Come for a little tour of some of the updates we just finished up in our bedroom! It’s the small design details that really make the biggest difference when it comes to creating a room that just feels right.
So, we did a few quick changes to our bedroom in the fall, but we did it all in a bit of a rush because we really just needed the space as a back-drop for a sponsored project we were working on. There were a few things that we did that I absolutely loved, and a few small design details that we really rushed through. We ended up just buying and using whatever we could find for a few things, rather than waiting for the right piece because were were on a tight timeline. Well, I ended up loving the things that we got right so much – the new bedding, the lamps, the paint color – that I felt inspired to finish it up properly. I use the term “finish it up” loosely because we’re never really finished, and actually we still have a whole wall of cabinetry to add whenever the mood strikes. But, you know what I mean. “I”s were dotted and “T”s were crossed. 🙂
Pictured above: Lamp from Homesense (I switched out the shade to this one) | Vase | Curtains | Headboard | Quilt | Alarm clock is old from LL Bean
Small Design Details That I’ve Learned Make a Big Difference
I’ve definitely been guilty in the past of just trying to get things “close enough” in color or in finish to what I have in mind when it comes to things we add to our home. When you do that, you’re kind of rolling the dice and hoping things will work out, and sometimes they do! The key is really to realize when something just isn’t right and make the call to change it, bring it back to the store, or just get rid of it, instead of trying to convince yourself that it’s fine. If you don’t love it immediately, it’s not fine. So here are some of the details I’m very happy I fussed over this time around.
Pictured above: Door pulls | Curtain Rods | Curtains | Similar Basket | Paint colors: Benjamin Moore White Dove for walls and trim, Benjamin Moore Onyx for closet doors.
Curtain Rods Matter
OK, technically, I guess these are drapery rods. I learned recently that if your curtains are lined, they’re actually draperies. Curtains are their unlined cousins. After this curtain rod incident, I’m about 98% sure that I’ll never add another curtain rod under 1″ in diameter to our house again. I was only able to find 3/4″ curtain rods back in the fall and they just looked so flimsy. I’ve started noticing curtain rods more in other homes and I’m noticing that everyone’s 3/4″ rods look a little underwhelming. They might be cheaper and easier to find, but they just aren’t worth it. I ended up finally finding these curtain rods, and when I shared that I had just ordered them on Instagram, a follower who makes custom draperies told me these are the exact ones she uses for all her client projects. They really do have a solid, high-end look to them. Plus, as she said, this store always has coupons! 🙂 I did get a set of upgraded finials for each curtain rod, because I love a good finial, but the simple rods with their end caps were lovely just on their own too.
Metal Finishes Matter
I love brass finishes, but they’re so popular right now and there are just so many variations. I don’t necessarily think that all your brasses have to match exactly, but they do have to be beautiful individually. A cheap brushed gold finish on a plastic something-or-other will really stick out like a sore thumb in a room with something like the beautiful aged brass finish of this light fixture, which works perfectly when you’re looking at with the deep “warm gold” finish of the curtain rods in the background. You don’t think you would really even notice small design details like this, but you really do!
Fabric Textures Matter
Of course fabric colors matter, but I would say that the textures are even more important. The variation in textures next to each other make a room cozy and inviting. I switched out the basic shades that came with our lamps to these inexpesive linen-y shades and that was such a great, affordable upgrade. I also have the same type of texture in the headboard and the throw pillow on the bed. I’ve had that headboard for years because I just really still like it, but I’m noticing even more now how lovely the fabric is that they used on it. I can’t believe these are so inexpensive, but I guess they’re popular and they sell a lot of them!
The white velvet drapes (see? I’m learning!) really provide a nice textural contrast, as does the quilting on the bedding. Lots of similar colors used in here, but it’s the different textures that make it feel so welcoming.
And flowers. Flowers always make a difference. 🙂
Pictured above: Quilt | Headboard | Lampshade | Vase | Curtains | Curtain Rod
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.