new thought for the spare room

I was watching America's Next Top Model last night and a closet? bedroom? hallway? had this gorgeous wallpaper - kind of a minty aqua with branches and flowers on it.  Reminded me of Aerin Lauder's closet, which I have coveted ever since first seeing it in Bazaar. 

I love the whole girlie-glam thing she has going on and also love the way her dress contrasts with the paper.  So I want to keep both of those ideas but modify it a bit so it better goes with the rest of my house.  Plus, I really doubt I could afford handpainted wallpaper from Gracie.  Not to mention I believe it's to-the-trade only. 

I really love Walnut Wallpaper's selection.  I think they'd also be out of my price range, but this one would be so fab.  I like the Asian-ness of the ginko and that it's more graphic than Aerin's Gracie.  Home Depot's website had some that might be promising, but nothing that I love as much as this one so I'm sticking with Walnut for this post.

Now, for furniture, I'll have my childhood bed.  It's an antique maple spindle bed, exactly like this one except twin-sized.

Side note: I find it completely crazy that I was able to google my bed just by typing in "antique maple spindle bed."  Then under images, this was in the third row.  I love the interwebs.   

Okay, back to my room.  So when you walk in, the bed will be on the far wall.  I'm contemplating papering just this wall.  I know, I know, I'm incredibly anti accent walls.  But I've never wallpapered before and I can see myself running out of patience trying to match seams and all.  This wall is just one big rectangle - no windows and only one outlet.  Should be pretty easy, right?  The other three walls I'll then paint the same color as the background.  Or maybe I'll just talk myself into papering the whole thing.  Because really, I'll cover the right wall with Expedit bookcases and it would be pretty darn cool to have the wallpaper showing through the grid.

Now, back to the bed.  For sheets, I'm picturing brown zebra print sheets.  These from K-Mart are only $18.  Love that.  And I've wanted zebra sheets for a while, just not on MY bed.

I'll keep the white cotton curtains on the windows that came with the house.  They seem homemade, but a quality job.  I like them and they'll go with the white shelves.  For blankets/duvet, maybe solid brown?  Maybe something completely different like yellow or magenta.  I'm totally backing myself into a corner here by going with the walls and the sheets first before the duvet - just like I did with my bedroom - but whatevs.  I'll plunge ahead, regret it later and then it'll all be fine in the end.

Plus, add a couple of throw pillows to all of this and I think it will be pretty darn cool in there.  A great spot for my guests as well as a funky, creative space for me.