Vintage and Whimsical Girl’s Bedroom

Oh friends, I’m so excited to share this transformation with you today! Every now and then I have a project that stumps me, where I lack my usual creative vision and drive, and the entire project feels like work. Sometimes those projects don’t turn out so great. But sometimes the end result is amazing, and I never could have imagined it when I first started! This particular room was a challenge, but I’m so thrilled with how it turned out, and I’m pleasantly surprised to discover that it has become one of my favorite rooms in our entire house!

When we bought our little castle at an auction four years ago this room was covered in faux wood paneling. It had been turned into an office sometime before the 1960s, and we decided that it would be our office/art studio. In other words, our junk room. As we worked to restore and transform our home to its original 1927 glory days, we used this room to store all the furniture and accessories from whatever room(s) we were currently working on. It was a life saver to have an extra room like this during our busy renovation years!

We discovered vintage hand painted wallpaper underneath the paneling, and at first, I was horrified. I kept thinking of this episode of Friends (warning, there is language in this video clip!)

But over time the vintage charm of the wallpaper grew on me. Plus, we were so busy working on every other room in the house that we really didn’t have time to worry about the Clown Room. So, the wallpaper stayed, with the clowns cheerfully bearing witness to my giant piles of laundry and so much stuff. It was a mess, and I spent as little time in there as possible.

When it became apparent that our kiddos needed their own rooms in order for everyone to actually go to sleep at night (and not be super grumpy the next day), I was less than thrilled. I had zero motivation to work on this room. There was even a fleeting moment where I panicked, wondering where I would put my baskets of laundry if we changed this room into a bedroom?!? The obvious answer, in the dressers, made me realize that we really needed to get back into a normal routine in our daily lives.

And so, my husband and I started working on the Clown Room. It needed new trim (we had removed the faux wood paneling), fresh paint, and a really thorough cleaning. I seriously debated what to do about the circus wallpaper. It wasn’t original to the house (I could see an older floral pattern wallpaper underneath the edges), and three of the walls of paper had been painted over years ago. But I just couldn’t quite bring myself to get rid of it. It was vintage! And whimsical! And our daughter loved the circus animals! So, I decided to finish the rest of the room and then decide what to do about the wallpaper at the end.

It’s so hard to work on a room when you aren’t excited about the project. So many people helped encourage me through this. My twin sister and my sister-in-law came and we knocked out a huge portion of the project. Never underestimate the ability of three highly caffeinated women whose kids are at the sitter’s! I reached out to some of my favorite bloggers and Instagram friends to ask for advice on white paint colors. My husband worked so hard to transform this room, and my father-in-law came over late one night to save us when even you-tube videos couldn’t help us figure out how to install trim on a wall that wasn’t quite straight. It was hard work, and I seriously wondered if it was even going to look good at the end.

Friends, it wasn’t until the very last step when I painted the ceiling a fresh coat of white that it finally came together. Up until that point I wasn’t sure that the circus wallpaper would stay. I didn’t know if the white walls were a mistake. I wasn’t sure if all that hard work was going to pay off. But when that ceiling was a bright crisp white, the scuffed and dirty bottom portion of the wallpaper was covered, and we started bringing in the furniture and colorful accessories, I literally gasped! It was so beautiful!

Friends, there was so much beauty hidden within this room! The view of the gardens in the backyard is absolutely breathtaking. The sunlight streaming in through the giant window is a dream. There is the sweetest little built in nook that I can imagine my daughter sitting at and applying her makeup.

I can tell it’s one of my favorite rooms in the house because I will often find myself wandering to that room on the weekends with my cup of coffee just to sit and enjoy the view. It has such a lovely feeling to it now! My daughter absolutely loves it, and I’m so happy we were able to create a special space just for her.

I’ll be sure to share more details about some of the special pieces in her room when I write my next post. There are some really beautiful details and sentimental objects that we included in this room! I’m absolutely thrilled with how it turned out, and I can’t wait to share all the special stories that go along with this design.

For more inspiration and to follow along on our journey, please check out Whimsical Blue Living on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. And be sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive an email every Sunday morning with the posts from the week. That way you never miss a post!

Have a beautiful day!
Sandy