OK, I know I promised to tell more about this room, and ta-daa, today’s the day! This is it, we call it the Peter Rabbit room; here it is as you come to it, at the top of the stairs.
I hope I didn’t get everyone’s expectations too high by taking so long to take these photos! It’s just a little room, it’s not like Architectural Digest by any stretch of the imagination; everything in it is old. ♥
The room is only 11′ x 12′; tucked up under the eves in the very back of the house, over the kitchen. We think it was the maid’s quarters at one time. See those two tiny windows above the dresser? Note where your head would be on the bed? When you’re lying on the bed, you can see the sky, up through trees. So here we go, on a little tour . . .
My old Laura Ashley hat is on one of the bedposts. She belongs in the Peter Rabbit room. And see the heart book case? It’s all travel books and pamphlets up there. Years ago, I drew a design for this shelf on a piece of paper (I bet you can tell that!); a carpenter friend built it for me; it was over my bed in my old house.
The two larger windows (on each side of the bed) are only waist high, so when you’re in bed, it feels like you’re in a tree house. The wind blows the curtains out into the room; from the wisteria arbor outside the window (in the photo above), across the four-poster bed (and you), to the huge maple tree outside the window on the other side; you can hear the leaves rubbing together, go shhhhh, and you feel the 160 years of history this room has in its DNA.
Why is it called the Peter Rabbit Room? Years ago, a girlfriend came to visit, she loved this bedroom; it was hard to make her go home, she said “I love my Peter Rabbit room” — her room? she was getting scary — the name, of course I glommed on to, what a perfect name; if I didn’t love her so much I would have thrown her out immediately and moved in myself; she called it that because there was a Peter Rabbit on top of a stack of Beatrix Potter books on the dresser (of course nowadays there are even more, once I figured out it was the Peter Rabbit room, I had to go over the top or my friends would think I wasn’t well!) Now when girlfriends come, they ask if they can have the Peter Rabbit room, even though it’s the smallest bedroom.
. . . and another Peter, so miniature it was almost invisible on the sill over the window. I wallpapered the room in pink with rosebuds when we first moved into the house.
But the heart of the room is in the details … like my old quilts in Beatrix Potter colors.
. . . And these linens, I love to find old ones, but I have a trick for the really expensive new ones . . . just get the pillow cases! Makes all the difference in the details of a room, dontcha think? Your face gets to touch the softest part, and you can buy nice white or colored sheets to go with them, and you don’t have to take out a loan at the bank to afford them, making you, of course, brilliant!
I made this pillow out of an old piece of embroidery (can you see the French knots? Squeal) I found in an antique store for $14. Life is good. ♥
And then there is just your basic fan worship of Beatrix herself. I have that. What I love the most is the total simplicity, of her story, her art, her colors, and even, to a certain extent, her life.♥
Perfection on a page.
I started collecting Beatrix Potter figures when I first moved away from home. From the time I managed to scrape together thirty dollars that didn’t have to pay the electric bill, I was indulging. There was a little shop next to the record store where I worked that sold them. I would go there and think “which one will I get next?” It was the first place I would take my paycheck. My value system has always been in the right place. 🙂
My husband at the time had a different value system, didn’t really get this fetish of mine, so I would hide Mrs. Tiggy Winkle in my purse until I could make her blend into our household. Since my first kitchen, I’ve always had these guys watching over me. Aren’t they wonderful? Do they not remind you of watercolor?
Sitting here, right now, next to my computer, is Fancy Whiskered Gentleman, Aunt Pettitoes, and Mrs. Rabbit.♥
Sometimes in the natural course of living at our house, a bunny ear will get chipped — poor Jemima Puddleduck has tiny chips, all hard-earned, nicks out of her bill — so I just watercolor the chip, and make them whole again.
I think Beatrix Potter, forever content in heaven’s edition of her beloved Lake District, looks down and likes it when I’m doing that. ♥
Speaking of Beatrix Potter, the other day I got a message from one of our (yours and mine, here in blogland) English friends, Bernie Gardiner, giving us the link to one of the most charming websites I’ve ever seen. Thank you Bernie! ♥
Here you go girls, have fun, come back someday! http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2pBRdY/www.peterrabbit.com
Anyway, that’s the Peter Rabbit room in all its glory. I hope it didn’t disappoint, it’s just a room. But if you would want it to be more than a room, all you need is one tiny little thing . . . the perfect prop, the detail that beats all others . . .
This comes from a higher level of decorator intuition, at least that’s what I think . . . A decorative kitty is good in any room. ♥
Have a wonderful day girlfriends. So long from me and my friends! xoxo ♥
My comment about the room in a word : Yummmmmm
I love love love the wallpaper and of course the quilts and the rest of the room. These days the decorating shows on TV are all about paint and I think to myself “why no wallpaper?” when it’s so sweet and charming. It makes the room so much more cozy! Thanks for the tour, I enjoyed it very much!
I love wallpaper too! So much charm in it. Thanks Connie…have a great day!
What a beautiful way to start the day!
Thank you for your delightul blog. It touches the heart
.
Oh Susan what a lovely room!! When I make my virtual visit one day soon, I want to stay in this room!!! I can only imagine the cool breeze blowing across me as Kitty & I snuggle on that amazing bed, with those soft and cool pillow cases!!
Thank you for inviting us into your beautiful home!!
Blessings,
xoxo Gert
Ahh that couldn’t be more darling. It’s the perfect room to be in during a rainy night or to luxuriate in for breakfast in bed. Ever looked at the adorable sheets at Pottery Barn for Kids? They have some retro looking ones that come in full or queen sizes, all cotton, not at all expensive. And if you need a featherbed cover for a queen bed, the twin duvet cover is just a bit too big, nothing a little seam won’t make perfect. http://bit.ly/oMPLvP are nice. I have little pink flowers, very nice sheets. They’re not on the site not but will probably be back. Love the depression glass glasses too. Your world is as charming as you are, just as it should be.
s w e e t h e a r t ! ♥
I think what i love most about this room are the low windows. Perfect height for a child! (Or an inner child.) Those, and the stack of Beatrix Potter books. Old books are so charming and timeless. Stephen King once called books a form of time travel, and I think that is SO TRUE.
Thank you for the lovely tour; kitty is a most charming model!
xoxo Dawn
So charming, Susan. LOVE all your gorgeous pics. Thank you once again for inviting us into your home. I love your description of it feeling like you’re sleeping in a treehouse…dreamy! (My first Beatrix figurine was that same Mrs. Tiggywinkle that you have there. She would LOVE to press all the beautiful linens that you have there in your Peter Rabbit room, I think.)
That tapestry rug is gorgeous, too! A perfect place on which to “set” all the treasures. Pretty colors.
Love, love, LOVE Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter. Hey….I have a bunch of those statues as well! In fact, every Easter I pull out my Bunnykins and Peter Rabbit children’s china…cups, plates & bowls. I use them as dessert dishes and serving pieces for the small stuff, like butter, gravy and condiments. My daughter, Lacey, grew up with Peter Rabbit and could recite the whole book when she was just a toddler. Feel like you are a ‘soul sister’ for sure Susan!
FOSB 4-ever 🙂
Jacqui
Here is another example of I love everything you write, say, do…have. This room is too precious! Love the linens…and the pillowcase idea. Love the wallpaper! This room has to have wallpaper. The breezes blowing across the bed and the curtains flapping at the windows, too wonderful for words. And Peter Rabbit everywhere. I can see my little granddaughter crawling into that bed….with kitty!
Thank you.☀
What a splendidly beautiful room! You have inspired me to do something special with the room my granddaughter calls “her” room when she comes to visit. It is a sewing room also right now. I love the wallpaper, it reminds of the paper my mom put in one room when she made it “my” room. She made these beautiful frilly curtains for it and one year for Christmas I received a child size vanity that she had repainted (it belonged to my older sister by 13 yrs. so I had not seen it before), and sewed a skirt for the bottom. The skirt matched the wallpaper a bit. I wish I had a picture of that room now. I don’t know what happened to the little vanity but the room stayed the same way until after I married and my parents sold the house and moved. So sorry to have become long winded but I just had to share that memory with you and thank you for this post jogging my memory to a wonderful time in my childhood! Will come back to this post for inspiration. 🙂
What a lovely way to begin my day! I love looking forward to your blog…
And I have to agree- wallpaper is so cosy and charming!
I am trying to sell my house and the “awful stager” had us rip it all down and paint everything beige. blah. It is like living in a motel.
Thank you for letting me into your charming house. I can breathe in there!
I loved the tour of your Peter Rabbit room. I too have several Beatrix Potter figurines of Peter and friends. They make me happy just looking at them.
Thanks again for sharing.
Lovely room, and thank you (and Girl Kitty) for letting us visit! Your blogs are a wonderful way to start the day – Good Morning!
Good Morning!
I love this room. And I adore your Beatrix Potter figurines. I started collecting them years ago. What a beautiful tribute to Beatrix; yes, she certainly must be looking at that room and beaming with joy. Beautiful, Susan.
I love Beatrix Potter. I’ve always wished I could visit her home in England. Have you ever been? Her scientific drawings are amazing…..I use them to show my 4th grade students what a scientist’s notebook looks like. They’re always amazed to learn there was so much more to Miss Potter.
Your room is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
I have tried twice and not made it, getting caught up in other parts of England, but I’m going, it’s like this special little dessert I’m saving and savoring and looking SO forward to, that I don’t want to hurry, because I don’t want it to be over.
Last year my husband, brother-in-law and sister-in-law took a dream of a trip to England. We stayed for 4 nights at Yew Tree Farm, once owned by Beatrix and now a B & B. Had a wonderful stay (check it out…www.yewtree-farm.com). It was also the site used as Hilltop in the film Miss Potter. One could almost feel Beatrix’ presence….hard to explain. It’s filled with many pieces of furniture and knick-knacks that she left there. I have a wonderful Beatrix-like picture that I took of one of the farm’s cat sitting in the window of the sitting room. I love it! Definitely worth looking into staying there if you are ever able to go!
Oh goodness! How could one ever be disappointed in that room??!! It’s been said many a time, and is well worth repeating….. Big things come in small packages! I love how you shared where you began your figurines collection. I often wonder, when I look at your photographs, “Where DOES that lady shop??” you find the most wonderful treasures! Thank you so much for sharing!
Oh my gosh, I adore this room so much!
My mother is a librarian, and from the time my siblings and I were very small, we each had an author of our own. For each birthday/Christmas/Easter, we’d receive a book by that author. Mine was Beatrix Botter (my sister had Tasha Tudor and my brother had Tomie DePaola). I now have the entire collection of stories and it is something I truely treasure. I’ve now begun collecting figurines and such, so I have a number of teapots, teacups, etc. I may have to turn the guest room of the house into a Peter Rabbit room, this is just so clever and wonderful!
Lexi, I have done the same thing with my friend’s children (as I don’t have any grandchildren yet.) I’ve chosen children’s book characters…Amelia Bedelia, Madeleine, and Thomas the Tank Engine books (as well as toys, puzzles, etc.) to give to my little friends on birthdays and Christmas. Once I found a Madeleine snowglobe at an antique mall…tickled beyond pink! I find these books at antique/thrift stores as well as retail book stores. Have found many Susan Branch books at thrift stores…I bring them home and let them live with my other Susan Branch books! Come see my blog.
What a beautiful room! No wonder guests request it. I’d say they never want to leave, either.:-) I love all the touches that have gone into this room!
Susan, you had me at The Peter Rabbit Room! In a word—Charming! Love it all—the wallpaper, the cream painted woodwork, the ball fringe country curtains, the shelf, the rugs, the furniture, and especially the wonderfully adorable Peter Rabbit figurines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not at all a disapointment, quite the contrary. Thanks so MUCH for sharing!
Have a great day Susan Branch! <3
Absolutely adorable!!!! I love looking throught the looking glass!! Gives me great ideas as to what to do with my bedroom. We are getting ready to strip the wall paper. I was thinking of just painting but as I see the wall paper in your Peter Rabbit room I think it will be papered again. LOVE it!!!!!!
Thank you for the tour! I am new to your blog and it is so beautiful to see life through your eyes. Every picture makes me wish I was there. Also, I am so glad you don’t have to hide your Beatrix Potter habit anymore-nothing better than living with someone who “gets” you and appreciates you even more for being who you are.
Oh my gosh Susan, thank you SO much for letting us peek into your Peter Rabbit bedroom, it is just beautiful — I can understand why your girlfriend didn’t want to leave! And thanks for that great hint about only buying the pillowcases instead of the complete linen set – what a great idea, you’re totally right, the pillowcases are really what make the most difference. I’m going to remember that from now on. I love all your Beatrix Potter figurines – I bet they give you lots of inspiration! And that Peter Rabbit/Beatrix Potter website you sent to us is wonderful! I started reading some of the biography of Beatrix Potter and she was really remarkable. I’m going to have to go back and finish checking it out when I get more time. Thanks again Susan and have a wonderful day!
I often wonder if perhaps all your treasures find you instead of you finding them – they want to attach themselves to such a caring, loving, and talented spirit. Thank you so much for the inspiration and creativity that you share with us. Your world is colorful and tranquil all at the same time. I call this taking time for the journey and feel the presence of just being. It is never about the destination. Judy C in NC seeking tranquility along her journey
Forgot to ask – what is the map on the wall? Thanks from Judy C in NC
It’s an old map of Martha’s Vineyard.
Oh Susan, thank you so much for sharing the inside of your home with us. Our family used to own a big old home in Upstate NY. We called the farm “Strawberry Hill”. It had a maid’s quarters too, which looked just like yours (windows and all). I must admit…I could just curl up on the bed there in your “Peter Rabbit” room with Kitty all snuggy with me and take an afternoon nap as the curtains flap with the breeze gently blowing in the smells of summer. Just beautiful ! I just love coming onto your blog and seeing you have stopped in for a visit and left us (all your “Girlfriends”!!!!) a special treat!
~ Doreen ~
Totally Charming, with a capital “C”!!! When we built our present home 20+ years ago I wallpapered almost everything: kitchen/nook, back hall, utility room and bath, upstairs bath and master bedroom/bath and love it still this day. Don’t see wallpaper much anymore – faux treatment on walls seems to be in, painting, mural, wall words (which btw I have lots of too in rooms that have no wallpaper). It brings such a feeling of comfort and the feel of times gone by; my grandmother wallpapered alot. I adore all your figurines too, your old copies of Beatrice’s book; makes me want to go rent the movie with Renee Zellwiger – her room was a delight also. Lucky you to be able to retire there whenever your heart needs a lift, but then, I imagine (from what I’ve seen) your entire home on the Vineyard is that way. You are one of my very favorite artist; I loved you even before you became so very famous! Please never stop creating!!! Believe you are in the Fall edition of Where Women Create on news stands August 1…can hardly wait!!!
Thank you for sharing your sweet room! You continue to inspire all of us – a true blessing from the heart of your home. Beatrix Potter was a creative woman who gave us so much … you too, Susan. Thanks again.
This room is totally wonderful, so fresh and delightful.
Last summer I was able to visit Hilltop Fram with three friends and it is really full of the spirit of Beatrix Potter. You would love it, I think. Plan to go soon!
Susan,
SO totally understandable your friend wanted to live here! Sweet and charming and filled with love. Thanks for sharing. It’s lovely. V
ps…every room needs a cat accessory…I agree 🙂
I share your love for Peter and his friends,, i agree the colors are most beautiful,, when i first started watercolor painting i used her work as practise,, you have such a lovely home,, I can see why someone would love this room,,very cozy,,
Oh Sue…..you outdid yourself again! Your room is adorable and precious, and much more. I can see why your friend didn’t want to leave… I love the throw pillow idea, made out of other old linens, like dresser scarves, etc. You have always been an inspiration to me, and today, your room really took the cake! I have a collection of Bunnykins dishes, first started when we went to London in 1985. Eventually, I will get them out, and place them here and there, like you have done with your Peter Rabbit ‘friends.’ Thank you always, for sharing your beautiful home with us! I too, could move right in! xoxo
Thank you Susan!!! I adore your Peter Rabbit room!
It is everything I had imagined it to be. Now my wheels are turning as to what I can do with my spare bedroom!
Thank you for sharing your home with us! Love the antique pillow and of course the quilts – LOVE them…..
OMG ~ I love the Peter Rabbit Room! You did an awesome job decorating…the linens are gorgeous and the old, old books look great in that ‘old’ room. Bravo to you again Susan!
Your pillowcase idea is GENIUS. I love it!
As for the room- who wouldn’t love Beatrix Potter? 🙂
I don’t know where to begin!!!
1. “she called it that because there was a Peter Rabbit on top of a stack of Beatrix Potter books on the dresser (of course nowadays there are even more, once I figured out it was the Peter Rabbit room, I had to go over the top or my friends would think I wasn’t well!) That’s MY motto: “I had to go over the top or my friends would think I wasn’t well!!!!!”
2. I also collect Peter Rabbit figures, tea party supplies, tin boxes, stuffed animals, vases, books, etc. (most of which have been found at antique/thrift stores.) I plan to post about a recent Peter Rabbit Tea Party I gave for some of my little friends on my blog soon. I also used the Peter Rabbit web site to print out coloring pages for my little guests as well as played some of the games on the web site with them.
3. Back when you posted a picture of the figurines on your kitchen window ledge, I made it my wallpaper on my laptop! I have three of those figurines…they are quite pricey nowadays…$50-75 each, but I’ve found them for $8-10!!!
Thanks for sharing with us…you have inspired me to blog more about the everyday things around me.
Just made that quote my Facebook status for the day!
http://youtu.be/zYPkH8gPDps
This is the beginning scene from a Beatrix Potter video tape my daughter used to watch…about 18 years ago. Definitely worth a look!
Lovely, and also this one, in case someone missed it ….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMDMD7q101I&feature=related
“We’d like to publish your little book.” How they underestimated Miss Potter! Thanks for sharing, Jacqui G!
When I lived in Riverside, CA years ago, my young boys and I used to visit a “Mrs. Tiggy Winkle” toy shop in the Mission Inn shopping distric. Now I know where the name of the shop came from: Beatrix Potter. It was a place of wonder. Loved your Peter Rabbit room.
Most lovely guest room I could imagine. Every detail so charming and of course I love all the Beatrice Potter figures. Found two plates at thrift shop and I’m going to hang them up in my guest room. Thank for the inspiration and great tips on decorating. Love your style and the whimsy of it all makes me smile on the inside and outside. xoxoxo
What a beautiful, charming room! Thanks so much for sharing the photos with us. It looks very comfortable and cozy.
Oh my goodness! What delicious sights! I can’t get enough of Beatrix. I read books about her, I hunt for more info constantly on “the interwebs” and I want to live in her house. I’m going back to the antique mall and purchasing a few more figurines. I love my Cousin Ribby and her butter. Your room is wonderful, so delicate and happy. Thank you so much for sharing, Susan!
Just followed your blog, Pom!
Woo hoo! Thanks, Connie!
Nice blog Pom Pom…I took a little visit also!
What a wonderful way to begin the morning! Thank you so very much for sharing so openly and wonderfully with all of us. I always come away with a combination of bliss, as we share so many common interests and loves, and melancholy, as it all makes me miss New England (stuck in Florida presently) and my mother (dead 18 years now)!
Are you aware of the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter by Susan Wittig Albert? The most delightful and charming mysteries (8 in the series) set on the farm Miss Potter purchased after the death of her fiancee and the animals speak and are integral to solving the mysteries. You can check them out at http://www.cottagetales.com/books/index.shtml
Enjoy the rest of the day. I think I’ll drive out to our wee beach on the Gulf Coast and watch the water and birds. Blessings.
Thank you for the link to Cottage Tales, MitB. Sounds like very charming books.
Lovely! The pictures make me want to jump into them! 😀 The way you described the room put a smile on my face, and like another commenter said, made my day!
-Merry
The kitty on the bed is DEFINITELY my favorite touch!
Susan, I also, am in love with the Peter Rabbit Room. Scrumptious!!
You’d have to dynamite me out of there!
If you ladies have not rented and watched “Miss Potter” starring
Renee Zellweger, I encourage you to do so. Netflix has it. You
will absolutely love it and wish for a sequel when the movie ends!
Sweet, sad, happy, thought-provoking..it is all there and more! Enjoy!
I have the DVD of Miss Potter and love, love it. I always get teary eyed and sad when her love dies…but the movie is just magical with the various characters coming to “life”.
What a delightful way to start the day! I, too, share your love of BP and all things cottagey. I loved the quote from Miss Potter about school and promptly sent it off to my three daughters who were all homeschooled through high school. Sometimes they think they missed important rites of social passage, but all three turned out to be beautiful renaissance women of vast interests and social skills – all three were brought up with Beatrix Potter and have collections of their own. I just love everything Susan Branch – and am collecting her! 🙂
how adorable. i love beatrix potter!
Susan as always you have show so much creativity and whimsy, I LOVE the room! I was blessed enough to have a Mom who loves Beatrix Potter; thus my room as a little girl was papered in white wall paper with tiny pink hearts and a border of Snow white geese with straw hats and ribbons around their necks. Among many thing Beatrix Potter was a collection of her books ( still not complete in my 30’s, but I’m trying to finish it!) were adorable hand made quits, framed cross stitch, pillows and embroidery all made by my Mom and a beautiful tall four poster bed. Now as an adult I kick myself for ever thinking I’d not want them anymore! As a teenager I got rid of them because I just had to have KNOTB plastered in my room. 🙁 One of the few things I chose to save apon my redeocoration was my Beatrix Potter pooks and my Laura Ingles Wilder collection. These I treasure to this day and have recently begun to share them with our newly adopted son 7 and daughter 8. So in sharing this detail with my Mom she then shared with me that she in deed saved most of the things from my ” Beatix Potter room” Including a shelf she made with cutouts of Peter Rabbit she painted on it. Of course I was elated! And now an redecorating my daughters room in most of the things that were in my room as an 8 yr old. Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter are are timeless! So thank you so much for sharing, it’s absolutely adorable!
Erin, Calgary, AB Canada
Oh, I love the Beatrix Potter room and every beautiful thing in it! Susan, thank you for sharing it with us!!!
What a treat…I’m a Beatrix fan also…when I was a little girl (age 8) and visiting Britain for the first time, I received Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Two Bad Mice from 2 different friends of my dad’s…I still cherish them.
Thank you so much for sharing your cozy little room- it is delightful.
I really enjoy Beatrix Potter, too. Did you ever see the wonderful ‘Easter’ ornaments that Hallmark came out with back in the nineties? I have three of them and wish I had them all- in fact Benjamin Bunny has been a fixture at my desk since last Easter (I couldn’t just pack him away!)
And I agree one-hundred percent that kitties are the perfect compliment to any decor. I have two that seem to get away with murder because of that! 😉
So happy that I found your blog! Thanks for allowing a peek into your home. I adore your sweet Peter Rabbit room. It is most definitely a room wrapped in love.
Also chuckled at the Laura Ashley hat perched on the bedpost. I have the same one, but it’s lost a bit of its shape from being loved too much 🙂 Hubby keeps asking when it will go–never!
Susan I love your Peter Rabbit room! Thank you so much for sharing that and everything else with us! Even before my first child Brad was born the first thing I brought him was the boxed set of books that came with a real cute Peter Rabbit of his own! He is 14 years old now and we still have them. (Maybe one day he will appreciate them again when he is a “Grown up child!”.) xx
Oh my goodness gracious! How delightful!
Equally delightful is how you know how to take pictures, which really, really show us the room. I love it! So few do know this trick. Sad to say. But you do!!!
Now how about a precious tour like this, of each room in your beautiful home? Please…
Please…
Pretty please…
Pretty please with sugar on it…
🙂
Gentle hugs,
‘Auntie Amelia’
“Aunt Amelia’s Attic” blog at WordPress
http://auntie12.wordpress.com/
Absolutely gorgeous. What a beautiful room! Thanks for brightening my day.
Hi Susan
That room is just about the coziest room I have ever seen. I love everything about it. Love the wallpaper, the tiny windows, the bigger windows, I adore the quilts. Everything!! is fabulous
I once purchased a Peter Rabbit video tape for my daughter when she was little, she is 14 now. I thought is was just the cartoon of Peter Rabbit, but to my surprise the beginning showed a beautiful woman walking through the fields and forest and then it started to rain, she got home, made a cup of tea, lit a fire and then started to write in her journal of the story of Peter Rabbit, and then the cartoon began, It was wonderful! I still have that video and love it. I love all of Beatrix Potter books and movies. And her beautiful figurines.
You have a wonderful day too Susan
Love when you post something new on your blog.
Off to have my afternoon tea
deezie
Susan, I absolutely love your Peter Rabbit room. I also have a “Peter Rabbit” room, my guest bedroom. My son’s nursery (31 years ago) was done in Peter Rabbit and I have added to it over the years. I have the children’s tea set, the adult tea set, a service for 12 of Beatrix Potter china, ornaments, figurines, books, etc. I have recently acquired the Beatrix Potter Ballet done by the Royal School of Ballet in London. All the dancers are in costume of the character they represent. This Easter I made a table topper out of Beatrix Potter fabric and used my BP china with my ornaments on an Easter Tree as centerpiece along with BP music boxes. It doesn’t surprise me that you love Peter Rabbit and all the other characters. I have many of your books, which I treasure, and always looking for more.
Thanks for sharing!
Kay S. in Birmingham, AL
I decorated my now teenaged sons nursery with Peter Rabbit. Looking for a lamp, I went to a local kitchenware store and the owner at that time offered to look for a Peter lamp when she went to market. Not knowing me at all, she brought back the perfect one – Mama Rabbit with her babies nestled in her arms.
It was the perfect changing table night light and I treasure it.
Sigh….may I come and stay?
I always like your blogs. I read them during lunch at work. But, oh! The Peter Rabbit Room blog was THE BEST! I love Beatrix Potter and read all the stories to my children when they were young. My favorites are Peter Rabbit (of course!), Mrs. Tittlemouse (that’s who I am, since my husband’s nickname is Mouse), and Jemima Puddleduck. The room made me want to curl up on the bed and read until I fell asleep. Thank you so very much for sharing with me!
Hello Susan, I love your wonderful room:) When my daughter grew up, I just continued with my love for Beatrix Potter… I believe every guest room needs a kitty or two and a cup of Tea 🙂 I have collected your book and items for a long time. You are so talented and warm, it makes us feel like you are a close friend.
I really enjoy your blog, perhaps you could show us more of your lovely home when you find time… Enjoy your day, Sweet Hugs 🙂
This room is so welcoming and cozy.
My goodness girlfriend you have out done yourself!! I love it. Absolutely love your Peter Rabbit Room. I would like to put in a reservation for tomorrow please and thank you!! It is beautifully decorated as we all knew it would be!! I love all of your details as they are so homey and cozy!!! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your room with all of us. I think you need to write a book on decorating. I have always thought it would be wonderful to have your creativity…even if I would be borrowing it a bit from one of your books. Thank you for always making my day with your blogs and for always putting me in a “Susan State-of-Mind”!! Have a wonderful afternoon!! Love to you!! Tricia
Oh, I couldn’t agree more … a decorating book would be wonderful!!
Thanks for sharing your lovely house and your life with us. Your Petter Rabbit room is adorable! I agree when you say a darling kitty makes every room perfect – I have two of them in my own home, and we all (hubby and daughters) believe our house wouldn’t be the same without them! Love your blog, lighten up my day!
Your friend from Brazil, Adriana
Just beautiful, Susan I love this room, lovely for sure! I too have a collection of Beatrix Potter books first addition. Well to get back to the room this is a place where one can close the door and everything is GOOD! God bless
thank you for the lovely room tour. just love it! t
Thank you for sharing. It reminds me of my sister’s guest room of 25 years ago. So many good memories. You would fit right into our family.
The pillow idea is great. Thanks again.
This is one of the the most charming rooms I’ve ever, ever seen. I love everything about it! You are right, it’s not Architectural Digest… it’s a million times better! It has a sort of early 1900’s, very cozy feel to it. I also love, love the map.
Great job! And, thanks for the inspiration!!!
Jake
Love the room, have always loved Beatrice Potter, also! That is what our deck is like–being in a tree house! It is the favorite “room” of our home though not as cozy-looking as your room would be year ’round! 🙂 Thanks for sharing the photos!
Wondering if you have seen the movie, Miss Potter, with Renee Zellweger… I “borowed” it a couple of times from Netflix until deciding it was so delightful, had to have a copy of my own!!
I simply love your blog !! It never seemed enough to have the monthly posts and seasonal e-mails …I love knowing I can peep into your lovely world daily when I can get home from work , and of course love on my man a little, then off to see my friend 😉 I too am a Fall fan..we have had a strange cool (lovely) summer here in Sacramento,CA this year..and I feel it coming …leaves blowing down the street and pumpkins and Halloween fun with the little kiddles, and..and…and
Oh Susan – You brighten my days! I’ve always thought my dreams were just dreams but when I see how you live they become possibilities. You surround yourself with all the wonderful simple lovely items that make you happy.
How can you not smile when you see Peter Rabbit and a room that lovely! Thank you for sharing your love of life!
What a wonderfully cozy room, I love the wallpaper, quilts, pillowcases, the billowing curtains, and the stacks of Beatrix Potter books….but the decoration I love most of all is Miss Kitty! There is nothing better than curling up with a good book and a purring cat!
Thank you for the tour of your Peter Rabbit room. So sweet and cozy.
Thank you for sharing … I love your creativity at putting “simple” things together to make a warm and inviting space that everyone would love to snuggle into. Your talent is amazing 🙂
Thought the Renee Z movie was delightful too! and Stephanie in Tx: I live in Corona,Calif and have been to the Mrs Tiggy Winkle store which is a wonderful adventure. That “mall” is enchanting especially at Christmas.
Susan the room is beautiful. I am in the process of taking down wallpaper in my bathroom and I absolutely loved it! but time takes its toll on the white sections and with a much needed new floor I had to make a change. Am redoing in a Cape Cod look so hope all goes well and I enjoy it as much as my ‘ole’ bathroom. ooooh I’m late for the plane…coming to your house to stay in the Peter Rabbit room….see u soon….
The Peter Rabbit room is adorable. What a sweet night’s sleep one would get in there!
HELLO SUSAN…
CHARMING, VERY, VERY…THANK YOU FOR SHARING…NO WONDER I HAVE ADORED EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU FOR SO MANY YEARS…YOUR SYTLE IS MY LIFE…I LOVE IT…AND…I MISS YOUR STORE IN CALIFORNIA ALSO…HAVE MANY THINGS FROM THERE…EMBROIDERED THE TABLECLOTH PATTERN….AND I HAVE THE SPECIAL TOILE IN RED….GRAVY DISH FROM YOUR OWN COLLECTION…MY GIRLFRIEND BOUGHT FOR ME….TREASURED…THANKS FOR SHARING THE DELIGHTFUL ROOM AND FARMERS MARKET…PS…MY FAVORITE FLOWER IS ALSO SWEET PEAS…XO
So adorable….looks like something out of “Little Women.” My girls loved Beatrix Potter stories when they were children and so did my MIL. I still have the teeny little books stored away. I should get them out and display them. Just wondering, did you ever see the movie “Miss Potter” with Rene Zellweger and Ewan McGregor? Beautiful movie about her first love…I think you’d really enjoy it.
Love wallpaper too…I hear it’s coming back into style….never went out as far as I was concerned. Thanks for another dose of delightful.
Thank you for the wonderful blog. My family have been fans since Heart of the Home. You allowed us to visit while we vacationed on the vineyard, more than 15 years ago. Just this past weekend we were at our country home in Door County, WI, discussing family memories. My son, who is 28 now,said, ” Remember when Susan Branch gave me a handful of plastic spiders to put in everyone’s beds. That was great!” I will look for the picture of us, for a blast from the past.
Your recipes are with us at all our celebrations. Thanks!
Ohhhhhmgoodness!! What a perfect room! It gives me inspiration to make my own “Peter Rabbit Room”. As a fellow watercolor painter and Peter Rabbit fan, we are “soul sisters” for sure! :o) I have loved every single one of your blogs, but I just had to join in on the comments on this one. I’m a huge Beatrix Potter fan and loved visiting Hill Top Farm in 1986. I know you would love it, too! Have you discovered the “Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter” by Susan Witting Albert? The series starts with “The Tale of Hill Top Farm”. I highly recommend them! They are fictional mysteries that I think even Beatrix herself would have enjoyed reading. Thank you Susan for sharing your beautiful home and your art and for brightening up my day!
The Cottage Tales series is WOOOONNNNNDDDDEEEERRRRFFFFUUUULLLLL! I grab onto the next one the minute it’s published! Enchanting reading…a little mystery…a lot of charm….a bit of Beatrix history….with some fantasy thrown in (the animals “talk”). Love them.
Big windows and sloping ceilings make the perfect bones for a great bedroom, amazingly cozy but open too. And is that vintage Laura Ashley wallpaper? Looks very familiar, you can never go wrong with a rose bud. I loved Joan Walsh Anglund books when I was little, so adorable. I know she had a house on Nantucket, did you ever meet her?
Susan, I have been looking so forward to seeing this room and it was definitely worth the wait. How perfectly charming! And your beautiful home is the perfect setting. Your blog is a joy as is your art. I have met you several times and the best part is that you are just as wonderful in person as one would expect.
Thank you! So nice! Feel so lucky! Welcome!
OMGoodness Susan — I love this room so much, I even dreamed about it last night (sweet dreams ;)! No wonder you couldn’t get your friend to leave. I’d be hanging on to the bedpost if you tried to drag me out. I’m in love with that wallpaper (and everything else), and I’ve been searching for wallpaper to put in a guest bedroom. Now I know exactly what I want — yours ^v^.
And I know what you mean about feeling your home’s past. I inherited a little yellow cottage from my mother, and it has that good feeling of the past as well. My daughter lives there now. We’re so happy to have kept it in the family.
Love your blog!
Blessings,
G
What a sweet and charming room! It looks so cosy. I think Beatrix would definitely approve.
Charming, cozy & comfy & even comes with the cutest kitty! Love it!
I find this room to be perfectly wonderful. It has the most chariming and restfully beautiful details. It reminds me of a pretty bedroom in my grandmothers farmhouse:>) Just lovely, as is your blog!
this is amazing!!! I was just telling someone about the Beatrix Potter movies I received when my son was born 17 years ago and how I was so enchanted with the peacefulness of her ways. I pop on your blog and there is your beautiful little room!!! Thanks for sharing the website as well…checked out the British version and found the most wonderful little recipes!! 🙂 many smiles..you made my day Susan
Good Afternoon Sweet Sue…Hello Joe & Meow to Kute~Kitty! omggggggggggg How I L♥ve Your Peter~Rabbit Room…I would Stay Forever toooooooooo! lol :-)this Room is Filled with so Much Magic & so Much L♥ve & Whimsy….I can only Imagine How Sweet One’s Dreams would Be Sleeping In Your Peter Rabbit Room…ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh….(zzzzzzzzzz…Shhhhhh still Sleeping) 🙂 I Adore Your Beatrix Potter Figures…I Know they Come Alive in the Middle of the Night….They are a Water~Color Collection Sue! I Must Fly to Your Friend Bernie’s Website that He sent You….I Know I will Get Lost in all The Magic! Sweet Sue…Thanks for All Your “Perfection on a Page”…Wishing You a Glorious Peter Rabbit Summer’s Day! xoxo Poof!♫♥
Hi again. I’ve been thinking about it–Susan, you said you think this was a maid’s room years ago? Hmmmmm….How would YOU like to hire a maid??? 🙂 LOL!!! (Of course, should I add that perhaps this one would come with a butler and two schnauzers???) LOL 🙂
This is starting to get good!
And did I mention, also a gardener? (Remember the 28 tomato plants?) LOL My husband is sitting here shaking his head and laughing… 🙂 (I read once that using “LOL” was outdated but haven’t found anything more appropriate under the circumstances…
Loved your Peter rabbit room. Thanks for letting us in to see it. And thank you so much for the PR website. I have that pop-up, pull-out book! My boys and I read that so many times. I shared the link with them so they could enjoy a trip back in time. I love you, Susan!
Hi Susan,
I love the PR room! I have one, tool We visited Far Sawrey about 30 years ago and I bought out the gift shopl Also have all many of the stuffed animals that my first graders used to act out the stories. Bought some PR toile fabric to make a quilt for the antique bed in that room, but that one’s not done yet. Even have a PR tree in that room at Christmas. The kids next door love to come and play in that room! (So do I!)
Thank you for the terrific blog! Enjoy it and the Willards so much!
Oh Carol, your room sounds so delightful. And you let the neighbor children come and play in there, they must love that. Now how did I miss the details in Susan’s curtains, too much to take in, will go back and enjoy perusing some more. And we need pics of your room, too.
Susan, were you thinking of bunny tails when you picked those curtains with the white balls? I didn’t read all the posts, so perhaps someone else asked. I have been waiting to see this room. Thanks so much for the peek in.
Oh swoon over such a lovely room…hhhmmm, maybe this is just what my little shed needs…
I took a Children’s Literature course this winter and did a presentation about Beatrix Potter- my first slide had an audio of my daughter and niece reading the first sentence in “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” (in a perfect “English” accent of course!) Simply Magic. Thank you for sharing!
Oh my, getting your blog on RSS feed was perhaps a dangerous idea. I don’t know where to begin in explaining my love for the Beatrix Potter room The quilts, the figurines, the antique furniture, oh and the sweet wallpaper, never mind the breeze softly coming in and ruffling the curtains. Always nice to have a decorative kitty too. Have you ever seen the Renee Zellwegger (as) Beatrix Potter movie, it is charming, as is the room where she did all her work! I often visit good friends at the Cape and they refer to the guest room as “my room”, do you think they do that for all their company?
No, they do it because you’re special!
I love your Beatrix Potter room. Absolutely fabulous. I have been wanting to re-do my guest bedroom, and I think you have just inspired the direction that I am going to take. I have a collection of minature Beatrix Potter books that someone gave me when my son was born 22 years ago. I had not thought of them in a long time until I saw your books on the chest-of-drawers. Going on a treasure hunt in my own house now to find those books………Thanks Susan for the inspiration you provide!!!!!!
Absolutely LOVE this room!!! Living in a testosterone-filled home (husband, sons, no daughters), your room would be my dream come true.
Don’t be surprised to find me curled up in there some day!
Words cannot express how beautiful I think your Peter Rabbit room is! How magical! And the map of Martha’s Vineyard only makes it more lovely… As I always declare to you: you’re living my dream! 🙂 ♥
I really enjoyed the tour through your Peter Rabbit room. I have a collection of BP figurines and books and….other BP stuff. I will check out the others who are making comments to find more BP people!! Susan…I have been following your website for awhile and am a follower of your blog and really enjoy everything. I met you when you signed a book at Road to California several years ago. I can’t thank you enough for your wonderful inspiration!!
Now how could we be disappointed in this delightful room?!? It’s so wonderful! And the fact that it is old makes it even more so!!! LOVE it! and I collect Beatrix Potter figurines, also! I don’t have nearly as many as you, but I’m working on it! 🙂 THANK YOU for posting pics of the inside of your home! I, for one, would love more!!
Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos! I, too, am a fan of Beatrix Potter. We had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Lake District and her home while living in England several years ago. It just makes me so happy. Thanks for making my day brighter by sharing your “Peter Rabbit” room!
PS I am a huge fan of your work too!!! 🙂