I've been living in my lovely, Victorian-era apartment in Cedar Rapids for about four months now. My bathroom still needs some work and my living room / kitchen isn't even close to being done. Though my bedroom is still a work in progress, it's ready enough for its debut!
If you want to see what the place looked like before I started decorating, check out the Tour of My Bedroom: "Before."
Above: I don't know when I'll ever be able to part with this floral quilt. I fell in love with it at first site at TJ Maxx a couple summers ago and it brightens my heart every time I look at it. Every once in a while, I think about getting new bedding and browse online options... but nothing compares. Since I haven't brought my red-painted, wrought-iron headboard up from my parents' house yet, I hanged my paint chip canvases (which were featured in DIY Magazine) overhead for now.
On one side of the bed is one of my vintage French Provincial nightstands, which hosts magazines, my favorite "Sweet Strawberry" Yankee candle, and my bedside lamp. The basket stores my tablet and various chargers within easy reach. On the other side of my bed is a small wire caddy-on-wheels, which I spray painted yellow. I use it to keep books and magazines handy.
Beside the bed is my desk and another nightstand, which I use to hold my wireless router and eventually my printer. The gorgeous pattern on the wall is removable wallpaper from Chasing Paper. I'll be writing an entire post about Chasing Paper very soon (after I finish some other projects I'm using it on). It was super easy to stick on the wall and can be un-peeled and re-stuck somewhere else without harming the wall. (Perfect for renters like me!) To the right of my desk is my writing nook, but I'll get there in a minute...
Here's a closer view my desk. While I do much of my blogging and writing from bed or my chair, I occasionally sit down here. I'm on the lookout for a chair that's comfier than this ice cream parlor seat that I spray painted turquoise. The lamp is a basic metal desk lamp from Target that I spray painted copper. I keep my pens and scissors in a blue Ball jar. The bright light to the left is one of my bedroom windows... I get amazing sunlight in this place! And again, I'm in love with the colors and patterns of that Chasing Paper removable wallpaper.
It's difficult to photograph the tight space that is my writing nook, but I made this attempt. The nook is actually a closet in the bedroom, but it has a window and doesn't have a door. I couldn't bear the thought of filling the little nook with a bunch of clothes. (Especially since I have a huge closet with a built-in dresser in the hallway outside my bedroom and an even bigger walk-in closet in my bathroom. So I decided to turn this closet into a writing nook. My thrift store find chair is positioned next to the window that looks out over trees and sky.
I'd like to eventually put a table or bookcase in this nook, but for now I put together a little shelf from Target. With National Novel Writing Month approaching in November, I'm spending this month and next month planning out this year's novel. So I outfitted the top of the shelf with some of my novel-planning books (Lights, Camera, Fiction! and Ready, Set, Novel!), some writing utensils in a pretty little green candle cup, one of my vintage typewriters, and some other writing knick knacks. Underneath, a basket holds my collection of paint chips. While I use paint chips to decorate, I also use them when writing. If I need inspiration for a scene, a character's dress, or a mood... I grab the paint swatches and get inspired.
Here's a better view of around the corner of my writing nook / closet. The bulletin board was a basic board purchased from Target. I wrapped turquoise duct tape around the frame to add color without the hassle and mess of painting. Except for an inspiration article, a postcard from a friend traveling through Europe, and some NaNoWriMo memorabilia from past years... the bulletin board is pretty empty! That will definitely change by the time November rolls around.
On the other side of the room are a couple dressers and a hutch. On the left of this photo is the top of a lingerie chest. I found the cupcake tower on clearance at Target and thought it'd be perfect for storing perfume and other pretty items. I layered a gilt mirror in front of a wooden one... I like the contrast of ornate against rustic. The items include perfumes, a kaleidoscope, a little porcelain elephant my sister gifted me, a small bowl of my painted skeleton keys, sunglasses, and some little white deer my grandma found for me. To the right is the hutch where I keep most of my books.
To the left of the lingerie chest and hutch is my main dresser. I placed it under the awkward shelf in my room. I can't remove the shelf or paint it (since I'm a renter) so I had to make do. I placed some of my favorite heels and a sunhat up top. On the rack, I hang favorite blouses, dresses, and scarves. The dresser top is host to a clutter of items that store jewelry: a jewelry organizer filled with earrings, electrical insulators and a wine bottle holding bracelets, a glass hand for rings, several pieces of turquoise glassware containing necklaces, a candle tin, and an old cigar tin. Behind all the clutter is a Gone with the Wind print and some framed paint chips.
And there you have it! My bedroom tour. I'll take more photos and post them as I add / change / alter things in the space, but I'm really happy with how it's coming along. It feels cozy, creative, eclectic, and very me. :)
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