When we’re not doing fun summer stuff and when I’m not working at my desk or easel, I’m hoping to get some projects done around the house. I’ll share my ambitious project list in another post, but one of the rooms on that list is our sewing room.
One thing we love about this house is that we really use it. We use almost every room almost every day…except for the sewing room. It is a luxury to have a room for my fabric stash and upholstery supplies and it is nice to be able to close the door on a room carpeted in threads and fabric scraps when I’m in the middle of a project, but it’s not a room we regularly use.
It is nice to have an extra guest room, though, should we have the occasion of hosting several people at once, but that hasn’t happened yet. So, this is a room that sits in wait.
In some ways, that makes it even more tempting for me to decorate! Is that strange? I think it calls to me because it doesn’t have to be practical. It’s a spare room that can be a little frivolous and doesn’t have to stand up against the scrutiny of ease of use and the rigors of everyday wear and tear. It can be a little whimsical and out of the box.
It’s for this reason that I have been thinking about going big in this little room.
And, by big, I’m thinking head-to-toe toile. This toile, to be more precise…
I have always loved little jewel-box bedrooms featured in magazines that are cocooned in toile, a celebration of textiles and traditional pattern.
Photo via BHG
And I think our sewing room is the perfect place to pull it off.
So, I would reupholster the French daybed (yes, again) in toile, starch the fabric to the walls, make curtains, and take it over the top with a bed crown. I will install a chair rail and wainscoting below the chair rail, painted in a bright white, to give the eye some relief. I suppose it would be more head-to-knee toile than head-to-toe. Either way, I think it will be lovely, Frenchy, classic, and bold. And I’m going to go for it!
I ordered a fabric sample, so I can make sure I like it as much in person as I do online and then I’ll go from there…
Well we know it will be beautiful, it always is! ?
Can’t wait for a tutorial on starching fabric to walls. I loved it in your past master bedroom as a feature wall.
Yes, this would be GREAT to learn!!
I second both of them. It will turn out beautiful and I want to see a tutorial on starching fabric to the wall also.
It’s going to be awesome, love that toile and all your plans for the room!
This room is going to be gorgeous! Looking forward to it.
Thank you! I can’t wait to start working on it.
Marian, I’m a grandmother who has followed your blog for several years but this is the first time I’ve written a reply. Today I saw a saying on a local church sign that read ….. I have a mustard seed so I’m not afraid of anything. I immediately thought of you. You are an inspiration to women of all ages. Please keep on growing and sharing.
Oh, that is lovely! Thank you so much for sharing and for following my blog. 🙂
Love it! Can’t wait to see how it will come out. Will you toile the ceiling too? I have the perfect spot for this and can’t wait to see it!!
No. Our ceilings have a bit of a knockdown texture, so I will just leave it white.
Marian,
I have loved toile my entire life. Presently I have it in two places, a red toile in the foyer with white wainscoting and chair rail, and a tan and green (a vintage green) in my dining room. Love them both and surprisingly my husband thinks the toile in the dining room looks like a neutral! Can’t wait to see this room!
Have you thought of covering the walls with one of your fabric designs? Or designing something new to use as a wall covering?
I absolutely LOVE anything Toile!
I think the bed is so beautiful. Please consider keeping it as is.
Sounds great! But IMO – which is just MY opinion, and you know how those are – if you’re going to go big with toile, ditch the wainscoting and chair rail and just do head-to-toe toile. I think yhe paneled lower half will look choppy and won’t have the effect you’re hoping for. But I could be wrong! I have been before. 🙂
Can’t wait to see this dainty room. I love toile!
Wish I had your energy!
Marian, I personally ADORE toile and also ADORE those rooms where the fabrics and wall coverings all match or compliment each other, such as in your inspiration photo in this post. I LOVE the idea of going big with the toile and making your sewing room a beautiful jewel box complete with bedcrown, and cannot WAIT to see the finished project! If you’re doing the job, I know it’s just going to be GORGEOUS!
I love toile but I love the fabric you used to upholster the bed!
I do, too, but I think the toile will work better as an all-over fabric.
I live toile and it will be lovely! I had black and white toile in my last kitchen. Can’t wait to see the transformation!!
Any plans for the armoire? Love love love the bed ~ we are all anxiously waiting to see the finish design ~
Nope, I’m going to leave it as is.
Marian, surely your Sewing & Guest Room will be a room of vintage loveliness!
Now, what brand of sewing machine is sitting on the table in your room if you please?
Looking forward to following the transformation.
Sounds a little over the top for me, but you always have a way of pulling it all together so it looks stunning. You have such a gift and eye for the perfect balance. Looking forward, as always, to seeing how it ends up.
Will you still have room for all of your sewing and projects or will it be a dedicated guest room? I’m thinking of my own room with bolts of fabric everywhere and a big table for cutting and I’m curious to see how you will fit all the bedroom furniture in and still have room for projects? I’m a huge fan of toile also!
No, it will still be my sewing room, too.
I adore toile. I have black toile that I paired with black ticking and black gingham and also used red pom-pons, which I used on my bathroom curtains and the shower curtain as well. I have white wainscoting on the bottom 4 ft and the top is painted bright red. My kitchen has red toile wallpaper and I have red kitchen cabinets with black soapstone countertops. I can’t wait to see this bedroom.
I’ve always loved the look of black and white toile paired with gingham and/or ticking. Corning once made everyday dishes in a black toile but sold out before I knew about them. The story of my life!
Gah !!!!! How fun is this ! Looking forward to following your adventure.
My mom starched robin’s egg blue damask material in her living room & it’s beautiful so I know your toile will be awesome. She & I are renovating our 1880’s Swedish centennial farmhouse & I love your blog as it is a nice nod to the past while still being every day liveable.
Oh, it sounds beautiful!! Do you share pictures on a blog or Instagram?
Sadly, I am behind the times and don’t have either. As we are completing the renovation on our own, we are only at demo phase. :(.
We have found all sorts of fun things out during this process-no insulation, brick chinking, bits of old newspapers and wallpapers stuck to chipboard, sauerkraut crocks, mason jars and even a old barrel full of bottles we believe that great uncle John used for his own hooch made in the still under the tool shed ?
Oh how fun–go for it! I love the way your mind works. Surrounded by boys, you need some all girl space!
Ha, yes!
Just wondering why fabric and not wallpaper.
Fabric is actually less expensive, it’s temporary (can be easily removed), and it’s easier to hang.
I had totally forgotten about this room and am so excited that you have another whole room yet to decorate in this house (which I just love!) However, I have to agree with those who love that MUSTARD yellow bed upholstery! Not that I think it would go with the blue toile (though it just might) but couldn’t you find another bed to upholster for this room, and just ship that yellow one straight to me?? 😉 Seriously, I’m still in mourning that you sold the cubbies with the wire backing from your studio. That unit that held the crockery MUSTARD jars was my favorite thing you’ve ever shown. In the future, I don’t think you should get rid of anything with that MUSTARD connection, you know? 🙂
Please share name of online fabric company from which you are ordering the toile.
The sewing room is going to be beautiful, and feminine in a house with all that testosterone!
(I have 3 sons, so I understand!)
I’m especially interested in fabric starching process. Hope you will post a tutorial.
Thanks for sharing.
Marion…I was going to starch fabric in my daughters college apt when I could not find the pattern in peel and stick wallpaper (a Target pattern). They happened to have cotton shower curtains available and on sale. After thinking about it, instead of starch, I decided to staple the fabric to the walls instead. Was fast and easy to install, and no mess, no wet surfaces and came out perfect! I’ve since done it on my son’s girlfriend’s apt bedroom too. Just a thought! I will attach the photos here.
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I’m looking forward to following this transformation..I LOVE the blues….
Love your plan. I think it is going to be much much better than your inspiration photo?
Thank you!
Please, please share a link to your fabric! I love toile!
Years ago I applied checked blue sheets to my daughter’s bedroom walls. It was actually an alcove area and the bed tucked into the space. The sheets have remained tight to the walls for 20+ years. When I recently turned this room into my own sewing room I left the fabric on the walls. It’s a great way to treat a wall.
I have searched for a link to the fabrics you chose. Have you shared the pattern names and where it is from?