The other day, someone commented on a post and said, “…how many times are you going to change your mind…?” To which I responded, “As many times as it takes to get it right.” If you’ve been around here for a while, you should know the answer to that question. I’ll continue to weigh options, change my mind, tweak a plan, and make adjustments until a project is finished. And even when it’s finished, nothing is safe in my house. 😀 Something may be my absolute favorite thing in my house today and be on the chopping block tomorrow. And you know what? That’s okay.
So with that said, I’m starting over on my plan for our bedroom. All three rugs are going back, and I’m abandoning the idea of using the drapery fabric that I already had on hand.
When I came across that fabric and realized I had enough to make draperies for all three windows in the bedroom (if I only use one panel on each window on either side of the bed), I was so excited about the idea of saving money by using something I already had on hand. And I do think that fabric is very pretty, and it went perfectly with the teal grasscloth (not including the accent band and green Greek key trim on the edge of the panel).
But as I’ve tried to make it work, I’ve found myself struggling with it. Obviously, from the response on my post about the three rugs options, the second rug was the best choice to go with this fabric. It looks like it was made to go with this fabric.
But I just can’t make myself like it. I don’t know why, but I can’t. I’ve tried. I’ve had it in that room just like this so that I can see it every time I walk through, hoping that I’d eventually love it, but I just can’t get there.
So all three rugs are going back, and I gave myself the freedom to dream a little. If I weren’t making myself use that drapery fabric, what would the room look like? I immediately recognized the problem. I need warm colors, even if it’s just a little accent color. I realized that I bought that drapery fabric back when I was still trying to make teals and greens work on their own, and long before I realized my love for pink, orange, and coral.
I started searching for a new fabric as a jumping off point for our bedroom, and I wanted one that ticked all of the boxes. Green, teal, and a warm color (pink, orange, or coral). And of course, with me, there are always major bonus points if there are birds, flowers, and/or trees.
And y’all. I found it. It’s the perfect fabric. If this doesn’t have my name written all over it, I don’t know what does.
I will say that I have a sample of this fabric in my possession. It’s sitting right here on my desk right beside my computer. And I can say that Ballard Designs’ photos of that fabric are awful. That fabric has a nice creamy background to it. It’s not stark white, but it’s also not what they show. I tried to adjust the color a bit in the photo above to make it more like the real thing, but I ended up making the background too green.
This is more of a true representation of the fabric color…
This picture below looks a bit blah for my taste, but I’m including it so that we can see how this fabric looks as drapery panels. You often lose a pattern/design in the pleats.
I don’t want the pattern getting lost, so I also tried it on a headboard from Ballard Designs.
This is it. This is, for sure, the one. I’m going to order the fabric today, but I just need to make one pretty huge decision first.
As I said, I started out looking for new drapery fabric. I love this fabric and want to use it, but I don’t know that I love it as drapery panels. I much prefer it as a headboard. So that leaves me still needing a drapery fabric.
Well, at the same time that I ordered that sample, I also ordered a sample of the Signature Teal Velvet from Ballard Designs, and oh my goodness, this stuff is gorgeous. This picture doesn’t do it justice at all. It is so gorgeous in person, and has such a richness to it.
I originally ordered this sample thinking it might be a possibility for the headboard. But now I’m thinking…velvet curtains? I love velvet curtains. I have them in the breakfast room. They add such a luxuriousness and warmth to a room. And this particular velvet is an appropriate weight for curtains. It wouldn’t be as simple to work with as a decorator cotton, but I could do it.
With this new direction in mind, I started going through fabric samples that I already had and putting some together all based on that bird fabric, and this is where that headed…
Other than the grasscloth wallpaper, the teal velvet (which is dark and glorious, but not as dark in person as it’s showing in that photo), and the bird/branch fabric, nothing here is a definite part of the plan. These are just samples I had on hand that I pulled out based on the greens in the bird/branch fabric. But I would LOVE to have my reading chair covered in that green plush velvet! 😀 That’s the plush velvet sample that I originally ordered as a possibility for my studio desk chair. It’s about 1/4-inch thick, if not thicker. I can just imagine curling up in that with a book. And while I had that particular coral on hand, I think it’s probably a bit too bright. I’ve ordered several more coral samples, both solids and patterns. I need one that’s toned down just a bit. But at least this gives me a good idea of where I’m heading, and I love this direction SO much better than the other one.
I’m still undecided about whether to use the birds/branches on the headboard and the velvet on the curtains, or to use the velvet on the headboard and the birds/branches on curtains. I might have to do a mock up of each option so I can really envision them.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself over the last few years it’s that I need warm colors. They don’t have to be dominant in the room at all, but they do have to be present in some form. While teal will always have my heart, followed closely by greens, those warm colors just add such life to a room that, in my humble opinion, can look a little bland without them.
It’s okay to change your mind. I promise. It only hurts for a little bit. 😀
UPDATE: I made a decision. I just ordered the bird fabric for the headboard, and I’ll use the teal velvet on the curtains. I’m so excited!! I love this new direction!
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.