Hi there! Chelsea from
Yours Truly here. I'm so happy to be contributing to Marianne's blog. It's a favorite of mine, no doubt, and I'm incredibly flattered. When Marianne described her design approach as being thoughtful I thought to myself, "exactly". It's just how I think about designing, and it's most apparent in my daughter, Tate's, bedroom.
1. We have moved a lot, and since Tate has been born she's moved every year of her life. This house print I loved because it reminds me of all the places we've called "home".
2. In tiny print on the bottom of this print, it says, There are a lot of nice people to meet. The faces are all different kinds of people, from different parts of the world. Tate loves meeting new friends, and I thought this was a good little reminder for her to look at.
3. ABC alphabet canvas, hand painted by my little sister, as a special gift to Tate.
4. One of my favorite artists, Lisa Telling Kattenbraker, painted this. It's a little girl holding a bird cage, and various other trinkets and says "waiting for the party to start". It reminded me of how happy and energetic Tate is- always up for a party:)
5- This wooden cradle is a story on it's own (it came all the way from a tiny town in Marrakesh!), but the doll inside was Tate's very first baby doll, made to look like her, and has a little note from me written on her cotton belly. I love these kinds of things!
When searching for Tate's first bed I came up empty handed every time. I couldn't find anything that I liked. She slept on a mattress on the floor for a while, until my grandma called and said she was ready to part with her childhood bed, and wanted to know if I wanted it. As soon as I saw it I
knew it was just what I had wanted all along. My great grandmother, grandmother, and mother all slept in it! Sleeping on the floor was worth this. I love having things in my home that remind me of other people I love. I paired it with the modern striped bedding to bring in a little of Tate's tomboy style:)
1. Her desk/vanity is also a family piece. It was my moms when she was a child. I switched out the drawer pulls to modernize it a bit.
2. This great pink velvet chair was a piece that I just stumbled upon. I was living in Dominica at the time when I read on Caitlin Creer's blog that she had spotted this adorable pink chair on Craigslist (and somebody should buy it!). I called on it immediately, and as soon as I got into town, drove up to buy it. Best $70 I've ever spent!
3. Her teepee is my favorite spot in the house. It's so cozy in there, due mostly to that cute hand knit rose quilt. It was a gift from my mom years ago, and I'm so happy I hung onto it. It's something I hope Tate will also pass along.
On her vanity Tate displays her most special items (with a little help from me because only so many bouncy balls can be special:)
1. Tate's baby book
2. Our little painted wooden family, a gift from her aunt.
3. Tattered old Beatrix Potter classics, that were my moms, then mine, and now hers.
4. New Beatrix Potter classics that are just Tate's for her to pass on.
This room has been filled over time, and with a lot of love, and that's usually how thoughtful design has to be. I'm okay waiting and sleeping on the floor until that
perfect piece falls into my lap. I hope you enjoyed, and thank you again for having me!
xo Chelsea
