Bedroom Nook Cottage Makeover
I just love a cottage. If could live in a cozy, old cottage nestled in the English countryside (with a Starbucks and Target still within driving distance), I would do so in a heartbeat. Since that’s not likely to happen in this lifetime, I try whenever I can to bring “the cottage” to me. That’s what we did here when we moved my desk upstairs and added some reclaimed wood to the walls to make a rustic cottage nook.
I stumbled on this picture from JerseyIceCreamCo and just couldn’t get it out of my head. I loved the exposed beams and architectural wall hooks, and just had to find a way to recreate something similar in my own attic bedroom.
My husband wasn’t keen on the idea at first (it’s merely decorative and we had to reconfigure the wired light he installed for me to get it to rest on the beam), but he kindly defers to me in the decorating decisions and I’m so thankful he does!
I’m notoriously indecisive, so I went through a bit of a trial-and-error stage while trying to figure out what to do with this little spot. We originally just displayed a mirror and chest here, but I wanted to add more function to the space. At first I tried putting one of our plushy beige couches there so I could make this a reading corner, but that couch was a very man-cave-esque, contemporary-styled piece that didn’t blend with the rest of the traditional elements I was trying to pull together in the room. Plus, it’s a beat up blob of an eyesore to me, so it made me sad every time I looked over and saw it consuming that part of the room.
Then it dawned on me that I could bring my old desk up here! The nook would still retain its function as a reading/work space (which I need as a part-time Literature teacher), but could still display the charm and character of my favorite pieces (the desk and its thrifted accessories, the basket with pillows, the blanket ladder, etc.)
This little area has so much interest, character, and function for me now, and since I have to spend time at my desk in the evenings, this has easily become one of my favorite little corners of the house. We nailed up a few pieces of wood, and now I feel like I have my own window into 19th century England. Easy, cheap, and yet oh-so comforting.
