Ladies,
I think of a sewing room as simply a beautiful room where I sew. I do not think of a sewing room as a room that has utilitarian tools hanging from the walls. A sewing room does not have to look like an industrialized factory. This is a place in your home after all, it should reflect the coziness of a home.
Many of us may only have a small room that doubles as a guest bedroom for our sewing room. But this is better in my opinion. I find the utilitarian look of the typical sewing room to be too sterile an environment with tools hanging, and fabric stacked. I do not need to display scissors and thread for it to be a sewing room, nor is displaying tools safe for children, pets or the tools that could get ruined!
All I need is a room that I simply enjoy retreating to, one of soothing colors and lighting that can be tailored to working in there as well. This can be a room that is as much a part of your home as it is a part of the life of a seamstress.
Sewing Room Tour
Having grown up in the late 1980s/1990s, I was influenced greatly by some of the most beautiful decor trends of that time. The images that people see depicting that era of decor are often lacking in some of the beauty of that era that was just as popular. There was a strong influence of feminine beauty in the home that felt like a loving and beautiful wife and mother welcoming you into her abode with gentle and graceful touches throughout. This decor look was the classic style of the time, and quite prevalent among many women who wanted their homes to look classically beautiful. Think Martha Stewart, all of that high end East Coast style that she emulated and taught in her books and show were from the era I grew up in and that style was influenced from a bygone era of beauty. I was blessed to have been around this old-fashioned elegance that permeated the feminine woman’s home of the time. I have always decorated this way, and I like the sort of storybook essence it conveys, which is part stately historical elegance part whimsical in its beauty.
I was shaped by the Gunne Sax era of Jessica McClintock, which drew from the pioneer women dresses to Victorian and Edwardian fashions of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Sprinkle in the Laura Ashley brand that also encompassed feminine designs with sturdy cottons in florals and full skirts. Our fashion and our home decor was influenced in this way, but I also pull from anything French Provincial and old-world European elegance. Those styles all give me that princess look that I think is timeless.
Organization Under the Bed
The entire room was thrifted with the exception of the bed frame that the mattress sits on and the mattress itself which was a family hand-me-down. This bedframe was an intentional organization purchase because its taller height is key to fit bins of fabric beneath it. Here is the link to this 18″ high bed frame on Amazon. Under the bed storage area is prime real estate for sewing room organization. The bed skirt covers the landscape of stored away goods from fabric to the sewing machine cover when it’s in use, to containers of tools, etc. Everything is easy to access but those utilitarian items are not a part of the room decor!
Lighting
It is important to design different light sources into your sewing room. The overhead lights are only used when I need brighter illumination for pattern alterations, etc. When I am actually sewing, I only use the lamp light which is the most relaxing and soothing experience.
A Soothing Color Palette
I went with soft light colors for this small bedroom. There are warm brown wood floors and warm brown wooden furniture with gold accents of the lamps and hardware. The other soothing colors in this room are found in the soft greens of the leaves and stems in the floral artwork, the faux branches in a vase on the dresser, and the soft green mirror over the dresser. The various floral wall art has pinks, lavenders, yellows, and dark purples as well in gold frames. There are also gold frames decorating the dresser top.
The bed has a pale peachy pink dust ruffle that I sewed out of a $2 thrifted king size top sheet. The other bedding is an ivory and tan floral and stripped duvet set, with a rusty copper throw pillow for a richness to the color scheme. I love the variety of the bedding textiles as it lends such a cozy and invitingly soft look: the dust ruffle is a floral embossed pattern, the duvet set is cotton trimmed in a cotton embroidery trim, and then I have a soft plushy blanket layered in there as well.
Favorite Things
I decorate my guest bedroom/sewing room in a feminine way since it is my room that is only lent out when needed. Our other guest bedroom has some more masculine colors and features, but this room is decidedly feminine. I call my sewing room “the princess room” for a reason. I like the idea that it is where a princess would live and have the design features of an authentic princess room. I like to use anything a bit more ornate or luxurious to mix in that feel of authentic rich design and textiles like this gold lamp and floral embroidered lamp shade.
I keep some favorite books that inspire me in my creative endeavors. These books speak to eras of femininity, decorum, and a way of life that inspires me as well. I also love the carving details on this wooden dresser.
Furniture for Storage
All you need to store many of your sewing items from patterns to fabric; to thread and tools is a dresser with enough drawer space. This one holds a lot of things that are even easier to access than the under the bed items. Across from the dresser is the French Provencial desk where I sit beneath the window where the natural light floods my work area.
The Sewing Desk
This sewing desk has one drawer on the front which houses my most used tools that are in immediate use when using the machine. This includes scissors, pins, chalk, pens, pencils, measuring sticks and tape, sticky notes, and a place to put my clipped thread or fabric that will be disposed of after my time sitting there.
Comfortable Seating
This is of utmost importance. The chair must be cushioned and designed to actually be sat in. It will support you as you sit to sew. Sewing can put you in a stiff position at the machine with hunched shoulders and straining your neck for too long. Be aware of how you are sitting and choose a comfortable chair. But again, this can be a beautiful chair that looks like a soft and inviting place to rest.
Princess Decor
My light pink linen looking curtains let the light shine through them from this small window, giving me more daylight while still looking billowy and ethereal. I have another floral wall art to the left over the sewing desk because I adore flowers and appreciate renditions of them.
This room makes me feel the way I like my sewing projects to look: another era, feminine, graceful, soothing, beautiful. What better place to be creative in this way than a room that tunes your senses to these good things.
Here is to making your sewing room a pleasant and peaceful place to be in your home.
WHATEVERLOVELY.com
CHRISTIAN LIVING – FASHION – HOME
Leave a Reply