Big Boy Room Reading Corner - The Plan

I often go through very, very, long phases where I get absolutely nothing accomplished because I get paralyzed by what-ifs. 

What if it looks dumb?!?

What if it ends up in that random pile of junk in the basement in a few months' time?!?

What if I can't do it?!?

What if I spend too much time and energy on it?!?

What if I waste money on it?!?

What if other people don't like it?!?

What if I don't like it?!?

I'm trying to face my irrational fears and come up with a plan to finish up Cooper's big boy room. It's been a bit of a challenge since I decided to work with the existing gray-green, striped walls.

The room is long and narrow with oddly placed windows. Also, I have Cooper's twin bed placed in the corner (so he doesn't roll off) when I would eventually like to have it more in the middle of the room.

Here is the overall look I am going for in his new room:

I've decided that one step toward finishing the room off would be to create a little reading nook in one of the awkward corners. I'm envisioning giant wall letters, book ledges, and a great big bean bag chair.

I splurged on the wall letters awhile back. They are from Restoration Hardware Baby and Child and I waited until they were on sale before I purchased them. Whenever I buy anything from the U.S. I always wait for a good sale (at least 20% off) so that the difference covers the shipping, taxes, and duties that come along with ordering from Canada. Each letter is about two feet tall, metal, and painted a dark, navy blue. Fun, right?

Extra-Large Vintage Metal Letters - Restoration Hardware Baby and Child

I purchased four letters to spell 'COOP' and for fun, I decided to wrap them around the corner instead of having them all along the same, long wall.  

My plan is to build two book ledges that run underneath the wall letters (also around the corner). I know that book ledges have been done a thousand and one times. However, I do love the look of them, and I want to encourage lots of reading, so I'm just going for it. 

Inspiration pictures, you ask? Here are a few favourites.

Source - Daffodil Design

Source - Boston Globe

I finally found a giant bean bag chair that would be perfect for the space. It's called the Navy + Cement Boxter Plaid Beanbag from Pottery Barn Teen. But the shipping. Oh, the shipping.

Navy + Cement Boxter Plaid Beanbag Chair - Pottery Barn Teen

I thought I completely lucked out when the slipcover went on sale 30% off from $99 to $69. (They won't ship the whole bean bag chair internationally, only the cover.) I was going to buy the slipcover and just do the insert / stuffing myself. But by the time I converted the price to Canadian dollars, added the shipping fee, factored in the taxes and duties, the total for JUST THE SLIPCOVER came to.....

$354.07!!!!!

That is absolutely ridiculous and there is no way that I would pay that crazy amount of money. 

So, I surfed and shopped and surfed and shopped (all in the wee hours of the night might I add) and finally found a bean bag chair pattern and some fabric that I think would work! 

The bean bag chair will look like this:

Rollie Pollie Bean Bag Chair

And the fabric that I've chosen looks like this:

Premier Prints Swiss Dots Navy

I'm giving myself a deadline of December 24th to get this all done. I'm thinking that a giant bean bag chair would be a great gift for Coopaloops to find under the tree on Christmas morning. :)