Welcome to our blue room! Over time, this room has had many uses. It was the living room, the music room, the library, Joe’s office, and now my office. This space is where I sit down and have my first coffee every weekday morning. It’s where I write, work, and meet all day long. That’s where Joe and I read the Sunday newspaper.
One thing I’ve learned through our home design process is that your home tends to surprise you over time. As you spend more time living in a space, you’ll learn which elements work best for your tastes and lifestyle (and which don’t). When you follow those instincts, that’s when your home begins to feel more livable and enjoyable.
In today’s post, I will analyze how the design of this room has changed over time and what we might update in the future.
Before looking at the current photos, let’s take a walk along the memory trail…
Here’s our blue room in its former pink glory in spring 2020, soon. after we moved in.
In September 2020, we removed the wallpaper and painted the room blue!
Not long after, we added a vibrant floral print wallpaper.
We’ve tried dozens of different layouts in this room over time, including its time as a music room, pictured below.
This brings us to the present day. Here’s a look at the blue room as it is, along with my ideas for future updates.
Why did we update this space immediately after moving in
This is the second room we updated in our house, after living room. We designed this space right after we moved in because it felt self-contained. I know I can update here without creating a domino effect when I need to update the rest of the house.
Given its slightly small size (compared to other nearby rooms), it was also a good space to experiment with my new style while experimenting with a few select design elements. Due to the large size, it’s easier for me to care about updates and take some design risks.
Update we made in Blue Room
Paint the room
This room was pastel pink when we moved in. I want to change the color to something that is still bold but different. However, I feel a bit shy about how to put my own spin on space. Green we went with a nice amount of pigment that didn’t feel too dark, which is exactly what i wanted!
Added wallpaper
I bought thirty wallpaper samples for this room. That’s overkill, but I figured I’d use whatever doesn’t work in this room for other areas of the house…which I did! This little experiment is how I decide on the wallpaper for children’s room and main bedroom.
The variety of styles among the thirty models was so wide that the final selection gave me what I wanted feel like in this room. I wanted to feel like I was entering a completely different place when I stepped inside. I want to feel wrapped in texture and pattern, and also the size and proportions of our selected print provide only that.
Updated lights
When I moved my office into this room, I realized I needed brighter overhead lighting than this space used to. Many times when I prefer low light for dining areas, I need something more like spotlights. I found the solution in this red pendant light.
Updated layout
I tried different layouts in the blue room. Some are more formal than others. The best thing is to leave the space relatively open with a chair for reading, a chair for others to sit with, a table for drawing and a place for the kids to play. The current layout isn’t my favorite, but for now, it works better than all the others we’ve tried.
Organize bookshelves
I want to organize the bookshelf better so we can actually use it as a point of reference. I decided I would never be the one to sort our collection alphabetically, so I decided to sort by subject. Since then, I find myself refering to books for work more often, quickly finding images, recipes or chapters with ease!
Design elements that we can change
Find the right desk
I like the table I have right now, but it’s a bit impractical for drawing since it’s wrapped with a wide rattan thread. I would love to find one that is comfortable for drawing and writing and has drawer space for all my bits and bobs. The plan would be to keep this table as a side table in the kids room or in our living room.
Add curtain
The sun can be really bright on most days, especially in winter, so blinds would be really important to add. I still want some diffused light to come through in the summer when the trees are dense with leaves and only a little light comes through in the afternoon.
Update layout
I wanted to figure out how to make the best use of the layout of this room. I definitely want to keep the bay window as a place to sit and write. I also like a small table where I can get together and where August and Birdie can sit while I’m working.
Swap wallpapers
As the design of the house evolved, we maybe Finally updated the wallpaper to better match the rest of our house design. Given that the current wallpaper style is a bit more classic, I might want to swap it out for something more traditional. This is low on my priority list for now, as I love the way the current wallpaper is applied and the feel it helps create in this space.
My favorite part of the Blue Room
My favorite part about the room is that it even exists in the house. This is essentially a space dedicated to reading, writing, and quiet, which is a great area to have in our house.
Product source of Green Room
Background: A Street Print
Paint color: Sherwin Williams Bunglehouse Blue
Spinning chair: One Kings Lane
Yellow lights: Safavieh
Carpet: ELECTRONIC REPORT
Eames and Ottoman Chairs: Herman Miller
Ceiling lights: Mooielight
Floor lamp: Mooielight
Furniture: Save
Curtain: Save
Wicker sub-table: Save
Round table: Facebook Market
Green desk lamp: Save
Side table with shelves: Save
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Kate is currently learning to play the ukulele, leaving her husband, children and dogs desperate. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.
