Noelle's Cottage-Inspired Bedroom
Noelle's cottage-inspired bedroom combines pastels and patterns to create a one-of-a-kind space that serves as a backdrop for her magical childhood.
Noelle's cottage-inspired bedroom is done!
I've wanted to say those words since my uncle started building Noelle's window seat and bookshelves nearly two years ago. I remember thinking I'd be done with her room within a few months...ha! I even entered the One Room Challenge, thinking I could complete this space in eight weeks...double ha! This project went on so long that Noelle (my witty kid) started cracking jokes about it never ending. But it did end...and it is officially done, much to everyone's relief and delight.
Table of Contents
Bedroom Backstory
Before I get into the details of this very special space, I'd like to dedicate this post to my uncle Tom. He is my late dad's older brother and has always been like a surrogate dad to me. We share a love of building things and the smell of sawdust. He can build a house from foundation to finishing touches, and I've learned so many skills from him over the years. Without his willingness to get Noelle's built-ins going while he and my aunt were here for Thanksgiving a few years ago, I would undoubtedly still be working on her room. He laid the foundation. Noelle and I just carried it to completion.
And speaking of Noelle, I want to make it clear that 90% of this project was her design. She loves color, pattern, and the unexpected combination of elements. From the paint color and vintage rug to the textiles and accessories, she had a hand in all of it. So, in essence, this post is an introduction to Noelle's design aesthetic, and I truly could not be more proud to share it with you.
Desk Area
When you walk into Noelle's bedroom, one of the first things you see is her little desk area. She loves crafting, so I knew she needed a small-scale desk with lots of storage. Both the desk and chair were vintage finds from Facebook Marketplace. Combined, they cost me less than the glass desk top!
The adorable bentwood chair was already the perfect shade of pink when I bought it. I love how aged it is.
Her sweet desk lamp was a thrift store find that I changed the finish on with Rub'n'Buff. I also added a DIY pleated lamp shade with some vintage blue gingham fabric for a touch of whimsy.
Textiles and Vintage Rug
Noelle wanted a full bed chamber so she could close herself in at night, but we just couldn't make it work in this size room, so we compromised. I made her a bed canopy that dials up the cozy factor immensely, but still leaves room for the very necessary ceiling fan.
The room's color story started with the gorgeous, one-of-a-kind vintage rug she selected. It's soft under foot, and has all the colors that make Noelle's heart sing. We pulled the blue from the rug into the trim on the canopy and bed skirt, and tied in the pink with the block print quilt.
The yellow gingham fabric was a lucky find in the clothing fabrics section at Joann's. I think we bought out all the yardage they had from three different stores! Noelle loves yellow, so using that cheery color was not even a question. It perfectly compliments the yellow flowers on the William Morris wallpaper she chose.
Cottage Art
And the art above her bed is simply perfect. It's even named "Wildflowers." When Sarah Kaitlin created this piece for her shop, I knew it was meant to be in Noelle's cottage-inspired bedroom. It sits beautifully between the dressed-up, Ikea pull-chain sconces we added for reading lights.
Dresser and Vintage Mirror
Noelle's dresser is from, you guessed it, Facebook Marketplace, and the vintage bubble mirror was thrifted for $20. This room is nothing, if not scrappy. It's also adorable, comfortable, and colorful. I used Fusion Mineral paint on the dresser, while the mirror got a fresh coat of spray paint after originally being used in Hannah's room in a different color.
We found lots of vintage goodies for Noelle's cottage-inspired bedroom...we've had so much time to collect things. These tiny nesting dolls were a fun, recent find, as well as the hand-painted, Dutch wooden shoe. Both are from our favorite antique store in town.
You might recognize the rattan umbrella lamps from Hannah's first bedroom reveal. I loved them in there, but they were always meant to be in Noelle's room. They are perfectly whimsical and textural, and were super affordable because I found them at Home Goods.
Window Seat
This is my favorite part of Noelle's cottage-inspired bedroom...the window seat. After my uncle built the foundation of these, I added bead board, trim, and the scallop detail. Then, I had my friend's husband make custom cabinet doors with the most adorable cut outs you ever did see. Seriously, this whole situation is dreamy!
Window Seat Cushion
The French mattress cushion was a labor of love I decided to learn how to make. It was a really cool project, though tough on the fingers. Noelle's favorite part of the cushion is the tiny patch I added after a mess up. She made me promise I'll always keep it on the top side so she can see it.
Paint Color
These built-ins would be beautiful in any color, but I love the color Noelle chose. She was adamant about a happy blue and wouldn't hear of anything too muted or dusty. Sherwin Williams Sea Salt is the color we agreed upon. You can see it's a very nuanced color, depending on the light and reads really blue in here. It's calming but also vibrant and happy, just like my Noelle.
Cottage Accessories
I styled her shelves with a combination of thrifted, antique, and retail pieces that represent her perfectly. The fishing creel is a nod to her love of fishing with her daddy, while the tin VW bus speaks to her love of all things vintage. She loves animals, flowers, pastel colors, painted rocks, and magical stories, and it's all reflected in the accessories we chose.
I made this ceramic bunny when I was a little girl. We put it in here as a reminder of our sweet black and white rabbit, Oliver, who we don't have any more. I also had a black and white bunny growing up, and my grandmother collected rabbit figurines. So it all ties together in a meaningful way.
The art in her bedroom is now a part of her permanent art collection, and it all has personal meaning for her. Hannah painted the watercolor dog portrait, which is so special.
On the left side, we used more bunnies, flowers, books, and reminders of things she loves, like ballet and the ocean. I remember the day she picked out that handmade seashell art. We were on a little date, and she just had to have it because it reminded her of the beach. The vintage globe lights up and is a way for her to remember to pray for missionaries and our sponsored child. It will also be useful this upcoming year for learning geography.
Video Tour
You can take a video tour of Noelle's cottage-inspired bedroom by clicking below. It's amazing the difference music makes.
Design Love Letter
In my post, How to Write a Love Letter Through Design, you might recall Noelle's room not being included. That's because it wasn't finished. Well, now I can add this space to the list of love letters I've written to my family!
Noelle is happy it's done, but she's also really proud of this project we worked on together. I made sure to carefully guide her through the decision-making process so the design would remain timeless, but I also let her have some creative freedom in order to bolster her confidence. You can tell she's proud of herself and sure of her aesthetic when she shows her bedroom to friends.
Well, that wraps up this post and this project. I hope you have enjoyed reading all about Noelle's cottage-inspired bedroom. And if you've been here since the beginning, thanks for waiting nearly two years for the reveal. It has been such a joy to design with my baby girl, and I'll never forget this room as long as I live.
I'd love to hear your favorite detail of Noelle's bedroom in the comments below!
Sources
- Blue Wall Paint - Sherwin Williams Sea Salt
- Wallpaper - Meadowsweet by William Morris
- Ceiling Paint Color - Valspar Swiss Coffee
- Vintage Rug - Revival Rugs (use code WILDFLOWER10 for 10% off)
- Bentwood Chair - Vintage, FB Marketplace
- Desk - Vintage, FB Marketplace
- Desk Lamp - Thrifted
- Pink Phone - Amazon
- Dog Pencil Holder - Thrifted
- Green Table Fan - Amazon
- Printer's Tray - Vintage
- Rainbow Wall Hanging - Local, Handmade
- Wooden Headboard - FB Marketplace
- Block Print Quilt - Etsy
- Block Print Sheets - Target but no longer available
- Quilt and Shams - Target
- Block Print Throw Pillow - Handmade from this fabric
- Blue Plaid Pillow - Handmade from scrap fabric
- Pink Round Pillow - Home Goods
- Yellow Gingham Fabric - Joanns
- Blue Trim - Clearance Hobby Lobby (here's a similar one)
- Bed Skirt and Bed Canopy Oatmeal Fabric - Joanns but no longer available
- Side Table - Target
- Vase - Tuesday Made but no longer available
- Side Table Decor - horse, books, camera all vintage
- Bedside Sconces - Ikea
- Art Above Bed - "Wildflowers" by Sarah Kaitlin
- Mirror Over Dresser - Vintage, Thrifted
- Rattan Giraffe - Local Shop
- Dresser Decor - All Thrifted or Vintage
- Rattan Lamps on Dresser - Home Goods (here's a similar one)
- Wooden Shoe - Antique
- Window Seat Cushion - Handmade with This Fabric
- Window Seat Sconces - Amazon
- Yellow Gingham Curtains - Handmade
- Block Print Pillows on Window Seat - Linen and Cloth
- Knitted Blanket - Target
- Watercolor Dog Print (gray) - Hannah painted
- Watercolor Dog Print (colorful) - Etsy
- Ballerina Art - Unknown Artist
- Floral Art - CT Macey Art
- Bookshelf Accessories - All Thrifted or Antique
- Fan - Fanimation
- Fan Medallion - Lowe's
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