Anna’s Design Dilemma
When Anna asked us to help spruce up her master bedroom, we got right to work. Here’s her letter:
Looking forward to working with you! Our house is a 100 year old Victorian with a lot of character, which we love. Our style was more modern until we moved in and none of our furniture fit with the style of the house. Now we’re leaning more towards traditional, but not stuffy. Pottery Barn is my favorite store for sure. I’d like to keep the bed and the dresser and end tables. I’m thinking about moving the chair to another room, so that can go. We have the Calvin Klein “bamboo flowers” bedding in our guest room and we’d love to have that in our room, but couldn’t figure out how to make it work with paint, etc. So if you could work things around that bedding, it’d be great. Open to most other things being changed- especially the wall color! We generally choose more “natural” colors, nothing too bold. Thanks so much! – Anna
This bedroom is primed for a major makeover, so here’s the plan:
And now for the mood board breakdown.
1. Our color palette will be warm, welcoming and neutral with some deep chocolates in the existing furniture, some soothing tan tones to keep things airy, some periwinkle blue (in the bedding that Anna already owns) and just a dash of violet to keep things interesting. For the walls we’d love to see a nice neutral tan color (try Benjamin Moore’s Huntington Beige HC-21) which is not too dark and not too light so it will really make that great white trim and woodwork pop without closing in the space.
2. Here’s the gorgeous bedding that Anna already has on hand for the space. We love the moody almost-periwinkle tone, which is sweet but not too childlike for a master bedroom.
3. This chandelier will make the entire space, while adding traditional elegance and even mimicking the tan floral shapes in the bedding. And while the chandy looks a bit gilded, it’s really a weathered beige finish, so it will feel beautiful and timeworn, just like Anna’s 100 year old home.
4. We were immediately drawn to that amazing built-in window seat, and we couldn’t help but imagine some seat cushions for added function and comfort. We dug up this fantastic fabric, which is traditional and super memorable (at just $12 a yard!) and we’d love to see it on some seat cushions to create a warm and inviting little reading nook. A few tan pillows tossed on top will be the icing on the cake (enter C10 at checkout to get 20% off each pillow).
5. We also found this great set of accent pillows that will work perfectly with the bedding in case Anna is in need of a toss pillow or two for the bed (two of them are just $29).
6. We’d love to see this classic mirror hung over the dresser to bounce around light and reflect that gorgeous view out the window (it’s 50% off!).
7. When it comes to bedrooms, we always love to see two matching table lamps on each night table that flanks the bed. It’s an easy way to add instant ambiance and balance to the room (not to mention tons of function since you can click off the lights without getting out of bed). These elegant lights will work seamlessly with the delicate chandelier overhead and add to the traditional and classic look that works so well with Anna’s home.
8. We looked far and wide to find a small chest that would work seamlessly with Anna’s existing dresser and night table, and couldn’t believe our luck when we finally stumbled upon this beauty (which could seriously be made by the same people). The clean lines, coffee tone, and wooden drawer knobs closely mimic the existing pieces, and positioned in the place of the chair (which will be moving to another room) Anna will have a functional and gorgeous TV stand that looks far more balanced and deliberate than placing it on the end of her dresser (plus it will face the bed for a better view). The added bonus: four more drawers for storage!
9. Contemporary abstract art and that stunning chandelier wouldn’t mix, and due to the pattern in the bedding and the bench seat upholstery, we wanted something soft and subdued for above the bed. Two of these prints repeated next to each other and centered above the bed will be neutral and soothing. We’d love to see them in larger dark wood frames with a big white mat to give each of them a bit of presence so they work with the scale of the bed.
10. Anna already has a very nice area rug in her space, and although it’s a neutral tan tone, we wonder if the pattern will be a bit busy when paired with the floral bedding. We definitely think she should try adding the bedding to the room with the rug in place and living with it for about a week or so (it always takes a few days for your eyes to adjust). Then she’ll be able to decide whether she would like to keep the rug or trade it out for something with a bit less going on. And just in case she decides to do just that, we found this yummy mocha rug that will add a rich hue and a subtle and oh-so-classic pattern for that luxe layered look.
11. These open weave sand colored curtains will frame the gorgeous window beautifully without blocking any of the light or obstructing the view. We’d love to see them hung high and wide outside of the window nook (on the main wall) to add an inviting, breezy, and serene feel to an area that will soon be full of plush pillows and cushions. These curtains + the chandelier = heaven. It will be a whole new space!
12. Here’s our splash of violet that can be used sparingly for a luxurious and elegant effect without overwhelming the neutral palette. These orchid colored faux-coral pieces would look lovely on a stack of large hardcover books in the center of the dresser (especially since the TV will relocate to the corner with the chair).
So there you have it. An inviting and traditional bedroom for Anna to enjoy. We cant’t wait to hear what you think!
Update: We sadly can no longer find the time to take on client commissioned mood boards (we now whip up general inspiration boards instead) but if we ever reinstate them we’ll make a big announcement!
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ooooh – great mood board :) I love your choices for this space. Oh, and btw, the link for the curtains isn’t working quite right. Thought you’d like to know :)
Great work!!!
Jacci
Thanks for the heads up on that link Jacci. All fixed! Glad you guys are diggin’ the latest mood board. Can’t wait to hear what Anna thinks. Stay tuned…
xo,
Sherry
Oooh I love this color combination! My current bedroom is ALL neutrals with a dark brown suede headboard. I’ve been debating about what color scheme to go with and this is definitely a possibility! It’s so calming!
AWESOME – I have this bedding as well – and have had the most difficult time making it work, since its kind of a darker fabric, and my room has limited lighting (windows)… a new coat of paint that you recommended to Anna should help us out too! Thanks for sharing!!
The purple is perfect, I never would’ve thought of that. And the chandalier looks amazing, I hope she includes it!
this is the first insporation board in loong time that i absolutely love. most of your other ideas are too similar and boring, but this one is precious!
The mood looks fabulous… I noticed in one of the pictures the TV/power strip wire mess on the dresser. I have that problem at home. Any suggestions?
Hey Missy,
Hopefully by moving the TV over to the new chest in the corner where the chair used to live, Anna will be able to hide the power strips and cords behind the piece of furniture. I know it sounds like obvious advice, but doing anything and everything to hide the wires (from putting a trunk in front of them to repositioning them so they’re more discreet) will really make everything look clean and less chaotic.
xo,
Sherry
That’s really pretty!
Question about the curtains though (because my living room has a very similar window I haven’t yet quite figured out what to do with) — so if you hang the curtains outside the whole thing, does it look weird if you close the curtains, because there will be a big open spot behind them but in front of the windows? Or are they meant to stay open all the time?
Hey Lindsay,
The curtain panels are actually just meant to remain open all the time to soften the look of the whole space and make anyone who sits in the window seat feel enveloped and cozy. It will really change the whole look and feel of the space! Hope it helps. Happy hanging…
xo,
Sherry
As usual awesome ideas from you guys! Love it.
So classy with such great details! I love it!
Wow, I can’t wait to see the after because that house has great bones.
Beautiful mood board and Anna’s lovely window will be even more stunning with all your suggestions. I have a question about the curtains, also. Should one long curtain rod extend across the entire wall or could two smaller rods (1 on each side) be used to hang the panels? Hope that makes sense.
Hey Denise T,
It totally makes sense! One long rod is the way to go. You want it to be a few inches (around 5) above the lip of the wall where the nook begins, and you want it to be at least 18″ wider than the opening on each end to make room for the curtains (so they don’t obscure the light or the view). Hope it helps! Happy hanging…
xo,
Sherry
My favorite mood board to date! You guys are fantastic to share them with us, your loyal, devoted readers! Thanks!
The mood boards you create are so inspiring. Your blog is my first click in the morning! If Anna wants to donate that “old” paisley bedding… I personally love that print more than the periwinkle blue one. ;)
I have that bedding too! Love it :)
This is great. I have the exact same CK bedding but didn’t know how to bring it cohesively together into the master bedroom. But my furniture is kind of reddish brown… I wonder if these colors would still work..
Hey Cynthia,
I think as long as you keep the furniture consistent (all dark, all maple, all birch) it will sort of disappear and allow the textiles and the accessories to shine. So the good news is that your current furniture will very likely work perfectly with the bedding. Go ahead and bring more soft periwinkle and brown tones into the room for a rich layered effect that will look cohesive and welcoming. A lot of times rooms tend to look disjoint because there’s not enough of something (ex: only having blue in the bedding but not bringing in some accessories or art with that tone in them can make the bedding stick out like a sore thumb). Layering on things in similar tones will really cozy things up! Hope it helps. Happy decorating…
xo,
Sherry
Such good advice in all your comments, in addition to a lovely mood board. I hope she hurries up with the after pictures. This one’s really good.
I absolutely love what you have put together! I NEVER would have thought you could get such an amazing lamp on Overstock! Love it!
Nice selection of pieces. Just a quick note, we ordered a JC Penney dresser for my son’s room. It really is a nice quality.
LOVE this! As always, such good work. I love how calming the color scheme is. I can’t wait for the ‘after’ pics!
I love seeing the great ideas you come up with for people. This one is really great. I can’t wait to see what they do with the window seat! I have such a thing for window seats. Very cozy. I love that mirror, too!
I love the mood board, can’t wait to see the “after” pics. I actually love their old bedding, and have been searching for it on ebay, etc…Anna what are you going to do with it now that you’ll be using the CK bedding?
Love the periwinkle! This is really going to be a great space!
Wow, Sherry, thanks so much for your advice. I’m not a big fan of maple (reddish brown?), but my husband bought the bedroom set right before we got married without consulting me.. can you believe? =) So I’ve been kind of stuck with it until we can buy a new set. (At least it’s a very modern looking set.) But I love dark modern expresso colored wood.. so I bought my new vanity in that color.. But based on your advice, I think I will hide that somewhere in my bedroom and bring in more periwinkle. thank you, Thank you!
The vintage retro look is absolutely lovely and charming! It’s incredible how you turned a “regular” room into something warm and inviting! I also recommend soft lighting and an oval shaped vanity to top it off. (I am a print designer so I loved the tan tones)
I have the CK bedding and was thrilled to find suggestions for a color palette that didn’t involve blue walls! Any other suggestions on lamps – of course, they’re sold out!
We’ve seen extremely similar lamps at Target, TJ Maxx and Marshall’s. Hope it helps!
xo,
s