Adding Personal Touches to a Bedroom
We’re buzzing along in our new home in the airplane hangar. It’s really refreshing because this time around, I actually know where to buy things. In Germany, I would spent hours just trying to figure out where to buy something like pillows. And in the tire house, we just didn’t care. Our hearts weren’t into it.
Pillows were actually the first item on our list. When we moved straight from the tire house, our bedding looked like this:
Charming. We know.
We ordered two more pillows from Amazon (these ones) just to give the head of the bed some lift. Then I found three duvet covers that I liked online and emailed Martin the links. Fortunately, he picked the organic one I hoped he would. And it was sale at West Elm. Bam.
And see the “sweet dreams” on the pillowcase? My grandma embroidered those for us the Christmas before Martin and I got married. I think that when you receive a present like that, it’s very easy to tuck it away, afraid of ruining it. But you cannot enjoy something that’s in the closet.
So we love our pillowcases. I also really like the simple design of the space.
How many pillows are on your bed? Anyone else have an embroidery loving grandma or other family member? Do tell.
Your home is looking beautiful! Great lighting in that room!!
I like to add a few throw pillows to our bed, though what I want right now to personalize our room is some art above the headboard. No idea what though!!!
Six…(Love your bedroom — so bright, and new, and fresh looking!)
We have the standard two and then a pretty throw pillow or two when I have time to make the bed. I love your thoughts about using the special pillowcases. I don’t have any embroidered pillowcases, but I have a set of glass mixing bowls that were my grandmother’s that I use all the time in the kitchen.
This also reminds me of another something I’ve been telling myself – If it’s not special enough for me to find a spot for it within my home, maybe it’s not special enough to keep toting from place to place in a moving box. As I sort and start to pack our belongings for another move, some of the belongings are ones that were never unpacked from the previous move, and this has helped me let go of those things that need to be cleared out.
Kate, that’s such beautiful wisdom! It’s completely how we’re trying to approach our home, too.
loving your posts. when you feel like it – could you give us a full tour of your abode? will you be decorating for the holidays? love all the light, open-ness of your place. so, are you feeling warm & cozy now?
Christine, oh yes! We’re so warm and cozy that we can’t believe it’s true on pretty much an hourly basis!
This year will be our first decorating for Christmas. Oh boy! I’ll try to get a full blown house tour put together. It would probably help orient everyone, too.
I love the simple, uncluttered clean look. I have some embroidered linens from some great grandams tucked away so I don’t ruin them. Maybe I should take them out.
I actually just received, as a wedding present from my aunt, a set of hand embroidered, day of the week dish towels that my mom had made for her 50 years ago and she never used. They mean so much because my mom stopped doing that stuff by the time I was born (I am the youngest of 4) so I never thought I would have anything my mom had made.
that’s so cool, Holly!
I totally agree about using the pillowcases. My grandma made me a quilt and I was scared to use it and finally decided to take it out and she was thrilled to see it on our bed! I realized she wants to see us use the things she made rather than hide them away to remember her by later.
I have enjoyed reading about the house being built. I can really relate and it brings back memories of my husband working and building our home just 5 yrs ago. Enjoy putting the finishing touches on it. It looks great.
I have pillowcases stored “safe” in a cedar chest for 16 years. Lust last year my grandmother passed away suddenly. As we are going through her things I have found some pillow cases she has made that have never been used. I thought how sad and now she is no longer with us to thank her for her love and time to make them. So, out came the pillowcases from the cedar chest and I will make more when and if they wear out from use. My children love to use their special pillow cases and it gives me a chance to share stories of family with them. My daughter took especially thinks it is special to sleep with granny’s pillowcase. She says “I don’t miss her as much when I have her pillowcase.”
So our thought is use it and love it because it was made for us with love.
First of all, although I do like your new bedroom, your old bedroom seemed wonderful too–soothing, pleasant, and comfortable.
To answer your questions, I prefer one pillow. And I embroidered a pillowcase myself when I was a kid and used it until it ripped beyond repair. You now have a picture of your pillowcases how they are now while they’re still in good shape, so you may still have that to look at if you end up wearing out your pillowcases.
Mostly I prefer to use things rather than save them. Examples include:
* (relatively) expensive jewelry (I have bead necklaces and stud earrings made with semi-precious stones)
* good (and breakable, but dishwasher safe) dishes and glasses
* fancy hair clips
But sometimes I choose to display them instead of use them because I really don’t want to lose them. I have a coin purse hand-beaded by a friend that is displayed in a glass container on my dresser instead of being used in my purse because I tend to lose my purse once a decade. And I have some laser-cut wooden bookmarks that I only use at home (bedside reading) and not in books I’m taking out of the house with me. Oh, and a white lace bookmark that’s hanging on a wall instead of in use so it doesn’t get all dirty and wadded up.
It looks great Katie! I really like the headboard.
Now you need to find a moment to update your bio and remove the reference to living in the tire house. I’m happy that you are getting to live your dream!