Tinkers Bedroom Design Question
Design Mom reader Tink asked if I could offer some interior design ideas for her master bedroom. She actually posted the question on her blog and sent me the link. I'm posting the text below:
-------
Our entire upstairs is basically this taupey-mushroom colour trimmed with white. I love it, but am really bad about finding colours to go with it; particularly since we ended up with this orange-toned bedroom furniture. We only saw a swatch of the wood stain when we ordered it (thinking it would be more neutral) and didn't realize it would be this colour! In hindsight, I think something in a mocha or chocolate would have looked great, but we're stuck now.
So I'm looking for suggestions and decorating ideas.
The lamps need to be replaced as they're just desk lamps from our respective old homes before we moved in here together. I'm thinking something simple in brushed nickel with a textured white paper shade.
And what about bedding? We keep it simple with a fitted sheet, a pillow apiece, and separate duvets for each of us (who needs a big cover when you're snuggling anyhow?). The question is whether there is a good colour that could make the wood look less orange. Or maybe tie the wood and the wall colour together? I don't know. This is where I get really stuck.
I'll tell you now that I hate to dust, so I don't like to have lots of chachkis to collect it for me. But somehow, the room needs more decoration.
Any ideas? Please?
------
Let's help her out! Leave your best ideas in the comment section.
posted by Gabrielle of Design Mom at Wednesday, January 03, 2007
10 Comments:
Hey Tink,
I think your bedroom furniture is gorgeous. And maybe the picture isn't true to reality, but I think there's enough yellow warmth in the paint color on the wall, that the orange in the wood furniture looks great.
In fact, the whole thing makes such a nice canvas, that my mind is spinning with area rugs, and a bench at the end of the bed and artwork for the walls and stacks of books on the dresser, and roman shades, or maybe drapes, etc. But I understand you like it simple, so I'll try to scale back the ideas.
Your thinking on lamps is right on. Two lamps — of a pretty good size, brushed nickel with white shades, would be lovely. In fact, 2 big lamps will make a big difference in how the room feels. Add a good-looking brushed nickle alarm clock, of course.
Still looking for a fab duvet cover. I'll add a link if I find something.
For simple but high-style decoration, you could keep a big vase, full of one type of flower — like orange tulips, on the dresser.
Oh. And a bench with a blanket. And some books. And a rug. And some photos over the bed. Somebody stop me, please.
I gutted my room this spring and now, it looks a lot like yours!
We had miles of "not us" floral wallpaper and matching comforter, window treatments, lamps...there were so many flowers it wasn't restful.
Tore it all down, sold all the other stuff at a garage sale, painted the walls the same color as yours and bought some gorgeous pieces in cherry.
For adding some "excitement" to the room, I switch out quilts with the season. Had some lovely mossy greens on the quilt that was on the bed last summer. And changing that out was enough color but we also bought some not matching, funky end tables and lamps for by our bed. That was enough for us, we love the peacefulness of how the room is and the bedding changes keep it fresh.
You could play up the warmth of your furniture by going complimentary--blues! Even if you were to tone it down and go with ice/steel blues, your furniture's warmth will stand out and glow.
You could keep it more zen modern and go for greens, creams, and chocolate accents. If you decide on plain duvets/linens, go for a statement on your back wall in a green color.
Maybe vibrant isn't your thing, but by using cream as a main color and red as an accent, your eye will naturally be drawn to red pillows, or an arrangement of vases, deemphasizing the color of the beds.
p.s. I love the furniture
I love that furniture! Since you asked. . . If you don't want to paint the walls, I would do a sagey green to warm it up. ( Steer clear of blues if you're worried about the orange hue in your pieces.) Your room is neutral enough to have fun with different prints and texture for the duvet and pillows.
I would make your headboard the focal point--with a cool huge piece of art that you love or combination of art in a gallery like arrangement. The windows and the placement of your furniture all want something really fun there.
I would love to see what you come up with! Make sure and post your "after" pictures!
i love your furniture! i love those square windows, too.
maybe my monitor doesn't represent it well, but it doesn't look too orange to me. if it really is too orange, i think a stark white with bright, poppy orange accents would tone it down a bit.
i don't know if i'm the best at this, but i looked at your room and thought -- brushed nickel lamps, a nice muted teal duvet, and a large glass vase with curly willow & marbles. top it off with cool throw pillows of orange, grey, and white.
my 2 cents.
I really like the color scheme in the photo from Designmom's 10/5/05 guest entry (come to bed). I think by adding some orange, you will make your furniture seem less so. Also go just a few shades darker on the beige bedding and you still have nice, simple, but appealing colors.
So many great ideas! It's like our own little HGTV crew in comment form.
Tink, I really hope all these fab thoughts have you inspired.
Thanks everyone! I'm very flattered by the compliments on the furniture -- I didn't think these pieces were really anything that special.
I'm leaning toward something in orange -- which could be in reaction to the navy/white floral duvet covers we've been using -- and even dreamt of crisp white covers with bright orange tulips (think IKEA style) last night thanks to your comments. I guess we'll see what I can find around here....
I've also got to find some great artwork for that void over the bed (something with orange....). Or maybe I've got a good African sunset photo that I can make into a poster and chop into little squares on a white mat. Hmmm.
I'll head down to our design district next week to try to find some big nickel/white lamps as you've suggested.
As for the vase of flowers, what type of vase? Glass? Steel? White ceramic? Something boxy like the furniture? Or maybe bell-bottom to have a curve like the headboard? And what scale? Maybe a foot-high vase with flowers sticking out another foot?
You've got my mind working now! Thanks again!
i'm late to this discussion, but i love putting in my 2 cents, even if you've already decided what you'll do.
1. i'd paint the fan. it's pretty simple to do; you cover the ceiling really well, remove the blades, and paint the metal part with a silver spray paint. it will look a lot like brushed aluminum. then while the blades are off, i'd paint them either white or dark dark brown. leaning toward the dark brown.
2. i'd go dark brown and white for the bedding. i'm a big fan of white sheets; so crisp and clean and easy to bleach if they get stained. so i'd get maybe a dark brown duvet with maybe a lighter/darker brown blanket folded at the foot of the bed and white pillows cases.
3. i love the lines of the furniture. it's simple and elegant; i wouldn't put much on them or it will detract. our bedroom actually looks quite similar to how yours looks. we have one white jonathan adler vase on our white dresser, and that it's it. nothing on our side table, nothing else in the room. (there's usually not anything in the vase, either, and we like it that way!) if you do get side table lamps, i'd try to make sure they aren't too massive, so they don't take away from the clean lines of your furniture.
for what it's worth!
Post a Comment
<< Home