Today, I’d like to pick y’all’s brain and get some decorating advice slash reinforcement of my ideas for our master bedroom. I gotta step it up in this room stat. Now, there’s no doubt our master bedroom has come a loooong way from when we moved in five years ago:
But it still just hasn’t felt “done” to me. We’ve gotten the larger stuff “done” like the furniture, flooring, wainscoting, and even the master bathroom, but the decor itself just isn’t pulling it’s weight. The husband could care less, but it drives me crazyyyyy. So, after I saw how helpful it was when my friend Karisa sought out advice for her living room (that came out awesome, btw!), I wanted to do the same for our bedroom. If you’ve been around here for any amount of time, you can probably tell I’m not a huge fan of bright bold colors so the mood I’m looking for is calm, neutral, and clean with a slight coastal vibe. Here are a few of my inspiration pictures from my Master Bedroom Refreshin’ Pinterest board :)
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I drew up the below basic images showing what I’m looking to change/move/update in here. Before that though, a few things to remember:
1. The furniture stays – I love our furniture and actually like that it all matches, I think it works in here just fine.
2. I would kill to put a jute rug down under the bed but we have a certain feline with an affinity of taking care of her sensitive stomach issues on my rug in the living room, so I really don’t feel like crawling under the bed to clean that shiz up!
3. The drapes stay. They are the Riviera Stripe blackouts from PB and I seriously heart them.
4. The ceiling fan stays. We live in south Texas. So yeah, it stays. And we actually like the way it looks. And yes, there are two other fans in the room too that also are not going away but rather are being replaced. Seriously, y’all…it’s hot as shit down here.
The DIY marine algae prints I made a few years ago need to be a bit bigger and the frames not be dark brown like the furniture. I’ve been stalking HomeGoods for the last few weeks to no avail trying to find the awesome watercolor ones The Blissful Bee used in her new dining room so I’m just gonna have to beef these up.
It’s just a matter of time before we knock one of these lamps off our nightstands so in order to free up space on them, plus give more height and visual interest on each side of the bed, I’ll be putting these plug-in wall sconces from Pottery Barn in soon. Can’t wait to get them!
I’ll add a duvet folded down at the foot of the bed as well as some larger matching euro or king shams. Looking at this set in gray but aren’t sure if I want to do a solid white like that or something with a subtle pattern. I have pattern commitment issues :/
I LOVE having a bench at the foot of the bed, and so does the cat. I got this dark brown leather one from Pier 1 last year cause I was too impatient trying to find the perfect one. So now, instead of a single bench, I’m thinking two “X” ottomans with nailhead trim would look better. Not sure of the fabric yet as I feel these could be a great accent, but again, I’m pattern noncommittal. Whatever fabric it is, it can’t be snagged by cat claws…I’m thinking a velvet would be great. There are quite a few options on the Pinterest board, but I’m dyyyyiiing to have some nailhead trim in here!
As you can see, it’s taken quite a few tries to find the perfect blue-gray-but-not-too-blue-but-still-light-and-not-all-gray color. I finally found a winner with BM’s “Silver Half Dollar” and the can is sitting in the corner ready to be put on when I get around to finishing painting the trim in here first. I may lighten it by 50% though, not sure yet. Would love to hear how that works out for folks, as I have no experience with that yet.
I think a pretty rug would totally polish the space off but again, see my barf-cat reference above. If I do put one in here, it’ll have to be a jute rug so I can clean it easily :/
The only wall art I have in here now is the algae prints and our canvas wedding vows, so things will get added and shuffled around a bit.
Again, with the lack of art. I want to do another driftwood and acorn hanging and have a few ideas for some other wall art DIYs so the spaces by the window may work for that.
This area is the one that gives me the most headaches. I got a big round mirror on clearance to go somewhere in here, possibly on this wall next to the door (hence the canvas-moving above). But I also had planned to get a pretty round mirror (like this one) to replace the matching one we have now which would clash with the round clock being on the small wall. Maybe a cooler rectangle mirror here instead?
And yes, while it sucks to have a fan out as “decor”, it is a necessity both for air movement and as noise. We both have to have at least one fan going at night. I just don’t understand why they all have to be so gosh dang ugly!!! Any suggestions on better-looking fans? We are thisclose to getting the Dyson stand up.
Here are my super-simpleton mock-ups with some of these ideas to help see what it’ll look like. Picture the one above with white bedding and the ottomans in whatever other color…and the one below without the pile of paint supplies in the corner. #trashy
Ok, this post is pushing 1000 words so I’ll shut up now. But that number directly correlates to how frustrated I am in this space. Pleeeeeease help me! Any advice/critiques/support/general comments/hell no’s/product suggestions will be greatly appreciated and hopefully in a few months I will be revealing something that I finally am comfortable with and that you guys helped me with.
***UPDATE: Our bedroom finally got a makeover, see the big reveal HERE!!****
Relaxing Master Bedroom Makeover
New Master Bathroom Mirror
How to DIY Shiplap
I think you’ve got a BRILLIANT plan going! As you start making some changes, I think the rest will all fall into place! Can’t wait to see how it all comes together!!! PS. I’ve seen some really pretty table fans with an antique look to them at Home Goods – they’re a bit pricey, but SO pretty!
Thanks Kristi!! I am so ancy to paint, I think that will start the ball rolling. It’s so hard to picture some of these things with the green as the backdrop now :/ Totally checking my HG for fans now, I’m so sick of these that I’ll pay almost whatever :)
I think you’re spot on Emily!! It already looks like a high-end retreat and I love your ideas to jazz it up a bit! The only thing that I can think of is maybe a standing potted plant in the right corner of the room, but I’m always trying to add greenery in the house.:) Can’t wait to see the finished space!
Oooo, I like that idea Shannon!!! I had thought of trying to squeeze a chair in that space but I think it’s just too small, so a plant may work! Dare I get another fiddleleaf?!? #deathsentence We leave our blinds closed most of the year to keep it cool in the house so I’m concerned a plant wouldn’t get enough light but I’ll do some research and see :)
You have PERFECT ideas!! I love your floor you have now and all your wall space; so much potential for fun art! I love your idea of the two “x” ottoman’s, too. That clock will awesome on that wall. Ps, my hubby is the same and could care LESS what/how the room is decorated. They are NO HELP.
Aw, thanks Amanda!! That clock is just a little too big for the wall by the window where I’d like to put it so it keeps throwing me off :/ And no, they aren’t! Matt’s apartment was almost sterile, absolutely nothing on the walls and everything was crazy organized and/or stored away.
I love planning room re-do’s! This is so fun :) Basically I love all you ideas… but especially the x-style benches, sconces (oh my, I LOVE sconces!), and the duvet you’ve picked is adorable. Isn’t so funny how we all have our natural aversion/fear of certain things? Like when I buy clothes, they always end up being in crazy funky patterns, so I’m working on buying more neutral staples lately ;) Can’t wait to see how it all turns out!!!
I am sconce-obsessed too Naomi! And I’ve always thought that was funny too, I am totally a solids and muted color gal :)
Ahh!! So much to say!! First of all, wow, you’ve come so far! The room looks amazing already. And all the changes you have in mind sound like they’re going to be awesome. 1- Try Rejuvination for a floorstanding fan. Over the summer at least, they had one style that was uh-mazing. 2- If you can at all get away with it cat-barf-wise (sooo sorry about that btw, we have a dog whose developing a similar problem…ugh!!!) – but anyways, if you can get away with it, I honestly think a rug would change the whole room instantly. When I did my office, putting the rug down was the one thing that made the whole thing feel finished. What about an indoor/outdoor style that is easily cleaned? We have one in our entry from Ballard Designs and I’m pretty sure it’s basically made of plastic. Anything cleans off of it with just a hose. (Not that you’re going to bring a hose into your bedroom….) 3- LOVE the wall sconce idea…I just chose those same ones for some clients and am totally going to find some for my room too…it makes so much practical sense and they can fill the wall void with something interesting so you don’t have to go overboard on artwork. 3- I agree that a round clock next to a round mirror is less than ideal. I don’t actually mind your existing mirror, but if you want to change it up, perhaps something with a bit of an ornate frame – like an aged metal and rectangular-ish but with some curves. How’s that for a non-descript description?! LOL! Ballard Designs tends to have interesting mirrors. I’d be sad to see the topper go- it makes the piece so interesting. Do the mirror & the topper have to go together or can you just keep the topper? GOOD LUCK! So excited to see the results. Whatever you do will be awesome. (Oh, and you’re light years ahead of my poor bedroom, so take heart!!) xo!
Laura! This is awesome and just what I needed! Ok,
1- Fans at Rejuvenation…OMG I had no idea they had fans! Those are perfect! Done and done in my opinion.
2- I totally agree that a rug would make this space. And it’s pretty easy to get the crud off our jute one in the living room so I really may look into that, which one from Ballard do you have? If I didn’t get a rug, I was thinking the seagrass X-benches from PB would be good, but if I do get a rug, I’ll get some lighter fabric benches instead since the seagrass would clash with the jute.
3- It is taking everything in me to wait on those sconces to get here! The fact that you’ve used them and want them yourself solidifies my decision on them :) With the three prints above the bed, I knew I didn’t want to put even more art above the nightstands too, unless it was something big or mirrors, and I already have a mirror in here so that would be weird. I’m so glad I found such high arc-ed sconces and for pretty reasonable too, they were on sale already and I had hella rewards and coupons so they were about half off!
4- The mirror and topper are separate so I would just remove the mirror and leave the topper. I love the topper too :) I’ll probably paint, put the sconces up, put the clock up and artwork where I want it, then see how the mirror I have now looks. If the space still needs some pizzazz, then I’ll start mirror hunting.
I could just hug you right now for all this awesome advice. Pleeeese let me know if you see something that catches your eye or if you think of anything else :) Thanks friend!!
love the calmness of this room!
Thanks Milly! It has been a nice retreat for us ever since the makeover!
I would love to know the details on the third inspiration picture you posted! The via link wasn’t working for that one! I’m redecorating right now and love that look so much! Thanks so much!!!
Hi Heather, unfortunately these images were found just from online searches so I do not have the original source :/