Sunday 28 August 2011

Planning a 1940's bedroom


A little over a year ago we found our dream apartment. Five rooms, if you say it in Swedish, a three bedroom apartment if you say in English. Built in 1954, it has two floors- the upper floor is one giant living room with a window in the ceiling, bay windows and a fireplace. Unfortunately it’s only the living room that has all its original features intact, though throughout we still have the original radiators and windowsill in green marble. Needless to say, perhaps, we plan to change things that are far too modern for our taste. Luckily, when it comes to the bedrooms and dining room, it’s just a matter of new wallpapers and a few odds and ends when it comes to details. You have already, I’m sure, guessed that we are going to turn back the dial a decade or so, and do our bedroom in a 1940’s style.


The idea originated when my darling, in a discussion on wardrobe space (we don’t have enough- he buys more clothes than I do), recalled that his grandmother’s 1940’s wardrobe is still around. A new bed and bedside tables are already in the budget, we already have a 40’s lamp in there, so why not, he said, make the whole bedroom 1940’s? Well, of course I thought it was a splendid idea.

Right now we are hunting for the right bed. The 1940’s isn’t as popular as the 1950’s, so it seems beds can be found for not so bad prices. My grandparent’s bed from that time was made in varnished birch, which seems to have been hugely popular in Sweden at the time. It looked very much like this:



There is a company called Lim & Handtryck that reproduces wallpapers from the 18th century up to the 1970’s and we have looked through their catalogue. We quite liked Birk from 1950.



Tango, 1940.



Slinga, 1940.



But both liked the 1930’s wallpaper Deco the most.



We still need to go to a store to see the samples for real, colours aren’t always the same, but I hope the pale lilac looks nice. It’s a bit unusual, but I think it could look very nice with curtains and bedspread in green. Funnily enough we talked about this colour combination before I came across these pictures of 1940’s rooms:





Seems we are honing our forties colour instincts. I found the picture called here for more lovely pictures of 40’s room and colours. I find some combinations quite daring.



Our bedroom is quite small so I will definitely forego what seem to have been quite popular, little skirts on the furniture. A bit overwhelming and, with five cats and a dog, the perfect way to keep as much shed hair in the bedroom as possible…



I wish there were enough room for a vanity for me, though.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Sounds very exciting, would love to see the original marble.

Kate said...

I am so horrendously jealous! Although our new flat was built in 1910, it retains none of the original features, bar a sash window at the front. I've bought a cast-iron Victorian fireplace for the big hole in the wall and am now looking for a marble surround. Good luck with the decorating! x

Amii ScarletPout said...

Oooh Pretty!
I have to say, I'm greatly coveting a vanity. Our flat is tiny, and our room already has a queen-size bed and the little one's cot, so there's no room for a gorgeous wee vanity table in amongst the chest of drawers and cupboards. :(

Looking forward to seeing this project when it's done! xoxo

Miss Marie said...

How exciting! I'm still renting fully-furnished places so (a) can't redecorate because I'm renting and (b) already have all the furnishings so have to live with what's in a place when I get there. I fantasize about having a clean slate to be able to do what you're doing!

Living Vintage said...

Sounds like a fabulous move. Wonderful ideas for the bedroom. I understand the lack of closet space older houses often do not have enough.

Laurence said...

Real 40's purist!!!! Oh, I love that!!!
Our house was built in 1965 but almost everything except wall papers were original and quite 50's look: kitchen,tilling, pink bathroom, wooden floor... We are trying to make this house as 50's as possible. I will share some pictures of our home in my new blog in the upcoming weeks!
I have some finnish friends (I'm french)who bought vintage wall papers from the shop you mentionned. A 50's pink one but they told me that vintage papers are really hard to put on the wall (not easy to glue). I love the purple one!!!
GOOD LUCK for this 40's project... I will follow you...

Lina Sofia said...

Good luck ith the decorating! It's the most fun to decorate a new home! I can't wait until we own our own home again when I'm more settled in my career (and actually have a job!!). I love the wallpaper you chose and I really like the first 50s one too, with heart shapes. Please post pictures of your apartment, I'd love to see it and how you transform it!!

Isis said...

Hannah: There will be pictures of it eventually. :)

Kate O. What a pity. I often feel that is you want modern, then buy moderns and stop detroying old nice things. When we looked at our apartment the first time, another viewer said that if HE bought it, then he would remove walls to get a more open feel. Aaaagh!

Amii: Yes, wouldn't it feel completely luxurious to sit down at a vanity to fix hair and face?

Miss Marie: That must be so frustrating!

Living Vintage: Thank you! Indeed! We have an attic as well as an cellar, but only a few wardrobes and they are all bursting.

Laurence: Well, the bedroom anyway. We plan to restore the kitchen and bathroom to it's 50's glory eventually. I look forward to see your pics! Have you seen the Swedish blog Femtiotalsjakten. In swedish but so many gorgeous 50's pictures:

http://femtiotalsjakten.blogg.se/

I have bought wallpapers from that company before and they do need a special glue to get stuck. Worth the effort though. :)

Lina Sofia: Thank you! There will be pictures eventually. And have you seen Femtiotalsjakten I linked to above? I think you would like it!

Meg the Grand said...

Oh I love it!! I think this is an absolutely splendid idea!

Isis said...

Meg: Thank you!

isha said...

OMG , i was looking for some vintage bedroom design and i stumbled upon ur blog & i can say that its been 2 hrs i havent changed the url link , just on ur page reading all the archives , what an amazing blog loved it :)needless to say i m a follower now

Isis said...

isha: Welcome! I'm so glad you enjoy my little blog!

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