Bedroom Reveal

Summer is in full swing, the 4th is behind us, and I’m left wondering where the last few months went!? My house reveal had to take a short hiatus, as the last month has been crazy! I was under the impression (false, I guess), that things were supposed to slow down in the summer. Between summer camps, events, birthdays (my kiddos have them stacked from May through July), and a bout of sick (thankfully not COVID but unpleasant nonetheless), I was wiped out! Happy to report, however, that things appear to be calming down and the house reveal is back online, picking up with our bedroom reveal!

To kick things off, lets see where we started:

Not terrible, but certainly nothing special. Similar to the rest of the home, the biggest problem with this home when we purchased it was the lack of character. The lights, fixtures, etc. were not only dated, but cookie-cutter. As I’ve noted in previous posts, the most gorgeous homes, even those you wouldn’t necessarily choose for yourself, are dripping with character! When you walk into the home, you can tell something about the person or people living there — who they are, what they like, what they value. This is what gives a home life. Building a home with character takes time, attention to detail, and honesty. It requires patience and a series of intentional choices. Most importantly, you must know exactly who you are and what you love. Without that clarity, your home will end up a mish mash with no clear vision, flow, or story.

One great resource I highly recommend is Joanna Gaines’ book, Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave. In her book, Joanna identifies a variety of design styles to which most people can generally identify (farmhouse, modern, rustic, etc.). There are, however, no rules requiring that you stick with one design style. Most people, myself included, generally prefer a mix of styles. Looking at my home, you’ll see elements of farmhouse, rustic, traditional, and boho! The only styles I shy away from are the modern and industrial styles. Regardless of your style preferences, what often ties things together is a consistent color palette. You’ll notice my home is firmly in the neutral camp, but I incorporate blues and greens here and there. Any other colors are generally limited to fresh blooms, though there are a few exceptions (see the yellow-trimmed throw pillow on my bed)!

You’ll also see that I choose items that create a cohesive theme and reflect my personality and passions. You may not be able to tell in the photo, but that picture on my nightstand along side the Grecian bust is a photo of Mr. Darcy holding Miss Elizabeth’s hand as he guides her into a carriage in the classic novel, Pride & Prejudice. In my humble opinion, three of the greatest love scenes of all time come from the 2005 film version of the beloved story. This scene is one of them. If you haven’t see it, I highly recommend it. But please read Ms. Austen’s book first! Keeping with our theme of incorporating beauty into your life, here’s the same gorgeous copy I have on my bookshelf! You’ll also see a photo over my desk of Elizabeth reading a letter while sitting on a stair case. Yes, I’m a little obsessed.

A few of the other pictures on the wall include a quail, horses, a French market, and plenty of florals and landscapes. I love nature, natural beauty, French food and fashion, horseback riding, and the quail is in honor of a family of quails that, upon moving in, we quickly discovered living in the bushes surrounding our new home. Every evening the mother guides her little ones out and they form a line and shuttle around the perimeter of our yard. The kid’s love them, I love them, and it’s something special about our home.

Over my desk are beautiful sketches of French gardens from the book, Gardens of Paris by Fabrice Moireau. I ordered this book for our coffee table and quickly decided that the images were far too beautiful to stay hidden in a book! I’ll frame them eventually, but for now, I’m enjoying them as a background on my bulletin board.

Lesson: take the time to curate your home with items you love and that tell your story. This is what brings your home to life and creates character. It’s also what makes your home irresistibly appealing to visitors, even if they don’t necessarily share your style.

I did my best to find and link below to all the items you see in my photos, but if something is missing, just reach out and I’ll see if I can track it down! For items that are no longer available or are unique vintage pieces, I tried to locate something similar for you.

Wishing you a wonderful week and check back soon for my next look in the Essential 25 Lookbook!

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see also

• Essential 25 Lookbook: Look No. 5
• Essential 25 Lookbook: Look No. 4
• Essential 25 Lookbook: Style #3
• Essential 25 Lookbook: Style No. 2