Cottage Chic Meets Glam in Wren’s Room

Name: Wren
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Room Size: 130 square feet

I’ve followed Holly Baker of In the Fun Lane for years now, and have always admired her style. She masterfully combines the cottage/shabby chic aesthetic with a more glam/modern look throughout her home, and her daughter Wren’s room is no exception.

How would you describe the look and feel of this room?
It started as an all white nursery with pops of turquoise but has slowly evolved into an eclectic blend of cottage/glam/girly fun.

What is your favorite piece or element?
The armoire will always be one of my favorite things in our entire home! I saw it at an antique store when I was pregnant. My mom and aunt were with me at the time and said, “Isn’t that a cool piece! With a little paint it would be so lovely,” but I adored it – imperfect bird murals and all. Unfortunately it was out of my budget at $800. Two years later I spotted it again at the local antique mall in a sale corner with a tag for $140. I ran as fast as my feet would go to the counter to buy it! It is a piece that I hope Wren can cherish for years and years to come.

What was the biggest challenge decorating this room?
Budget! It has been a slow, steady process to make the house our own. The first year we lived in the house we spent all of our money on new floors and trim work. We had to get creative with furniture because more important things like cabinets, appliances and other areas needed attention. Now that the renos are mostly over we still like the challenge and sense of accomplishment we get from pulling things together on a shoestring budget (with the occasional splurge).

What do your friends say about the room?
Wren LOVES bringing both our friends and hers up to her room. I’ve always included her in making her room special to her. Everyone who knows Wren says that it is the perfect expression of her personality.

Do you have any advice for parents creating a room for their child?
I think the best advice would be to allow your child to join in the process. They don’t have to hold the steering wheel, but if you are deciding between a few things ask them their opinion. It was Wren’s idea to put hearts on her wall (I was hoping she would choose polka dots or star bursts), and she was a big helper when we put them up. I feel it is so important that our home represent who we are, and I always want her to feel her room represents her as well.

If money were no object, what’s your dream source?
If money were no object I would spend more time on Etsy finding a unique origami-like light fixture and a little more art for her room. I find it more thrilling to find one-of-a-kind treasures and support smaller artists.

What’s the story behind the bed? The finish is beautiful and I see that it has Wren’s name on it.
I no longer do furniture refinishing as I’ve moved on to flipping and staging homes, but I originally got my start with furniture refinishing when we bought our home. It was about double the size of our last home, so we didn’t have much furniture to fill it. All of our funds were going to the renovations, so it felt like it would be years until we could properly start furnishing it. Around this time Wren was born, and I went on one year of maternity leave.

During that time I started going to garage sales and thrift stores and decided to refinish a few pieces as temporary filler for the house. But they turned out so well that friends and family urged me to start selling some of my finds, and many of them also asked me to refinish and fix up family pieces they had as well. Before I knew it I had my hands full. At the end of my maternity leave I decided not to go back and focus entirely on growing my little business, which I did for four years until I decided to pursue my other dream of flipping a house.

Thanks, Holly! Readers, to see more of Holly you can visit her blog, In the Fun Lane.

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