Shoe Daydreams

I am SO EXCITED to share my latest project with you.  It’s been in the works for ages and it’s finally, finally done!

As you may have seen from previous “home tour” posts, I have an old home that is fairly streamlined and not very girly.  I love our decor but I’ve always wanted a pretty dressing room.  I’ve been sort of adding elements, such as my shoe cabinets, to our guest room but I am loathe to take over the whole space completely.  I also, didn’t really have a place that would be safe for a delicate dressing table or all the perfumes, puffs and crystal that I would want to be there.

But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t dreamed of a pretty space all my own…

Then I realized I did have one small space that I could repurpose into a bijou dressing table. I started making plans and lists…

In my funky old home I have a funny closet-in-a-closet space in the guest room.

You open the outer door and you see this rectangular space that has a clothes rod on the left, a window on the right and another deep cabinet straight ahead.

The inner cabinet holds the guest room blankets and pillows, hat boxes and craft supplies. I keep some shoes in here as well as my off season clothes.

I drew up plans for a shelf that would be hinged under the window which would be supported by a shelf bracket for a brace and two decorative chains on each side.  The bracket would be hinged to lie flat against the wall and then the table part, also hinged would be able to be lowered down so I could open the inner cabinet doors.

Once I decided on a plan, I started to plan my furnishings – vintage dressing table linens…

A Ghost chair to sit on…  I thought and searched for ages on what chair to have in the space.  It need to be high enough but small in width.  I looked at all kinds of chairs and stools from new Pottery Barn to vintage vanity stools.  In the end, I’ve always loved the Ghost chairs and the clear will keep the small space airy. 

With a color scheme of crystal, pinks soft and bright, gold and small touches of black, a sari was the perfect fabric to act as a cover for the clothing section and a window shade.

A gilded shelf for accessories…

Antique tassels…

The project has been on hold for a while but know that I’m back in town, the pub is done and I’m done being sick this week, it has all come together.

The outer door now has a small sign warning of the girly space inside.

Yes, I have a Keep Calm poster, but now it’s hidden inside the “fourth wall” of the room.  The sari was long enough to cover the clothes still on the left, drape across the ceiling and down, suspended from chain, to cover and decorate the window.

Isn’t it ADORABLE????

I’ve decorated it with some of my existing pieces as well.  A Waterford crystal sugar sifter for powder, a Caron puff, my Chanel and Chloe perfumes and Waterford clock (the first piece I ever bought from when I was 17) on a Waterford tray.  A glove hand and small boxes for jewelry.

The most crucial piece I invested in and that I was very specific about was the mirror.  I knew from the start that I wanted a vintage Murano dressing mirror and this one with it’s gilding and pale pink glass flowers was everything I dreamed of.

The Ghost chair and my tuffet fit perfectly too.  I’m going to get a faux flokati to cushion and protect the chair.  That’s the last detail.

The last details are these amazing antique hand-cut paper cuts I had framed.  With their fairy tale themes they are perfect for my new space.