Sketches of a Small Town: Clemmie's Big Girl Room

With everything we're doing to the back room in our sweet little house, I am in major home improvement mode right now.

The bathroom is almost done (it just needs one more coat of white, a few small accessories like baskets and a little shelf, and for the pictures and curtain to be hung), and I'm already ready to get started on transforming our sparsely decorated guest room into Clemmie's Big Girl room.

We didn't know we were having a girl when I was preparing the nursery for Clementine and, although I don't think I would ever have done the pretty pink princess thing (actually, I know I wouldn't have, and I know I will cringe when she wants everything Cinderella, and I know she totally will due simply to the fact that I am rejecting it so wholeheartedly), it would have been nice to have a few girly touches.

There is so much fabulous inspiration out there in the blogosphere as far as kid-happy decorating goes.

And this week, my bookmarks bar runneth over.

I love the scalloped paint treatment and the colour palate of this room.

It's so sunshiney. Maybe peach is the way to go.

The shuttered windows, patchwork quilt and mix n' match drawer pulls in this one are so my cup of tea.

I'm not enamored by the wild colours in this room, but the locker idea idea is sweet and I like the pop of colour the floating shelves offer.

Not to mention I'd like a better look at that window valance.

The above 3 images via

Check out this CRAZY smart closet door storage idea from Knock Off Wood.

I mean. Shut. Up.

How smart is that?

The door shelving is on wheels so you can pack them full of whatever you want and not risk the door coming off the hinges.

Only thing I'd add is some funky knobs and we're good.

This woman puts tutorials for all of her projects on her website by the way.

Thank you Laura for turning me on to her!

Oh money.

You bastard.

Why are you such an object?

Seriously. Maybe it's a life stage thing, or maybe it's just a grown up thing and I'll never have enough money for everything I want to do, but almost every conversation I had yesterday carried the same theme. Money.

Does no one have any?

Because that might actually make me feel better. I don't know.

In the meantime (between now and the day someone walks into the shop and makes me an offer I can't refuse to buy the store but keep me on the payroll as a buyer/me winning the lottery that I never play) I'm going to take this next project as a budget challenge.

I'm going to try to do this entire room for $400.

I'll be honest, I initially wrote $200, but paint's going to suck up at least half of that I know it, and I always set myself up for failure when it comes to budgeting. No more!

For the record, I am not including any previous purchases I've made or items I bring in from other rooms.

And no that is not cheating.

Things I already have to work with:

A vintage metal chandelier that I bought for $50 at the Vintage Wear/Ware shop in town. It's painted white with yellow flowers and pale green leaves. Perhaps another reason to go with the sunshine palate. I don't think I'll use it as the main light in the room. I'd like to put a ceiling fan in there since we don't have A/C, and I remember loving having a hanging lamp I could switch on and off from bed so I could stay up reading late. I'll have to have it rewired with a toggle. I wonder if that's a project I could do myself.

A beautiful piece of letterpress art given to her by Melissa when she was born, her Kabuki Kitty Ryan Lotan Original and "Happier than a Bird with a French Fry" digital art...also compliments of Melissa.
Her orange polka dotted dresser that I'm not sure will work in the space or not.

Things on my wish list:

A retro looking desk fan for white noise. Preferably painted, but I have no problem doing that myself.

A white convertible crib so we don't have to rush to transition her to a big girl bed. I figure dealing with a new sibling and a new bedroom will be enough to handle for the first few months. Maybe one like this one:

Which can convert to look like this when she's ready:

A vintage chenille bedspread and new bedding in general
A funky bedside mat. Polka dots or stripes or something. This one's pretty good from Ikea. I just worry about keeping white white. It's a cat owner thing.