My latest home project is my master bedroom which I am keen to paint a soft, clear blue but finding the right shade of blue has become quite a challenge. I have paint swatches all over my walls but none are that perfect shade for my room. I have narrowed it down to two Porters colours, either French Grey or Ice. French grey is subtle and a little dirty, while Ice is a clear baby blue but maybe a little strong for me in depth. However, While I ponder the right shade of blue, I want to share my inspiration, mood board and a few options I have for bed linen and accessories.
I am inspired by coastal colours and the styles of Hamptons/New England/Cape Cod, which all have similarities. I want to walk into my bedroom and immediately feel relaxed and much like I am on a holiday by the sea. I have chosen a solid white wooden headboard (see design board below), as it will be going in front of a fairly large shuttered window. The reason being that the layout is much better, it creates more space than I had previously and it is a straight line to get to the en suite. I don't necessarily feel that a bed should be in front of a window, however with a solid headboard behind I am quite happy with my decision. My headboard arrives today and my wooden plantation shutters hopefully get fitted in a few weeks time. The remaining decisions are deciding the wall colour (most important), bed linen, bedside tables and lamps and accessories.
My original colour inspiration was drawn from a beautiful French style bedroom in Auckland designer, Mary Gordon's previous home. I love the gentle shades of blue grey on her walls and bed linen, in contrast the crisp white of the ceiling's offsets the walls beautifully. Blue creates a restful retreat, it is cool and calming and perfect for my sunny bedroom. According to the Daily Mail, "those who sleep in a blue bedroom tend to get the best rest - nearly eight hours a night and wake feeling happy and positive." The psychology of colour could take up an entire post, however you might find the article in the Daily Mail interesting as it talks about all colours and the effects on our sleep habits.
Above: My colour inspiration from designer, Mary Gordon's previous home - French Grey from Porters Paints
My design board:
Note: The fabric colours for the cushions will depend on the bedlinen I choose, the board is simply ideas I have collected which I can change once I have settled on the bed linen. I may be brave and add a little pop of pink.
I haven't decided on the bedlinen, so open to feedback. I really like the Maude linen blue check duvet cover 'or' Cabbage Rose in blue, both from Household Linens (as seen in my design board above), however the linen set is very expensive. The addition of a white bedspread which will be folded across the end of the bed will break up the blue. Alternatively, the second option is to abandon the duvet and use a white waffle blanket and the Portela bedspread from Bed Bath & Table (a much cheaper option). The Portela pattern is heavier, more feminine with an entirely different look...decisions...decisions!
I think you may now have the gist of what I am trying to achieve with this bedroom. I would love to hear your views and opinions especially re the black side tables versus natural wood, the Portela bedspread versus the duvet covers, and maybe you know the perfect blue for my walls.
Sharing this post with some of the following blogs:
HI Lee. Very envious you are finally working on your bedroom. We are desperate to get ours done, but the shutter quote was nearly $6000 so it's on hold until next summer. I love colour on walls but in a bedroom like to be able to switch out bed linen on a regular basis. I'd go French Grey - muddied colours are always beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYes the shutters are expensive Niki, however they give a totally different and amazing feel to a room and also I believe are a good selling feature. I have ordered for the window behind my bed, the other I will order later for the same reason as you. However, I buy from Brightshine in Auckland who have done other wooden blinds and shutters for me, they are the most competitive price and I find their service excellent. Contact them and tell them you read about them on my blog, they may give you a good price. Mine are basswood shutters that have been painted white. They do take 6 weeks from order to fitting (50% deposit), however most of the companies take 6 weeks as they all have them made in China. Brightshine also have a manufacturing plant in Onehunga that make up their 'wooden' venetian blinds. I put the headboard in place last night and now thinking that I am going to have to keep the wall colour very light as the headboard does make the room look smaller. I have used 'hint of grey' in my office and it could well work in the bedroom and then it is very easy to switch out bedlinen as you say.
DeleteThank you for taking time to comment, maybe you can send me photos of your bedroom when it is completed.
Lee :)
Can't wait to see it finished-I love the coastal look and as I always have white bedding I am looking for a change but can't decide-your blog is always full of beautiful photos and ideas!
ReplyDeleteThank you Nola for taking time to comment. White bedlinen you can't go wrong with and you could always add a throw for a pop of colour or a patterned bedspread folded at the end or near the end of the bed to break up the white. Adding cushions is another great way to add some interest too.
DeleteThank you so much for the encouraging words about my blog. I really put a lot of time into it and sometimes I feel like I am living on the internet as it takes a lot of research to put posts and images together. However, if I am inspiring people it is all worth while.
Lee :)
The black tables will look more sophisticated, natural wood gives a more coastal cottage look. I like both bed linen but I personally prefer a nice throw on bed as I have so many bed linen in all varieties of colours and I love them all.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna, yes I do love the black tables, I have now put the headboard in place and a little concerned they may make the room look smaller as the headboard has made the room appear a little smaller. However, I will not make final decisions until the shutters are in place as they are horizontal slats this could in effect make the room appear wider again. I may have to go with the natural wood in the end but this makes it more difficult as I really like the three drawer side cabinet and not seen one as nice in natural wood they are all 1 drawer and longer legs.
DeleteAs you say, throws are a great way to inject some colour, cushions too. I am just about to go and paint behind the bed in a very pale grey I had left over from my office just to see what it may look like before I commit to the blue. It would give me more options to swap out bedlinen later.
Thank you for your input.
Lee :)
Hi Lee, love the style you've chosen for the bedroom. Re the check duvet, just as a cheaper option, i purchased a lilac and white check duvet cover from Briscoes, you might find a blue/white option there. I also have a white waffle weave type duvet cover for an alternative - got it at the warehouse - really good cotton which is surprising.
ReplyDeletere the bedside tables. i feel the stained wood would be too dark against everything else which is light. Have you thought of painted side cabinets, maybe in a blue/white, or even a darker blue than the walls.
Jane
Hi Jane,
DeleteGlad you loved the style, it is coming together now, I got my headboard yesterday and put it in place last night but it has thrown a spanner in the works as it does make the room look a little smaller so the dark wood tables might not be the right choice, I may go for light washed wood in the end. Also I am thinking a little lighter with the paintwork. I am not doing anything drastic until the shutters arrive and I see how things look then.
I will definitely check out Briscoes for the blue and white checked duvet and the waffle weave duvet cover you mentioned. I was looking for a heavy waffle weave blanket. I agree The Warehouse does have some good products these days, its all about shopping around.
Thanks Jane, send me some images of your room when it is finished :)
Lee
Hi Lee - I am in love with the 4th inspiration above. I love that blue (I guess it's what you refer to as a "muddled" blue but yet it is so soft). Paired with the bolder navy "batik" style linens, it just compliments the light walls. I just recently permanently moved my bed in front of my window too after I styled some furniture for my "Curated Bedroom" post. I find I have so much more options for moving things around. I look forward to seeing it all finished up.
ReplyDeleteMary @ Orphans With Makeup
The bolder linen is lovely Mary I agree, however my room is quite small so I have decided (bought today) the Cabbage rose design in blue. It is a soft powdery blue but I intend to mix up some cushion on the bed in deeper blues and some navy might work with it. I have yet to take my swatch into the fabric shop to shop cushion fabrics.
DeleteI remember seeing your bed in front of the window on your blog, so you decided to keep it there. It makes so much more sense when it gives you more options which is the same as my room.
Hopefully the room will be finished by the end of this month, I am just waiting for the shutters. I plan to do a painting for it but that may take some time to complete.
Lee :)
This is going to be gorgeous! I like the idea of natural wood for the side tables, and I'm loving the color "Gravity" by Valspar right now. It's a bluish gray, very calm. Did you use Polyvore for your design board? I'm just learning about them now, and feel like I'm behind the times! Nice to find you on Say G'day Saturday...
ReplyDeleteThanks Meredith for taking time to comment. I have my headboard in place and picked up the bedlinen today which is the cabbage roses in soft blue. I definitely feel now that the natural wood side tables will look good. I really love the black but they might just be a bit too much. I especially loved the black ones as they had three drawers, however the light wood ones are just one drawer but probably better as the room does look a bit smaller now with the headboard in place. I won't make any impulse buys until the shutters are in place and I start seeing it in 3D so to speak :).
DeleteNo I didn't use Polyvore for my design board, I created it myself using a program similar to photoshop called 'GIMP'. You can download it for free from the net. It is very useful for me with my blog as you can layer objects and move them around and re-size etc. There are Youtube tutorials to help you but I actually found it very easy to do and rarely call upon them...much easier than Photoshop. Hope this is helpful. Alternatively you might enjoy using 'Olioboard' which is the simplest way to create a mood board, however you are limited to the size of their background but I am sure you will find it fun and helpful to use.
Thank you for visiting my blog, if you sign up for emails you won't miss out on the reveal. I post three times a weeks so you won't be inundated :)
Lee