"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." ~ Jane Austen
One of our home projects that stretched from spring to summer was decorating son Christian's bedroom. When we first toured our current house nearly two years ago, he immediately chose this room.
Soon after we moved in, Joe painted the walls in Christian's favorite hue. And then we got busy with work and school and church and sports ... and the room stayed a vibrant blue box. It took me awhile to find appropriate fabrics and pull the look together, but here is Christian's classic blue-and-white bedroom now.
In time for Carson's sixteenth birthday celebration, we pulled most of the room together. The walls are Patriot Blue by Benjamin Moore. Buying lined drapes from Gosia Figura really helped my schedule. These Sultana Lattice in Luna panels hang beautifully, and the flocked-velvet detail lends richness to the room. Hanging curtains high and letting the inside edge of each panel just cover the window frame makes the window seem wider -- one of my favorite decorating tricks!
The boys share a bathroom, and we often share Christian's room with guests. Here are some of the elements that make this such a comfortable space.
I wanted to give Christian a crisply tailored look in blue and white. For months, I kept my eyes out for a bold buffalo check and finally found this Reagan Plaid 541 Blueberry by Covington. The scale and tone were just what I had in mind. I used this print for his bed skirt, pillow shams, and an extra project you'll see below.
Putting the finishing touch on a Matelasse Coventry Coverlet Set from Bed Bath & Beyond is a lumbar pillow cover from The Happy Seamstress in Canton Bazaar Porcelain Print.
A friend from church told me about Build-a-Cross, an online shop that is also a faith-based ministry for people struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. I ordered a 36-inch unfinished monogram and painted it white -- such a dramatic focal point above the bed.
Drawer pulls from Hobby Lobby added bits of blue to this bedside dresser -- for many years our nursery changing table.
Very inexpensive shelves from Big Lots provide storage for some of Christian's favorite mementos. Lining the back with our buffalo check really ties them into the room. The execution of this project was not perfect, but we enjoy it just the same.
I hope Christian smiles when he sees these special keepsakes from his life so far. It seems like just yesterday that we bowled him over with a surprise party for his 10th birthday. (Take a walk down memory lane -- er, alley -- here.)
When company comes, fresh flowers appear on the bedside table. But usually this surface is covered with schoolbooks, movie tickets and other sundries that come along with an active teenager's life.
I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into Christian's new room. I still hope to add moulding at some point, and we want to find University of Kentucky posters to hang above the dresser opposite his bed. But as is, the space is handsome, smart and classic.
Just like the boy who calls this room home.
"The light is what guides you home,
the warmth is what keeps you there."
~ Ellie Rodriguez
