Eleni’s room

So this is what I have in mind for Eleni’s room. It’s got the bones of a grown-up room but is still girly and you can change out the accessories as she gets older and changes her taste. It’s far easier to change some pillows than it is to change a bed and rug.

I chose the Benjamin Moore color Elephant Gray. It goes with just about anything and isn’t too childish a color. This way it will evolve with Eleni throughout the years. As her tastes change, all you have to do is update the accessories and you will have a whole new look.

Look for a bed on one of the discount sites like Joss&Main or One King’s Lane. You can usually find a pretty tufted upholstered bed in a queen size for under $400. I HIGHLY recommend spending the money for the whole bed rather than just a headboard. It is so much nicer looking to have a bed without a bedskirt (which you really need if you are using a Harvard frame with a headboard) and it’s not that much more. I am still kicking myself, 3 years later, for not getting a whole bed for my master. I learned my lesson and coughed up the extra few bucks for my guest bedroom and it looks SO much more put together. Plus, you won’t stub your toe on the stupid metal legs. Or is that just me?

She should have some wall lights on either side of her bed. The ones pictured are these. I love Urban Outfitters for home stuff. It’s one of my secret weapons! You could also go more traditional with something like this.

I like the idea of a low bookcase on one side of the bed and a funky, smaller table on the other side. This one is super cute but this sort of table is available in all sorts of colors and they can be really inexpensive. Since she will have wall lights, she won’t need a table lamp next to the bed. 

You should pick a pretty fabric to recover the existing chairs with. I’d go with a teal or yellow patterned fabric to add a little surprise to the room. A stripe or a chevron or Ikat would be pretty, even a polkadot would be fun. You can find inexpensive fabric at various places online, (here, here and even here are a few places to look). Just make sure you pick something that is ok for upholstery – you can’t use curtain weight fabric on a chair or it will last about 3 months. You want a tight back (an upholsterer will know what that means) as opposed to a tufted back – let the headboard speak for itself. Ditch the skirt, I’m sure the legs are fine and the chairs will look so much more modern. Not cheap by any means… but worth it in my opinion as the chairs have a nice shape to them. Ask an upholsterer how many yards you will need to recover the pair of chairs before you go hunting for a fabric. No need to fall in love with one that is expensive if you will need 4,000 yards.

I would choose a plain natural fiber rug. They won’t break the bank and will go with any future changes. I usually steer people to Overstock because the quality is good and you really can’t beat their prices for such things. Don’t forget a rug pad if the rug doesn’t have a rubber backing… lots of them do though so read the description carefully when you buy it. You can even layer a smaller, more funky rug on top of the larger rug. That looks really pretty.  For the main rug you want to get the largest size that will fit in the room. I don’t know the measurements of this room, but I would guess an 8X10 would fit? 

I definitely think she needs a new, awesome light fixture. This one is so pretty and it is girly yet will grow with her. I would also recommend some fun fairy lights she can string up randomly in the room. I think they add so much to the atmosphere of a bedroom and you can always ditch them later on if you get tired of them. This sort is pretty but you can also go more basic, like a standard christmas twinkle light.

I want to know more about that closet of hers! Is it full? Is it under-utilized? I feel like it should be enough storage for one person and so she shouldn’t need the chest of drawers that she has. It seems like some bookshelves would better serve her needs now and in the future. If the closet is sort of haphazard, it might be worth your while to go to a ContainerStore type place (they have amazing sales) and get the closet tricked out. Home Depot has good options too but you have to do the planning. That would free up the room a bit. A tall bookcase like this one would do the trick. It’s my favorite line at IKEA – another secret weapon.

I think she should have curtains along with either the existing plantation shutters or else a shade. Curtains really make a room feel layered and give it personality. The ones pictured are these, but you could let her choose something she loves and it would most likely work in the room as it’s pretty neutral in its bones. I like these shades, I have them in my tv room. They are such a great deal… they aren’t the top of the line but they are certainly well made and do the trick. You could spend a million bucks on shades alone and it’s just not worth it.

She will need some cool, grown up art. You can find such great stuff at places like this and this and this.  Etsy is always good for some cool, inexpensive stuff too. The photo I have pictured above is from Animal Print Shop and you can get some deals there depending on the size. A single large piece or a group of a few smaller sized pieces would work above the bed. Any poster can look awesome too as long as it’s in a frame. I am a HUGE fan of IKEA frames. They are dirt cheap and do the trick nicely. The RIBBA is my favorite for its clean lines and it comes in a few different colors. It even comes in a metallic which would look cool if you go with a shiny side table… but otherwise black and white are my standards. 

As for bedding, I personally prefer Target sheets. How adorable are these? I have them on my bed right now! The gray would look absolutely smashing in the room and would be neutral enough to go with just about any quilt. Speaking of which… I was thinking something along the lines of this or this or this (loving that one with the matching shams!) for the quilt/duvet cover.

What do you think?