Serena & Lily is one of my favorite design partners. So, when I needed to kickstart my bedroom makeover, Serena & Lily was an obvious source. New Englanders embrace the coastal Cali look, Serena & Lily even opened a  shop in Chestnut Hill, just outside Boston, a couple of years ago.

I love how Serena & Lily’s pieces blend seamlessly with the decor in our more traditional Back Bay condo as well as in our more contemporary Cape Cod house. As you’ll see below in the photographs, it also works well in a midcentury modern setting.

About a year-and-a-half ago, I ordered a green Granada quilt for our preliminary Boston bedroom makeover. I suppose it was more of a refresh at that point. As soon as I spread the quilt on the bed, the room felt brighter and more vibrant. This was exactly the effect I was going for with the bedroom makeover, given our bedroom is located in the basement and lacks abundant natural sunlight.

As much as I love all-white simplicity, the bedroom really benefited from the rich color, rhythmic pattern, and jaunty details of the quilt. The overscale, Indian-inspired botanical pattern is a nice juxtaposition to the geometric wallpaper on the wall behind the bed. The emerald green pops against the upholstered white headboard and plays off the pale green walls. Finally, the quilting, embroidered details, and tassels are fun touches.

The Granada quilt is made from cotton and linen. There’s enough linen that there’s a textural quality to the fabric, but enough cotton to give it some weight and ensure it doesn’t feel scratchy. It’s gone through the washer and dryer a number of times and looks great. It will hold its own through another makeover.

I brought the quilt out to Cape Cod this summer to dress up the sofa bed in my yoga studio / workspace. I may even cozy up with it on our outdoor patio in the evening. I’ll be posting these variations in my Instagram stories soon.

In the meantime, I thought I’d experiment with the Granada quilt by doing an impromptu bedroom makeover in a midcentury modern home in the Cape Cod National Seashore. I thought, if this quilt can transform an urban bedroom and fit perfectly into a contemporary space, how would it work in a midcentury one? Turns out, really well!

Instant midcentury modern bedroom makeover compliments of the Serena & Lily Granada quilt

A family member kindly let do a bedroom makeover in her midcentury modern home. The house was designed by architect Charlie Zehnder in the 1960s. Have a look at this post on my @StyleCarrot Instagram feed to see the clerestory window and beams above the bed. The furniture has a southwestern flavor that works well with the botanical print.

I haven’t read this book, have you? I picked it up off the homeowner’s stack of books because the cover looks perfect against the quilt. Always judge a book by its cover. A bed too. Turkey feather found in the wild.

The pattern is printed on both sides of the cotton/linen quilt which has a clean, knife edge. The pairs of triangles in taupe embroidery thread add to the hand-crafted feel, as do the trio of tassels at each of the four corners. Not only do these details elevate the look, they add texture, and help the palette meld with natural decor elements elsewhere in a room.

The original wide-plank floor has so much character. I love how the edges of the old, tattered book look against it. The embroidery and tassels accentuate the effect.

Meet Bella, a new rescue puss. She’s fluffy, sweet, and a little bit shy. She looks grumpy here, but she is even tempered. The shoot had to pause for a few minutes because Ms. Bella takes her meals bedside.

Photos by Marni Elyse Katz/StyleCarrot

S C H E M I N G 

Create a chic, neutral bedroom makeover with 16 pieces from Serena & Lily.

Our bedroom in Boston has a feature wall with white wallpaper that has a silvery geometric pattern , pale green walls that read as light and bright, neutral wool carpet with pattern and texture, and a glossy white lacquer dresser with polished chrome studs. (You can see a photo of the dresser in my bedroom here.) Yes, it’s about time for a bedroom makeover.

I’d love to do a full bedroom makeover around the Granada quilt. I devised a neutral bedroom makeover scheme using 16 Serena & Lily pieces, including a rattan-wrapped dresser that I adore. What do you think?

S H O P P I N G
1 Bone Inlay Mirror / 2 Table Lamp / 3 Raffia Wrapped Dresser / 4 Rattan Bed / 5 Textural Rug / 6 Striped Pillow / 7 Granada Quilt / 8 Granada Shams / 9 Concrete Pendant Light / 10 Hurricanes / 11 Tree Stump Table / 12 Botanical Print Pillow  / 13 White Sheets  /  14 Bobbin Chair / 15 X-Base Table /  16 Natural Wallpaper

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Create your own bedroom makeover
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