Steal the Room: The Bridgertons' Morning Room (from Netflix's Bridgerton)

Netflix’s Bridgerton is one of the prettiest TV shows I think I’ve ever seen, rich with flowers and patterns in soft pastel tones. The interiors are lush and feminine and, I think, an excellent source to draw inspiration from if you want to capture a similar feeling in your home. The one that has caught my eye the most is the Bridgerton family’s London morning room.

Stacked Wainscoting

Parma Gray

Codd Fireplace

Blanc de Treillage

Desire Lavender Wallpaper

Walls

The walls of the morning room are lovely and formal, with a soft lavender wallpaper panels framed in box trim against dove grey walls and elegant robin’s egg wainscoting below. They’re maximalist and feminine and give off the vibe of a peaceful Spring morning. While very (very) Regency inspired, they were designed with modern sensibility and aren’t difficult to recreate today.

Paint: Farrow & Ball Parma Grey

Wallpaper: Desire Lavender (Graham & Brown), Antique Lilac (G&B)

Fireplace: Winston Porter Cod Fireplace

Wainscoting & Trim: Wainscoting Paneling Kit (Stacked), Ashford Square Paneling Kit, Legacy PVC wall paneling, Base Cap (“How To” instructions)

Cali Loveseat

Silvia Settee

Bransford Armchair

Relic Oak Pedestal

Kiyola Electric Piano

Piccadilly Table

Riveria Chair

Fallon Desk

Kahl End Table

Curio Cabinet

Furniture

The furniture in the Bridgertons’ morning room does most of the work to establish the viewer in the Regency period, and would be hard to truly replicate without sourcing antiques, but we’ll give it a shot and try to scrounge up a 21st century neoclassical design. The main sitting areas feature settees and armchairs in shades of soft blues and whites and the rest of the room features mid-tone wood furniture. The wood furniture retains a sense of softness with curving lines, and spindly, light silhouettes. It floats in the room. Because borrowing from the Classical era was en vogue in the Regency era, there’s a motif of columns, both architecturally in the room, and in the plant pedestals.

I tried so hard to find ladder back chairs with caned seats, because I kind of fell in love with the ones in the show, but I think the ones I did find are a good nod to the originals.

Decor

Flowers, Grecian statuary, Chinoiserie vases, flowers, silver tea sets, flowers, portraiture, and also flowers fill the Bridgertons’ morning room. The decor in the Bridgerton morning room is elegant, feminine, and floral. I feel like the set decorator tried to make this room feel like an English garden, with the wild, overflowing bouquets and marble statuary, which I think makes it feel incredibly inviting. Silver serving ware, some pretty ceramics, and pastel fabrics complete the look, which I’ve tried to replicate with the items below:

Grecian Bust Lamp

Faux Botanicals

Mandeville Sconce

Chinoiserie Vases

2-Tier Cake Stand

Velvet Curtains

Empire Chandelier

Framed Painting

Cotsworld Willow Rug

Turf Club Card Set

Cafetiere

Trellis Cushion

If you’re interested in learning more, I recommend this wonderful article about set decorator Gina Cromwell’s design process and you can see some of the gorgeous mood boards she used while creating the rooms. Regardless, I hope your home has a happy space for enjoying some macarons and a cup of coffee.

Wishing you romance,

Julia

Steal the Room (mini): Anne's Bedroom

So I know that Persuasion (2022) wasn’t the most well received Austen adaptation, but I for one thought it was perfectly enjoyable. I have also never wanted to steal a room more than Anne’s bedroom. How hideously, beautifully stunning.

Chinoiserie Chic Wallpaper

Fantasy Floral Twilight

Havenview Mural

Turquoise Blooming

Old Frayed Wall

Trailing Orchid

Wall Murals

Obviously, the most attractive feature of the room is the gorgeous Chinoiserie wall mural that, is hand-painted and 300 years old, which means it is utterly unattainable. Luckily, wall murals are in and there are some that, while not as richly detailed and dusky, are workable homages and stunning in their own right. The moulding creates an architectural elegance in the space, and can be approximated with a kit somewhat cheaply.

Pink Upholstered Bed

White Distressed Nightstand

Pink & Blue Tartan

Embroidered Pillow

Books

Brass Candlestick

Brown Glass Vase

White Flowers (Dried)

Furniture and Decor

We only get to see a vignette of the room, mainly this corner with the bed and the nightstand, so we don’t have a full room’s worth of inspiration, but there’s certainly enough to build off. The bed is actually a a Louis XVI style bed and you can buy antiques that look extremely similar (with paint/upholstery differences) and modernized replicas modernized replicas of the style. I chose to hone in on the pink upholstery, however, because I thought that the moody color, in this case, was a more effective element of this bed than the frame. I tried to keep similar lines, with a gently curving headboard and flat upholstery.

The nightstand is also in a Louis XVI style, and though you can find more faithful replicas, I try to find more affordable options where possible and thought the one above still worked quite nicely. If you’re looking to fill out the rest of the room in a similar style, searching for Louis XVI/French Provencial is the way to go. Here’s a decent option for a bookcase and chest of drawers.

The colors in the decor all draw from the mural, pinks, blues, and creamy whites, with some earthy browns mixed in to keep things grounded. It’s pretty typical “Cottagecore” styling, but still lovely.

I hope you enjoyed this mini Steal the Room! Coming up is even more Georgian fun!

Best,

Julia

Steal the Room: The Girls' Kitchen (from The Golden Girls)

Sure, Nancy Myer’s kitchens are enviable, but when I think of favorite kitchens in television and film, only one really, truly has my heart.

The Golden Girl’s kitchen. In all of its 80’s grandmother glory. Yeah, it has builder grade cabinets, laminate countertops, a wood-look fridge, white iron shelving, and a lobster pan that kind of sorta looks like… something else. I’m not the only one nostalgic for it, though. In New York, there’s even a Golden Girls themed pop up restaurant styled after it.

If you’re nostalgic for it too, here’s how to get the look at home (with a little 2020s updating).

ABC

WALLS, CABINETS & FLOOR

I’m not the biggest fan of tan walls, but I have to admit that they help make this Miami kitchen feel sunny and warm. I absolutely do love the subtle palm wallpaper on the walls, and I think this look could certainly be featured in a stylish kitchen in 2023. I think I found an extremely close match that is just stunning. I am going to upgrade the cabinets, and take them from this very red builder grade, to a similar, but softer and more modern look. Similarly, we’ll trade out the laminate counters for real butcher block counters.

Paint: Farrow & Ball: Oxford Stone

Wallpaper: Rainforest Leaves

Tile: Sullivan Peel & Stick

Cabinets: Cove CLJ Shaker Door (pairs with Ikea cabinets), Butcher Block Counters

FURNITURE & APPLIANCES

Oh, 80s. There’s so much nostalgia in this room, the bamboo-look patio set, the iron shelving, the wood-look fridge. It’s terrible and wonderful and we’re going to do our best to replicate it for a modern kitchen. That style of chair is actually still easy to find! The shelving will be slightly more modern. The table is always a mystery under the tablecloth. Wood-look fridges aren’t a thing anymore, but you can easily recreate the look with a cheap fridge (with a smooth finish!) and contact paper—same goes for a dishwasher, an appliance I don’t think The Girls had.

Fridge: Fisher and Paykel, Wood Look Contact Paper

Dining Set: Asante Linen Side Chair, Roman Cotton Chair, Jane Street Pedestal Table

Shelving: Chiasson Bookcase

Island: Rolling Kitchen Island

DECOR

There are really only three words you need if you want to decorate your kitchen like The Golden Girls: Copper. Bundt. Pans. Unfortunately, you know what is practically impossible to buy new? Copper. Bundt. Pans. The rest is easier at least: the plants and baskets on the shelves, the ceramic flour canisters, the Chinoiserie vase. There are so many goodies here! Also, if you’re not one for vintage scores but really want the look, collect some cheap aluminum cake pans and spray paint them copper. Just… don’t use them afterwards.

Bundt Pans: Harvest Bounty, Wilton Novelty Pans, Wreath Bundt Pan, Curved fish mold, Pineapple mold, lobster mold

Shelf Items: Chinoiserie Vase, Wicker Basket, Indoor Plants (Option 2), Cabbage Tureen, Large Copper Pot

Dinnerware: Light Blue Plates, Yellow Mug set

Countertop Items: Smeg Toaster, Copper Cannisters, Flour Cannister, Glass Jars

Table Cloths: Palm Beach Leaves, Tropical Banana Palm Life, Miami Vibes, Retro 80s Monstera, Pastel Palms

Hanging Food: Purple Onions

Wall Phone: Vintage Sangyn, Tablet Wall Mounts

Poster: Miami Ocean Drive Poster, Miami Art Deco Poster, Still Life (featured in show)

Cafe Curtains: Reade - Linen

We’ve left the 80s behind a bit with this updated tribute to the Golden Girls’ fabulous kitchen, but you can forget all of the rest too so long as you remember the most essential element of any kitchen that wants to claim to be like The Golden Girls: a cheesecake.

Thank you for being a friend,

Julia

Steal the Room: Sherlock's Study (from BBC's Sherlock)

Time for another edition of Steal the Room! We’re back in England, but with a whole new vibe. Sherlock’s study from BBC’s Sherlock was, for a time, iconic, airing back when those Keep Calm and Carry On posters were all of the rage and the world was about to enter full Anglophile mode with the 2011 wedding of Will and Kate, the 2012 Olympics, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

BBC’s Sherlock gained a lot of acclaim for taking the Victorian detective into the 21st century (those on-screen text messages were revolutionary), and I think this room won over viewers for the same reason. It’s a beautifully modern twist on an old English study and so gorgeously atmospheric.

BBC

Walls

Sherlock’s study is dark and moody, and it’s hard to truly get a handle on just how much is going on with these walls. For starters, there are two different dramatic wallpapers: a red and gold damask and a slightly more modern black floral pattern. The wallpapers are on opposite walls, with solid green walls in-between. The red damask wall has the most going on, with stripes of green wall and backless (built-in?) bookcases on either side of a central fireplace, pulling the room out of the Victorian age and helping it feel more modern.

Paint: Farrow & Ball Green Smoke

Wallpapers: Red Damask, Red and Gold Damask, Black and Silver Damask, Black and white (exact match)

Fireplace: Electric Fireplace

BBC

Furniture

Sherlock’s furniture does even more to take Sherlock out of the Victorian era, with a large selection of mid-century walnut furniture and leather seating, mixed with only a few older pieces: a couple of antique-look chairs, and an old trunk that holds a printer. The Sparknotes of a Sherlock study: dramatic Victorian walls with worn-in mid-century furniture will do the trick.

Leather Armchairs: Chesterfield, Modern, Modern 2

Sofa: Robertson Leather, Hoxton Leather

Bookcase: Bloomquist, Modway

Desk/Dining Table: Seb Dining Set

Chest: Nayla Vintage Trunk

Coffee Table: Waterfall Coffee Table

End Table: Laurel

Armchair: Red Upholstered Arm Chair

Decor

The decor in this room does a lot to tie the room together and create a vibrant, cohesive space. There is so much of Sherlock’s personality in the little touches and so many objects that grab your eye and interest. Every new corner has a detail that reveals the personality of its inhabitant.

In replicating it, I tried to represent all of these various aspects. There’s some Victorian Gothic (the scientific bat study, the vertebrae in a cloche), more mid-century modern (the orange lollypop lamp), modern modern (the blue skull painting), and finally the classic English Gentleman Detective touches (the leather-bound books, the magnifying glass).

Wall Art: Etched Mirror, Bat Scientific Drawing, Abstract Art, Art Light, Map of Britain, Skull Art (1) (2), Resin Bison Skull

Tabletop Decor: Resin Skull, Abstract Dark Sculpture, Magnifying Glass, Spine in Cloche, Chess Board

Lamp: Orange Globe, Table Lamp

Textiles: Sophia Burgundy Rug, Gold Velvet Curtains, Union Jack Pillow, Tartan Throw

Leather-bound Books: B&N Classics

Tea cups: UK map tea cup (used in show), Blue Scale, William Morris Tea Mugs

To complete the room—or if you don’t want to decorate like this at all but still want to vibe—light a candle, pour a cup of tea, and curl up with a good mystery.

Best,

Julia

Steal the Room: Max's Room (from Hocus Pocus)

Hear me out.

I know that Max’s room from Hocus Pocus isn’t going to be making any top ten list. It’s most notable feature, the lookout tower with views of Salem Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean, isn’t even one that you can attempt to replicate. Design wise, it’s not even a completed room. It’s been freshly moved-in to, with boxes still stuffed in corners.

But when I think of movie rooms, it’s one I keep coming back to, especially now that I’m the mother of a little boy.

For one, this room had the shiplap craze beat by about two decades, with its gorgeously preserved walls. For another, it has the wallpaper and paneling trend of the 2022s also beat with its gorgeous tall ship wall paper and chair (knee?) rail and paneled walls on the area that don’t feature shiplap.

It’s a gorgeously dressed room, that would be a showstopper in any house.

Except it’s not the showstopper in this house. It’s the teenage boy’s room. So these beautiful design details are mixed with these little design nightmares, like dartboards and kitchy bikini-girl lamps and a giant tie dye tapestry.

I love the contrast between beautiful New England nautical design and lived-in, colorful (tacky) teenage boy room. I think it makes the space less pristine, but all the more charming.

Although I am going to touch up a few details while stealing this room, I’m really inspired by this space that is both beautifully designed and prioritizes its inhabitant.

So let’s begin.

Source: Hooked on Houses

WALLS

Like I said up top, the walls in Max’s room are truly amazing. The slanted walls are painted a pretty periwinkle blue, while the walls on the bottom level are wallpapered with a gorgeous tall ship pattern with chair rail and paneling starting at around knee height. The walls around the staircase leading up to the lookout are shiplap. Every detail screams “historical New England oceanside home.”

Paint: Farrow & Ball: Lulworth Blue

Molding: Rail Trim

Ship Wallpaper: Hudson Bay Nautical

Shiplap: Wallpaper, Boards

FURNITURE

Max has pretty basic oak and pine furniture with clean lines. The most interesting detail in his furniture are the dark green drawers that repeat across a few items, like his dresser and nightstand. Using his furniture as inspiration, I tried to keep similar somewhat utilitarian silhouettes, in a mixture of warm wood tones and olive green colors. His room features what looks like classic Ikea Ivar shelving, which we’ll elevate slightly. Same with his 4-leg desk chair, which we’ll keep the style of, but elevate to a swivel chair.

Bed: Alexia Pine

Dresser: Hampshire Olive

Nightstand: Hampshire Olive

Desk: Minnie Desk

Shelving: Thelan Stackable Bookcase

Chair: Armless Office Chair, Leather Drum Stool

DECOR

Max’s decor, while being very textbook teenager-y (the drum set, the dartboard, the tie dye tapestry, the little basketball hoop on the door) still actually draws a lot from the nautical theme of the house. The floor lamp is a tripod style that I find really reminiscent of a telescope that you’d expect to find in a sea-side lookout tower. There are fish on the wall and on the bed (and in a tank!). Even the figural lamps on Max’s bedside reads nautical: a bikini clad woman with a sailor—reminding you both that Max is a teenage boy and that Salem is nearly as famous for whaling as it is for witches.

We won’t steal this decor so much as draw inspiration from it, as decor obviously dates much quicker than wall coverings and furniture pieces and can be a little harder to replicate overall. I’ll try to include the fun teenage boy elements while making them more hip to the 21st century and “designed,” for example: an emoji-esque peace sign tapestry instead of a tie dye one. Unfortunately, the vintage pinup lamp cannot be replicated, for that missing touch of camp, I hope a Big Mouth Billy Bass will do.

Lamps: Tripod Lamp, Figural (Lobster) Lamp, Illuminated Globe

Bedding: A Few Freshwater Fish Comforter, Green Wool Blanket

Door Decor: Mini Basketball Hoop, Stop Sign

Wall Art: Peace Sign Wall Hanging, Big Mouth Bass, Magnetic Dartboard, Woodstock Poster

Drums: Electric Drum Kit

Rug: Impasto Blue Rug

And there you are! That’s everything you’ll need for a nautical and game-filled teenage boy’s room. All you’d really need to finish it off is a ring of salt to protect from witches and ex-boyfriends. I honestly think this would be such a fun room and there’s a lot more to love here than I thought there’d be before I studied it. I hope you’re able to get some inspiration from it, too!

Best,

Julia