Update: Wow — you all have shared so many great ideas today! Comments are coming in fast, and while I can’t reply to each one, I’m reading and loving every suggestion.
Happy Friday! This week has been a whirlwind: we painted the bathroom and closet, tackled a basket craft, removed wallpaper from our largest room (the 21′ kitchen), and worked on Clara’s room. We made a small, twinkly update there and have been experimenting with some Photoshop ideas for the next step. First, the tiny addition that made the room feel cozier:
The room feels a little brighter now…
After we hung Clara’s canopy, we talked about adding lights. They’d add a bit of magic — Clara adores lights — and also serve as useful soft lighting for bedtime stories. We worried that classic string lights might be too heavy or look messy when off, so we looked for something lighter and found “fairy lights.”
These are tiny LED bulbs on a thin, flexible wire. The set we bought was 33 feet long and cost about $14. They were perfect for weaving along the canopy supports without weighing the fabric down.
The wire is extremely lightweight and easy to shape. We threaded it back and forth across the 18″ corbels the canopy rests on. By luck, 33 feet allowed us to go back and forth four times on each side and secure the wire at each turn with white tape. The tape keeps the lights from becoming a lasso Clara could unwind and swing around, while still allowing the lights to release under heavy pressure so they won’t cause harm.
Next we draped the canopy back over the lights. The LEDs are so small they tuck into the folds and are barely noticeable when off. When switched on, they give a delicate twinkle. Because they’re LEDs, they stay cool to the touch, so we’re not worried about heat against fabric. I also like that the little glowing dots are resin-like and not fragile glass bulbs.
The only drawback is the bulky black plug. We routed the cord behind the bed and tucked it within the canopy folds so it’s hidden most of the time but easy to access when we need to plug it in. You can see it on the left in some photos, while it’s well concealed on the right. (Thanks to John for demonstrating placement — hand model of the ages.)
Clara absolutely LOVES them. Part of the appeal is the name “Fairy Lights,” but mostly she loves having secret lights above her bed. We planned to use them just for storytime and special moments, but they give off enough light that we’ve been turning them on whenever the room isn’t flooded with sunlight.
We’ve had the lights up for a couple of weeks and so far they’ve been perfect for our gentle girl — she hasn’t touched them, but she loves watching them. My best friend’s four-year-old, who’s a little acrobat, would probably try to climb the canopy and swing from it, so installation and safety remain important considerations.
Even with the lights, the canopy area still feels like it needs something above it — there’s a lot of white. We’ve been debating options: paint, a mobile, a paper lantern, or a 3D element like a felt bunting. I created several Photoshop mock-ups to help visualize ideas. Here are the concepts we’re considering:
Idea #1: A soft gray tone behind the canopy to add drama and dreaminess, inspired by a wallpaper by Osborne & Little.
Idea #2: A loose, painterly mural freehanded on the wall for an imperfect, artistic look, inspired by a fabric-covered lampshade.
Idea #3: A cluster of colorful raindrops in various hues for a playful, modern touch, inspired by a sold-out print we liked.
Idea #4: A blue-green wall with little birds — sweet and whimsical.
Idea #5: A friendly giraffe or zebra peering down at Clara from a blue-gray background — she loves animals, so that would be adorable.
Idea #6: Small colorful teardrops in varying shades for a simple, graphic effect.
Idea #7: Hang a bold fabric panel on the back wall with large-scale color and texture for an instant focal point.
Idea #8: Paint the wall a deep charcoal and add asymmetrical handmade banners for contrast and depth. A chalkboard-like finish was suggested by readers too, but we’re concerned about chalk dust near the bed, so that one is still up for debate.
Which idea do you like best? Or would you combine a few? Right now we’re leaning toward the soft gray from Idea #1 or the dark charcoal from Idea #8, possibly with a stencil of stars or a subtle 3D element like felt bunting or a paper lantern. We plan to get Clara’s input too, and I’m hoping to start this weekend — along with stenciling the bathroom floor and helping John finish the sunroom tile. What are you working on this weekend?
Update: Clara gave her opinion on these mock-ups and on some versions inspired by your suggestions. We even made one last photoshopped picture combining a few ideas she liked most — and recorded her reaction. Can’t wait to share what she chose!