I'd like to think we all have that one artist who has touched our life in such a profound way that it has helped shape us into the individual we are today. For me that artist is David Bowie.
I discovered David Bowie when I was 6 years old. My father would play his records in our den. I was instantly in love. Over the years I learned about the man behind the music and developed a deep respect for his incredible talent. He was a true creative genius. He was never afraid to express himself in the most raw & explosive ways. He has always been a main source of inspiration and comfort for me and I wanted to share that with my daughter.
This room was quite a challenge. I particularly wanted to showcase Bowie’s song Golden Years. For me this song speaks of youth, beauty & love. It’s fun and always makes me want to dance. I felt it was a happy base for the overall Bowie theme.
I wanted the Bowie theme to be obvious but I didn't want to create a shrine. I wanted to make sure it felt like a baby’s room and I wanted to pay homage to my daughter's name, Rose. I felt the room should take on a modern feel. Modern is not my usual decorating forte. I tried to achieve the look with simple and clean decor, Lucite accents (the curtain rod and the lamp) and some geometric patterns. I think it ended up being more of an eclectic mix of modern and traditional.
I started with a color pallet, lots of gold and white with accents of dusty rose and blue. Bowie transcended gender so I purposely included both of the traditional boy & girl colors of pink and blue. The gold is in reference to Golden Years and the white helps to drive the modern feel.
I added a minor theme of stars throughout the room. I have always had a thing for stars (my one and only tattoo is of a small star on my foot). The gold stars also pay homage to the Starman. Which was a huge part of the Bowie persona.
There are a few key pieces of the room that I absolutely love.
* The Bowie watercolor painting. It was done by a local artist, James Valdez. I discovered it in a coffee shop one weekend, months after the project began. It was perfect. I couldn't believe my luck at finding such a one of a kind piece.
* My brother (http://www.anthonyherreradesigns.com/) created the typographic print. It's the Starman's face created by the Golden Years lyrics. It was his baby shower gift to me. He’s incredibly talented. He’s the man behind the Star Wars Snowflakes.
* The white accent pillow with a lyric from Golden Years, "Never look back, Walk tall Act fine", I had made using another local artist, Jaime Robertson ( http://janddgifts.com/ ) She did an incredible job.
* The David Bowie doll I found on etsy. It was made in Ireland.
* The framed print of Bowie in the blue suit I bought at a museum exhibit in London. My husband and I were visiting Paris several years ago. We went to London for one day solely so I could see the David Bowie Is exhibit. The exhibit was incredible. I love how this piece which was purchased years and years ago fits perfectly in the room.
* The pink dresser was part of my husband’s grandparent’s bedroom set. I sanded and repainted it a dusty rose color and added the crystal knobs. I love being able to incorporate family heirlooms into the girl's room.
* The gold crib was a must. I had seen a few blog tutorials that made painting a crib gold seem simple. It wasn't quite that simple and 6 months later my garage is still covered in a thin layer of gold dust but I love the way it turned out and I really think it helps bring the room together.
The room had originally been a light turquoise blue. The people who lived in the house before us had painted the entire room this color. When I say the entire room I mean everything... walls, ceiling & closet. After 2 weeks, 2 coats of primer and 4 coats of paint we finally got the room back to white. But then it was too white. So I added the one gold wall. The gold turned out a bit darker than I had hoped but I think the star decals helped to lighten it up and tie it to the room.
All Photos taken by the talented and lovely Lindsey Gomes http://www.lindseygomes.com