Emily Bowser here again with my master bedroom reveal. Yesterday, I showed you lots of stunningly unfortunate “before” photos (catch up here) that would make anyone wonder why I even bought the house I now call home in the first place, but today I get to show you what (at least part of it) became to vindicate myself. Let’s jump right in…
But wait, first, a reminder:
Yup, that’s what we were working with.
Now…
Shop the Look: Nightstands | Lamps | Duvet Cover | Shams | Mattress | Bed Base | Linen Window Shade | Mixed Media Art | Art Frame | Wall Paint Color
There she is…my everything, my Daffy. Oh, and the bed I only thought about for 3 years before inviting EHDers Julie and Erik over to help/force me to make it. Nothing like an impending deadline for a photoshoot and the constant “are we good on your MOTO reveal date?” from Arlyn to get those gears churning.
UPDATE: Head here to see the step-by-step how-to for this bed’s DIY.
Pro tip: If you want a piece of furniture from a big box store, search for the name of it on Craigslist first (considering you’re looking for a deal). That’s where I found this pair of West Elm nightstands for $150 (they are $299 each retail). They checked all the boxes: fit in the space, cheap and had a drawer. I’m easy to please when it comes to that one I guess. They’re metal which is kinda great because IKEA makes these magnetic strips with USB plugs on them that stick onto the back so that wires are hidden and we can plug in our phones and sound machine. YES we still sleep with our phones for alarm purposes but they are in airplane mode and we unplug our WIFI every night. I’M NOT A MONSTER.
My Maskor Table Lights by Gantri. GUYS. I love them so much. You know when Instagram does that creepy thing were you have been searching online or you say the word “tampon” in a sentence and then ALL you get is sponsored posts of Thinx and Cora tampons?? Well, that’s what happened with these lights but instead of tampons, I got modern, low, bubbly lamps. I spent maybe three hours searching for modern lamps that would fit here, went to Instagram to take a break and Instagram was like “OH, you mean THESE??” Yes. Yes, I did you creepy, creepy stalkers. I needed something modern to make sure this space was balanced with all the vintage and texture. After checking out their website and falling even more for this company because of their values, I reached out and they sent me two of these beautiful lights. I couldn’t love them more. They are green, the same color I recovered my IKEA storage bench, so they “talk” to each other, have texture but are made out of a corn PLA blend so they feel newer and modern. They also have a dimmer which is a MUST for us. Andrew and I are both weird about bright lights. On top of all that, they are sustainably made and have a business model that supports creators and makes beautiful lighting attainable for the average consumer. CHECK THEM OUT AND SUPPORT THEM.
I’m sorry to say, my rugs are vintage. Yes rugS. I found them both at the Rose Bowl Flea Market for $150 each and bought them without haggling because I’m THAT person when I love something. I would say my reaction to these rugs was similar to that of when I saw the vintage line buoys. GOTTA HAVE THEM GIVE ‘EM TO ME. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make the fact that they were slightly different sizes work, but I was GONNA. Funny enough, it ended up being the best thing about them. You see, I wanted a BIG rug. Like I’ve mentioned, the floor is tile and cold and I wanted to get out of my bed on either side and hit rug first. However, the bedroom door opens right next to the left side of the bed so most bigger rugs would constantly be stopping the door from opening all the way or the door would push the rug around. With the staggered approach of the top rug coming in more than the bottom, we have the benefits of waking up to rug on our feet while keeping out of the way of the door. The rugs are very much the same yet slightly different so I don’t mind the more hodgepodged look.
My bed, my sweet, sweet bed. My husband and I are celebrating our 10 YEAR wedding anniversary. I’m not sure how that happened, but if you could have taken a look at our old mattress you would have assumed we’d been married for 30. And had a bed wetting problem. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SLEEP?? It was so embarrassing that when we put the mattress out for the mattress recycling people, I made my husband go out and turn it upside down so that the whole neighborhood wouldn’t know our shame! My friend Lauren, who has now come up multiple times in my posts, had just bought the Mint Mattress by Tuft and Needle and like me, when she likes something, she becomes their spokesperson (Bulletproof what?).
When we did the Velux bedroom makeover, I told Julie to reach out to them because I heard great things about their company, the service, and the product. They were a dream to work with for that shoot so I figured I may as well ask. They were very kind to send through their mint mattress (queen), a mattress protector (THANK GOD), two of their pillows, a set of sheets (not seen here), a linen duvet cover and linen shams. Now, mattress comfort is a bit of a personal thing, so obviously take my word on that with a grain of salt (I know they will work with you to donate if you don’t like their product) but I found this bed SO comfortable. It’s a memory foam kind of construction which means the bed doesn’t move around a whole lot if you or your partner (or cat) does. I like a firmer mattress but am a side sleeper so a bit of softness is nice to support the shape of my body (that was a weird thing to write but I’m not sure how else to say it??) and I found this style perfect for me.
The pillows are heavenly. I had not found “my” pillow until I slept with these. The sheets were buttery soft. Unfortunately, they were almost the exact color as the rug but like, not exactly, so they didn’t work in this space though I am excited to use them in the spare bedroom reveal that will be coming up soon. I LOVE the duvet cover and shams. I am a card-carrying member of the linen duvet club. There’s a lot of division in the office about how people feel about sleeping with linen but I personally love it. I don’t want it RIGHT against me but I love it on a duvet or on a pillowcase that I use between my legs (also a weird sentence to write, sorry). This duvet, in particular, is the soft linen. It feels like it’s been washed with rocks a million times, if that makes sense. The duvet and pillowcases are in charcoal, btw, not slate. It looks a little bluer here than it does IRL I think. Overall, A+ for this company from me. Yes, I didn’t pay for that stuff but my friend Lauren DID and if you knew Lauren you would know that this is a trustworthy recommend. Haha, that should be a Yelp review option, “I’ve never been here but Lauren has and you know what THAT means.” Side note: the extra long lumbar pillow you saw in earlier photos is a DIY I’m afraid as well, got the fabric from the Rose Bowl!
Let’s move on to the other side of the room! The dresser! I finally found something that would work under the window: I bought two IVAR 3 Drawer Chests ($95 each), stained them black, bought 3-inch wood legs, sprayed them black, and screwed them together haphazardly. Spent maybe a $220? It’s nothing fancy, not even worth a DIY post, but it works. I could upgrade by adding pulls but technically you don’t need them and “FINISHED IS BETTER THAN PERFECT.”
The bench hiding in the corner is vintage and was gifted to me by a friend. I sprayed it green. I use it when I need to put makeup on because this area has the best light. I move it in front of my (also) vintage mirror that was orange-ish when I bought it at Long Beach Flea Market for $20. I painted it with the Cracked Pepper by Behr paint that was leftover from my old bedroom (and those old side tables I showed you yesterday).
Let’s touch on some of the decor here:
Ladder: This is vintage, has the most perfect patina, complete with rusty metal wire wrapped around it for no reason at all. I bought it at the Long Beach Flea Market a few years ago for $80 and actually didn’t put it here until the morning of the shoot when that wall looked a little bare. I LOVE it, it will live there forevermore! Sometimes inspiration comes while you DO. There are two Target blankets on the ladder, the pretty fabric is vintage, of course, bought at Long Beach Flea Market, as well. I have plans for it to become pillows for the living room but it does look so nice with the rug in here so…?? The beads hanging are vintage, too (SORRY).
Shop the Look: Dressers | Dresser Legs | Lamp | Terra Cotta Planter (no longer available) | Linen Shades | Tray
Hanging planter: Also vintage. I bought it from my friends at Taylor + Taylor who are closing their warehouse. I got a sneak peek and grabbed that, the tiny vase on the left nightstand and the awesome wooden canister on the tray. Go follow them to find out the details of when they are opening the warehouse sale to the public (I think it starts this weekend!) Because I know you are going to ask, the plant is an asparagus fern and does well in indirect bright light.
Lamp: From West Elm and I’ve loved it since we used it in the Invitation Home Atlanta shoot. The color ties in with the off-whiteness of the rug and shades and makes that feel purposeful next to the white walls (Polar Bear by Behr for those who definitely will ask).
Window coverings: Let’s talk about the shades real quick! I can’t explain how important sleeping in a completely dark room is to me. Almost as important as dimmable lights and blue-blocking glasses. I have lived for three years with cheap, white, blackout rollers because it was the FIRST thing I put in the house. They worked but they were NOT cute. I knew shades were the only way to go in this room, the windows were just too skinny and awkwardly placed to make curtains work. I had reached out to Barn & Willow about another project that hasn’t come to fruition yet, but in my dialogue with them, asked about my house. They were kind enough to send blackout shades to me and can I just say: window treatments complete a room. We put these up ourselves in an hour (maybe) on a Saturday and I was like “NOW I’m officially a grown-up.” It elevates everything. I got the Relaxed style in Flax. It’s a linen shade and it feels and looks very high-quality. You customize the fabric, style, size, inside or outside mount, the lining and cord style and side. On top of that, they were easy to install and work. Complete darkness for me.
Shop the Look: Oil Diffuser | Ring Holder | Marble Tray (actually just the top of a box) | Lamp | Tray
Tray: To the right of the lamp is the most perfect tray in the history of the world. If you live in LA or plan to visit LA or Ojai, you must go to deKor&Co. My friend Isabelle is the owner of the store and she is also an amazing interior designer. I proudly #paidforthis, it was not the cheapest thing in the world ($170) but that’s because it isn’t the cheapest thing in the world. It’s leather, green, and has beautiful hand stitching around the outside. It is the perfect size and color for the room and good, special trays are SO hard to find. DESIGNERS!! PLEASE!!
Shop the Look: Bench | Art | Cat (ha, jk)
Ah, the ole Stocksund IKEA storage bench ($249). I’ve owned it since we moved in and I needed more storage. Emily has a similar one from Target that she recovered and that inspired me to do the same to this one to upgrade it a bit. It’s something that maybe could have been a DIY but personally, wasn’t worth my time as I don’t have much of that these days. The upholsterer only charged me $90 and I bought the canvas downtown from Pacific Blue Denims. It was cheap, $4.75/yd and I only needed like 3-4 yards ($20). I used the same canvas in my dining nook that will be revealed soon so I bought more than that, but that was the amount I needed here.
The accordion hook is vintage, from, you guessed it, the Long Beach Flea Market. It was $5 and it’s a great way to store your necklaces and make some wall “art.” The bag on the wall is also a flea market find. It’s become a little too fragile to use but it won’t stop me from turning it into something textural for my walls.
Both pieces of “real” art (that’s a loaded statement. What is real? What is art?) are from MaryAnn Puls. I bought the one to the right of the bench from her when we were in Portland. I don’t recall the price but I do recall it being way too low. I assume she was being kind because I was the one to reach out to her about getting her work in that project. I framed that gorgeous piece of art in a Target frame and guess what?? No one has ever commented on the frame, only the gorge art. The other piece is to the right of the bed. That was a gift from Emily to me. She got a piece of art for each of us for Christmas last year and I LOVE it. I happen to know that that frame is from IKEA. haha…runs in the company.
Before we briefly get into the closet, I want to touch on the floors because it was a big gripe of mine in yesterday’s intro post. For a quick catch-up, the house originally had three different flooring types. This room was a carpet that looked like it was “prepped” for a horror Netflix original film. We decided on this black hex quickly because it was the only thing in our price point that I didn’t hate. Because the tile was black, we went dark with the wood floor stain everywhere else (including the closet there) so it all blended more seemlessly. It turned out okay.
For a long time, we didn’t have a rug in our bedroom so that was a little chilly but now that there is a rug in there, I don’t notice it too much and I think that it’s worth it to have the floors be more similar. I will say this now though and with conviction: dark floors are NOT for the faint of heart, especially if you have the most magically perfect white cat. I vacuum every day. Every. Single. Day. I mop once a week and the only time the floors truly look clean is the 15 minutes after the moment I wring out the mop. It’s fine though, as with everything, just know your threshold. Your threshold for cleaning AND your threshold for being fine with good enough. I’m one of those people who is weirdly both of those things. I’m a clean freak that’s also like “meh, it’s fine, I tried.” Luckily, vacuuming 863 square feet takes…6 minutes? Invest in a Dyson. That said, I really like the way my plethora of vintage brown wood furniture pops off the dark floors and ultimately wouldn’t choose anything different for myself. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Shop the Look: Dressers | Perfume Tray | Felt Boxes (top of closet) | Rug
If you remember from the intro, this room originally had two closets. We stole from the larger one for the actual square footage of the room so making this small walk-in work for both my husband and me clinched on my mad org skills. We brought in varying heights of MALM dressers from IKEA (the white helps to “blend” them into the wall), then it was about maximizing what was left of the floor space with a shoe rack, and overhead (with plenty of space left over for two cats).
The larger hanging mirror I found at Sunbeam Vintage on Figueroa and the smaller one on the dresser is vintage from Taylor + Taylor’s warehouse sale.
And that’s it! Puck is here to kick usher you out of the room. If you’re interested in how I put this bed together, check out this step-by-step post (I promise it’s way easy) and stay tuned for the world’s smallest bathroom reno reveal coming to a blog near you.
Don’t miss other posts in this series:
Makeover Takeover: How EHD Stylist Emily Bowser Tackled Her Awkward Master Bedroom | DIY How-To: A Step-by-Step for Making Emily B.’s Wrap-Around Velvet Headboard
Love the room! At first the red seemed random but I looked back through photos and red is incorporated in little touches everywhere.
This post did not seem like a normal MOTO (which is ?) so much vintage. Makes it very achievable and I have to realize I can’t just buy everything, it takes time to COLLECT with purpose.
Great job!
Thanks Mara! Collecting is the best part!
What are the ethics of casually talking to vendors about your home and getting donated product when you work for a design magnet like Emily Henderson? Not saying anything here is wrong, but wondering where the line gets drawn and how it is decided.
I’m just another reader, but from what I understand, the MOTO is for the blog. The vendors must understand this and consider it a worthy return on investment since their products will be given a shout out on Emily H’s platform.
I think instead of seeing it as getting it for free or “donated” it should be seen as a trade for services. I am doing the company a service by styling their product in photos that they are free to use however they want and I’m also offering them a platform to get their brands out there in front of a lot of eyes. I am free to reach out to whomever I want, the decision is up to each company, if it’s worth it for them personally. The politics on their end is personal to them I guess.
This is so beautiful, I love the color repetition throughout. It is hard to pick a favorite element but I really really love those linen shades! I have been crushing hard on black hex for a laundry room redo we are considering so I really appreciate that heads up on the cleaning!! We are…not the cleanest people so maybe it is not for us.
ohhhh yes. I would be wary of black hex unless you want to clean it verrry regularly. If you do go with it though make sure to get dark grout. I wish we had gone even darker with ours tbh.
How do the kitties get up there?
I wondered the same thing. My guess is by jumping first on the tall dresser and then up to the top shelf. How cute!!
haha my favorite question…
Puck is super athletic and agile. He jumps on the dresser on the right and then leaps to the corner where he likes to sleep (I think because it’s weirdly warm in there because of lack of proper insulation).
Daffy…is not as athletic. Mostly, she waits for me to see her sitting on the dresser looking longingly up at Puck. I then move a felt box to the floor and set her there. That’s the situation from the picture. My favorite and most painful way she likes to get up there is she waits until I’m in there getting dressed and jumps onto my usually naked back with all her tiny toes (because she has extra) and uses me as a launching pad to jump up there herself. In general that’s something she does, jumps on me from other surfaces while I’m not paying attention. It is both painful and painfully cute.
This is stunning! There is so much texture! I am especially impressed with your closet. Total #goals. May I ask where the shoe rack on the upper shelf is from? My husband owns more shoes than me, and something like that would fit perfectly in our closet.
UGH. Ikea. They don’t make it anymore which was so annoying because it fit perfectly depth wise on the shelf. I went there to buy another one and had to settle with the one you see on the floor (it’s too deep to put on the shelf). Shoe storage is so hard, and I don’t consider either of us “shoe people”
Well done!!!!!!!!! I LOVE all of it!!!!
I loved your work and today I want to take time to thank the news you are presenting thank you ..pintura de apartamento
Love this and all of the posts you all have been doing recently! One question, and you may answer this in the DIY post later, but how do you keep the headboard clean? I love the look and want to convince my BF that we should do this, or something similar, but want to make sure we can keep pet hair and dust off of it too!
ChomChom Roller!! I’m practically their spokesperson at this point.
Looks amazing!
Mariya | https://www.brunetteondemand.com/
So beautiful! I can’t believe the transformation. You really have an eye for vintage.
So impressed, what a gorgeous room! Honestly I’m riveted by Bowser’s story, the transformation she acheived is so dramatic and she was a brave soul to even take this on. And I can vouch for the T&N mattress – it has been a game changer!
Hi Rae! I know. I’m REALLY enjoying it. I’m feeling it being in random hotel beds all week!
THE CATS IN THE CLOSET UGHHHH
First of all it’s gorgeous and I love the colors in here. But what I am really here to comment about is you linking to a Get the Look of your Cat and promoting recue, all the love for that little moment!
Ok, seriously, it’s amazing!
Love it. Such a great job! The two rugs is genius.
I must know where the small brass cat shaped hook is from?! (don’t say vintage, don’t say vintage). 🙂
+1 on this I MUST HAVE IT.
Brass cat hook!! <3<3<3
IT’S NOT. It was a gift and I will try to find out and report back.
Kaye Blegvad! THANKS ANNE!
What an inspiring post! I particularly love the colors you’ve chosen. The red velvet is gorgeous.
I think this just made my list of favorite EHD posts! I love the use of so much IKEA furniture because, truly, that’s where our budget lies right now, but you’ve managed to elevate and style each piece so it doesn’t feel like a one-note IKEA room. That’s what we’re struggling with in our bedroom right now. We have two kitties at home too, and I’m so curious: do they play with the necklaces and knock all the stuff off your dressers?!? One of mine does and I’m not sure trays would deter him! I haven’t hung any necklaces yet for this reason. Also, where did you get the platform bed, and does your mattress slide on it? We’ve been looking for a new bed/headboard because the foundation our mattress sits on doesn’t hold it in, and so every morning our mattress is 6 inches from the wall. Can’t wait to see the headboard tutorial! I love this room!
Actually no, my cats have other strange addictions but knocking stuff off surfaces (unless it’s a cork, Daffy is obsessed with corks) is not one of them. Puck in particular can’t be around plastic bags, because he will chew on them or pee in them. I try to think of it as a good deterrent to having plastic in the house. He is also very obsessed with Palo Santo, incense, and certain candles. So far he hasn’t been interested in the oil diffusers, but honestly talking about this makes me want to check in with our housesitter.
OMG the cats. I love them. How did they get up on that shelf?! And I really love this room. I was not optimistic when you showed the before yesterday, but kudos to you – you did a beautiful job!
You’re just not going to mention the covered wagon on the dresser in the closet?! Ha!! This is spectacular, Emily! You got so much into such a small space and yet it doesn’t feel cramped. Love it!!
I actually didn’t realize it made the shot! It’s a jewelry box My husband had made for me by our friend and artist Casey Johnson (of FoxWood Co.) because as a child I would imagine my bed was a cozy covered wagon headed west to California and since I’ve told him that our bed is called a covered wagon. Too much Little House on the Prairie books as a child I guess.
Can you share more detail on the headboard? It is a lovely room. The headboard is the best feature but I don’t see any details on how it was made/purchased etc. Many thanks.
Love it all. Looks like edited Boho, cool and warm at the same time. And with cats. Everywhere. Loved the tails hanging down in the closet. As to how they got there, some cats can apparently levitate at will. My tiny little black kitty Agatha would appear in the very high roof of our Tudor house and freak out our next door neighbor.
This one is getting pinned.
This is so gorgeous!!! It’s equal parts attainable and aspirational that makes me want to go home and re-do my bedroom!
Two very important questions – did I miss where the cats were properly introduced?? Seriously, pet names and bios should always be included (could just be my personal preference- who knows) And how the heck did they get in that closet corner?? Wizard cats for sure.
Can’t wait to see more of your charming home!!
haha Daffy (white) and Puck (tabby), they are 6 and 4 years old and the reason I breathe.
That photo of Daffy and Puck in the closet-in “their space”-is everything 🙂 Love your writing style as well!
Fun fact(s): I think I own the jumpsuit you’re wearing in the first photo. The quilt on your bed “before” is currently on our master bed.
So that means I’m one degree of separation from Mandy Moore; right??
This looks great! I love how the textures of the rug/bedding/upholstery/floor work together. I also love how much vintage stuff you have. It was also cool seeing how you worked with the weirdly placed windows– that mirror balancing the window above the long dresser is brilliant!
Love the room Emily. What a great use of small space. What do you think about black hex tiles like that against the light white oak floors Emily H has? And in a small entryway? Wondering if they’d be too much contrast and reveal too much filth.
I love contrast! Just depends on the space. For this space I needed more cohesiveness so I wanted to keep it all dark but there is a time and a place for separating spaces for sure! The black will for sure reveal everything, though, you should think about that.
Such an amazing transformation! I actually love the black tile floors and how they work with the overall design of the room. And your cats! So sweet. Those shots of them with them cuddled at the top of the closet are too much. Looking forward to seeing more of your home!
Love your room. That leather tray! Just ordered the rug from your closet. Great post, Emily. Happy birthday!
Emily, you are simply the best! You make me laugh the whole read thru. Love your style and voice
Thanks Lauren and everyone writing sweet things! They all mean a lot! XO
Where is the ceiling light from?
Beautiful room, love the mix of vintage. Where is the globe room light and the small black light in the closet from?
The globe light is from this place in North Hollywood called Practical Props. Their website is a bit weak but if you live in the area, I highly recommend checking them out. The little black light is from CB2, I bought it years ago but I think they still have it. I’ll find and have them add it to the get the look
any post with cats is instantly my favorite.
Such a beautiful bedroom. I was very distracted by your amazing cats!!! Your closet is an inspiration for me.
Holy moly!!!! Incredible vision! Love the stunning transformation! Wow! Elizabeth
Beautiful. I love the floor and the rugs, and basically everything about this room. You did a fantastic job, Emily!
“FINISHED IS BETTER THAN PERFECT.”
Bowser, (may I call you that?). You helped me with your quore from E.H. in yesterday’s post. I was out shopping for a 2 year old’s birthday gifts today and my brain was getting fried. That quote popped inyo mh head as I was becoming frantic and running out of time. I bought what was “okay, but not perfect” and finished the task. She’ll love her gifts, she’s 2!! I got the task finished! Soooo relieved! So thank you, both Emily gals. You saved me from mind meltdown. 🙂
Your room reminds me of our spare room. Similar colours, earthy, but light. Verrrry nice. I spesh lovevyour very clever small spacd storage solutions that are affordable too. I’m sure lots of people will copy with a relieved smile.
Love the happy accident of different sized rugs and thd door situation.
The way the earthy colour pops connect to your bedhead (niiice job BTW!) Is sooo good. Not overloaded, nice and subtle.
Looking forward to your next reveal.
Oh….and how’s that novel project going?? 😉
Love all the different voices and styles the team is sharing lately. Well done, Bowser!
I’d put two drawer pulls on each of your (black) dresser top drawers. That would give it just a little “oomph.”
I like the black tile floors, but I once lived in an apt that had concrete floors–concrete under the carpet and concrete under the linoleum in the kitchen and bath. After several months it started to KILL my feet. I had to start wearing thick-soled slippers indoors ALL the time. After I moved to my next apt that had wood floors, the soles of my feet gradually returned to normal. Of course I’m much older than you are….!
I know it actually really is bothering me in these pictures. It needs something. Leather maybe?
Re floors: I can see that. I do wear slippers all the time, that probably helps.
Absolutely wonderful writing style and information in this series!
Love every word – thank you!
Beautiful room! It looks like you made such good use of all the space possible!
http://www.sundaydahlias.com
Our house is 864 sq feet! But add to the mix is 2 tween girls who share a room with a bunk bed, and a border collie. We, too, have a dark-stained wood floor here, because this was all done before the babies came along. Our house used to be cool ha ha. I share your pain with vacuuming every.single.day. Trying to design our bedroom as well, but my husband and I are still arguing about what we want to do there. We’re both designers and have strong opinions about what we like. It took about 8 years before we somewhat agreed what to do about the front yard.. lol. Great job with the reno. Looking forward to see what you’ve done with the rest of the house.
oh gosh, I’m so glad my husband and I share a similar taste and he stays in his own lane. haha…whenever Emily is super sweet and asking Brian’s opinion I’m like, “WHY” I get it, it really is important if it’s important to them but thank GOD my husband is like “what? yeah, I love it great” and then turns back to his horror movie or whatever. We are very very similar and very very different. He’s taking a break from social media right now or I’d tell you to go look at his feed. It’s a different…vibe.
Oh I LOVE this bedroom!! That headboard is beautiful and altogether it just looks so fresh and yet relaxing and comfortable – really really beautiful! I even liked the tile! After yesterdays post I thought ‘Tile in the bedroom? Well thats…. brave?’ but it actually looks really graphic and modern here and you’re right it totally makes your pretty furniture pop 🙂 Really super beautiful bedroom and and definitely the most beautiful cats!!
Love this MOTO – the vintage inclusions, all of the relatable problem solving and compromise it involved and of course the look overall. Can’t wait to see more.
Oh I love this article (series), it gives me hope I can do the same with my 500 sqft apartment.
Amazingly written piece and beautifully renovated house, cannot wait for the rest to be revealed.
Also – huge thanks for the honesty. I know it’s easy to be an influencer showing only the good side of things but kudos for choosing to be someone who makes all of us feel just a little bit better and not worse. Counting the hours to see more!
Absolutely love it!! That headboard is AMAZING! Can you share where the quilt on your bed and the pillows on the bench are from? Thanks!!
May I recommend a robot vacuum? I don’t have one yet but my friends swear by them. One friend with cats even said her robot vacuum has saved her marriage 🙂 If anyone does have one they recommend, I’m all ears (and Amazon gift cards)!
I will def be back for the DIY!
It’s up now! https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/diy-headboard-how-to
GIRL!! Good job
You have great taste!
Now for the backhand compliment: I love this so much more than the overpriced renos this blog has been focused on the last couple years.
All the MOTOs have been great.
I appreciate the compliment although I like to think we have a bit for everyone here! I agree though, I’ve always loved the MOTOs, even before I worked here! 🙂
I am in love with that grey gauze blanket on top of the bed. Could you please let us know where this is from? Thank you!!
The charcoal linen duvet is Tuft and Needle, the beige (?) blanket at the bottom of the bed is West Elm!
I love the way you organized your closet, and I love the entire room. THOSE RUGS!!!!!!! The color scheme is great, too!
love. love. love your room. gorgeous!
I’d love to see a floor plan before and after when this is all through! it’s kind of hard for me to wrap my head around those dang closets!
basically there were two closets where the headboard now is that came into the space 3-4 feet (into where the bed is). I’ll try to get one of computer designer people 🙂 to draw something up for the living room reveal though!
A few years back I remember Apartment Therapy started asking each of their home tours to include a floor plan and I found them so helpful. Sometimes they were just pen drawn, no guarantee of scale but those still work. It’s also nice to know the room’s dimensions. I know it’s super hard to photograph small spaces, I was wishing there were more photos of the closet but I’m not sure how you would physically get some of the angles. When I saw the before photos I was wondering if there was even room for a bed in that room but now with furniture in it I’m jealous that it seems bigger than my bedroom – there’s room for a bench & a double dresser!
I love the space and look forward to the rest of your rooms.
“And had a bed wetting problem. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SLEEP?? It was so embarrassing that when we put the mattress out for the mattress recycling people, I made my husband go out and turn it upside down so that the whole neighborhood wouldn’t know our shame!” I am screaming this is SO TRUE and I always thought it was just us. Gorgeous room!!!
Absolutely love this bedroom! We have a really small bedroom (we gave the larger one to our daughter who runs and jumps and plays, we just sleep and store clothes) so I love seeing beautiful and functional smaller spaces and reading how each piece serves a function instead of “Oh, I just bought this to fill space” (with the exception of the ladder, haha). I also really enjoyed reading about the process yesterday – our house is over a hundred years old and also full of surprises.
Ok, off to check out the window coverings, they would be perfect for me!
Side note – the speed of the gif is perfect.
I know it was a side note, but THANK YOU! We tinker with those gif speeds to see what feels good. HAHA So that is particularly appreciated.
Such a great MOTO reveal! Great eye for vintage, especially the mirror and rugs, but accessibly mixed in with lamps and such that are still available. I’m adding those felt boxes to my list for storage too, they’re interesting and pretty for storage but seem quite affordable too!
WAIT WHY HAS NO ONE COMMENTED ON THAT GORGEOUS RED LIPSTICK??
Love this post and love your voice and style, Bowser. Thank you for sharing this with all of us.
Your “FINISHED IS BETTER THAN PERFECT.”
We had a saying in design school:
Perfect is Pretty, but Done is Beautiful.
It’s so true.
Two cats – used to have dark walnut laminate and now have white oak engineered hardwood. Life is better.
LOVE the MOTO. Great job!
Puck is a giant!
I love linen, too. I had a blouse that was the softest, linen, and it wore like iron. I really like how you placed the mirror next to the window over the dresser.
I was spellbound by this post. Everything was so well articulated and the design….impeccable. Your writing so drew me in…I was THERE. Thank you.
Love everything about your posts!!!!
Your honesty/transparency, your awesome doable and relatable transformation, inclusions of cats, fun way of telling your story, breakdown of expenses and your style. Way to go!!!!
Looking forward to hearing more of you on this blog!
Love it! Especially all the vintage. I’m confused by this sentence re the mattress though ‘I know they will work with you to donate if you don’t like their product’????
Maybe you mean exchange? Or are you saying they will donate you a new mattress if you don’t like the first one…?
If you buy the mattress and hate it you can “return” it, which means they donate it to a charity.
Where did you get that gorgeous garland above the bed?
Read the intro post 🙂
You’v done a smashing job with such a challenging space! Your rugs are wool blankets from Mali. Often called ‘Mopti blankets,’ they’re very traditional, very scratchy, very warm (when you live in a super-hot climate, the low 60s temps that can occur just before sunrise during ‘cold’ season feel very cold indeed), and are still being woven on strip looms and sold in markets all up and down the Niger river.
Looks gorgeous. Love the way all the furniture and colors and textures work really well with each other.
I loved this MOTO! The bed is amazing and the corner with the window and dresser looks so balanced and pretty! I’m crazy about the rugs too!! Can’t wait to see more of your home!
oh my goodness, i love the room, but love the cats even more! the perfectly posed one on the storage bench and in the closet <3 <3
Love it! I especially love the rusty orange color of the headboard!
Can you tell me where you got the white sheets with the contrast piping?
I love the headboard – in fact, I think it is better looking than Mandy Moore’s! Great room. I can’t wait to see the rest of your house.
What a wonderful space!
This is a fresh mix of tailored yet relaxed style with simple lines but lots of texture. The vintage pieces and art really stand out. It’s personal but also editorial (the high contrast really pushes it in that direction).
My favorite parts are, the lush color and grandeur of the headboard, the quiet drama of the rugs, the soft natural linens on the bed and windows, and all the sculptural shapes in the lamps and objects. I am going to take inspiration from many of these elements for my own home.
Your room is beautiful. Love the headboard. So impressed with how much storage you got in the closet, and how pretty it looks in there! I read your purchase horror story–completely gripping! Only read thru half the comments, but I totally agree with the person who said you could turn it into a book. Honestly, you are funny, a talented writer, and the honesty of the story makes it so compelling. So glad everything turned out well in the end/so far. Life should not be full of regrets, money is just money, you can’t take it with you, and better to have poured it into a property you love, than have spent it on a heath crisis or lost it in the stock market.
Very lovely room with a ton of inspiring vintage and high/low design!! Where did the pillows come from?? I love them but didn’t see any link to their source.
Love your writing voice and this space! Did I miss where your sheets are from? Thank you ?!
This may be one of my favorite bedrooms of all time. The colors and textures and white walls are gorgeous. I love the overall style, but I also love how you incorporated so much beauty and organization into a small space. Well done!
Incredible transformation. So proud of you!
Just came back to catch up on comments and had to totally review each picture again to 1) admire the cats 2) figure out what shelf everyone was talking about LOL. Had narrowed in hard on the felt boxes and shoe storage. I am trying to redesign my closet space without going the expensive route and its haarrrrrdd, even with a reasonable space to work with. I’m short and struggle with the necessity of upper shelves. Also can’t remember what I own when I store it in pretty boxes like these. Do wonder if you could mention where you got them?
Am also admiring athletic abilities of cats and how decorative they are. We’re dog people but I do LOVE watching cats and think yours are gorgeous. Is it me, or does the EH team feel like mostly Team Cat? Please post more about your fur babies please and thank you.
I love this room, and I love your writing! It strikes a similar note to the Ikea/collected/vintage balance in my own bedroom – but we have a more pastel/teenage girl pallet (lots of teal and coral). I’m really inspired by your more mature color pallet. Maybe for our next iteration!
Spectacular, I love everything about this room….except the black hex, good to warn people! My favorite reveal.
Can you share where the pillows on the bench are from? Love this whole room!!!
Ok. I get it now. I am back. Emily is doing the inspirational high end posts. Her lovely and talented team is keeping it real for all of us plebeians. I get it. I like it. Yes.
What is that rad closet light? It looks so remodelista. What is it?!!!!
I love the architectural hanging above the bed! Any chance you could share the source?
Yes, please! I’ve scanned through the article like 5 times trying to see if I missed the source.
A little late to the party (as always) but I really just want to say thank you. Thank you for proving that good design can be accessible, reasonably priced and fun. And thank you for saying out loud what all of us out here ‘in the real world’ know all too well – function often dictates what we do and where we spend our limited budget. Both your reveals (it’s a quiet Friday night and I am catching up on matters EHD) – are lovely. Love the mix of Ikea and vintage and Target and found treasures. Looking forward to more! Just wish we had the same amazing flea markets here (Ontario, Canada) as you do in Cali.