Our Master Bedroom in Progress

Hello again, friends. In the last week, our little family of three trekked to Maine with my mom to celebrate the impending arrival of my cousin's baby girl while spending time with my extended family there. That said, I lost track of the time and simultaneously lost momentum on my house tour update here!

Today, though, I'm back to offer a glimpse into our "in-progress" master bedroom. As incomplete as it is, I'm happy with the direction it has taken since this post from 2013.

We are fortunate in many ways with our bedroom, as it is large, bathed in light and includes substantial closet space and an attached bathroom. The master bedroom, to me at least, is the one room I didn't want to rush to decorate; not because it's not important, but because it's incredibly important. I wanted a space that invoke romance and relaxation and, for me, that's taken time to materialize.

When Adam and I discovered we were expecting, one of our 'to-do's' was to upgrade our bed. You see, we were living with a full-size bed during our eight years together and I anticipated (rightly, I might add) that a growing baby belly warranted a little more space. Our room was large enough, so we opted for a king. The bed is the lone piece of furniture in the room that has any kind of footprint in the room--we are still hunting for just the right nightstands and dresser--so we certainly had room to play with in here.

The bed frame, the Vienne Caned Bed in distressed white oak, was purchased from Restoration Hardware last summer on sale. It sort of set the mood for the whole room.

Other elements in the room came my way by fate, as the best things in life do.

In late October, I was eager to get out one day and went to an auction house that has been very good to me in the past. I was drawn to several garden ornaments (more on that in a few weeks) so when I was successful in bidding for those, I planned to take my goods and go; however, just as I was about to leave, this enormous aged Persian rug came on the block. I couldn't resist.

Its colors--salmon, navy, periwinkle and cafe au lait--lay the foundation for the shades I'll introduce elsewhere.

Did you notice the bedding? It's another miraculous find, you know...the kind you happen upon when you least expect it.

The story behind the white quilt and matching shams is a funny one. I was approximately 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant and, having exhausted everything that would distract me from my overdue baby, I stopped by a local thrift store. I needed absolutely nothing but, slung across a weak wire hanger in an overstuffed rack was a yellowed 4-piece bedding set.

Yellowed doesn't even begin to describe it. The tag was marked "as-is"; is that telling you something? Perhaps it was the hormones in action but I was determined I could bring life back to the quilt. As soon as I arrived home, I showed off my find to my mother (my parents were both patiently awaiting baby with us), declaring that a long soak in a hot bath of OxyClean would do the trick. When a pregnant women, overdue with her first child, comes you to with crazy eyes and a makeover to do, you just go with it.

As you can see, the OxyClean did the trick. It's worth noting that the shams and quilt were $25. Never underestimate the power of a good soak in the bathtub or the motivation of a pregnant woman at full-term.

The bedside lamps were another bargain find; they came from a Habitat for Humanity Restore deep in the heart of Chester County. They had a shape that drew me in immediately despite being hidden under a dated and brittle raffia shade. They, like the bedding, were $25.

Lastly is the slipper chair in the corner of the room. Another auction find, this chair was actually won by my father last spring. Yes, that's right, I had my father do my bidding for me...

The slipper chair was part of a lot from an interior designer and, after sitting on it after my dad won it, it was clear it was a quality piece though I knew nothing about its origins or the pattern on the chair.

Fast forward a few months. I'm on Instagram, scrolling through a picture of Christopher Spitzmiller's NY country home, when I spy wallpaper identical to the pattern on my slipper chair attributed to Albert Hadley. 

What a surprise!

As undone as it is, our bedroom is taking shape with pieces I love and--clearly--can write a novel about. The idea underscoring everything I'm adding to my house is this: I have to love it, it has to be interesting and it has to beautiful. To me, that's was slow decorating is all about.

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful weekend everyone.