Look & Learn: Bedroom Building Blocks
We’re back with our second installment of Look & Learn, which is all about studying inspiration rooms and trying to figure out how and why they work. Because admiring a beautiful space is always fun, but figuring out what elements and ideas can actually be borrowed or adapted for your very own casa (preferably on the cheap) is the icing on the cake.
First we’ll take this gorgeous bedroom:
You’ll probably notice a few things right away- namely those great statement making yellow lamps on either side of the bed. We love that they’re cheerful and bold… and the fact that they flank the bed on identical side tables creates some nice effortless balance in the space. We also love the softly patterned bedding and the textured floor rug to add more layered style and interest along with the oversized look-at-me art hanging above the bed. Now let’s look at another stunning sleeping space:
Again we notice those large identical lamps on either side of the bed on similar side tables (both of the same height even if the one on the right is a bit wider). And it also has patterned bedding (this time it’s the skirt and the pillows instead of the duvet) along with a textured area rug. And that amazing wallpapered woven wall along with the showstopping round mirror above the bed didn’t go unnoticed.
Now let’s check out our last charming and inspirational sleeping spot:
This room also has matching side tables and lamps (albeit a bit less oversized since the bed is lower and less hulking), but they still infuse the space with that effortless balance and style. And look, patterned bedding again- along with a nice textured rug (well a rug on top of a rug in this case). As for the wall behind the bed, it has some nice texture thanks to a horizontally paneled half wall and a ledge full of interesting accessories.
So the common threads that we can identify in all of these lovely spaces are:
- Similar or identical side tables with matching lamps to keep things feeling serene and balanced
- Patterned bedding that ranges from subtle to something super graphic & linear
- Textured area rugs with stripes, gradated colors and even woven natural fibers
- Some serious interest going on behind the bed, from horizontal paneling to grasscloth wallpaper or showstopping art
And on top of that, the other funny similarity that we noticed only after a long time spent staring at each image:
- Yellow accents exist in each room (ranging from obvious & bright to subtle & barely there- in that middle image)
Plus each room also has pops of that icy blue-gray tone to balance those splashes of yellow. Interesting huh?
So what’s the takeaway anyway? Well, it stands to reason that if you’re stuck with a blah bedroom you could easily grab two oversized lamps on the cheap to add major impact on either side of the bed (TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Home Goods and Target have some amazing under $30 options). And hunting down some matching side tables (if you don’t already have them) will instantly add balance and some polish to a room that formerly felt off-kilter or unfinished (again Target has some pretty great cheap-o options like this and this). Then you can spring for some patterned bedding or even keep your existing solid-toned duvet but punch things up with a printed bed skirt or some fun patterned pillows like the second bedroom above.
Next you could add an area rug (Overstock has some great budget jute ones and you can find some colorful striped ones right here). Then just do something interesting with the back wall behind your bed. Home Depot sells cheap grasscloth wallpaper and of course you could install some beadboard or waiscotting but it could be as simple as placing a large round mirror or a pair of attention grabbing prints above your bed and calling it a day. And of course the use of yellow accessories and some of that cool gray-blue is optional, but it’s pretty telling that these three rooms caught our attention and only later did we notice that common theme among them.
And so ends our second installment of Look & Learn. Is anyone out there now ready to spruce up their bedroom? Have you noticed other common threads in the rooms that we included above? Or have you picked up other bedroom “formulas” that seem to work like a charm? Do tell.
Psst- You can check out our first Look & Learn adventure right here, which is all about pendants and pops of color. Good times.
All images courtesy of My Home Ideas.
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This is great!!! I’ve finally started decorating my bedroom and I have been trying to pull together different elements for the space. I have quite a few things like you had spoken about here in mind, but haven’t followed through with it yet being the second guesser I am. This definately gives me the confidence to go for it. If it comes out as half of those amazing rooms I’d be happy.
I have been looking for “mid-centruy modern” yellow table lamps, much like those in your first inspiration pic, for quite some time. I particularly like the ones that have the triple globe base (if that is what it is called). Do you have any idea where I can find these, or something similar? Thanks so much, and keep up the great work!
Hey Lucy,
Your best bet for similar lamps would actually be places like Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Target and Home Goods. Of course it’s best to go to those stores in person (they don’t have much of a wide online collection except for Target) but we’ve seen nearly identical lamps at all those places. You can also grab them anywhere in the wrong color (as long as the bones are good) and then spray prime them with Kilz and spray paint them with a glossy yellow tone for an instant makeover. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Nice post! I actually took inspiration from the initials above your and John’s bed recently. We’re in a temporary space, so I didn’t want to hang anything on the walls. Instead, I had small matching frames. So I printed an “S” and a “T” on textured resume paper, centered and cut them out, and popped one in each frame. Now they sit on each of our bedside tables, adding a whole lot more interest to our blah bedroom without costing any money, taking much time, or investing too much in our rental space :)
Thanks so much for your daily inspiration!!
That first bedroom is to die for!
After looking at this my bedroom needs this:
-two matching side tables (we only have one)
-a nice rug with some texture-Jute maybe?
-a pair of nice lamps (we have IKEA placeholders, as of now).
I do love our Crate and Barrel duvet and our actual bed frame for their clean, white lines…
I would never have thought to paint ceramic, so thanks for the tip!
This is quite a timely post for me in that I’m seriously considering taking a pared back Hollywood regency theme (with natural elements as I live near the beach) and painting my walls blue-grey, my crown molding, ceiling & skirting white & using a bright yellow as an accent in the room – a colour theme you’ve hit upon here.
But I wonder: Is that safe to do or is this simply this seasons colours & I’ll date really quickly?
Ahh decisions, decisions!
These pictures are such great inspiration, especially the first which perfectly shows the regency/eclectic mix I’ve been trying to show my boyfriend for weeks. Thank you!!
Love that bedroom! It is so cute.
That first bedroom is to-die-for! Is there anyway you could source the bedding in that first picture? Or, something similar? And maybe that great chair too!
Thanks for the inspiration, Sherry.
Hey Elise,
We listed the source for those images at the bottom of the post but unfortunately we don’t know where any of the accessories come from. If anyone else knows feel free to chime in!
xo,
s
the Mariposa Table Lamp at Z Gallerie looks a lot like the ones in photo one above. http://www.zgallerie.com/pc-8266-39-mariposa-table-lamp.aspx We have these table lamps and love them.
Love the touches of yellow — brightens the rooms! I’m goning to study my bedrooms and see if I can invite a dash of yellow into those spaces.
Esp interested in the larger mirrors, like the one in photo one above. I see mirrors throughout your own home, great way to bring more light into the room!
Great tip Cheryl. Thanks for the link!
xo,
s
Love the colors!!! So bright and cheery!!!
Hi! Closing on our house this Thursday and since our new King bed is being delivered on Saturday, we’ve decided to start w/ the Master bedroom first – we are painting it “soft meadow” by Glidden, and are looking for billowy white curtains to keep it light and airy (the bedroom is west – so the sun won’t rise into our bedroom in the morning). We’re also painting all the trim & closet doors Glidden white. The next step is to figure out what furniture goes w/ the color scheme….. we’re thinking dark black/brown furniture – then some art that “pops” & matching colorful lamps (thanks for the tip in this post!) – hope that’ll be it! So exciting!
I have a question about bedroom rugs. We are moving into a house with a small bedroom, and we have a low bed frame. I was thinking of just getting two rugs for either side of the bed instead of a large rug that would mostly be under the bed and you wouldn’t see it. Does that make sense? All of the photos look great with a large 8X10 or whatever under the bed and pull the room together, but I can’t see spending the money for something you won’t see…
That’s absolutely one of our favorite bedroom rug money-saving tricks. Go for it!
xo,
s
Love these posts! Please keep ‘em coming!
P.S. Hope the pregnancy is going well!
Do you think it would look ok if you just installed some beadboard or waiscotting on the wall behind the bed and not all around the room?
Definitely, just keep things feeling more seamless and less disjoint by tying the beadboard or wainscotting into the rest of the room by painting it a similar (or identical) tone to the walls or the trim. You want the texture and subtle linework to be the star, so painting it bright accent color as well as installing it on just one wall might look a bit too jarring. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
This is a great feature! Problem for me is that these are all bedrooms with hardwood floors. I’m in an apartment with plain, off-white carpet. We’ve also got a bedroom set that is a chocolate brown wood and a patterned duvet (celery green and white). Problem A is that we’ve been trying not to get dark brown side tables so as not to be too matchy-matchy, but aren’t sure what colors/materials WOULD work. Problem B: Aren’t jute and other textured rugs really rough? I’d like something soft to step onto when I get in and out of bed, but that would mean going for a regular wool, etc. rug. Right? Or are there soft, textured rugs out there for us?
Help!
Hey CBR,
Some jute rugs can be tough but they can also be soft and broken in and exotically lovely. In fact we have one in our master bedroom, one in our kitchen, and one in our den so we definitely know firsthand that they can be cozy and inviting- it’s all about seeing them in person and feeling them to be sure they’re well made and textured but not too rough. And as for mixing and matching furniture finishes and avoiding anything too matchy-matchy, here’s a post on that subject: http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/04/email-answer-match-point/
Oh and when it comes to area rugs on carpets, we’re a big fan of that solution. So whether you have wall to wall carpeting or hardwood floors you can definitely bring in an area rug to define an area in your bedroom- just check out this bedroom makeover to see how much it can cozy up a space: http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/03/phuongs-design-dilemma-solved/
xo,
s
timely post as I hope to paint our master bed and bath this week (after mulling over colors for way too long we decided on BM quiet momenets for the bath and cotswald for the bedroom). Our room is very large and has a vaulted ceiling (so the wall our bed is on is slanted up and then the wall to the right actually has a little shelf up toward the ceiling where we temporarily put some fake plants). What are your thoughts on putting art of over the bed? Since the wall is slanted and really high on only one side..should I just do one or 2 larte vertical prints? Wuold it make more sense to make it grander since the wall is so big on one side? Thanks!
We love art over the bed! In fact that first bedroom image above features two gorgeous punchy canvases that practically make the room. As for the size and proportion above the bed, just tape pieces of printer paper together to make large rectangles and use blue painter’s tape to hang them in a variety of arrangements above the bed to see which one you like best (and then order that number of prints in that approximate size). It’s easy!
xo,
s
I adore that first bedroom!
The top bedroom is my dream! Any suggestions for simialar bedside tables? I’m looking for something to go with this west elm headboard: http://www.westelm.com/products/f834/?pkey=cheadboards-beds. I’m also considering this rug from overstock to start layering in some yellow punches: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Golden-Beige-Acrylic-Rug-76-x-96/4265198/product.html. Any other suggestions certainly welcome. I like the straight lines and the crisp white look.
We love side tables from Target and JC Penney along with places like Home Goods and TJ Maxx and Marshall’s. Many of those stores mimic the look of clean lined and sleek designer pieces for a lot less. Happy hunting!
xo,
s
I swear sometime you two are in my head! We are preparing to sell our house and several times a week you write a post that greatly helps me keep on track with staging our home. My next project is going to be sprucing up our bedroom with stuff we can easily take to the next home. We have a lovely neutral patterned rug (bought on clearance from William Sonoma Home for 80% off!), patterned bedding, and pretty walls and window dressing. Just need to get those side tables and lamps! Thanks for giving me some direction!
Wow! You know, I always look at those room inspirations and think, “That looks good, but I’d NEVER be able to do that.” I guess you proved me wrong. Thanks for the insight, when we move into our new house here in a month or so we’ll use this. I’m totally bookmarking you!
In the next few days, I’ll be fitting a pair of sweet decorative mirrors behind my extra-girly gold shade/cut glass base dinky table lamps that are paired next to my bed.
But first, to sand and paint the tv cabinet and fit some frosting to the glass panes using your tips from when you did the same in your basement!
I love the color palettes – I just updated my living room with some yellow color pops and white vases in place of some dark brown bookshelf items and it has made a huge difference – very spring.
My br duvet and sheet set is a very Ralph Lauren/classic American red white and blue. A semi-recent purchase I don’t want to scrap it but it is definitely inhibiting me from adding subtler colors like these.
You forgot to mention another common element–seating! 2 of them have a bench at the foot of the bed and another has a cozy chair. I want to put matching lamps on either side of our bed, but we have windows on either side of the bed. Can we put lamps in front of the windows? or should we put sconces directly above our headboard?? I picked some up but my husband said it was too crowded-looking because we have a post-bed. What are your thoughts?
Good eye about the seating. You’re totally right! And as for lighting in your space, there’s no right answer so either option would most likely look lovely. Sconces are so convenient to flick on and off from bed (we love the swing arm lamps that we mounted above our bed) but sometimes windows look so nice and balanced and even read as more of a feature with large matching lamps in front of them on either side of the bed. Why not start with lamps since they’re easier to add (no screwing into the wall necessary) and pick some affordable ones up and just see what you think (remember you can always return things so there’s no harm in giving them a test drive). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
This post is so funny because I was on Coastal Living’s website a couple days ago and picked the top room as my inspiration room for what I want my master bedroom to look like. SO funny that you guys featured it too! I love that room so much but will have to tweak a few things to fit with my space. Unfortunatly my husband’s dresser has to be his night stand (its a tall-ish armoire style) because of the layout of the room and I just have a regular night stand. We do have matching lamps but I’ve actually thought about getting sconces that hang on either side of the bed so we can use those as reading lights and they’ll be the same level and unify the space. Would you guys recommend that in my case of not having the perfect balance? Thanks so much for any advice!
There’s definitely no right answer. And that’s good news! So we would definitely just suggest going with your gut and seeing what you like. Sconces and other wall mounted options are lovely (we have swing arm lamps above our bed that we love) so if the matching lamps aren’t doing it for you since they’re not balanced enough then the sconces are a great solution. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Anyone with a source for the duvet in the first photo, please share!
I just saw a near identical chair as the first one at TJ Maxx last night. I’m not near a BR redo yet (refinishing hardwoods and doing flooring now) but it would match my West Elm duvet perfectly. Sigh. I love these rooms. I’ve been so drawn to that blue-gray shade myself lately. I actually bought the West Elm Organic Pin Tuck in Sea Spray after seeing it on here. Any thoughts for a paint to match that? I’ve been having such trouble settling on one.
What about a soft platinum gray on the walls? That would be dreamy, like the inside of a cloud (try Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter). You could also do something with a bit of blue in it too (like Benjamin Moore’s Quiet Moments). Just bring home a bunch of swatches and hold them up to see what works best with your duvet. Good luck!
xo,
s
Sherry, I’m totally loving these look&learn posts – so helpful! I had a question – our bedframe is from Ikea, and while we love their stuff (and have crazy amounts of it…) the panel of the footboard looks sort of cheap-o in some kinds of light. I was thinking a good solution would be to get one of those benches, but I don’t want to break the bank since we’re doing a lot of new things to the room. Where do you recommend looking for a long one like that with a safety hinge? Most of our furniture is that black/brown and our bedding is white with green and brown stripe frame (restoration hardware)… so I don’t want to get something too dark, but I want it to blend in… any ideas?
Thanks!!
Try Target, Home Goods, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, or JC Penney (which have a slew of upholstered storage bench options that won’t break the bank). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I just painted our bedroom and connecting office/my dressing room in cool med. gray tones (Valspar’s Urban Sunrise and Hazy Stratus, respectively) and was planning to do yellow accents–so this post is totally boosting my confidence that it will look good together :-) Thanks for the eye candy!!
For everyone asking about the bedding in the first picture, it looks like John Robshaw. I’m IN LOVE with his textiles, but they are super expensive. I haven’t been able to find a cheaper alternative :(.
YHL,
What are your thoughts on nightstands that don’t match in style/color but are the same height? I am buying a vintage vanity table and was thinking of replacing one of the matching nightstands with the vanity. My bedroom set is stained a dark brown, but I was thinking of painting the vanity white. So on hubby’s side the nightstand is the dark brown and my side would have the white vintage vanity. I am design/decorating challeged and would really like your thoughts!! FYI…the other nightstand would then go to one of the kiddos.
Nathalie- Thanks for the bedding tip!
Keren- We say go for it. The identical heights will create balance and allow the lamps to live on the same level in the space, but the contrasting colors of the side tables will add interest and collected-over-time charm.
xo,
s
Love the bedroom, it is so cute!
I love, love, love reading your blog.
Sherry I agree–I love the “look and learn” posts!
Hi there, new to your blog and love it! I already have found so many helpful things :) I wanted to get your thoughts on placing rugs over carpet. Our entire house is hardwood except for our bedroom! Also our Crate & Barrel bedding has more of a blocks of color look, horizontally – first grey, then ivory and then a light green. What sort of rug would work…patterns really stress me out! I love them but have a hard time choosing.
Love this post, I really needed something like this to inspire me!
Great tips and ideas. Love the inspiration rooms and the tips you gave us from them. Awesome!
This is a great post! I love how you’re not just showing pretty interiors but telling us the why and how. Love it it!
Hi Sherry,
Great post -the look and learn concept is very helpful. Do you have any suggestions for when a bed is placed in front of a large window? There is equal wall space on either side of the window. Thanks for any ideas.
Elizabeth- The large window will serve as the “art” above the bed so just go with matching side tables and large statement making lamps to really polish off that side of the room. And hanging textured or breezy curtains high and wide above the window will introduce another layer of interest and height. It’ll look amazing!
Stacey- Do it! We love area rugs over carpet. They’re one of the quickest ways to define a space within a space and add warmth and inviting interest to spare. Just go a shade or two lighter or darker than your carpet so the rug doesn’t look too matchy-matchy and can really stand on it’s own. And of course something woven (like jute or sisal) is super easy to layer over wall to wall carpet (check out overstock.com for a bunch of affordable options) or a subtle pattern (like the one we chose for this carpeted bedroom) can look lovely. Good luck!
xo,
s
Sherry, I love these posts! I think they are my favorite. Quick question…we just bought a jute rug for the bedroom. Are there any rules about rug size? The rug only extends a couple inches out from either side of the bed. Should it be more like a couple feet on each side?
Thank you! Eryn
Hey Eryn,
Rules are meant to be broken so if the rug looks good to you then we say go for it! If it looks a little too small we would recommend switching it out for something larger. Just trust your eye!
xo,
s
LOVE all of these rooms…Thanks for the inspiration as always!!
where in the world did they get that beddding in the first picture? the whilt and blue? i love that!
I’m in love the the diamond bed skirt. Any idea where I can find it??
Ashley and Kami- Unfortunately the sites where we found those bedroom images didn’t provide any sources, but if any of our readers recognize anything they usually share that info. In fact someone already took a guess about the bedding so scroll up for that info.
Yulia- You can always paint out a rectangle or square behind your art (a few inches larger on all sides) to frame it and give it more dominance and weight in a space. You can also hang a large empty frame that’s a few inches larger than your art to again add some definition and extra oomph to make it appear larger and more proportionate. Hope it helps!
Laurel- There’s no right answer so you could probably go either way and end up with a room you love. Here’s a post about mixing and matching furniture to avoid too much of that matchy-matchy feeling in a space: http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/04/email-answer-match-point/
Redlilocks- Thanks so much for the Brooklyn Limestone link! We love that blog and we hope our readers will click over and enjoy it too!
xo,
s
I’m so glad you’re doing this post! I’m in the process of updating my bedroom. You might remember my pic on your facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=196542&op=3&o=global&view=global&subj=106687025881&id=100000208307794
Do you have any suggestions on how to make art look bigger? I purchased the biggest shadow box that I could find to hold our wedding wreaths, but it still seems kind of small.
I recently discovered and fell in love with your blog.
Thank you for this post. I am currently working on revamping our bedroom. We just purchased this new bed: http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=400&f=5569. We have a modern look. Our bedding is graphic blues. I am trying to determine what type of bedside tables to put with this. Should I stick with a matchy brown or look for something else? Any suggestions? Thank you!
I love these posts too! Feel so much better about my choices for my bedroom as I’ve got the matching bedside tables and lamps, patterned duvet and a touch of yellow (although mine is with dark plum and soft grey) :)
I just wanted to share this bedroom from the blog Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone as well because it brings in so many of the elements that you’ve spoken about and it’s probably one of my favourites in blogland:
http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/search/label/bedroom
Huh, we already have blue in our bedroom, with gold duvet and gold curtains. Do you think gold counts as yellow? I do like a really cheerful color when you wake up. I have a painting with lots of yellow in it… maybe I should hang it in the bedroom.
Alas, no matching tables here, but I’ll keep an eye out.
I’m doing my bedroom in purple, gray, and silver with some punches of lime green. Having trouble finding a rug and I can’t decide what kind of finish my furniture should have. I know I don’t want white, but I don’t know if wood finished would look odd.
We did one of these, check it out on my blog:
http://frenchrevo.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/guest-bedroom-redo/
Thanks for all of your inspiration, especially to us first time home owners!
I love the way you reduce these rooms to simple decorating steps. My current bedroom TO DO list is making a headboard and recovering bland lampshades. Thanks for the reminder to get going on these projects!