Friday, March 11, 2022

My wardrobe room

With the move (previously mentioned briefly in my My 2021 post, if you missed it), we had the opportunity to rearrange all of our things in a new/different house! I took that opportunity to nab a bedroom for myself this time (since we happen to have more rooms than we really need right now). In our previous house, we agreed for the equivalent "extra" bedroom to be his office/computer room but for various reasons, we decided that wasn't necessary here. 

Having not had this type of space completely to myself before, I was basically able to start from scratch! The only thing I really knew is what clothes I would likely be keeping in there but otherwise I didn't have any existing furniture that NEEDED to be placed in the room.

After thinking about what kind of aesthetic I wanted and setting a budget, I knew I had to start with some pieces from Romantic Princess/Romapri
I had never ordered from it before because I knew it would be such a pain to ship to the US, but this was an excellent opportunity to just go for it, and imo they actually have quite a decent selection! I will include stock photos and links to these items at the bottom of the post, if you're interested.

I have such a hard time envisioning how furniture will look in a room, so I had to do a small mock up with painters tape and scaled down rectangles of postit notes haha. Here were some of the variations:
You can probably also see the random boxes and the painters tape in the first couple of photos in the post as well because I really have such a hard time mentally placing the items in a space!

Some progress photos when the first of the items started to arrive:

The current state of things:
Unfortunately, the lighting is quite yellow in the room and I had a bit of trouble balancing it with the outdoor lighting on this day, rushing to get the photos before I had to leave. However, I know I will continue to slightly make "improvements" and snap new photos, so this is just my first attempt!

Clothes rack with storage:
This item was among the first that I knew that I wanted to order. It was a bit pricier than I really would have liked, but I knew the details would contribute so much more to the aesthetic of the room compared to the cheap, flimsy version I had from Walmart, so I decided to splurge. I really enjoy having the shelf on the top and on the bottom for purses, in addition to the 2 drawers for the smaller pieces that might not display as well. In my haste to take these pictures, I missed taking pictures of the sides, but there's a cute curly design (check the stock photos in the bottom section!).
I originally only had my Liz Lisa OPs on here, but actually kind of ran out of room in my other closet (in the master bedroom) where I was storing the separates, so I added the Liz Lisa blouses and skirts here as well. I don't love that there's a giant empty vertical space but it does make it easier to pick something out if I know I want to wear this style of clothes...and it does actually allow for some slightly taller purses there now. 
The bottom drawers have hats/larger hair accessories and belts - mostly Liz Lisa stuff on the left and then black accessories on the right.

4 drawer dresser:
This was my last large addition to the room. I'm not 100% sure about leaving it in this spot, but for now I like the location because it's next to the clothes and I think it's a nice spot for my jewelry box. I bought this dresser to specifically have an organized storage for my socks and tights. Prior to this, I had them all in these round collapsible "buckets" from the 100yen store which was fine when I wasn't wearing them regularly, but I anticipate wearing them much more in JP (especially when it's colder) and being able to find the exact item I'm looking for is much easier in a drawer compared to thrown in/stacked on each other in a bin. 
First drawer is actually my solid color Aimer Feel bras and underwear that were purchased ala carte. These are separate from the printed sets which are kept in the master bedroom dresser. I would ideally like to keep them all in the same place, but they don't find in either set of drawers perfectly lol. Also some fluffy roomwear socks.
Second drawer is ankle socks. Sorted primarily by color. I currently have mostly white/cream ankle socks because that's the color I would always wear with Liz Lisa items. They will stain or discolor (sometimes shoe color rubs off??) most easily so I do end up constantly buying them. I'm slowly building up my selection of black socks though! 
Third drawer is OTK socks (leftmost) and tights, sorted by color. I mainly wear the OTK socks in combination with OTK boots and I guess I used to wear them for fashion purposes a lot more 5+ years ago, so I have more than I really would use these days. I do plan on buying a larger variety (in terms of denier count) of the beige tights. In the past, I wouldn't often wear these in Hawaii but could see myself wearing them very often in the colder months in JP (and often did when going out in Feb). Not being able to pick out exactly which one I wanted when they were all stacked was one of the main reasons I wanted this storage arrangement instead.
Fourth/last drawer includes my LizMelo roomwear set, my Liz Lisa chambre a couche roomwear set and 2 Juge Etta underwear sets. There's no real good reason for it except that, similar to the Aimer Feel ala carte items, they don't easily fit in the other drawer with the rest of my boring looking roomwear and I had an empty drawer I wanted to fill with cute things. 

Chaise lounge sofa:
This is one of my favorite pieces in the room and one of the first pieces I picked out and was determine to include. I wanted a nice little lounge area where I could read, watch videos or just relax, but also a good surface for stacking clothes as I plan things out, haha. This one is simple but still has great details like the legs and curved back. I also really like that there's just the arm on one side so it doesn't feel so closed off. Also gives a great opportunity to use my ram ottoman (previously featured here). 
Next to the little sofa is this fabulous flower lamp that I found by just searching on Etsy. I really wanted a floor lamp that was also a statement item and this was so perfect. 

Mirror area:
This is a mirror that we had from our previous house that had been mounted to the wall. We actually had mirrored sliding closet doors for the other bedrooms in the house (that we obviously left in there), so this was the only one that came with us. I would ideally love to get a framed, vintagey mirror in the future but haven't found one that I really, really love yet and meanwhile this one is fine.
To the left of it is my Liz Lisa fukubukuro suitcase and Liz Lisa x My Melody fukubukuro tote. I'm currently using them to just store some random items that aren't regularly used. I also thought it might be nice to hang something above it to use the vertical space. Currently I'm loving this sage green Maison de Fleur tote, so that's on the hook now, but I can see myself changing it in the future. This space is what you immediately see when looking into the room for the door, so I like for it to be something nice.
To the right of the mirror is this small shoe rack. I may end up changing what I put here in the future, but for now it's just 4 pairs of shoes that match the aesthetic of the room. I really do love the design of this little wire rack but some of my shoes are actually just a little too tall to fit :|

3-mirror vanity with stool:
Aside from the little sofa, this vanity is my other favorite piece. I've never had a little table + mirror like this (although I was lucky enough to have an entire bathroom to myself growing up with a great mirror), and I really just love the idea of it. The stool was included as part of the vanity which I thought was really nice as well. It's looking a little cluttered in the pictures, but it had seemed just right to me in person based on what I like to have easy to access. I think I will spend some time rearranging a few things in the future to see how I like it. I'm currently using the drawers for things like hair ties or extra makeup items. 
I also really love this standing necklace display. I specifically wanted something to display 3 different simple necklaces and this piece was almost exactly perfect. My first choice was something in clear acrylic but then you'd be able to see the mess of chains in the back so I understand why this one is solid - the white is quite nice anyway!

3 drawer storage next to the vanity:
This seems like quite a big seller for Romapri and although I wasn't fussed with it being plastic, I did really like the look of it! I don't think I applied the drawer front stickers exactly right, but you are meant to be able to remove and replace them as you like, so I might consider getting a different design for it in the future! The drawer pull is one of my favorite parts and elevates the look quite a lot I think. 
The top of it currently just has a few things on it for display mostly - knick knacks that make me smile or are just cute. The big pink flower bud was actually a freebie sent by the Etsy seller who did the lamp and it's meant to be a tea light holder! I also have the AC and light remote here as well.This is another area I think I will rearrange a bit after looking at the photos of it. 
In the top drawer, this is where the majority of my clip/barrette-type hair bows/accessories are + non-black headbands and hair "turbans". I figured I would likely do my hair at the vanity area, so I wanted these things nearby.
In the second drawer is all of my nail polish and some minorly related miscellaneous items. 
Bottom drawer is my sewing supplies! I'm not much of a seamstress at all, but I used to make some hair ribbons or things like that so there's a ton of scrap fabric. These days I mostly use these supplies to re-sew buttons haha. 

Purse storage boxes:

It took me a little bit to decide what I wanted to put in this area. I always meant it to be a place where I could keep shoes or purses or both. The light switch in on the wall above these shelving units so I knew I couldn't pick something too tall, and I also wanted something that could serve as a flat "drop zone" where I could just put something right when entering the room. I settled on these modular boxes for now which can be rearranged as you like using some clips at the back. The quality is not as great as I would have expected and one of the pieces of furniture I'm most disappointed with in the room for the price I paid, but it's doing the job for now. 

The built-in closet:
This is where the majority of my non-Liz Lisa dresses are (including all the EATME and Ted Baker ones) and the long Liz Lisa dresses which would drag on the clothes rack. During the colder months, I plan to keep my heavier outers in here but will otherwise move them to the guest room for storage. 
The top shelf currently has some lesser used purses that don't fit into the existing purse spaces I have, but I'm hoping to reorganize that a little bit to look a bit more tidy once I have everything in one place. 
On the bottom, I have this small shelf with my caboodle that has deco items in it + some reusable bags and then an another empty bin on the top, waiting for me to fill it in miscellaneous things lol. 
The two covered drawer bins just have some additional things that aren't regularly used but good to keep on the left and then the small purses on the right. I rarely use these but will know where to look for them if I want something that mostly just fits a wallet. 

Other details:
Love, love this clock! It was a great find on Etsy that fit the aesthetic that I was looking to achieve exactly and was lightweight (important to me for being able to easily hang it). The seller accidentally didn't include the second hand but did voluntarily send it in separately later which I really appreciate because for some reason I like to see the constant movement for quiet clocks! She was very communicative and patient, and I wish I had another reason to order another clock because this one is exactly what I asked for.

It's really just a frivolous display-type item without any real purpose - a mirror initial letter H and some 3D paper flowers. I had initially planned to put this above the mini sofa near the flower lamp so it could possibly be seen in the mirror pictures, but the area started to seem a little busy, so I changed it last minute to be on the opposite wall. I also planned for the flowers to all be on one side of the letter but in an oddly spontaneously move for me, I decided to split them *face palm*. I still don't know if I made the right decision about this - from buying it, to placement in the room, to placement of the flowers, but it's stuck to the wall for now, so I'm going to see how it goes! I do like the aesthetic of it, but sometimes it feels a bit like a baby nursery to me 😂

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Items from Romantic Princess / Romapri:
Trifold mirror slim dresser
Assembly was required for this item but it was quite simple and I was able to do it entirely by myself. The white is painted onto the piece, so there is potential for it to chip or possibly get scratched off, but seems like it would be easy to further customize if you were creative/talented with paint or even stickers! This doesn't seem like it will be a lifetime piece, but definitely good for a fair handful of years.

Compact couch sofa in ivory
Again, love, love. Perfect size for one person. Legs needed "assembly" but it's simply just screwing them on. It doesn't have a ton of weight (I was able to easily carry it up the stairs) but it does feel stable and it's actually way more comfortable than I would have anticipated. The fabric is slightly textured and I appreciate that it's more beige than white while still being quite light in color.

Fluffy ribbon rug (rectangle)
I didn't talk about this rug in any of the above sections, but this absolutely sparks joy like no other piece. I had such a hard time picking which size I wanted for the space, but this was absolutely the right choice. I love the bow design and the color choice so much. The only downside is that the rug does/will shed with lots of white fuzzies (you might see it in some of my close up photos for darker items), but supposedly that will die down eventually. I'm definitely willing to deal with it!

Dress change chest with 3 drawers in pink
This also required assembly with each box being able to be separated and the drawer fronts added on last. You also had to apply the sticker yourself which I really sucked at haha. As mentioned, this is made of plastic, so I do worry a little about how they'll hold up long term, especially with heavier items inside, I'd think maybe there'd be some sagging, but I plan to deal with that at the time it comes up, if it comes up and I'm not fussed about it currently.

Frill hanger rack with 2 boxes
Another one where assembly is obviously required. This actually includes some screws/hardware that my other clothes racks in the past didn't have (they either had those detent ball buttons or were just held together with tension lol) which actually makes it feel very, very secure and worth the price I paid. I do also like that it has wheels! I do think the fabric on the shelves and the storage boxes will eventually shred in a humid environment. 

Iron shoe rack in white
アイアンシューズラック(スリム)
This one is so cute and simple and I just needed to attach the two side panels to assemble it. The top 3 shelves actually fold up so you can store tall boots or something completely not like shoes if you wanted to pretty easily. 

Rose floor mat in pink
ローズフロアマット(60×60cm)
This was actually just part of my initial "test" order that I had done when I was just trying to make sure I knew how ordering from Romapri would work. (I basically didn't want to buy huge furniture or spend a few hundreds if the delivery didn't quite work as I expected.) I initially just had it by the door of the room because there wasn't a real intended purpose for it, but as I started looking at the layout of the room and thought about how I could possibly shoot blog posts in there, I realized this was really perfect as a shoe mat for when I take coordinate photos indoors and I'm so happy to have it. I would order another for sure!

Small chest / Neige
チェスト小/Neige(ネージュ)
For the price, this set of drawers does feel slightly cheapy especially with how the drawers slide (no drawer rails) but I'm happy with it for what I needed it for. It came completely assembled with the drawers already inside and isn't too heavy. It did need a little bit of a wipe down for dust, but that's very expected. I love having the flat top surface as well. 

Items from Etsy sellers:
Wall clock from YourFloralDreams on Etsy
8" diameter, custom color request
I already raved about this clock, but I just wanted to mention again - the seller was great to work with. All of the Etsy reviews mention that as well and it's true. She also offers discounts for future orders which is really nice. I asked for a custom colored version of the clock on the left (similar to the clock on the right) and even changed my mind a little bit while messaging with her and she was very accommodating and just wanted to make sure I got what I wanted. Shipping time took a little bit but that's not the seller's fault. Package came with tracking and seller notified me along the way. 

Paper flower decoration from MoniquePaperArt on Etsy
Set in blush pink and white with rose gold mirror letter
The display photos for this one mostly include full names, so I wasn't 100% sure how the initial would turn out, but I think it's fine. Shipment was fast through DHL (shipped internationally) and very securely packaged. It also included a roll of double stick tape which was more than what I needed. 

Bluebell floor lamp from Lampitza on Etsy
in pastel pink
This also arrived fairly quickly for an international item from a small business and was nicely and securely packaged, including the small flower bud tea light holder gift! The lamp is completely coiled up when it arrives, so I did have to wrestle with it a little to get it into the position I currently have it in and I'm not completely happy with it, but I had so much trouble balancing it! I do like that it's flexible but I would have maybe liked for the coil at the base to be "set" if that make sense. This lamp looks amazing on and off and the seller provided great instructions for cleaning and maintenance as well. Of note, this lamp has a european plug so I am using a bulky wall converter for it haha. 


What's next?
I started ordering the items during my first trip over in October 2021 and then didn't really make any more "progress" until a follow up trip in February 2022 (although I was constantly browsing). I was determined to "finalize" the room so I could finally post about it here, but honestly I'm not sure if it'll feel 100% done for a while. Especially when I take the time to step back and look at how crowded and busy it currently looks in these recent photos compared to the process ones. I might need to take a bit of a minimalist's approach and take down some things haha. I thought it would be bad to have plain walls, but that's definitely not the case completely.

So far, I like the space I've been using to film Reels and take coordinate photos. The natural light has been pretty good from the far side wall, so I'm looking forward to continue to spending more time in this room. I wish I was able to actually have my entire wardrobe in here, but actually all of my casual clothes are still in a dresser in the master bedroom and all of my non-Liz Lisa separates are in the master bedroom closet 😓. I don't know that I necessarily want to buy more furniture / clothes racks to put that stuff in here, but at least the rooms are right next to each other!

I'm certainly no expert in interior design, so if anyone has any tips or suggestions or want to point out something cute they've seen that will match the room, I'm open to it! Many of the items are movable, but I do also want the room to feel functional to me as well so certain items will need a place/remain in the room in general. 
If I make any significant changes, I'll consider doing an update post (especially if I can figure out a way to get better lighting!). Let me know if you'd be interested :)

5 comments:

  1. it turned out so cute!! love the breakdown and thank you for all the links.

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  2. obsessed with it all! your aesthetic is impeccable as always x

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    1. Thank you! Looking forward to fine tuning some of the details over the next couple of months!

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  3. I love how the room turned out! It looks so cute and cozy. I never heard of that brand before, but their selection is adorable! It's lucky you have so much space and are willing to invest in furniture/shipping. I think I like the vanity the most, along with the details on the drawers and dressers. I love the ribbon rug as well. The flower lamp is cool too. It all looks great haha

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    1. I realized as I was writing the post that I was having a hard time picking a favorite too! The rug might be the best thing I think though - it really helps pull everything together!

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