Monday, July 27, 2009

The Blue Toile Room


Hello everyone! I thought I'd share what I was working on this weekend. We stayed home all weekend and we got sooooooo much done! It was great!



I've been wanting to redo my guest bedroom/office space since I redid it two years ago! Isn't that terrible! I really didn't like the bedding or curtains (my husband and daughter picked them out). They weren't ugly they just weren't me and I'm the one who uses this room the most!




Anyway....I thought blue toile would be pretty and give me a chance to use my blue transferware. So I've been looking and looking for a blue toile comforter (for about a year now) but they were all too expensive! Until I happen to be browsing ebay a few months ago and found this bed in a bag toile set! I paid $60 (for a twin). It includes the comforter, bedskirt, pillow sham and window valance. Perfect!!






Now I'm able to use some of my blue transferware above the window. I used to have other dishes there.





I took these down and I'll probably just move them to another wall.I decided not to paint the walls because they're actually a vanilla color and very neutral (besides I don't feel like it).




The white sheer panel was purchased for under $2 on clearance at Target last year.




I needed a tie back so I made one! I used an old tie back (it used to belong to my daughter and had a glow in the dark star on the end). I also used a decorative furniture applique that I pried off a piece of furniture before donating it to Goodwill and some E600o glue. How's that for repurposing!




It's so perfect! There are moments when I'm really, really happy with myself and this is one of them! I just love it!




The top picture I've had forever and don't remember where I got it but the bottom picture I printed out from Vintage Printables. They have all kinds of free pictures. You can print birds, mushrooms, botanicals, eggs, all sorts of things and it's FREE! Did I mention it's free?



I'm keeping my budget around $100 for the whole room. I'll be painting my desk and bookcase and making a few other things. The bedding was the biggest expense and sets the tone for the whole room. I'll of course post pictures as I go along!


Thanks so much for the suggestions about dyeing my brown linen slipcover. I'm going to go for it! I'd like to take it apart at some point and make a toile one so if it doesn't workout there's no harm done and if it does work out it'll be fun to have a red chair for Christmas! Thanks for stopping by!



59 comments:

Mrs. Dunbar said...

I love the tie back. So creative and frugal of you!! Can't wait to see the room in its new complete form. Cheers.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

Love the changes you have made. The blue toile and transferware plates are meant for each other!

Was the you chair you wanted to slipcover Ikea? Don't they have red slip covers? I thought they did, because I am planning on heading to Charlotte, NC after we find a new house to porbably buy some chairs and the couch. You had said you loved your couch and Cindy from My Romantic Home loves hers too.
Hugs,
Penny

Ally's Corner said...

Love the tie back!!! Thanks for the information about the free pictures on the website.
Ally

Darlene said...

I am loving that blue toile!!!! It looks great so far!

Lamp Tramp said...

I so love the blue toile and transferware plates...so pretty together! Everything you do is
just lovely!

julie - eab designs said...

Thanks so much for sharing the Vintage Printables link! Don't know how I missed that one with all the searching I do. They have an excellent selection of rare botanicals which I would love to use for projects.

Sandra said...

Well girl, you are just full of talent! :) I love everything you do!
Blessings,
Sandra

Kammy said...

Very nice !
I love your creative side - like normal !
Love your china
Love your valance
Love the tie back
Love the prints
!!!!!!!!
HUgs ~ Kammy

carolyn@simple~primitive~devotion said...

Sooooooooo pretty! That toile set looks perfect in there! Love the prints too! That website has some of the neatest printables I've ever seen!
Great job!

Scrappy quilter said...

I'm loving the look. You are one amazing decorator. Can't wait to see the room when it's finished.

Victoria Hayden said...

It is serene and beautiful! Love the look of your tieback. I have done some where I have added, and yes we get happy that we didn't have to go spend a lot of money on one and our creativity was used! The blue transferware with the toile is gorgeous, I love toile! Just wonderful!

Hugs,
~Victoria~

Brittany said...

Gotta love ebay! I've bought several bedding sets by JoJo designs on there - I got some for as little as 10 bucks for the whole set. Can't wait to see the whole room - I love the toile!

Rhonda said...

your blue toile room is so pretty!

thanks for the tip on the printable site.

and I hope your dye project works out - I once dyed some ugly pink carpet in a bedroom, I filled empty Windex bottles with navy blue dye and sprayed away. It was not wonderful but it was all I could afford and was so much better than the stained pink carpet.

Melanie@TheOldWhiteCottage said...

Its turning out great! That tieback is fantastic. Can't wait to see you progress!

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

In my opinion, you just can't get better than blue and white toile! That tie back is brilliant. laurie

Terri Steffes said...

It is so fresh looking! I consider it a perfect redo!

kathi said...

I love E6000 glue! It works like magic! I like the blue toile with the plates. Very pretty.
Hope you have a nice day!

Lorna ~ Lace and Ivy Cottage said...

Manuela, You deserve a pat on the back for that creative tie back! The room looks great. Don't you just love a productive weekend?

Becky K. said...

I love the blue toile and the curtain tie back! What a sweet combination.

Have a great Tuesday!

Becky K.

Angie said...

Beautiful! Love the plates, prints, and that ingenius curtain tieback! Can't wait to look at that site and find some neat prints .

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

What a great idea - love that curtain tie back. So cute! Love the blue toile Manuela - very pretty! It is so nice to get a few projects done. We spent the weekend working on our garage. It's so nice to get it all cleaned out!

XOXO
Jen

sheila from life @ #17 said...

well done :) I had to smile at your "besides I don't feel like it" ...love it :)

Bonita said...

What beautiful combinations of colors and decorations. Love that toile and those plates and the wispy curtain and the hook and...all of it!

Sue said...

What, you don't want to paint?!? I guess that's okay...LOL
The room looks adorable w/your new valance and tieback treatment.Great creativity. Thanks for the link to Vintagae Printables. hugs, Wue

Anonymous said...

I love that tieback! The toile is great too. The room will be wonderful, I know! May I make a tiny suggestion? I would raise the valance up just a bit.

I am dying to learn to sew slipcovers! A red toile slip would be GREAT.

tina

Betsy Brock said...

Lovely ~ so light and summery!

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Very pretty! I really like the tieback.
Glenda

Vee said...

Love the way that you do stuff...just create what you need. I am sure that the room will be better suited to you now. Miss Sandy at Quill Cottage did a follow up on her Where Bloggers Create post and she had a delightful shower hook arrangement used for a window treatment. Yup, you creative types amaze me!

Southern Fried Gal said...

Such a sweet room! And so smart of you on that tie back!

Rosemary said...

I love it, so fresh and airy!!
Thanks for the tips!!
Rosemary

Richella Parham said...

Good for you! I love blue toile, and your blue transferware--well, that's just too beautiful, isn't it?

The tieback you made is wonderful. Doesn't it make you feel so good to make something out of things you already have? It's just the most satisfying feeling.

Enjoy your room!

Georgia Girl said...

Love the toile! I have only seen black and red and from you mainly...some other bloggers but not as much as you have...I love the toile look! So pretty!

I love your tie back and the blue transferware is pretty with your curtains.

Ginny said...

I love the tie back idea! I love the soft blue toile. Never thought to hand plates in a bedroom. Thanks for the ideas!

Margaret's Ramblings said...

What a clever lass you are, the tie back looks so professional, I love it. But what I really love are your dishes. I have been collecting them in both blue and cranberry for about a year and have been lucky enough to get some real bargains - got a serving dish, dinner plate and side plate last Sunday at a carboot for £1.30

Margaret

Eileen said...

I love the blue toile and I love the tie back. I can't wait to see the finished room.

Anonymous said...

L♥ve it! You are so creative!

Nancy Rosalina said...

Manuela, I love it all! The tie back is beautiful ...the toile is lovely!! You should be happy with yourself!!! It looks Gorgeous!!! Thanks for the info about printables!!! FREE is good for ME!!! Nancy

About Southern Belle said...

I love the tie back you designed, its perfect! Oh, and thanks for the link to the free botanical pictures...on my way there now.

DarcyLee said...

Where did you get your slipcover? I am looking for one for my chair. By the way, I love the curtains. The room will have a whole new feel.

dixymiss said...

So fresh and pretty! The tie back turned out great ~ well done. My internet connection is down (pout) so I'm popping in quickly (from the libary) to say thanX for your visit and sweet comments on my piX.

the wild raspberry said...

nothing better than toile!
love that print with the nest and single egg~very sweet.

Melissa Miller said...

~WOW! Manuela this room is perfection!
So precious and elegant at the same time. LOVE the holdbacks anfd the nest print. :)

Jenni said...

That tie-back is ingenious! I love it! The whole room is looking beautiful and it will be fun to see what else you do as you work on the room! I have never heard of Vintage Printables, but am going to check it out! I LOVE free things! :)

I hope you are having a great week so far! :)

GlorV1 said...

Did I ever tell you that I think you work wonders with everything? Well if I didn't or not...I'll say it again. Manuela, I think you work wonders with everything. Now get over here and paint the walls in my studio. Hee/Haw!! :D Have a great Wednesday.

Amber said...

I love it! Oh my goodness, the curtain tieback idea was ingenious!

Jennifer said...

MMMMMmmmm....love the blue toile. Of course, I just love toile anyway! The plates look great above the windows and your tieback? How nifty! I just can't wait to see the whole room! I hope you are having a great week!
xoxo, Jennifer

Sharon said...

It looks beautiful Manuela! I love the airy feel to it. The Plates are so perfect with the Toile and I love the tie back :) Thanks for inspiring once again :)

Have a beautiful day!

~Sharon

Melissa @ The Inspired Room said...

how much fun to have a room to re-do for yourself! it looks lovely!

Chloe m said...

Manuela,
I will not be the first to say this, but woohoo you!
I like this fresh look, and love the homemade tie-back.
Rosey

Anonymous said...

Oh the blue...oh the toile...oh the love! Im a new follower~

Jo said...

What an adorable room! I love your custom tie-back. The blue and white look great with the vanilla walls.

DarcyLee said...

I have something for you over at my blog :)

bj said...

Your room is looking really nice. Love all the blues and what a cute tie back. Great!!

Brenda Pruitt said...

Well ya gave me some new ideas for my growing dish collection! Love your plates and what you've done so far!
Brenda

Buzzings of a Queen Bee! said...

Adorable toile!! And I love Vintage Printables too!! Makes me want to go visit there and see what else is new! :)
Carrie

Unknown said...

Love it all! The tiebacks are a super neat idea. I am re-doing a guest room and using blue and white. Those toile curtains would be perfect.

Have a great day.

Charla

Rhondi said...

Hi Manuela
I LOVE the room. Of course I would wouldn't I? ;) I'm sure you will enjoy using it much more now that you've redone it. I like to see the way you repurpose things, like the curtain tieback for example.
Hugs, Rhondi

Lady Katherine said...

Love the blue toile! Adore the bird eggs prints. Transfer plates are so lovely and I love the rack you have them on. Now that tie back is wonderful, such a great idea! Who every gets the furniture you gave away will be saying why did they take this off! lol

Myra Campbell Phillips said...

Such pretty ideas!!!!!