color at all.
I, too, have always loved those dresses on the wall grills. It has been one of those images that has stuck with me since the first moment I saw them. Can’t you pull the drapes to the sides with tiebacks and still use the dresses over the beds? Or are the new beds too high? The new headboards are gorgeous, but the other ones were quite charming in that room.
As one who also likes to change things up, I guess ultimately you have to love the room, always searching for that last detail to make it “perfect” in your eyes. Go for it, and I hope this change will be “the one”!
Oh each one is gorgeous and done beautifully
I really love the travel back in time to your various decorating stages. I can really relate. And I like where you’ve gotten. Though I know the room will continue evolving. I’m hoping to see some soft color in the panels you hang from the crown.
OMG!! Your friend was right about the crowns. I can’t wait to see them with fabric panels. And thanks to the link you provided, I am now IN LOVE with – and considering purchasing – one for my bedroom. I just don’t know what to do with the art pieces hanging behind the bed now. Oh well. ?
So do you have a garage sale to get rid of the “mistakes” that you buy and then don’t like?…the fabric, the blankets and throws and duvets you have bought. You spent a lot of money on this bedroom with different looks? That is the problem… if you don’t know what you are doing..you get a lot of money tied up in your mistakes. So for the average homemaker, the steps to redecorate are things you have to LIVE with…you can’t go back and change your mind as often as you do…you tread cautiously choosing. Most women work so repainting wall colors is either hired out or done on a weekend. Your situation is very fortunate.
Sherry, great question! I often rotate things from one room to another. The quilts we still use on cold nights. The watercolor bedding was from a sponsor and is currently on the bed. One of the covers on the duvet was a striped Turkish towel that I use other places. The gingham duvet cover was on clearance and I rotate it on the bed. The shutters I have set aside for another project. If I don’t end up using them, I’ll sell them. I sell things often. The baby dresses will be used elsewhere. I would not spend a lot of money on something I didn’t plan to keep. So the first suggestion I have for things that you don’t plan to keep for the long haul is to not spend a lot of money on them. I will probably sell the headboards. Since I got them for a great price, I don’t expect to lose much money on them. I am not repainting the room. The new beds were all on clearance.
Darling! Do you have a link to the water color flowered duvet covers?
Christine, the link should be in this post CLICK HERE.
Christine, the link should be in this post CLICK HERE.
I’m the world’s worst at change – that said, loved looking at all your ideas, and too your list of similar items available – I wonder whether you might enjoy a small print for the bedspreads – not floral, but similar to the provencal (sp.) that Wm. Sonoma used on napkins years ago- while those were bright yellow/blue – I’m not necessarily suggesting that color so much as the stylized print.
Hi Anita, Greetings from Vermont. Thanks so much for this post. I am an empty nester and started redoing our house two years ago. I have already made mistakes which have tied up money and I’m feeling discouraged….so this was encouraging.
I can’t wait to see the bed crowns finished. The addition of some dried flowers would be pretty.
It’s a process and I think we learn so much from mistakes. Hang in there!! Great idea on the flowers.
Hi Anita! So much fun watching the room evolve. I hope you don’t mind a few suggestions for this already well thought out room -all in the spirit of fun and kindness… Rather than going all matching beds I suggest using three different soft French Country colours for your duvets such as sage, violet, and soft blue. Small floral prints or gingham preferably. Paint the walls a lighter shade of one of these colours and keep the curtains for the crowns white and billowing. Love, love love the purple benches. As long as the tone of the complimentary colours are in sync this should look fabulous. My eyes go directly to the fan instead of the beds. It’s because the fan needs to be replaced- too brown. Have fun Anita, you are one of my favourite bloggers
Excellent ideas Maureen! I would love to repaint the room, but it’s not in the budget. What a fun idea to have each bed a different color!
I am so glad you showed this room’s evolution from the very beginning. Reading decor blogs can sometimes feel discouraging. You see all these gorgeous rooms and then look at your own home and think…hmmm…this room is not quite right. To see the stages you went through from a pretty plain bedroom, to the gorgeous room it is today gives me the incentive to keep tweaking my own rooms until I get the just the look I want….and that even professional bloggers go through this process. BTW, I recently discovered your podcast. You, Kelly and Yvonne give me so many ideas and so much encouragement and you make me laugh! Listening to your podcast has made working out at the gym bearable! Thanks!
Oh Nancy, thanks so much for letting me know you listen to the podcast!!! Yes it takes time for a room to evolve for sure.
I enjoyed going through the changes of the girls room. Believe me…. I have had many disasters. We live and learn lol.
Glad I’m not the only one Margaret!