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A 3 year old’s new room; a DIY family affair and labor of love

Description

This is my daughter's room in our new home in Charlotte, NC where we recently moved from a much smaller space in Brooklyn.  This move was a big transition for my daughter, so it was very important that it feel familiar and cozy, yet exciting and girly at the same time. Many, if not most, of the design elements in the room, including the drapery, artwork, and chest of drawers, were either handmade or painted by myself or a family member. It is truly a room made from love, with personal touches that could not have been found in any store.

Design Inspiration

Planning and decorating Lucy's room in our new house coincided with her 3rd birthday and a move to a "big" bed.  I wanted to keep elements of her nursery while making it a room that can grow with her.  Lucy's one request was for everything to be pink!  So we compromised and painted the dormer niche, her bed and bookshelves a custom strawberry pink that picked up the pink in the drapery.  I added other touches of pinks with accessories to give it the girly, "pretty" and "princess" feel she was requested.  The pink is balanced out by beige walls, celery green and bright white accents.

Decorating Style

Traditional, eclectic, comfortable, elegant, with a sense of fun, and most importantly DIY.

Project Details

Walls: Benjamin Moore Huntington Beige

Curtains and Roman Shade fabric: found years ago at a discount fabric store

Wool Rug: ABC Carpet & Home

Dresser: handmade by my father, knobs by Anthropologie

Bed: vintage wood bed I salvaged from my mother-in-law's basement and painted a custom strawberry pink

Yarn wrapped letters above bed: wood letters and wool/acrylic yarn from Michaels and made with a lot of trial and error

Wall shelf for books: made by my dad using following tutorial http://www.itsoverflowing.com/2012/08/diy-how-to-build-a-wall-mount-bookshelf/

Owl lamp: Target, with green grosgrain ribbon added to shade

Bedside table: Found in my mother's attic and painted a bright white

Mirror above dresser: Target, painted pink

Baskets: The Container Store

Framed Needlepoint works by my sister

Pencil portrait of Lucy by my mom

Oil painting of birds by my aunt

Hook for dress up clothes: vintage store in Brooklyn (unfortunately it no longer exists)

"New York" print: from Paper Source, by Anna Rifle Bond

 

Favorite Items

My favorite items are everything that has been made, painted or stitched by a member of my family.  If I had to choose it would be the beautiful chest of drawers made by my father.  This is something she will have and use for the rest of her life and be able to pass down to her children.

Advice

Don't be afraid to use paint to brighten up a room and to give new life to an old piece of furniture.