Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Reading Room Update - December 2008



As many of you know, one my favorite places to be in this little cottage I call home, is my Reading Room.



Shaped out of what used to be the only Bathroom in the whole house, it's now a 6 foot by 6 foot restful little room that I have fallen asleep in many a time, while enjoying a shelter mag and listening to rain hit the metal roof above.

I moved the burlap curtains I made for the Dining Room to the entrance of the Reading Room. I think they're more appropriate here. I love how they make it even that much cozier looking. I plan to put another pair on the other side of the doorway as well.



I also moved the bamboo blind from the Dining Room to this space. I love it's sunny hue...



I got this little table from HomeGoods a while back. I didn't like the color of it before (wish I had a photo to show you), so I painted it and made the legs look like rusty old iron...



On top of the table, is another "trash to treasure" redo project. The little lamp used to be turquoise blue and gold. A can of white spray paint, some tiny seashells and voila! I love that it stills looks old...



I'm not sure if I'll keep this frame in here or not, but I had to show this photo because of the amazing quote it displays...



On the other side of the room, now hangs another flea market find. I got this luscious, old, raw wood shelf for $12.00. I haven't put anything on top of it yet, but I have plans for a row of flea market books and two incredible book ends of some kind...



Outside the entrance to the Reading Room sits yet another flea market find. Would you believe this little chair used to be painted Schoolbus Yellow? I purchased it for $5.00, gave it a coat of white paint and a newly upholstered burlap seat. I think I want to use some nailhead trim on it too...



The linens on the bed are Pottery Barn. I got them on Ebay for cheap! The patterned one is called "Medici", and the color is "Bran". The solid is called "Pickstitch", and the color is "White". I have plans to purchase the twin Pickstitch quilt to cover the bed with in the future.



It's been fun figuring out what to do with this little space. This is how it looked the day we moved in:



And then my brother helped do this:



Which eventually led to this:



And now this:



There is still work to do in here, (white beadboard ceiling, new light fixture, crown moulding, curtains, books, bookends, quilt, mirror above the table, etc. etc. etc.) but this re-do proves that if you use your imagination and draw inspiration from rooms that make your heart skip a beat, anything is possible!
:-)

Layla

30 comments:

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

What a cozy little nest of a spot! Love it!!

Anonymous said...

very reminiscent of the hgtv dream home :) great use of space.. and i love the soothing choice of color. i did something very similar in our 'base' housing.. very plain & cookie cutter layout, i created a 'window seat' from a transition sofa and hung sheers outside of it, to create that 'nook' feeling..and separating it from the front entry door. it's a fave spot to grab the laptop or a basket of knitting! [if you like, i'd be happy to email you a pic]

Rose - Watching Waves said...

What a comfy hideaway retreat; I can imagine how cozy it must be with the rain on the rooftop, too. Soothing color choices, great texture, pretty patterns. The simplicity of the accessories keeps it all calm and comfy.

Kritta22 said...

Wow!! This is wonderful!
Hopping over from blogs of Note on blogger

You are so talented!

Femin said...

Great Design !!!

Danii said...

it looks soooo cozy!!!! love it!

Kacey said...

I love your little nest. This makes me want to just build a room like this in my house to escape to. Mmmm. I bet the rain sounds awesome in there!

Misti of Studio M Designs said...

OH Layla! Only $12 for that shelf? I would have paid so much more!!!! What a deal. The room looks awesome! I'm in love with shelf. When you get tired of it, send it my way, I will put an oil painting over it with a big ol'gaudy frame! Thanks for sharing...

DESIGN BY CATHLEEN said...

Hi Layla,
Great Job, congrats on the HGTV auditions! Wishing you and yours a Happy and Blessed 2009!

xoxo,
Cathleen

Tamatha said...

Love it!

Christy said...

I wish I had that room in my house. Love it!

LillyB said...

Awesome!!!! Great job as usual!!!

Chris said...

I am in LOVE with this room,and I am in LOVE with that shelf! You have outdone yourself. It's beautiful!

The Bliss Journey said...

Hi Layla,

Just love your little reading room. I also like to snuggle in little nooks for a good read. I am happy to tell you that you have been tagged. Please visit my blog to get the details.

Happy New Year,

Kathleen

Decor To Adore said...

What a fabulous makeover! I adore the bedding and the curtains.

Rechelle ~Walnuthaven Cottage~ said...

Your reading room is fab!

Misty said...

What a lovely and inspiring blog! Can't wait to read more.

Anonymous said...

Hey Layla! I love that special little room! I wish I could create the same! I always build but now you have me wishing I had an older house to redo! I have to tell you that I have the exact same birdhouse on top of my fridge! And I have a chair that is very close to the one you have outside the reading room! I found it in my neighbors trash already sanded! The stuff people throw away! I love everything you do! Julie

devyn larson said...

Adore this! I want to sink into the bed and disappear into a cup of hot tea and a good book. A rare luxury these days... Thank you for sharing. LOVE your blog!

Lauren said...

Love it & absolutely love your cottage style!! Just found your blog & have enjoyed it so much!!

cindy santiago said...

It looks so great!!! I want to make a seashell lamp now! I love that! The last thing I need is another lamp though!

Anonymous said...

You have wonderful, comfortable and beautiful-looking judging from all those nice pictures. I wish I had a gorgeous house like yours. It's so white and cozy, looks so relaxing. My house has many different colos jumbled up together. The living room is the best room in the house, but it can't compete with yours.
Did you know that your blog is a recommended blog? Maybe that's why you have 21 (and still counting) comments.

Anonymous said...

I love it, I love it, I love it!! It's one of my favorite rooms in your house. I wish I had a room like that in mine :)

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Be still my heart! What a great place of great solitude!

Andrea said...

What a lovely, cozy little room!! Thank you so much for the tour...so glad I stopped by. :)

Kate Blackwell said...

I'm so impressed with your design style and classy taste! What a beautiful oasis you created in your home. You've inspired me to do the same!

Kasey said...

so dreamy!!!

Kimba said...

Girl! You are fantastic!

What a wonderful little spot! So cozy and welcoming. The curtains work perfectly there and they make such a huge difference.

Kimba

Anonymous said...

Very quaint taste; absolutely brilliant--bravo Layla.

-Clayrn Darrow
The Guild of Motley

simply seleta said...

Oh my! I simply put together a "virtual reading room" today but yours is real. So impressed! What a truly delightful spot.