You may be noticing a theme by this point! If you have read my other Posts How To Create a Victorian bathroom and How To create a Victorian Bedroom you may have come to the conclusion that I am an admirer of Victorian Interiors or I have a Victorian Home! You would be correct on both counts! My Home was built in the year 1900 and I aim to give it back some of its long lost Victorian charm !

Here’s what I Like…

I like Patterns, textures and mood lighting! I love the unusual and unexpected. I certainly steer away from anything that is typical or normal. I’m not trying to make a point or be deliberately quirky…its just the way I am.

I sometimes feel a little out of step with modern life, I am convinced that I have a very old soul! I love old Music, old movies, old things, old places! Everything in our time moves so fast, trends are so fleeting. Nothing ‘modern’ remains ‘fashionable’ for longer than a year, its become an expensive habit, just to keep up with whats deemed ‘in’…. Its exhausting and I wont play that game!

So I simply decorate my home with things that are older than me! Probably in better shape than Me! and will no doubt be here long after me! In short, I like things with a story, a history! AND, If I have a piece of furniture that has neither of those things- I give it one! I dont throw it away, I try to make use of it …

Victorian Bedside Cabinet

The bedside cabinet was once a very basic, white chipboard cabinet, lacking any character or individuality but it was free! A family member didnt want it and gave it to me…You know me, I love a project! Here’s a Before, During And After…

I simply painted it black, gave it a new Handle, cut out some flowers and leaves from old wallpaper offcuts and glued them on. The vintage lamp base was a bargain buy off ebay for 99p! The base was originally cream, I painted it black like the cabinet and added a new lampshade.

Products used

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Black Jack Paint From French Chic
Gold Cabinet Handle
Wallpaper Havisham Bottle Green Wallpaper (See my victorian bathroom post)

Authentic Victorian Bed… For free!

This picture flashed on my phone screen as I was browsing Facebook Market place. The advert read ‘Old single bed, free to collector’ I quickly contacted the lady and she told me that it was her grandmothers vono bed (circa 1896) when she was a little girl and she wanted it to go to a good home. I promised I would take good care of it and arranged to pick it up.

I sent the picture of the bed to my husband, who was at work and asked him if he could pick it up on his way home. His Reply was….‘Kelly, That is hideous!’ …Oh ye of little faith!- My reply was simply ‘I’ll make it beautiful again’ ..he didn’t reply, but I imagine an eye roll or sigh was his response. Either way, he still picked it up, but somewhat begrudgingly I imagine.

After 20 years of upcycling and repurposing I have come to know this little exchange well! He is not always on board with my ideas! But, through practice, I have become quite adept at turning Ugly ducklings into swans…. I see it as a fun challenge!

I love giving these old pieces a new lease of life! Without me/us this beautiful old bed frame would of likely ended up on a Landfill. I feel like I saved it somehow! And my husband, although he doesnt always like to admit it, always likes the finished product!

So what did I do?

I didnt want to paint it and hide that beautiful wood grain, but I did want to get rid of the years of varnish that had begun to chip and peel. This meant sanding…unfortunatly the applique on the headboard and foot board fell away and crumbled in my hands when I attempted to remove the varnish, so unfortunately that part couldnt be saved :o(. I did consider buying replacement wooden Appliques that I could glue on, but I decided against it…I liked it the way it was!

Once sanded I treated it with beeswax…and thats it! Some pieces are beautiful without the extras.

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Ryobi Sander
Beeswax

The Bedding

I love a little clashing! It keep things interesting! My daughter whos room this is, is a lot like me, kinda quirky with an old soul! She tells me this room is exactly her! At 15 you would imagine a teen girl to have a much more ‘modern’ room, but she oversaw all my choices for the room, choosing the bedding and the wallpaper. She doesnt even have a tv in there, she told me not to bother buying one…she likes to read!

Products

Bedding/Blanket Box

I wish I had a before Picture of the bedding Box! I totally forgot to take a pic! It was originally cream with a tattered/ripped floral fabric top and it cost £5 off facebook market place!

What did i do?

All I did was paint it and reupholstered the seat with a patterned linen Table Cloth

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The Radiator cabinet and curtains

When a victorian Radiator is beyond your budget, the next best thing is a radiator cabinet! They can be bought cheaply enough online and give an air of elegance! They are also so easy to transform with a simple lick of paint. I used Boho Berry From french chic.

For the Curtains I wanted a dupion Silk look without the price tag! So I opted for this second hand blush pink, faux silk set off ebay that cost me £8.00! Dupion silk is typically a crisp fabric with a nubby texture, these curtains give the same appearance without the associated cost.

The Wallpaper

I showed my Daughter 5 Wallpaper Samples and she did not hesitate to choose this one! This wonderful 3D wallpaper gives a magical depth to the walls…you feel like you could reach in and stroke the bunnies! It really is quite fabulous!

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Fine Decor Rabbit Butterfly Luxury Woodland Paste The Paper Plum Wallpaper

The wardrobe

The Built in Louvre door wardrobe is painted in Constance Moss Green Paint By French Chic

The Rug

The Rug is a reversable Turkish rug with a traditional pattern. It is a flat weave rug, which I prefer, as I can take it outside and give it a good bashing or a hose down when it begins to look unkempt…they airdry quicker than regular rugs too.

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Turkish Traditional Oriental Area Rug Kilim 90% Cotton Washable Reversible

The Art

The Art in my daughters room is a selection of prints from the highly regarded artist John James Audubon, a French-American ornithologist of the early 19th-century whom is responsible for creating the largest and most beautiful illustrated bird book ever published, its publication took nearly 12 years to complete!

In 1826 Audubon travelled to England to form an Alliance with English publishers and engravers and from 1827 to 1838 his ‘Birds of America‘ collection was released showcasing 435 hand-colored, life-size prints of 497 bird species.