Your vision sounds good to me - all I have to add is that you could possibly dress up your current dresser to better match the new decor. You can buy carved wooden appliques, for lack of a better word, at Home Depot or Lowes. They can be attached with glue and/or finish nails. You might remove the current knobs, attach the appliques, and then add new knobs or pulls. If you're thinking about getting rid of the current dresser, then maybe it wouldn't bother you to paint it, to finish the whole look.

On the other hand, perhaps it will work as is... I'm not sure until I see it all put together.

Oh, too add - again, if you're not worried about permanently changing the current dresser, you could remove the existing panel in the door, and put in something similar to what is in the doors of the nightstands you found on Etsy.

Oh the other hand, that dresser looks a lot like a sideboard, and might better be used elsewhere in your house and not changed. I'm not sure how high-quality it is or is not, and what your vision for the rest of your house is.

Thanks, Lizzie. Do you think it would look best to paint both the bed and the dresser an old white creamy color?

Lizzy, I wouldn't mind changing out the knobs and painting the dresser. The wood accents might help, etc. Others seemed to think the dresser is just too chunky no matter what I would do with it. It is a dresser that was part of the bed set, but we chose not to get the mirror over it. It could work elsewhere in the house, but I don't really have a space for it, unfortunately.

Lee Valley tools has nice catalogs. They have a large selection of hardware in one.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=49938&cat=3&ap=9

What are you doing with the old nightstands? That's too bad you can't use that dresser somewhere else because it looks like a very versatile piece the way it is, as Lizzy said.

chickadee - I don't know what I'll do with the old nightstands. I really like that dresser because it is very sturdy, has a lot of storage, and is nearly new. So,if I can use it somehow, I would like to keep it. It is made of the same wood as the bed. I am shooting for a "crossover" look anyway. :o)

The dresser is pretty chunky and maybe not the ideal choice, even if modified as I described, but it also wouldn't be bad. You could also use it now but replace it down the line. I guess it all depends on whether you want to spend the money to replace everything now, or not. No one's going to come into your bedroom and say, "that's not technically French country!" I think it would work in sort of an eclectic way.

What are the bed and dresser made out of? Solid wood? Veneer? I'm torn. I think that in your chosen scheme, painting them both would look the best (especially, of course, if you apply decorative wood accents, which will need to blend.) On the other hand, if they're solid wood, I'd be on the fence... you never know how your style might change and if you'd want back the old wood pieces. I've painted even flea market finds, only to regret it years later when I'm living somewhere else, but be too lazy to strip the paint. :-)

Personally I really like the dresser as is - it looks substantial and rustic, and if it were in my house, I might just swap out the hardware (not sure to what) and use it elsewhere. It would be great as a sideboard in a dining room that has an "old world" or eclectic look.

It's all coming together! You know, Jan (and I can't believe I'm saying this), but I wonder if you had a long doily and some glass knobs for your dresser, if that might dress it up enough to go with the other prettiness in your room?

And those French animal photos are mesmerizing! Love 'em.
Dee

This is going to be very interesting to watch the transformation of your room. Have you considered doing something in the center panel of your bed? Perhaps upholstering just the center to add more softness and layering to your look? Then paint the exposed wood the creamy/distressed white you were thinking of. The way you have it now, it feels like a lot of wood along that wall and I would look for something different for your lamp bases, though I do like the shades. How about some vintage glass jugs that are tinted greenish? Scoobyruby had some nice ones in her FR I think. Anyone have a pic of those? As for your dresser, I would wait to get the other changes made and then decide. I agree with others it'd be a nice sideboard. You could list it along with the nightstands on your local CL for a good price and see if it sells and that can be your spend money to get something else. That is what I do sometimes with my room makeovers. I can't quite picture the more mission lines of the dresser with the curvy french nightstands, but perhaps that's just my lack of vision!

Lizzie - I'll work with the dresser to see if I can incorporate it, as you mentioned. The furniture is Broyhill Attic Heirlooms, and it is made of real wood and non-wood products both. We don't have a formal dining room, and the open spaces and windows don't provide the proper wall space for having a sideboard.

Hi Dee - I remember you! I actually have a long piece of fabric with intricate crochet that was handmade in Jerusalem. I could try that on top of the dresser. The new/old bedside tables have glass knobs, so maybe I can find something similar to try on the dresser. Glad you commented on the animal pictures that you like them. I really do, but I'm hoping they work well in the scheme of things!

valinsv - Yes, I hope the transformation will be interesting in a good way - lol. Les also mentioned upholstering the center of the headboard. I have no idea how to do that, but I bet it's not that difficult. I did purchase some pretty pale blue fabric to sew my own Euro shams:

As for the lamp, I'm thinking about getting an inexpensive base (doesn't have to be wood), painting it, and then using a burlap shade from Pottery Barn. I have a couple of the burlap shades in our living room, and I LOVE them. Here's an example of a lamp base that I would consider painting:

But, I'm open to other lamp base ideas, and I would really like to see Scooby's.

If anyone has lamp suggestions, I'm open to ideas. Thanks!

I think this is going to be a very exciting transformation for you and I'm really excited about it. I'd like to talk about the photos that you are looking at. I like the prints very, very much but not all together. The rose picture looks too out of place w/ the animal pictures. I would probably use wood frames. Painted side tables, lamps, candlesticks, possible bed is a lot of painted stuff. At this time since you are keeping the wood bureau I think that wood frames would tie it together nicely and painted candlesticks on that bureau will tie in the side tables for a nice cohesive look.

I would not paint your bed to start. I'd wait until after the room is pulled together. It's alot easier to paint it in the end instead of deciding a mistake was made in the beginning and having to strip it.

Looks like you are going to have some fun!

I'm going to disagree that the current large dresser is too chunky. A little bit of the masculine will keep the room from going too frou. If you're wanting to marry the rustic and refined you don't need all the furniture to be curvy to get that french feel. Lizzie's idea of replacing the panel with screen or chicken wire and the knobs is what I would try first. You could always paint it if it doesn't complement the rest of the room.

ttodd - Glad you stopped by to comment! I love your beautiful home and value your input a lot. About the pictures, can you elaborate on your thoughts about the wood frames. Are you thinking of stained wood frames, similar to the bureau? It would be really helpful if you could post an example. I'm trying to envision things. I am wondering if I do wood frames over the current bureau if it will appear that too much wood of the same tone is concentrated in one area of the room. But, as you said, if I bring in the painted candlesticks and other items, it could balance it out.

Also, do you think I can group the three animal prints together, leaving out the rose picture?

I agree with not painting the bed and bureau to start. I'm hesitant, as the condition of both are very good, and I know it will be a lot of extra work!

ales9179 - Thanks for your thoughts. I'm hoping I can keep the current dresser. Since I share the room with my hubby, I don't want it to turn out over the top feminine. I love French Country style, but I guess more toward the French Country Farmhouse side, if I had to define it; relaxed and beautiful at the same time - sawdust and pearls, so to speak.

I would actually check out stores like TJ Maxx and HomeGoods and Christmas Tree Shops (although the latter two may only be in the northeast) for lamps. I often see chunky wooden bases like the inspiration photo you showed. You can also often by chunky wooden candlesticks at those places, which could pretty easily be rewired with a lamp kit to turn them into lamps. You might get creative in that way - there are all sorts of things you can easily turn into lamps, like old milk cans, etc.. You can look at architectural salvage shops or even give stock wood pieces (sold for staircases, newel posts, etc.) a distressed finish.

I love the burlap shades.

lizzie - the curved base I posted above is available from Shopko, and I'm considering painting a pair of them old white and purchasing nice burlap shades.

Here are some frames I really like, but if you think they should be stained vs painted, maybe I could find some like these and just paint the interior portion, leaving the outside stained.

I think it will be lovely. Ttodd's suggestion of taking a 'wait and see' approach to painting the dresser & bed is wise. The robin's egg blue may mix complement the wood tone, and I think the combination of finishes will make it more french farmouse (whereas all painted furniture would have a more feminine effect). I've also seen lamps similar to that at homegoods.

I'm really excited about your transformation!

I echo what Ttodd said. I think you can still use that rose print but not right with the animal ones. I really like all those pictures but my favorite it is the sheep! I think those white distressed frames you posted will look nice above the wood dresser.

I'd keep the bed and dresser wood for now. Maybe just change the knobs out on the dresser. I think the mix with wood and painted pieces will be nice.

I like the idea of painting an inexpensive lamp base and getting some burlap shades from PB.

Posted too soon... I also wanted say I really like the bedding and the new euro pillow fabric. I think it will all look very nice with the Whole Wheat!

robin - I will wait and see about the bed and dresser. The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of mixing up the painted and stained pieces anyway. I am still on the hunt for lamp bases.

shee - Thanks so much! I could use the encouragement, as I keep doubting and second guessing myself. Do you think the three animal prints could be grouped together? The sheep print is my fav too! The sheep and horse prints are by the same photographer, but the donkey is from a different vendor. Do you think the donkey works with the more serious sheep and horse pictures?

I'm pretty stuck on the burlap shades. I'm getting excited, as the paint I ordered for the bedside tables will be coming this week. My hubby has agreed to cut in with the painting for me too!

Your room is going to look just wonderful! I agree with Shee that the dresser may very well work if you change the hardware to match the bedside tables and I would keep the bed and dresser as they are rather than paint them.

I also adore those animal pictures. I think they could easily work together. The donkey just makes me smile!

Also a fan of burlap shades-love the way they glow when lit.

Can't wait to see more of your progress as you put all this together!

"Do you think the donkey works with the more serious sheep and horse pictures?"
I think so. I'd see what they looked like over the long dresser.

Also wanted to mention earlier I love that bed. I think leaving that and the dresser unpainted will help add to the rustic factor.