Victorian Cottage Inspired Bedroom Reveal

It all began when I thought I could pull off a renovation and makeover of my daughter’s bedroom in 6 weeks…all by my little self. Hilarious, I know. If there’s one thing about renovating an old house, it’s that it laughs at your timelines.

I started her room in May of 2020.

…8 MONTHS LATER in December 2020…I got it done!

…mostly!

Yup. We’ll get to that.

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When I was planning the design for Miss E’s bedroom, I wanted something that could grow with her. After 1,482,075 hours of working on this room, I’m even more glad I went this route as it’s never changing again. Ever. ;)

Disclosure: affiliate links contained below. If you purchase anything from these links I may receive some kind of commission. However, I only mention products I use, find helpful, and/or love whether I’m compensated or not. Thanks so much for your support! – see full disclosure)

INSPIRATION

My main source of inspiration was this picture that I’ve had pinned for years.

BEDROOM BEFORE

Quick “before” pix:

(In case you need to remember what her room was like when I started, here’s all the “before” pictures.)

BEDROOM AFTER

Enjoy all the “after” photos and let me know what part of the room is your favorite! I’ve listed all the sources and budget below as well, so be sure to keep scrolling and read that too for all the details!

Here is where Miss E’s room is at as of today!

Let’s break it down into what was used to put this pretty little room back together again!

SOURCES:

Master of Plaster // I couldn’t be more pleased with both the product and the company for repairing and finishing plaster materials! Lauren heads-up the products and uses them herself in preservation projects across the country. She’s absolutely the sweetest and most knowledgeable gal, and she patiently talked me through so much of the process. Can’t recommend MoP enough!

Wall Stencils // I’ve had so many people ask me about the “wallpaper” I used for her floral wall, but nope, it’s a stencil! The stencil comes from Cutting Edge Stencils and is called “Peony Allover“. When I was looking up possible stencils for Miss E’s bedroom, I knew I wanted something floral and traditional. When I saw the Peony Allover pattern, it was an immediate win (also check out their “Japanese Peonies Allover” stencil for something similarly beautiful!). I reached out to them and got to talk with Karli, and she was so helpful with explaining the painting process and tools I’d need, and their website has videos as well that help. We partnered up for me to try their stencil and brushes for Miss E’s room in exchange for a review, and I can say with full confidence that y’all won’t be disappointed with their stencils! They look great, but more importantly they function well: the stencil stayed in-place, was easy to follow, and held up well to the many hours of use I put it through. I used their round brushes as well, but with this particularly intricate stencil I ended up discovering that using sponge brushes was easier for doing all of the stems. But if your stencil is something less intricate , the rounded brushes would be just the ticket.
Thanks, Cutting Edge wall stencils and Karli!

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Benjamin Moore // wall color is BM Atmospheric AF-500
Stencil Colors // the green is custom, but I had it color-matched with BM to Apple Barrel’s acrylic craft paint in “English Ivy Green” (20756E).
The pinks are custom colors.

Metrie // crown and picture rail moldings (here’s my post on how to find picture rail in your local area)

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General Finishes // stains and finishes for crown moldings & picture rails. The stain color is Sedona & Top Coat is in Semi-gloss by General Finishes.
I live by their products – all such top-quality! If you are staining pine, it’s also wise to put on their pre-stain conditioner to avoid having blotchy areas or an uneven finish.

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Curtains // Amazon. These velvet curtains are sold as 2-panel sets and are BEAUTIFUL. Great, heavy and soft fabric that double as room darkening drapes. AND ARE GREEEEEN (they also come in navy blue, red burgandy, rose pink, golden brown, gray, etc).

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The white noise machine by Letsfit // it’s such a great space-saver! In case you missed it, you can spot it as the little white disc on her nightstand. We’ve had it nearly a year and it’s been working out really well for replacing her fan!

Scalloped window shades // Boscovs

Bed & Dresser // auction wins

Picture rail hooks – Amazon.

Bedspread – Rummage Sale. Similar here.

Crystal chandelier // Craigslist. Similar here. (see my post on finding an antique reproduction canopy for your light fixture)

Ceiling Medallion – Lowes. Similar here.

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A post shared by Kelly | 1901 Fixer Upper (@livinginafixerupper)

Furniture & Decor Budget

$150 – Bed – Auction win for the top of my budget

$100 – Dresser & Mirror – Auction win

$20 – Bedspread – Rummage Sale

$90 – 4 panels of 95″ velvet green curtains. Splurge. Worth it.

$13 for the 2 framed art pieces

$20 Chandelier – Craigslist

FREE 5×7 brown rug – originally from Ikea

= $393 for all the decor and furniture!

For tons more videos, photos and how-to’s for everything that transpired in this room, follow me on my Instagram @livinginafixerupper and see my highlights for “ORC Girl Bedroom” and “Old & Slow 1-3”.

However, the bedroom is not completely finished…

As with so many house renovations, we’re in the “95% club”. That is to say, I seem to tend to get the rooms 95% finished, with negligible things left to be worked on at a later time.

SUCH AS:

1. The other 3 walls (might) need stenciled – still haven’t decided.

2. The top wall border needs painted a darker shade.

Nonetheless, it’s at a place where I can put it on pause, my daughter can have a functional room again, and I can finish some other pressing projects that demand my attention.

I’m both happy and relieved with getting to this point. The room is turning out so nicely and I’ve learned so much and gained new skills while working on it.

Click here to see a short video covering the 8 months of work on Miss E’s bedroom!

Thanks so much for joining me during this room’s transformation, the encouragement, and being here for the “reveal”! Feel free to poke around here on the site and leave a comment below! :)

P.S. – As I’m getting so many questions on Instagram about how to stencil, I’m going to be making a video all about stenciling on Instagram and I’ll post it here as well. Be on the look-out, and subscribe via email and/or Instagram to be notified when it goes live! :)

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