Growing up, I had the pleasure of spending some time with family in Nova Scotia. It was my first experience being on the coast and it stuck with me. If I could pack up and move, I would in a heartbeat. However, we’ve set roots in this home of ours, which means we’ll have to bring the sea to us.
Thankfully, my husband already had this intention as well. After the passing of his grandparents, he was gifted a few of their homewares. A stunning porthole mirror, weather station wall hanger, ship’s bell, brass inclinometer, and anchor hook. We started building our room around these pieces.
We added a handcrafted old wood headboard that became the centerpiece of our main wall that we painted Deep Sea Green 735 by Benjamin Moore. It’s a perfect blend of blue and green. I love seeing it with the lights off, it’s cozy and is the darkest colour I’ve had in a bedroom (especially when my prior ones were white or neon stripes as a teen!)
Our side tables are a floating construction and give us the perfect amount of storage. They were crafted by Hans as well. They are attached to the walls with a cleat system to easily remove if needed. I still plan to change our lights – but I haven’t found the perfect pair yet. For now, the mixed silver will have to do.
At the foot of the bed, we have a makeshift stair for Rocco. It’s an old wooden trunk that we usually cover with a wool blanket for grip. It holds extra trinkets that we don’t keep on display.
On the left side of the bed is the largest piece of the room. Sometimes I feel it’s taken over the space… other times I lie in bed and stare at it. It’s a French wardrobe I picked up from a historic home in downtown Kingston. I’d like to believe it also traveled the sea to come over to Canada. I’m sure it has decades of stories to tell. I remember the seller saying it was a shame they needed to find a new home for it – the Queen’s students complained it was “ugly” … and I am so glad they did. It’s the most beautiful piece of furniture I own. It’s the perfect space to store extra linens and seasonal items.
Beside the wardrobe is a little cubby of joy. I have a starburst clock that I thrifted in my early days of Lemon’s Loot. It’s been proudly hung on the wall, and acts as a north star in sense. Below is a small shelf made of live edge wood (you guessed it.. hubby made that as well) that holds trinkets near and dear to my heart. I like to think of this little space as my Loot collection, picked up during my travels. Well, actually, that’s exactly what it is. It also, thankfully, is a perfect little nook for laundry baskets!
On the wall near the closet is our entertainment center. Truth is – we don’t have a TV in our main living room – but entertainment is a large part of our life. We spend our evenings unwinding with a movie, playing video games, or indulging in streaming TV series. Some may say to not have a TV in your bedroom, but for us, we wouldn’t have it any other way. To go with the vintage and second-hand theme, we store our media in these stunning barrister bookcases from Macey.
Our home was built in the '60s and just doesn’t have the closet space newer homes have these days. We don’t have a ton of clothing between the two of us – but living in Canada you accumulate a lot for the different seasons. We split the closet and have an extra highboy for my husband’s work gear. It’s the perfect place for a little vignette, focusing on a catch-all bowl for “husband pocket finds”, a brass crayfish and our shore bird figurines.
Above the dresser features another live edge shelf with some brass and glass candle holders we used at our wedding. This little touch reminds me of the lantern’s sailors may have had in their cabins. The brass adds a warm glow to the room and is found in every nook. You could say it’s one of my favorite elements to use in a home.
Even the details of our curtain rod bring that nautical feel into the room. We opted for these balls of rope as the perfect accent to the room’s story. In a similar fashion, we picked this capiz shell light cover for the preexisting light fixture. I love the unexpected pop of pink in the room, as it reminds me of the surprise you experience when you flip over shells on the beach.
This seaside venture wouldn’t be complete without a few sprinkles of “land”. What good is being on the sea, if you can’t return to the earth? Our bedspread showcases dainty wildflowers and was a recent addition we found at JYSK (SUSSI Duvet Cover Set). Paring this with some faux greenery, I think it really “grounds” the room.
I know this won’t be the final layout and design of our room, but for now, it has so many aspects of the seaside we both fondly remember. I believe our homes are ever-evolving and I wanted to capture what that is now. I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about my home and the pieces we’ve kept around. I often get asked this question and it sparked the idea to share with you. I hope to share the other rooms in our home… but for now, I’m off to dream about the subtle rock of the ocean waves under a starry sky.
More Inspo: https://www.pinterest.ca/Lemons_Loot/seaside-hideaway-primary-bedroom/
2 comments
I was thinking of your teenage neon stripped walls right before you mentioned them haha 🥰🌈!
I enjoyed this very much Ash.