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Q & A – How Should Preethi Accessorize Her Bedroom?

Today’s reader question comes from Preethi, who has made a great start on her bedroom, but needs help finishing it.

reader question - preethi's bedroom 1

Here’s what she says:

I really love your diy projects, I would really appreciate if you can give me suggestions on how to decorate my master bedroom. I have attached the pics. I was not sure on what color accessories and throw pillows to get that would go with the bedding.

reader question - preethi's bedroom 2

Kristi’s suggestions:

It looks like you’ve already brought in some brown and yellow on your pillows.  If those are colors that you’re drawn to, they would definitely work with your bedding.  For a softer, calmer setting, you can stick with the soft yellows and browns that you already have.  If you want to bring in a little more contrast and excitement to the colors, you could opt for a brighter yellow, and a darker, richer brown.

Of course, if this were my bedroom, I would use turquoise with the green.  Take a look at how the various shades of turquoise and green are used in this living room.

Contemporary Family Room by Minneapolis Interior Designers & Decorators RLH Studio

The colors in this living room could give you a jumping off point for finishing off your bedroom.

You’ll notice that the color of the sofa looks very similar to the green in your bedding.  Then they’ve added some floral pillows in turquoise and green, striped turquoise pillows, a darker turquoise end table, a darker green chair, a light and bright green lamp, etc.  These colors would translate very well to your bedroom, used with your bed and bedding.

Notice also how they have mixed different materials, like glass, metal, wood, ceramic, and various types of fabric.  This helps to add to the visual interest of the room.

If you’re brave enough to paint some furniture, I would suggest painting your dresser the dark turquoise color that is shown on the end table in the picture above.  That would break up the look of your furniture set, and add some beautiful color to that wall.  (I’m not a big fan of decorating with sets of furniture, so if I use one, I always try to break it up with paint, or by using the different pieces in different rooms, etc.)

Another suggestion I would make regarding the dresser is removing the attached mirror, and finding a more decorative mirror that you can hang on the wall above.

Then you could also add some pretty window treatments — perhaps draperies in a darker shade of green, like the chair shown in the picture above.

And finally, I would add some colorful artwork above the bed.  Photo collage frames like you have are best used in hallways or areas where you and guests can get close enough to view and enjoy the individual pictures.  Hung above a bed, the small photos become difficult to see and enjoy.  So place that in a hallway, and replace it with something large and colorful.

Those are my suggestions for Preethi.  What would you suggest?

 

 

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35 Comments

  1. I would start by painting the walls a light blue then hang a scenery above the bed. Add two tall lamps on each side of the bed. And hanging the mirror like Kristi suggested because right now, it looks like a little girl’s dresser. Some draperies on the window and pushing the dresser farther away and finding a very old reading chair that could have a throw blanket and a couple of pillows that would add colors to the room.

    Find things that interest you to put in your bedroom, show your personnality a little. Everyone looks bland right now.

    Have fun !

  2. Thanks a lot Kristi for taking out time and giving me some great suggestions.
    I love your suggestion of going with turquoise.
    I will start with that and also remove the dresser mirror and get a wall mirror (I actually never thought about that :))

    1. I love Kristi’s suggestions, and I think custom window shades hung high above the windows like the one’s Kristi did in her living room (in a coordinating fabric to your bedspread) would really make a big difference!! I agree with adding teal and maybe even a few coral accents for pop, or a color similar. Good luck and please post a picture of the finish!!

  3. You already have a great bedroom to start with. I love Krist’s ideas. Turquoise would give more depth to the green. I love that the inspiration room had a very pale turqoise paint on the walls above the wainscoating, but since your bed is white, that might not fit in your bedroom. I really like the idea of taking away the mirror that is with the dresser and hanging more of a living room mirror on the wall. From the reflection on the top of the dresser, it might be hard to hold paint, so you might have to use a primer first.

    1. A nice piece of glossy ceramic on one end of the dresser balanced with the two pictures on the other end would look nice. The two pictures are too far apart to relate to each other now.

  4. LOVE Kristi’s ideas. I might add some coral too….either in pillows or artwork. Coral, brown, turquoise, and yellow … YUM!

    I agree with a decorative mirror instead of the “set” mirror. Also it looks like there’s room to make a little reading nook …. a small scale upholstered chair and a small table would instantly add the cozy-factor.

    Good job already – you’re almost there!

  5. I totally agree with Kristi. I look at this room and to me, it needs to be brightened up. I love the picture that Kristi included, with the green and blues. I would go with a blue color on the walls, curtain that has color, but still lets some light in, or a bright, soft yellow on the walls and a curtain with some of the blues, greens and some brown in them. I would also think about putting some feet or legs on your night stands and dresser. Your bed is so big that the rest of the furniture in the room looks tiny. A lamp or lamps that are bold in shape and height with some color.
    A bigger, bolder art piece above the bed to bring you eye upward. Maybe put a colorful side chair in the room, nothing too big, but with a pop of color. Maybe change the knobs or pulls on the furniture. Good thing is, you have a clean slate with lots of possibilities. Have Fun!!!

  6. Love Krisit’s suggestion of the turqoise with the green. Adding some warm wood tones would balance it nicely as well, maybe in a bench for the foot of the bed or a frame for the mirror over the dresser, or artwork over the bed. (Maybe a carved wood screen hung above the bed?) Drapery panels hung as high on the wall as possible would visually make the walls seem taller and give some lushness to the room. Maybe glass lamps for the side of the bed in either the dark green or the dark turqoise?

    You’ve got a great start and with Kristi’s suggestions, you have a direction to go that will ramp it up! Please do re-post a picture when you get it ‘finished’.

    1. You could detach the mirror from the dresser and paint/stain it dark brown and re-hang it ‘floating’ above the dresser.

  7. I like the bedspread’s pattern, and the addition of turquoise or a richer brown to add greater contrast. Window coverings, in the darker green, is a great suggestion. It looks like the room needs more lighting, bedside tables or wall sconces.

  8. I think the addition of some darker, more saturated colors would definitely help. The entire room, while pretty, seems very neutral and needs something to draw the eye. Kristi’s suggestions are excellent, as always. I think people get caught up wanting things to “match” and that can make for a very subdued, unexciting look. I always find it helpful to find a fabric or a painting that has the color palette that I want and use that to help me identify colors that complement the color scheme. Don’t be afraid of color! Even if you choose to use more neutral colors on your large pieces, don’t be afraid to add bright, colorful accessories!

  9. I live that shade of green with the white…it’s so fresh and inviting! I’d go with Kristi’s suggestion and add color…I’d add the Turquoise or a coral. Pottery Barn has some bright color combos in their bedding section online. I also like the suggestion of mixing materials like glass and metals, textures….but I’m a eek owned chicken about painting furniture, so instead, find a brightly colored runner for the dresser and wall art. Some fun lamps, a light weight bright colored blanket for across the foot of the bed, lots of throw pillows and/or euro shams to fluff up the bedding. Maybe even a fun rug at an interesting angle. But whatever you do, make it yours!! Good luck!!!

  10. The first thing I thought when I saw the room was orange or coral with the minty bedspread. I would love to see a pop of a fun bright color in there. I would bring color in with a fun rug, maybe one large roll pillow on the bed, switch out the hardware on the dresser with some in your color pop, and switching out or painting the mirror frame.

  11. I agree about changing up the mirror…I didn’t buy the mirror that came with our dresser, but chose a mirror that could be hung over the dresser. I love your suggestions of green and turquoise (my bedroom is currently turquoise…..I had thought about repainting it….but I still love the colour). There are so many colours that go with turquoise…..red, green, or navy….and perhaps some wall colour and gorgeous lamps & accessories!

    And window coverings that let in the light during the day…..it’s going to be beautiful!

    http://queenoftheisle.blogspot.ca

  12. I’d start with paint. Like Kristi says- mix up the bedroom set. I’d leave the bed white, to anchor the room. Everything else gets color! Including the bedside table. That mint green would play so well with glass lamp bases. I see it being an ethereal theme..an upholstered chair, soft colors with pops of turquoise and yellow or coral. A watercolor landscape print or abstract. Nothing floral. Oh, and change out the ceiling fan for a beautiful bedroom size chandelier. That’s a lot of opinion! LOL

  13. I like Kristi’s suggestions for companion colors in your room. I love the lamps that Kristi made for her foyer/living room and something like that would look great on your bedside tables. A large art piece over your bed would be great, especially if you could find something with most of the colors in your room. How about a bench at the foot of your bed? I’m not sure about the window treatments but I think they need something more than mini blinds. Perhaps something as simple as a colorful valance? Good luck and I hope we can see your finished room sometime.

  14. I love the suggestions that Kristi has made. I also appreciate how she has broken them down piece by piece and color by color. This really makes me appreciate how you can dissect a room to make the colors and or style carry over into our makeovers.

  15. The room looks large enough to add some comfy seating, like a plush chair or storage ottoman. The mirror mentioned in previous posts should NOT be rectangular. Personally, I would consider a large round mirror with nice decorative details. The round shape would “soften” the space, much like the curved sofa in the photo sampled above. Have fun!

  16. I’m wondering if it is possible to move the bed to the wall the dresser is on, then move the dresser to the wall the window is on. If it is, you can hang drapery across the entire wall behind the dresser and this could help to balance the scale of the large beautiful bed. You can still hang a mirror in front of the drapery by hanging from wires from the ceiling.

  17. I would paint the wall behind the bed in one of the colors Kristi suggested, I would move the dresser further away from the window and as others suggested, make that a reading nook with a chair and a lamp, possibly a tall floor lamp with strong style-maybe custom-cover the shade by adding ribbon trim in a coordinating color? I would put a tufted bench at the foot of the bed (maybe one that opens for storage) and a chandelier over the bed, or pretty light fixture. If you don’t want to use art over the bed, you could put a wreath of seashells or beach glass (LL Bean sells a pretty blue and green beach glass wreath). I would add some different hardware with more presence to the dresser. It’s a pretty room anyway:)

  18. In addition to Kristi’s great suggestions, please consider stacking furniture (like the end tables) on top of your dresser to give it substance. Wonderful use of vertical space & opportunity to have fun with color too. Change dresser hardware to glass knobs or something fun & colorful. If your end tables work on top of the dresser, then you can get others that would add uniqueness to the room. My end tables & dressers are on top of each other and people always ask “where did I get the fabulous “dresser”, assuming they are just one expensive piece. Have fun!!!

  19. I’d lose the footboard and get a great upholstered bench at the end of the bed. Curtains would be a great addition on the window. I’d flip the mirror longways over the dresser.

  20. Yes,pops of color would excite your space.remove the mirror,i did this in my room too. I could see a sitting area, like a comfy chair by window.i also like using the stick on wallwords! Also texture in the form of throws or pillows in some sort of puffy or microfiber would glive you a feeling of lofty comfort!

  21. What a BEAUTIFUL bedspread! I love the light sea-green shade (at least, that’s how it shows up on my monitor) and the traditional repeating pattern.

    Right now, the bedspread seems like the only element in the room that has personality — or expresses your personality. The furniture and the planes (walls, floor, ceiling) are all pretty neutral. While I like the various suggestions I’ve seen here, I wonder whether before you actually do anything, you might want to sit down in your room and ask yourself what YOU like about it, or what you could leave behind. What kind of bedroom do you want, in the end? Cool and breezy? Warm and cozy? Full of color? Calm and serene? So if you want something vibrant, maybe you’ll start by painting the walls and furniture; if you want serenity, maybe you should keep the furniture white and harmonious and receding.

    To me, the bedspread says that you like moderately saturated color and some pattern but not too bold. (I could be so wrong.) And it’s unusual, so maybe you love textiles? If I were you, I’d bring in more soft furnishings before painting, like the ones suggested above: a reading chair, a bench, a throw at the foot of the bed, a dresser scarf, drapes to play up your windows (you’re so lucky to have room for some great feature drapes!). I’d repeat the green of the bedspread elsewhere, and add in a mix of colors: a darker neutral, a softer accent color, and just a little bit of a more vivid color. So, maybe a light turquoise throw, a bench with a medium wood frame, and a couple of coral OR yellow pillows. Alternatively, you could do a coral throw, pillows in pale and dark green, a white bench, and a throw rug that picks up all those colors. Etc. When you have a color palette and some more shape in the room, you can think about painting or adding a throw rug. Last step is to layer in accessories and art. (I agree with Kristi about the photo collage above the bed: I’m sure the pictures are all meaningful to you, so why not put them where you can see them better? And hang something that can hold its own against the size of the bed.)

    I love love love lush, vivid bed linens but I was never able to make them look “right” in my bedrooms, and over the years I’ve had to admit that I need to keep my bedroom decoration calm and serene. I also had to admit that that’s partly because my bedroom goes through messy/tidy cycles depending on how busy I am! So think about what you WANT and what will WORK for you before you go any further!

  22. I notice that your headboard and footboard have two rectangular recessed areas. Add color to the room by making upholstered inserts for those areas using a thin substrate such as luan (or even cardboard) with batting and the fabric of your choice. If you’re unsure about the upholstery or think you might want to change the color/fabric down the road, attach the panels using Velcro or dabs of hot glue. For a more permanent solution, tiny brads or finishing nails will go right through the fabric, firmly adhering the upholstered panels to the wood frame.