Tybee's Bedroom

Paige Espey • December 16, 2024

Tybee Adamson is the most electric little girl. She is full of life and loves the color pink.

A few months ago, my sweet friend Suzanna asked if I would create a whole new bedroom for her 2-year-old daughter, Tybee. Suzanna was one of my first “real” clients back in 2020. Since then, we’ve worked together to transform almost nine spaces in her home. Suzanna tragically lost her husband this past summer, so I was honored to help bring a little fun and light into her home again.

This bedroom was previously the guest room, and before J passed away, she would always say we needed to revamp this space. Suzanna wanted to create a room that felt really girly and exciting for her daughter. Suzanna explained to me that Tybee was accustomed to sleeping in her own room every night up until J’s passing. J was always the one to put her to sleep at night, and Tybee has shown no interest in even entering her room since July. Just hearing that broke my heart. Tybee's original bedroom is located just down the hall from this guest bedroom.

Suzanna not only wanted a fun place for Tybee to play, but she also wanted the space to feel cozy and safe in hopes that she may sleep in her own bed again one day. This bedroom project was inspiring for me because Suz gave me total creative freedom. Suzanna’s style is a lot like mine, and we share a love for funky vintage items. Working with her is so easy because she likes what I like. We wanted this bedroom to feel feminine, sweet, cozy and whimsical, with vintage touches all around.

First, we sourced the headboard. I crowd sourced for this piece, asking my Instagram friends if anyone had a white wicker peacock headboard. I ended up finding this one at Carriage House Antique Mall in Jackson, Tennessee, which is where Suzanna lives.

She already had the gorgeous Turkish rug, which she sourced on Etsy. Y’all have been DYING over this rug. I’ll link a similar one here. We wanted to play off the colors in the rug, so we chose Teresa’s Green by Farrow and Ball for the walls. Painting the room was so uplifting in itself. I called up a few of Suzanna’s friends, and we all tackled it together one Sunday afternoon with wine and Italian food. Sometimes just painting with your friends and talking about everything under the sun is the best form of therapy.

Next order of business was the bedding. I actually found the 100% cotton sheets at TJ Maxx, and we ordered the duvet cover online. I’ll link it here! I found the handmade throw pillows at Miss Lucille’s in Clarksville, Tennessee. I traveled to Clarksville to pick up the white dresser because it was a Facebook Marketplace find. I was able to kill a few birds with one stone because Clarksville has several cute antique stores.

We decided to splurge on the overhead light, which ended up being a little bigger than anticipated. It’s so incredibly gorgeous in person, and the size isn’t a problem for now. That is, until Tybee starts swinging from it in a few years. LOL. I’ll link it here! It’s seriously stunning. Very high quality.

The little canopy in the corner was actually an afterthought, in an attempt to bring more pink tones into the space. I’m so glad we decided to incorporate it because it’s Tybee’s favorite spot in the room! She ran directly to the canopy corner when we showed her the room. Her giggles and playfulness = priceless. We draped string lights behind the tent so that it feels really fairy-like and magical.

Suzanna already had the white bench under the window, as it was J’s grandmother’s bench. She also already had the cute wooden trunk, white rocking chair, bamboo side tables, pink lamps and the art above the dresser. The antique pink lamps were also in J’s family. I tried to sprinkle sweet memories of him throughout the room. Tybee still talks about her Daddy all the time.

The open shelves were so fun to style. I mixed old and new pieces to create a balanced, thoughtful corner. Many pieces were gifts given to Tybee or family heirlooms passed down. I never style shelves without a few plants because the pops of green really make the space come alive. I always use pothos or philodendron because they are easy to care for and they trail as they grow! I found that vintage pink chair at an antique store on install day! Talk about meant to be.

In the coming weeks, we will be adding simple round sconces on either side of the bed, roman shades and a bed skirt! We have also talked about painting the ceiling Teresa’s Green to match the walls or maybe even adding wallpaper to the ceiling. That will be down the line!

This room is the perfect example of how mixing old and new pieces can create a uniquely curated look. During styling, if things started to look a little too “granny,” I would add a modern or new piece to the vignette. Some of the white vases and ballerina dolls on the shelf give the space a fresh feel, while the texture of the yellowing vintage books make it feel nostalgic. This juxtaposition is my absolute favorite way to style.

Overall, we are so in love with how the space turned out. Tybee loves playing in her room, and we are hoping she will decide to sleep there soon! The Adamson family means a lot to me, and I’m just honored to be a tiny sliver of their healing journey.