It’s such an awesome feeling to complete a project! I am super happy with how this room turned out. There was a ton of research, decision making, and elbow grease to get to the finished product. And it was all worth it for how this bedroom inspired by Mary Poppins decor turned out.
A small confession…I’m very late getting this last article written. The room has been completed for several weeks, but our first grandchild made a very early entrance into the world. All is good and we are blessed with a grandson. But the final recap of this project wound up waiting a few weeks!
Mary Poppins inspired decor
As a reminder, this is what the room originally looked like:
To start, a mood board and color palette was created. You can find more info about that in this article here [link].
What stayed:
- Carpet
- Bed
- Nightstand
- Window shades
What’s new:
- Crown moldings and beefed up baseboards
- Picture frame moldings and wallpaper
- Upholstered existing headboard
- Paint
- Bedding
- Window treatments
- Small bureau
- Bench
- Wall art & accessories
- Window valences
I wanted to create a warm, inviting room with lots of hints that Mary Poppins might have once stayed there. Inspiration for the design drawn from the movie where Mary and friends popped through the sidewalk into the English countryside. An English country vibe with nods to Mary in the décor seemed the best way to achieve the goal.
And here is the finished room:
Favorite Mary Poppins decor
Picture moldings & wallpaper
I LOVE how the picture frame moldings and cherry blossom wallpaper turned out. (Or maybe I should say mouldings because it’s English country style? LOL) The picture frames were relatively simple to install. A level, tape measure, hammer, finish nails, and lots of caulk got the job done.
Details on the crown, baseboard and picture moldings can be found here: [link to article 2]
This wallpaper was a bit of a budget buster. Originally, I had cherry blossom decals to put within the picture frame moldings. They looked great online but not so much in real life. This wallpaper is from Love & Design. And what’s cool is you can customize the wallpaper design with your room’s colors.
The custom peel & stick wallpaper added about $200 to the budget but was worth it in the end. I love how the bed looks up against the wallpaper, and with the cherry blossom stems on the nightstand.
Wall art
I managed to find some great wall art too. The print of Cherry Tree Lane and the carousel horse print are both from Etsy. And the kites? Just some inexpensive ones that I found on Amazon and jazzed up with some ribbon.
The best is that I already had the print of St. Paul’s Cathedral gracing the walls of our powder room. It was part of a set purchased years ago on a vacation to London. Never forget to shop your own home when decorating!
Lighting
I’m also in love with the light fixtures in the room. Two cordless, remote-controlled sconces were added above the bed. The old ceiling fan was removed and replaced with a brass ceiling mount fixture. And a brass and linen lamp placed on the small bureau. Lots of soft glowing light for this naturally dark room.
The ceiling fixture is the result of what felt like HOURS searching online. It had to be brass, flush mount, hold at least 3 bulbs, and not too ornate. I couldn’t believe when I saw this light fixture, with the flowers that look like the daisy in Mary Poppins’ hat! And it was under $150 from Home Depot.
Jackpot!
Decor I’d do differently
Upholstered headboard
If you read the first article in this series (found here – link) you’ll know I was originally planning to replace the bed. I wanted a black spooled iron bed that would fit better with the English country aesthetic. Plus a new bed would break up the matching furniture – mismatch is also more of the English country feel.
But costs were getting out of hand, so I opted to upholster the existing headboard myself. If you look closely, it wasn’t the greatest job. I probably needed to use 4X the number of staples that I did. Our stapler is old and stubborn like me, so I did the minimum to get it done. I thought the pillows would hide more of the imperfections than they do.
Maybe one day I’ll replace the bed, but for now it will do!
Window treatments
I also had trouble finding the right window treatments for the room. Originally, I was going for drapery panels, but I wasn’t too keen on hanging drapery hardware. It’s right up there with root canal for me. After putting up all the moldings, I wanted something easy.
Instead, I pivoted to tie-up valances. I could install them with hooks and eyes and a wood dowel inserted across the top of the valance. Functionally, I still needed a way to darken the room.
I had such a hard time finding what I wanted. Eventually I purchased some drapery panels and through the magic of heat bond tape created what’s on the windows now.
They were easy to install, but I don’t love the finished look. And they don’t function as easily as I had hoped. There’s Velcro in the back to let the panels up and down, but it’s awkward and annoying to “refluff” the valance when you put it back up.
Mary Poppins decor: honorable mention
Between Michael’s and Home Goods there were tons of choices for accessories and bedding. All bringing together to a Mary Poppins theme with an English country vibe.
- The clock with the little bird on top on the nightstand
- The teapot and the cute, scalloped edge tray
- The bird figurine on the bureau
- The pink glass vase holding a daisy
The sugar jar is my own and the weather vane found at Walmart. And I found some really cool used Mary Poppins books for the nightstand as well. Oh, and I can’t forget the hat stand in the corner with a straw boater’s hat and a white parasol! All from Amazon.
To me the accessories and the wall art are what take the room from English country to Mary Poppins. And it would be beautiful either way. But for me, the Mary Poppins inspiration pieces take the room to a whole other level.
Despite a few hiccups along the way, it was a fun project and I’m loving the results.
Now I need to think about creating a fun space for our new little grandson. Stay tuned!
References/Resources
Wall color: Sherwin-Williams Clary Sage
Trim color: Sherwin Williams Pure White
Wallpaper: Love & Design, Cherry Blossom
Ceiling light: Jonathon Y, Isabelle in Antique Gold
Lamp: Ikea, Arstid lamp
Bureau: DaVinci, Kalani 3-drawer dresser in black
Amazon: cherry blossom florals, wireless wall sconces, pink bench
Home Goods: bedding, throw pillows, teapot, tray
Michael’s: clock, pink bud vase, bird figurine, decorative box, ribbon
Walmart: weathervane, ribbon
