Beach House: First Floor Bedroom Reveal

With our focus at the beach house now officially into Phase 2 (the second floor and exterior), I figured it’s time to start sharing some additional spaces from Phase 1 that are now complete.

The first floor bedroom is one of the spaces we started first but as things progressed, some of the final details ended up being some of the last things we completed. While décor is still not officially complete, the space itself is done and that’s what I want to share with you today.

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The First floor bedroom is in the addition that was built off the back of the house by the previous owner. While framing had been done for a small bedroom, bathroom and closet in this space, we knew from our first walk-through together that we needed to completely reconfigure the entire addition to make it flow better and make the most of the space. Figuring out the floor plan took some time but once we got it nailed down, we never looked back.

The biggest challenge with the bedroom itself was the size. Bedrooms at the beach are really just a place for sleeping so we knew it didn’t make sense to have a massive room but we sacrificed every inch we could from the bedroom to make a good sized hallway, bathroom and laundry space.

The Closets

While the decor and color palette changed from my original plan, the overall design of the space turned out as we’d planned. Pulling inspiration from all the RVs we’ve owned that also have very tiny bedrooms, we got the idea of framing in two smaller closets on either side of the bed rather than try to squeeze in one standard closet.

This space saving idea gave the room some architectural interest and a feature wall for character while also giving us the much needed storage any bedroom needs.

B framed in the two closets and drywall was installed. We carried through the same simple trim as the rest of the house and we found two vintage, solid wood doors at an architectural salvage that were the perfect size. Mixing the older doors with all the new helps balance everything and adds character. They are my favorite detail in the house. A little cleaning, sanding and fresh primer and paint and they look beautiful!

Inside the closets aren’t the tidiest right now and with so much left to do elsewhere, we didn’t spend a lot of time making them beautiful. A rod for hanging clothes and a couple of shelves at the bottom for folded clothes makes them functional, which is what we need at this point. We can always upgrade later.

The Bed

There was a lot of debate initially about either turning the bed sideways or placing it perpendicular to the closet wall. Turning the bed sideways would have given us more floor space to get around the bed but would have been harder to get in and out of.

The other challenge with bed orientation was that if the head of the bed was along the accent wall, any standard bed wouldn’t leave enough room to comfortably walk around to the other side. That wasn’t going to work.

Again pulling inspiration from RV design, we decided to go with an RV Queen, otherwise known as a short Queen. B is only 5’9” and I am 5’5” and neither of us come from “tall” families so an RV queen works fine. The shorter bed provides plenty of room to walk around the bed.

Because we went with a Short Queen mattress, we decided to build a simple bed frame ourselves. This also allows us to build it a little higher than average to allow enough room for baskets or totes to fit underneath for added storage space. This has already proved to be a great decision because it gives us the perfect spot to store extra blankets and linens.

The Bedroom Door

Another space-saving decision we made was to do a barn door on the bedroom rather than a traditional door. We salvaged the original front door and repurposed it for the bedroom door. After some major repair work, and a lot of physical labor to refinish the door it looks beautiful and I love that with so little in the house to use, it’s a piece of the home’s history that now has a brand new life.

Other details to note:

The feature wall that serves as the headboard is slightly different from the original plan, but I have to say, I like it better. We used leftover shiplap from the first floor to create an accent wall that I painted a pretty medium blue-green. I then faux weathered the color with a tiny bit of the kitchen cabinet color. I am not usually into faux finishes but we both really love the depth it has. It’s subtle but makes it more interesting.

On that wall we installed two lighting sconces that are great for reading in bed. We also installed the white shelf and corbels to break things up. This is also a great place to keep our phones at night along with remotes, etc.

Opposite the feature wall, we custom built a TV alcove. We framed it out and lined the back with beadboard. All the wiring and plugs are in the alcove so there are no cords hanging down the wall. This also saves a few inches of space and looks good too.

Finishing Touches and what’s Next

You’ll see from the photos that the bedding has changed. The multi-colored, navy and orange pillows I made using a piece of fabric I bought before we finalized any of the beach house designs. There was just enough for the two accent pillows and I plan to make a matching roman shade for the small window. It’s a darker look but I love that it feels cozy.

You may have also noticed the curtain. This is temporary while I wait to finish the matching roman shade. I’d also like to eventually hang curtains to break up the wall and soften things but for now, this gives us the necessary privacy.

I have added some decor to finish off the space but as we move further along with the house, I’m realizing that I want to slow down and add decor more over time so it feels collected with things we love rather than forced.

We’ve also talked about maybe converting the bed into a custom Murphy bed so we can use the room as an office when we are staying there alone. Also, as I mentioned above, we have also discussed upgrades to the insides of the closets.

This small first floor bedroom has come such a long way since October of 2020. It’s not always been our focus but the end result is well worth it. I know that once the construction is done, we’ll invest more time and money into upgrading décor but for now, this is a great place to rest your head after a fun day on the water.

Resources:

Wall & Ceiling Color: Sherwin Williams Extra White

Trim Color: Sherwin Williams Front Porch

Floors: Pine tongue-and-groove flooring painted Sherwin Williams Sea Salt

Accent Wall: Benjamin Moore Blue Stream and Sherwin Williams Sea Creature

Wall Sconces: Home Depot

Navy Blue and Orange Fabric: JoAnn’s Fabric (old)

Closet Doors: Vintage, Architectural Salvage Yard

Shelf above Bed: Custom made using 1” x 6” and shelf bracket corbels from Home Depot

Multi-Colored Bedding: Old from Amazon (no longer available)

Navy Blue Quilt Set: from Amazon

Metal Fish Art: At Home

Wicker Fish Art: Gift