Homefront: Vintage Linens in a Playful Boys Bedroom

One thing I love about vintage linens, is that they are fun to mix and match, for a warm and eclectic feeling. Many, many I have found have stains... and a lot of little cigarrette burn holes. Different time, I guess.

But, kids vintage linens are my favorite. I even found an old care Bears pillow case the other day. Now send me a My Little Pony one and I will be in sugar heaven.

When decorating for my boy's room, it is all about what I can find at a garage sale. I had it all red and blue, but tired of the boxed in feeling of two colors that called for themes such as cars or cowboys.

The great thing about boys, is they don't care what matches... they just like colors and fun. My oldest wanted to have his wooden cargo bed painted yellow, and his comfortor painted green. (I must have been doing a lot of painting around the time I asked him what colors he liked.)

Well, with some addition of vintage Sonic, Scooby Doo, Superman and Battlestar Gallactica linens, the boys pretty much love their furniture free (aka safe) bedroom.

 

And that's coming a lot from a kid whose nickname is "Sonic Boy", thinks all athletic shoes are called "Sonic Shoes" and dressed as Sonic(and Knuckles) for Halloween.

Homefront: Colorful Vintage Master Bedroom

This was our master bedroom. Yes, this is the 70's french provincial dresser we had before I was born. We had the works, dressing bench, canopy bed, nightstands, dressers, chest... it's a very popular set and I see it online, in 70's themed movies, blogs, antique malls....  this is the only piece that is left over the years.

My painted striped cake stand tutorial is here. I love how I can add depth and height with it. 

I love my mom's vintage "Merry Mushroom" cookie jar from Sears Roebuck . Too bad the lid cap broke.

I see this mushroom kitchen set all the time at antique malls, Ebay, Ruby Lane and Etsy.

Some fun vintage jewels... the heart and wheat brooch was my grandmother's

I love this mermaid mommy and son aceo by Wendy Gaffaney.

Our only printed family photo... 2 years ago. I dry brushed orange on the raised frame and matted the photo area with a fabric swatch. I used the same fabric on our tv stand windows,  pillows, lamp and other elements.

It wouldn't be our bedroom without a line up of some of our boys cars. They really love organizing them.

I used a vintage sheet to hide the storage drawers of my jewelry making and craft supplies. One day, the jewelry holders and shelving will be painted and organized better, but this is the best I could do for the time.

Many of these haven't even been added to my shop yet, but lots more goodies are at Jeweled Ambrosia.

Some of my favorite prints, from The Dreamy Girraffe and The Black Apple.

Our bedroom plate wall post can be seen here. Basically, I got tons of pretty plates from Goodwill.

Love this Misty book and my little brass owl family. I painted this letter holder a soft pink, and love it.

I painted this popular Ashley furniture headboard I got at a garage sale.

I love changing up vintage lines with our white down comforter. It's very cheerful and springy right now, 

but it can change anytime by simply switching out the linens and a few accessories around the room.

Homefront: Adding a Plate Wall to our White Vinage Linen Bedroom

 
I just blogged last week about a little redo in our bedroom, by haphazardly hanging curtains over an odd window. (Details about my daisy chandelier is in the above link.)

 

But, I decided I really wanted something more with the space over the headboard, so I moved the bed, added a quick fresh coat of white paint to the headboard, and went ahead with my plate hanging wall. Plate hanging post is here for lots of tips on creating your own design.

I hope you like how it turned out. I know we do, and since we will only be in our home for 2 more weeks, I figured, I may as well give it a shot before everything is packed up and stuck in storage, just to see what it would be like. I'm glad I went with my instinct to experiment. Though, it could possibly be denial.

I love these little brass owls I found at a garage sale and this oriental lantern from my in-laws. I painted this vintage letter holder a soft pink. It's so pretty with a crystal base.

I am very blessed to have a husband who supports my decorating whims, and doesn't  mind my creative chaos (so long as it's not too crazy). He prefers minimalism and clutter free spaces, so we strike a balance as I constantly putter around. His mother trained him well to appreciate (and compliment) woman's special touches in the home.

I found this vintage framed embroidery of a Bible scene the other day. I love it's simple charm. It's perfect by the bedside to help keep it fresh in our minds to read the scriptures every night.

Of all my vintage linens, this by far is my favorite set of pillow cases together. So cheerful and sweet.

If you are hesitating on moving a piece of furniture, or rearranging a picture wall or spray painting an old piece of furniture, just try it and see what happens. If you hate it, it's an easy fix... but you just may love it.

Linked to:
The Vintage Farmhouse

Homefront: Our Vintage Linen Interchangable Bedroom

 

A while back I talked about some vintage linens I have been collecting and promised a bedroom update with them. (I don't usually have this many pillows on the bed, it's just for the pictures. I think losing the blue one in the back would look so much better.)

So, while the room isn't done, I pulled out the pillowcases out to show you. I have a few sheets, but I mostly collect pillowcases since they bring the maximum change. By having neutral curtains, a white down comforter and a white bed skirt and headboard, I can change the pillow styles however I wish, swap out a few accessories to match and have a new bedroom feel in minutes.

Don't be afraid to mix and match patterns. Geometric, florals, polka dots, paisley, plaid, ethnic, lace prints... so long as you have a similar color scheme or mood you are trying to achieve, and  simple non pattern thrown in (like the plain comforter) pattern groupings don't matter. That is the appeal of a shabby chic room. I made a few grouping as example of how they can look together.

 The top pillow case is the same as a set I had as a little girl that is long gone. I was thrilled when I found this at the thrift shop, but sad because it has stains all over it. Maybe I will turn it into a garland or something.

Our room is usually in more modern blues as seen here at our old place when I painted the headboard, so this orange/yellow mash up is cheerful for now.

Because our bed is positioned in front of half a very large window, it created some challenges. I nailed up some old curtains to cover that wall for a little bit of balance. They weren't long enough, nor lined enough to make it seem like a seamless wall, but being unemployed means making do, so I just pinned a pillow sham on the bottom corner. It's not very noticeable once the table is put there anyways.

And by the way, isn't this vintage metal enameled daisy chandelier adorable? I found it at an antique mall for an incredible price ($11.50). I would rather not have in in the bedroom, but it was the best place for it, and the main reason our pillows are orange/yellow today. I've thought about painting it white, because it would make redecorating so much better, but am conflicted on keeping the vintage charm. What would you do?

I found a white one for sale here at Retro Daisy Girl so you can take a gander. If you are looking for a similar lamp to purchase, I see them fairly often at antique malls and online. Just search for "vintage daisy chandelier" or "vintage enamel chandelier". Here's some on Etsy and some on Ebay using those search terms.

*included in these link ups: Kimba's DIY Day linky, Room to Inspire, A Silly Little Sparrow, My Backyard Eden, not at Bewteen Naps on the Porch, or Keeping it Simple, but lots of other great projects are.

Engagement Photography Session: Breakfast in the Meadow

Simply Bloom Photography did an amazing job on this staged engagement shoot. They call it, "Breakfast in the Meadow: Vintage Wedding Photography" and I believe it is truly perfect. Visit the link to see more of these beautiful shots. The farm eggs, tea and honey and dessert theme mixed with the vintage linens for a tent is so romantic with dreamy lighting and color tones.