Guest Post: Jennifer's 'Sail Away' Bedroom

Today I'd like to introduce a little bit of new blood to the lineup of wonderful guest posters I've had the honor of hosting. Meet Jennifer, author of Fog City Sparkle, owner of a beautiful Victorian home in San Francisco. With a sense of style + sense of humor she runs a lovely blog. I'm sure you'll be more intrigued after you hear from her but suffice to say this isn't just any old plain jane makeover. It has personality - check it out for yourself.




*********************************************************************************
first off, i'd be remiss if i did not say what an incredible honor it is to be guest posting on mrs. limestone's blog! i found her blog when i first started contemplating buying a historic "fixer-upper" in my hometown (san francisco). like all of you, i am always so inspired by her! i hope you'll all enjoy this quick peek into my home as well.

just to bring you quickly up to speed, my home is an 1880s italianate victorian in the heart of san francisco. while most multi-family homes here were built as flats for multi-generational families, my building is more like the townhouses and row homes you typically see on the east coast (like mrs. limestone's). this means that i have my very own 2-story home, complete with private basement and yard - which is VERY rare in this city. (how lucky am i?!)

unfortunately, though, the house was at some point completely gutted by someone who likely was interested in modernizing.

well, we've been busy working away at putting the shine back on our baby for months, updating our friends on my blog. and recently, after months of teasers, my master bedroom was finally "done enough" to share.

here's what we started with:

so, i searched and searched for a photo with a better angle, but this was the best i could find (see more "befores" here). like the rest of the house, the master bedroom was dingy and painted in a color best described as "baby poop yellow". it was also carpeted and covered in stains. which in turn hid plywood, linoleum, glue and 8-10 layers of paint -- and (miraculously) the original floors.

first we got down to painting (and painting, painting, painting). for this room, i chose "solana beach" from ace hardware - a gorgeous grey-blue. normally my tastes tend to be pretty wild, but i wanted my bedrooms to feel relaxed and serene.

after the painting was done, minus all of the touch ups (will. they. ever. end?!), we could remove the carpets (or "built in drop-cloths" as i liked to refer to them) and restore the floors. here's what we got - yay! wide-plank, old-growth pine (i think - honestly, i am no expert at any of this). *SWOON* (sorry for the bad photo quality - i took it with my phone and was VERY, VERY tired at this point.)


more on that process here and here if you're curious. (including fun photos of the "lee press-on" nails and sunflower seeds we found under the carpets. *gag*.)

and, now, TA-DA! here it is!


the bed (ikea), like in my guest bedroom, is outfitted almost exclusively in white. i like to feel like i'm jumping into a cloud, whether it's bed time or just time for a sun-drenched nap (which happens much more frequently than i should really admit).


i added the silver throw from west elm for a bit of shine (i'm a TOTAL MAGPIE and collect as many sparkly things as i can) and used various white patterned sheets for texture.


and for height and a bit of glamour, i made silk curtains to match the walls. i think it makes the room look almost like it's floating - in a good/ non-drug-induced way! (and here's the 10-step tutorial if you'd like to make some for yourself.)

the nightstands were my grandmother's. i toyed with the idea of painting them but, in the end, i like how they ground the room and bring the floor color up to eye-level. just need to find the right lamp(s) to add. maybe this one?

my dressers are both from ikea. i loved the soft grey finish and the curvy legs. hated the pulls they supplied, so i trotted down to anthro and picked up some "diamond gal" knobs to finish them. love that they manage to look both luxe and organic at the same time. and i placed my grandmother's sewing machine (cleverly disguised as a side table) next to the low one for extra table-top real estate. it makes me smile.


and, because i love color, i painted the insides of my closet doors in "hot lips" (or something like that). you can check out more on project doorway here.


finally, i added all of my favorite jewelry, one great piece of artwork that i picked up at auction...
and that notorious (and polarizing) ship chandelier from zgallerie.

like you've undoubtedly guessed, i love quirky things and wanted one piece that really SAYS SOMETHING in the my bedroom. i think this one says it well -- come on and sing along...


26 comments:

  1. hahaha! Very cute! The room is just stunning! I'm a follower now!

    ReplyDelete
  2. saw that chandelier at zgallerie and thought, that's cool but I can't picture it in a room - but it totally works in yours! That room is perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have to say, Mrs. Limestone has no shortage of good taste. Even her guest bloggers are undeniably fantastic! Thanks Jennifer and Stephanie for a wonderful Monday morning post.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Eni Dee10:28 AM

    Come Sail Away was my Junior Prom theme "back in the day!" Great remodel, especially the clipper ship chandelier.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love those ikea dressers. I look at them online, but am glad I got to see one in a real room! Love it even more!

    Love it! And the light is totally a conversation piece!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11:03 AM

    Love your reno! Looks great. I think "baby poop yellow" accurately describes that color. I also have firsthand experience with that color, as my entire house was painted that color when we bought it...including ALL CEILINGS. urgh. It's been a slow work in progress to change it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful transformation, I love the colors you selected! Janell

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beautiful Bedroom! I love that it's very serene, comfortable & clean but still quirky. The pink/red accent color is brilliant!

    ReplyDelete
  9. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! The style, the mixture of texture and the color.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a great room. Love the soft blue and floor length drapes. Lovely!

    Need to go check out her blog!

    xo,
    cristin

    ReplyDelete
  11. Fabulous job! I love the chandelier!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Very pretty! Love the curtains.

    -Cara @ Live the Home Life

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love the drama of this room--and I'm glad to see that IKEA bed in a real space. Looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great room! It's so nice to see that ship chandelier pulled off and looking great in a real room!

    ReplyDelete
  15. The IKEA bed looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  16. That chandelier is amazing! I want it! Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Beautiful wall color choice. And I love that Ikea bed! I keep thinking about getting it but I don't know why I haven't pulled the trigger. Seeing it here just may seal the deal for me!

    ReplyDelete
  18. thanks to you all for the lovely compliments! they are *very much* appreciated!


    @justaddshoes: hang in there! it felt like we'd never be able to eradicate that horrible color, but it feels so great when the painting is done!

    @Just A Girl, Emily A. Clark, DECORICA, Marija: i am still thrilled with the bed. it is, far and away, one of the best deals around. it also looks great painted - i've seen a few fab hacks and loved them.

    @Elisa @ whatthevita, Eni Dee, Dobbygirl, Hello Lover..., Shannon @ What's Up Whimsy: i think the chandelier has got to be one of my favorite things in the house - so thank you! and i've been doubly surprised because all of the men i know love it too!

    @Cristin, Cara @ Live the Home Life: the curtains are a total breeze to make! let me know if you have any questions!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow, AMAZING!! That IKEA bed has never looked so glamorous! And the chandelier!! I DIE!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh my gosh! This bedroom is amazing! So inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  21. That light is off the hook! To cool:)

    ReplyDelete
  22. I adore the trio of windows. To me you are a brave soul to sew curtains. They turned out great.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow! I love this! I am totally following Jennifer's blog. Gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is gorgeous and totally inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Jen's totally awesome!! I love her blog. And this bedroom kicks ass.

    ReplyDelete
  26. jan_scrapper7:29 AM

    Your bedroom has given me the confidence to be happy with the furniture I purchased 4 years ago....And to use the wall colors I want.  Beautiful!!!

    ReplyDelete

There is nothing that thrills me more than hearing from readers. Please share your thoughts. ♥

Follow @ Instagram

© 2007-2020 Brooklyn Limestone. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy
Back to Top