Charlie’s room is done! I love how this colorful room came together, but most importantly, my three year old loves it. He got a kick out of each new addition to the space, from his pom-pom lamp—he calls it a Christmas lamp—to his new desk where he can draw and store all of his masterpieces.
The room marries the excitement of the frontier with the joy of a good book. With two of my father’s childhood books as a jumping off point, I set out to incorporate books throughout the room.
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There is no shortage of inspiration out there for bringing books into decor. Here are a few of my favorite examples of books displayed beautifully.
Jon and Tyke’s Modern Cabin from Apartment Therapy is great because it’s approachable and less OCD than most color-coded shelves I've seen. Iceland-based Etsy seller Agustav Furniture pairs form with function in a book display that is both streamlined and warm. And Julie’s Portland apartment reminds us not to underestimate the quiet whimsy of sky-high stacked books.
For this project, I considered framing books in shadow boxes but failed to find a budget friendly, off-the-shelf frame option that would jive with my books’ dimensions. In the end I settled on the most straightforward option: picture ledges with books facing front to best showcase their covers. Nothing groundbreaking in terms of execution, but I did have the beauty of these books to make things feel special.
The wall above Charlie’s bed uses two 45” Ikea Mosslanda picture ledges side-by-side. The initial plan was to stack the ledges vertically on the wall. However, after realizing how easily my son would be able to grab them while standing on the bed, we opted for a single, long ledge mounted even higher than a typical picture ledge to minimize temptation.
I paired the two antique books with two new ones from Paul Goble, a framed photograph my husband took while we were at Joshua Tree National Park in 2014 and a variety of accents.
The wall next to his closet has yet another Ikea picture ledge, this time with hooks for his Junior Park Ranger hat. The ledge displays some nature-inspired classics from Thoreau, Twain and Muir. If you have not checked out the whole collection from Gibbs Smith take a look and bask in its beauty. I think we’ll be seeing a lot of this collection across #bookstagram and #instadecor alike.
If you read my earlier posts on this space, you know what went into my decision on the rug. I have to say I’m loving the unstructured design and color in a space where I already have buffalo check, ikat and herringbone. I am so glad I did not go with another geometric pattern on the floor.
You also know that I was using many elements I already owned, like the painted blue dresser, desk chair, all of the picture frames, curtains and bedding.
I love to reuse and repurpose what I already have, but when I held our tan West Elm curtains up against the lighter walls, I did not love the color combination. I opted to dye them a rusty orange (one bottle of Rit fabric dye in Tangerine and a half bottle of Rit fabric dye in Wine) and the pop of color plays well with the other orange pieces in the room.
While visiting my in-laws for Easter they gave us an old, twin headboard. The style was adorable and I decided to paint it the same color as the dresser. I’ll look to do a quick DIY post in the coming week on furniture painting.
Lastly, I should mention that the whole project began with a fresh coat of paint for the walls. The existing color in the room was Sherwin Williams Livable Green. It’s a seemingly light, neutral color… until you try to cover it up with a bright white, such as Sherwin Williams Alabaster. I was amazed by the persistence of that grey-ish green, which took a few coats to cover up!
Knowing I was going for a really colorful room, my husband was curious why I was painting the walls such a stark white. I explained that, with all the color coming in, white would be a good move to allow the eyes rest. He and I joked that it was the first time I’ve ever said “rest” and really meant it.
It’s true that things have been go go go at home and work, but now that this room is done, I really will kick up my feet for a rest… at least for a few days.
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