Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Grace’s Bedroom: Nursery To ‘Big Girl’s Room’ Makeover



I am so excited to finally be able to share Grace’s bedroom makeover with you all today.  It’s been a long time coming, pretty much since she went from her cot to a bed (remember the ‘big girl bed disaster’?) but I wanted to wait until most things were complete rather than show you bits and pieces along the way… although, I think this will be a room I’ll find myself always adding to.  For those who are new to my blog, you can see Grace’s old nursery here so you can picture how it’s changed.  The bedrooms in our house are all pretty small so my focus was on keeping things as spacious as possible.  Nothing I’ve used is overly expensive as I’ve made a lot of things myself or used items we already owned.  So… here’s Gracie girl’s special space…



The first thing you see when you enter the room is Grace’s bed.  She is happy in her low ensemble set up and I’m happy at how easy it is to make each day being on castors.  For her bedding, I’ve used a simple Indira bedspread from Ikea and the patchwork quilt I made her sits on top of that.  I also made the coordinating pillowcase which is at the top of the bed and she has a few others that she alternates between.  The small pillow is actually an embroidered vintage tea towel I bought off Etsy seller Granny Hanna’s Cottage and repurposed.  The wrought iron bedhead is a recent find on Gumtree.

    


A few weeks back, Paul returned home from his brother’s house with a cute little wooden cupboard that he was getting rid of.  It once belonged to my father-in-law so Paul rescued it with the intention of using it in his shed.  When I spotted it in his car however, I knew it would be perfect for Grace’s room.  I had been hunting for a cute little ‘something’ to use as a bedside table for Grace for some time and this find was perfect. I just freshened it up with some primer and a few coats of pale blue paint.  The lamp on top is from Kmart - I just glued some ribbon from my stash along the bottom. 






The artwork displayed above Grace’s bed includes an owl cross stitch I made (I bought the pattern off Etsy from Sewing Seed), a vintage children’s book illustration from My Sunshine Vintage which I framed and a gorgeous alphabet print from One Little Dicky Bird which is such a lovely piece of art for a nursery (it's also available with a pink background).  The ‘Grace’ letters were a gift when she was born.  Hanging from the ceiling above Grace’s bed is the paper doily mobile I made her a few weeks back. 




The previous Ikea Hemnes drawers in Grace’s room have been moved into Sophie’s nursery for use as a change table and have been replaced by the chest of drawers above.  They’re slightly less deep and give more floor space.   I kept the bird decals from Grace’s nursery as I didn’t want to completely alter her room.  They’re from Elephannie on Etsy.  I’ve also displayed a few bits and pieces underneath like a cute blue and white gingham suitcase which stores hair elastics and clips, a framed photo, a wooden box which I painted and covered with some cute scrapbooking paper, Grace's Toy Story figurines and a tissue-box which I covered using the a few tutorials I found via Janette.  








The window nook is Grace’s play corner.  The wooden kitchen in the corner was a combined birthday and Christmas present and has been one of the best things we’ve bought for Grace.  “Mummy, can you sit and play ovens please?” is a common phrase heard around here and she is often found having tea parties with her stuffed toys when she wakes in the morning.  Her play food is kept in a little wicker basket next to it.  Also in the corner is the curio display box I transformed for her (see the before shot here).  Grace displays all her trinkets here.  I love seeing what she classifies as ‘treasure’ (there is currently a purple sequin in the top right compartment).  Shells, feathers, buttons and small toys all have a place to be on show now.  The white Moroccan leather pouffe with pink embroidery I already posted about a while back when I ordered it online from Kuati.  Grace uses it as a little seat.  Next to her chest of drawers, a cane laundry basket stores all of Grace’s dress-up clothes for easy access.




Under the window sill we strung a line of baker’s twine and I made some little butterfly pegs (using mini-pegs from Kikki K I already had lying around and some butterflies which were off some old hair elastics).  This is where Grace displays her artwork.  The floating shelf above the play kitchen displays the vintage style ’classics’ novels I bought for her, some baby toys, a little framed quote (I spray painted a cute frame from The Reject Shop), a brass swan she has taken a liking to (bought from an antique store in Latrobe on our travels around Tasmania) and a pot of wooden tulips which were in my own bedroom as a little girl. You’ll notice the new roller blind in Grace’s room too.  I’m still debating whether some soft sheer curtains on either side of the blind would soften things up a bit and block out that little bit of light that creeps through on either side.   








Hanging beside her wardrobe is a cute little mushroom mobile I bought off Made It seller The Quirky Bird.  My sister brought back the cute bee hook from a trip to Venice.  On the door handle is the wooden bird previously from Grace’s nursery which is now a pretty shade of blue.






And that’s pretty much all there is to Grace’s room. It’s simply decorated, uncluttered, light, bright and pretty. Best of all, Grace enjoys spending time in there which in my book means ‘a successful decorating job’.




Pop back this time next week for a several giveaways I have planned related to Grace’s bedroom makeover…

48 comments:

  1. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! And in real life it is just perfect! Now I'll be waiting on Sophie's room post! He he!

    Michelle x

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    1. Thanks Michelle!! Look forward to catching up with you tomorrow morning xx

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  2. What a lovely room for a sweet little girl. You've done a wonderful job and I especially love all the handmade touches.

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  3. The room looks beautiful Amanda, so many girly touches and things to play with. You can tell by the look on Grace's face how much she loves her big girl room!

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  4. Oh Amanda, I LOVE what you've done. Her room is SO pretty & girly. It's so neat & has a relaxing feel to it. Great job Mumma! We're in the process of planning Ella's room makeover! I love the patchwork quilt you've made for the bed! It's divine! xx

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  5. Oh, that is just gorgeous Amanda. Beautiful touches, and like you say uncluttered and very pretty. My favourite thing? Still the curio display box. I love it.

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  6. I love her little play zone with the kitchen and shadow box. It's a lovely room. And gosh, hasn't Grace grown up! xx

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  7. A brilliant job, Amanda - bravo! But that last shot of Gracie (and Sophie!) takes the cake. Precious indeed. J x

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    1. I love that shot too :) I find it so much easier to get candid shots like that with our DSLR- i just click away and hope that there will be a 'gem' among the shots I take :)

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  8. Such a beautiful space for a little girl - well done Mum! x

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  9. It looks really lovely Amanda and it's nice to hear that Grace is really enjoying it. My goodness she is growing fast. The dress she is wearing is so pretty as well x

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    1. Those photos were taken on Easter hence the pretty 'party dress'. Although in saying that, ever since Easter, Grace has wanted to wear it :) It's currently 7.30am and she's having breakfast while wearing it :)

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  10. Grace is such a lucky little girl you've put so much thought and effort into creating a beautiful space for her to enjoy and play in. You've really done a lovely job Amanda:) xx

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  11. Oh. My. God! Amanda, that is amazing! Grace's bedroom needs some feature pages in a magazine for sure. You've put so much work into it, it looks like the perfect bedroom for a little girl. No wonder Grace loves it!

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    1. Thanks for your kind comment Megan. I tried really hard to create a room that I liked but that was also what Grace would like. I had fun making all the crafty bits and pieces too :)

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  12. What a sweet, sweet, sweet room! I love how bright it is and really love the owl embroidery you made. :-)

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    1. Pop back next week for a little giveaway related to that owl... x

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  13. all super cute, and I can't believe how 'grown up' little Grace is now!!! But mostly I want to pepper you about where you got your curio box on Etsy? I used to have one like that and Im so sad I don't any more....... you've big-time inspired me to get one and decorate it for Fern like you've done for Grace! Fern ADORES little things........ xx Nicole

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    1. Have just emailed you some details but try searching on Etsy for vintage items labelled 'curio display shelf'. Definitely make one for Fern, Grace loves hers x

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  14. Just gorgeous & so pretty! Perfect little girls bedroom!!!

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  15. It is simply adorable...perfect for a little girl!! Absolutely love the quilt and her dress is so cute!! Great job!!

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  16. You have made Grace's room pretty and practical, just perfect. I love all of the special bits and pieces around the room. It looks lovely. xx

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  17. It's lovely Amanda and little Grace looks so happy, she obviously loves it! Well done! x

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  18. Truly lovely. It suits her down to the ground!
    Lesley
    xx

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  20. What a precious space, it is so lovely. I can imagine that Grace absolutely adores it :)

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  21. You've done an amazing job Amanda, a beautiful room for a beautiful girl, and thanks for all the handy links, I'll be checking out a few of those!

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  22. Gorgeous Amanda! And great timing for me as we've just moved our boy into a new bedroom (http://duckeggblue.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/habits-of-a-two-year-old-lifetime/) and will slowly be decorating it as a shared boy/girl bedroom and eventually move our wee girl in too. We also plan to add sheer curtains to soften both the look of the blinds and the chink of light that comes through. One thing you didn't mention (or I missed)is the door hanger - a heart I think? I'm not so crafty as you so hopefully you can tell me you bought it?

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  23. I love it! It is so sweet :) There are a lot of similarities to the prechooler and lady's wee room (which I really must post one of these days). Well done Amanda! And that patchwork quilt is so beautiful.

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    1. Thanks Bron, I really value your opinion as you have such lovely taste x

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  24. grace's new big girl room is just beautiful...it looks like such a calming and peaceful space. and i bet grace just adores it!

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  25. What a gorgeous room. And your little Grace is pretty gorgeous too. Where is the kitchen from? Love!

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    1. It's from ELC Toys but I don't know if they still stock that design. It was a combined birthday/Christmas present and luckily we got it during a '30% off toy kitchens' sale :)

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  26. Your daughter's room is just gorgeous! Where did you get the kitchen corner? I would love one like that for my Kindy kids! xx

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    1. It's an ELC Toys one - I'm not sure if that particular style is still available or not though...
      http://www.elctoys.com.au/

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  27. Amanda! I love that quilt. Its perfect. Thank you for your sweet comments on the blog. I have been loving the input. Can't wait to read more of your blog!

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  28. An absolutely beautiful room for a beautiful little girl.

    Kate
    x

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  29. Oh Amanda! Grace's room is just divine, she is so lucky to have such a clever Mummy!! Such a nice retreat for a little girl! I have some bunting from Lucas' baptism and I couldnt think where to put it but you have given me a great idea!
    P.S. The girls look like they have grown so much since I saw them last - adorable. And Grace looks so pretty in her party dress :) xx Krystie

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  30. It's stunning Amanda. I adore all the little details - it's so pretty and inviting. Lucky little Grace x

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  31. Hi Amanda.

    Thank you for your sweet and kind comments on my blog.

    I love this room. It's peaceful and sweet. You've done a really beautiful job. I especially like the mini display shelf. I think my Skye would love something like that too.

    I'm about to embark on her big girl room too. I think she's almost ready for a bed... sigh...I haven't wanted to make the transition until now. Hopefully I'll make something as special as this room.

    xx

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  32. What a gorgeous, gorgeous room! I loooove the display box. I have a line one from my childhood that my daughter has in her room, but the pine is so dated. Now I know exactly what I'd like to do with it - thanks for the inspiration!

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  33. fun fun fun......does she loooovvvvvveeeeee it??????? I bet she does, I love it smooch xx

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  34. So lovely. I love it all - in particular the floating shelf (on my list for Em's room) and the little trinket shelf. This would be great for boys too but in their case it would be filled with rocks and dead insects! You should be very proud of the beautiful big girl room you have created

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  35. I love love love it! That would have been my dream bedroom as a girl. My fav part is the bed with your amazing quilt and cushion etc. but I love very part of it. You are so clever and creative to have repurposed, made and come up with such beautiful items so well thought out. The wait was def worth it! And thats a really good idea to put dress up clothes in a laundry basket. Will's are hanging up in a linen bag from a coat hanger inside his wardrobe (mainly out of reach like that so he doesn't constantly get dressed to go out dressed as a ballerina) hehehe.
    I also love the bakers twine and little pegs idea, I might have to steal it for the play corner of Wills new bedroom. You have done and amazing job my dear and I just love the last photo with Gracie's cute little smile - she is SO cute!
    Jxoxox

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  36. Absolutely the most beautiful little girls room!! I LOVE it Amanda. Grace is a very lucky girl.
    I especially love the trinket display box - will have to find one of those to do up here I think :) Thank you for sharing!

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  37. Grace's room looks so sweet! I live that little curio box- such a lovely idea! xx

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  38. Amanda, Grace's room is stunning, you have done such a great job, love her little side cupboard and wooden wall display. Of course her quilt is my favourite. I'm sure you are itching to make one for Sophie's cot. She is getting cuter and cuter with each photo. xx

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