Friday 18 March 2011

Have a Nosey- My bedroom

Here’s my second ‘Have a Nosey’ post. Today it’s my bedroom. Sorry the pics aren’t great, my camera’s getting old and my bedroom’s flooded with lovely light today.

The picture above my bed is an oriental style painting bought from a carboot years ago for £10. I loved the blossom, the birds and the green background colour and stowed it away in my mum's loft for years until I moved out. I have hanging hearts on each side of my bed; the ones to the left were from a blog swap, the ones to the right are mirrored Gisela Graham hearts.

I love bed's that are made up in a 'traditional' way and my friends always moan when they stay that they feel 'suffocated by the amount of layers'. My Nan taught me how to make a 'proper' bed and I love it. I don't know how anybody can sleep with just a duvet.

I have;
*A fitted cotton sheet, flat top sheet. Both 100% cotton of percale if I can get it. I'm funny about textures.
*A thin traditional style quilt. You can just see it at the end of the bed after the pink candlewick. The one on my bed in the pic is Cath K for Ikea and was a gift from my Nan. It's a lovely double sided thin quilt with polka dots on one side and paisley on the other.
*Then a low tog 'summer' duvet. The cover in the pic is Cath Kidston's Rosali for Ikea and so are the pillow on the bed. The polka dot pillow is Cath Kidston and was quite cheap from eBay and the God Save the Queen cushion was from the Windsor Castle gift shop. I fell in love with it and walked around the shop with it for about 20 mins before deciding I couldn't afford it...and then my lovely Nan bought it for me.
* Last but not least is my pink candlewick blanket, draped over the bottom of the bed in case I get cold in the night. It was about £4 from a charity shop and Lily loves it. She's always getting told off for 'digging' it to make herself a nice bed.
I suppose that it a lotta layers, but I feel super snug at night.


One one side of the bed is a Lloyd loom bedside table my mum spruced up with a bit of paint, Cath Kidston for Ikea Rosali Fabric in blue and some floral ric rac. I love this dressing table set and after taking it to a vintage fair with me, was quite glad it didn't sell as it now houses bits and bobs of vintage jewellery and catches the light beautifully.
On my side of the bed are a stack of vintage suitcases acting as a bedside table. They're also really useful storage; one houses winter hats, gloves and scarfs and the other two are full of sentimental letters, postcards and bits and pieces. On top of the cases are my 'a bit too modern' lamp (It's too practical to get rid off as it's one of those that come on with a touch, saving you from searching for the switch) and a wicker basket full of sleep masks, phone charger and my current book.  My ELC 'Tell the Time Clock is tucked at the side of my bed to help me work out what time I need to be up in the morning (my regular blog readers will know it's because I have Aspergers and 'don't do numbers').


This handmade noticeboard was around £15 from eBay and now houses all my brooches and pins.


You can never have enough storage, which to means you can never have too many vintage suitcases. These sit on top of my Ikea wardrobe and are full of summer clothes and clothes that I'm 'slimming into'. The little teddy bear in his 'I heart Elvis' jumper was a present from my Dad from Graceland and plays 'let me be your teddy bear'. The suitcases and vanity cases were all between 50p and a few pounds from charity shops and carboots, except the leopard print one.

The Antler leopard print suitcase is one of my favourite items and was £50 from eBay. When I saw it on eBay I just had to have it but was at uni at the time and had less than £20 in my account (having been shopping in Birmingham the week before). My lovely housemate lent me the £50 because she knew how much I loved it and agreed 'you have to have it'. Matching weekend cases pop up once in a blue moon on eBay but I haven't been lucky enough to win one yet. The linings a beautiful dusky pink stain and I feel all warm inside every time I look at it. I'm a sucker for leopard print and the case to me just screams glamour.

I saw this tallboy outside a charity shop in Rugby when out and about with my mum. We pulled over and I snapped it up for £10. We then couldn't fit it in the car and my poor step dad had to come and get it. It was originally a dark wood colour but I knew it'd look fab in contrasting cream and baby pink, making the pretty plastic cream handles stand out. My step dad painted it for me and kept asking 'are you sure on these colours' but was amazed how good it looked when he'd finished it.


On top of the tallboy sit vintage plates and bowls full of earrings, a vintage vanity case full of vintage neck scarves and an Ikea Christmas bauble holder that holds my bangles. Just above all of this is a beautiful 1940s advert taken from one of my duplicate Woman's Illustrated magazines. The frame is Ikea.

More vintage adverts from the same magazine hang above my dressing table. I specifically chose ones that advertised hair, makeup or fragrance items.


I love antique french style of my 80s dressing table. These were going for a ridiculous £400 to £500 on eBay when I was overjoyed when I stumbled upon this listed as simply 'old dressing table'. The bad listing meant that it was only me and another bidder after it and I 'won' it for around £200. More than I'd normally pay for something but I wanted it and that was that. My mum and step dad very kindly ventured to Wales to collect it for me. I then covered the stool in Ikea Rosali fabric. At the time I didn't have the Ikea bedspread so I didn't intend to be over run with Rosali, it just sort of happened.


My dressing table if full of vintage glass dishes housing cotton wool and hair pins. I use glass tea light holders I've bought at carboots to hold my cotton buds and makeup brushes and implements.

To the left of it is this old key cabinet bought from a carboot sale for £10 years ago. I recently painted it this cream colour as the wood was really dark. It's got a great used look to it and houses all my jewellery perfectly. I have to all my things on show because otherwise I don't know what I've got. My friend's think this means my house looks like the 'Shop of Amy'. On top of the cabinet sits vintage perfume bottles, some from carboots, some gifts from my mum and the white one from my great Nan's house. It's Avon and came up beautifully with a good soak in some fairy liquid.


One the other side of my dressing table are these small shelves with a collection of hats, hair bits and fascinators. The one of the mannequin is a vintage cloche bought from the lovely Vintage Vixen.
On the lower shelf are vintage manicure sets and some vintage sewing kits and buckles. All pounds from carboots and charity shops.
Ive just realised how very long this post is, sorry if I've bored you all to death! Right I'm off to carry on with final preparations for tomorrow's vintage fair. xxx







 


36 comments:

  1. I would agree that duvets are a pain in the arse! Thing is they NEVER stay put. Love your bedroom - beautiful. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fabulous bedroom! Love the dressing table, My grandma was getting rid of her s recently and I was gutted when I realised it wouldn't fit in my room. One day I'll own one I'm sure!

    Also love the idea of a key cabinet to store jewllery in.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your room is so beautiful, one of the most stunning bedrooms I have ever seen. I love finding a way to display my stuff creatively and must admit I have a lot of stuff too. I absolutely adore your dressing table, I dream of one day owning one.

    The suitcases are completely after my own heart, I think they all compliment each other perfectly. And the leopard print one is fabulous, well worth the £50- it’s nice that this has a story attached to it too, something you will always be able to associate it with.

    Such fabulous details too, the trinket bowls and framed adverts, such perfection. I am completely inspired, you really do have such a wonderful taste in interiors xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your bedroom looks lovely Amy, really cosy and stylish. I love how Lily has made the candlewick her own on the end of your bed and she makes nests in it...if the Pugs slept with us they'd be in the bed creating mayhem!! Really looking forward to seeing you and your lovely Mum tomorrow...our conservatory is like a shop ready to pack into the van tonight. See you tomorrow, safe journey.
    Jo xx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bored? Never - I could spend hours looking around your fabulous room. I love the tallboy, the dressing-table, the notice board, but most of all I LOVE the oriental carboot picture - it is SOOO gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  6. what a great post - i dont even know where to start but i can say we are kindred spirits! I have the exact same dressing table set in my bedroom, i also have a major thing for leapoard print bits and bobs, i also have the suitcase thing going on. There is a dressing table like yours going on ebay at the moment right near where i live, its a good price too but i havent got any more room, i already have a 50;s kidney shaped dressing table but i do love it. Right i better stop the rabbiting on - just take it that i LOVE your room :o) Scarlett x

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a wonderfully eclectric bedroom,Amy....so many gorgeous things....I love the idea of using vintage suitcases as a bedside table.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh there's so much to love about your room, Amy. I really like the idea of pinning your brooches to a pinboard - inspired!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh Amy, I love it all. There's something in every corner to look at and it's all so colourful and captivating.
    I have the same set up as you and have a pile of vintage cases on one side of the bed and a stack of 1950's Film Show annuals on the other, far more interesting that a bog standard bedside table.
    Thanks for sharing. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  10. My Man can only sleep with just a duvet and I really miss a *proper* bed :o(
    Love your oriental picture, actually the whole bedroom is lovely, lovely and girly!
    nice to see a Twilight book there too :o)
    Have a great weekend!

    B xxx

    ReplyDelete
  11. I really enjoyed this post Amos! Well done! Gold Star & A+! See you tomorrow love Mummy! x

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love bedrooms like this, something tucked away in every corner! What a brilliant idea to house your jewellery! Always good to have everything on display because it is ss easy to forget what you actually have!
    I love love love the idea of vintage suitcases on top of a wardrobe but mine are fitted and I dont have anywhere to store them :( Gorgeous room!
    Sophie
    x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow your room is so lovely! I love the dressing table- I love that feeling when you spot something fantastic on eBay that's been badly listed. I have a very very similar mirror on a stand with a drawer; it was in the garage of the pub where I used to work and I begged the landlord to sell me it, was chuffed when she said I could have it for free! The suitcases are fab and who cares that the leopard one was £50, the other bargainous ones even it out ;) x

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautfil room Amy, I especially love your dressing table its very French Chic :) So glad you loved the bunnies, I loved making them.
    Hugs
    Em x

    ReplyDelete
  15. Your bedroom is beautiful, Amy. I too love a properly made bed but unfortunately my husband does not and since I get anyway with a lot of things 'my way' I let him have 'his way' on the bedding. Good luck with the fair tomorrow and thanks for your supporting my new blog. Wishing you a nice weekend, Hannah x

    ReplyDelete
  16. PS, I forgot to say that I love vintage chinese paintings too. If you look on my old blog there is a picture of two that were aquired by my great grandfather from, I think, Hong Kong, when he was in the merchant navy. They are really clever as half the painting is on silk and the other half is on the actual glass which gives them a true 3D look.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Me yet again! The link... http://devondumplings.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-nan-treasures.html

    ReplyDelete
  18. Not boring at all, I loved snooping! Your vintage suitcase collection is amazing, I AM REALLY ENVIOUS. And that wasn't meant to be shouting, I just accidentally hit caps lock ;) x

    ReplyDelete
  19. Oh I love your bedroom, so so pretty :)

    All things nice...

    ReplyDelete
  20. Where do I start! Love your bedroom, so well put together :) x

    ReplyDelete
  21. What a lovely room - I do like your vintage suitcases.

    ReplyDelete
  22. What a lovely space and a girl after my own heart especially with all the pink and hearts and do you know Amy if you pop over to my blog follow the link to my new Etsy shop you will see a lovely pedestal pink dish that would just look fandabidozy among your treasures :) nothing like blowing my own trumpet. Have a great weekend and watch out for Mr. Postman....
    Beverley xx

    ReplyDelete
  23. I really enjoyed your post so much - what a fab room you have and it's lovely to showcase all your amazing things. I particularly heart the vintage suitcases as side table. So simple and stunning. xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  24. What a beautiful bedroom! I don't think I'd want to leave that bed and I LOVE your baby pink tallboy! x

    ReplyDelete
  25. Such a pretty room, my daughter would love to have your dressing table, I agree with you about suitcases- you can never have enough. See you tomorrow! Linda xx

    ReplyDelete
  26. What a beautiful room you have. it was far from boring.

    Thank you for the lovely images.

    X x x

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love your house missus!

    Our house is very much a work in progress atm; it was all open plan originally and i hated it, and it was so cold.
    So at the moment, karl and his dad are busy separating the room in two so we have a spare bedroom rather than one big room where space just isnt used.
    I love picking things up from carboots, CS and flea markets that others dont have... i like furniture a little too much for the size of the house! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  28. No way did you bore me to death! I love nosing around peoples homes! You have a fantastic bedroom and I'm particularly envious of your fabulous dressing table!!

    Have a great weekend,

    Victoria xxx

    ReplyDelete
  29. What an amazing room.ld l made my bed the way you do, ldnever get out of it :b love the suitcases..and the adverts,l might steal that idea if you don't mind! x

    ReplyDelete
  30. So when can I move in? It looks fantastic; somewhere it would be a pleasure waking up, trouble is I wouldn't want to leave it each day. There must be something to look at each way you turn,adorable.
    Kandi x

    ReplyDelete
  31. Oh wow, I love everything in your bedroom! Especially your beautiful dressing table - I have long hankered after one of these. I am a duvet and quilt person, and sheet and quilt in the summer, but all of ours are in similar vintage-style prints and fabrics like yours. Hope the Vintage Fair goes well!

    ReplyDelete
  32. PS There's an award on my blog for you!

    Victoria xx

    ReplyDelete
  33. Beautiful bedroom, loving your dressing table ... :0)

    ReplyDelete
  34. You room is so lovely. I wish I could be that tidy and organised!

    ReplyDelete
  35. O wow so much to comment on your bedroom looks lovely. I adore the picture above your bed its really pretty and very calming. Love what you have done with your bedside table, suitcases are great you who just doesn't love a vintage one ;-) And candlewick bedpsreads are just soooo cosy to ;-) have a lovely week dee x

    ReplyDelete
  36. Wow what a gorgeous bedroom. Loving the idea of the cases for a bedside table.

    ReplyDelete

I really appreciate all of your comments even if I don't always get chance to reply to them all x