I'd leave it alone ... it looks good. I like the floor-level windows.

If you MUST do something, an upholstered headboard that matches or goes with the re-done comfy chair. And maybe a new rug. Think blue and white prints.

I think you are going to have to be conscious of the blue floor if you want to change the walls. Anything, whether paint or wallpaper, is going to reflect that blue.

Although I am not a fan of white walls per se, in this case I think the white works because of the floor, and the light feeling it gives the space. I would go for a Gustavian/Swedish look. Keep the white walls, the blue floor. Do an antiqued grey-white finish on the dresser, adding pewter hardware. Have the chair in a blue and cream and white simple floral pattern like the ones below, or perhaps a blue and white check:

nassau vine porcelain

morning tide blue sand

arbor trail lake

Then hang some art on the walls. I could also see the headboard wall area (just the center, not the sides where the windows are) covered in an interesting fabric, which would carry the eye upward to make the room feel taller.

I think Les has a great idea as to the gustavian look.You are halfway there now with the floor and wall colors. I love the reflections of those fabulous windows on the blue floor.

There is something mysterious and interesting to a attic guest room. I love the feel you get from them.

Personally I love that shiny clean blue floor and the windows are unusual, nice.

You have a sixty's dresser in there which would look better painted, I think.

Why not cover the chair in mattress ticking (blue and white) or slip cover it, realizing that it will add a little cottage country look. It will not go with your comfortor however. Why not buy a plain white bedspread for the bed and blue and white ticking bed skirt or even plain blue and assorted pillows for the bed.

Your dresser is anything but country, but does it matter? Your going to paint that and you could make it work, maybe.

I would get an iron head board that is light and airy. Nothing heavy and clunky. The bedding should be replaced with something crisper and fresher than what is there right now. Keep the wall painted. You say you are on a budget and wallpaper is not a high priority in this room.

You mention painting the dresser. It looks like laminate. It might look "richer" painted. If it is real wood I would leave it alone.

Ignore the awful bedding on some of these and admire the iron bed frame. You may be able to find an old brass headboard on CL for FREE and then paint it either a soft color or a with metal look paint or even matte black if the iron work is thin.

Maybe a tiny lamp on the dresser. The tall one there now looks cramped with the slanted ceiling. Not in black though. Something cheerful. Use the stained glass one there now in another room.

{{gwi:1729223}}

Since you desire cabbage roses print in the room, how about getting a cabbage rose slipcover? This one is from Liz Claiborne and would look better without the oversized pillow they show with it here.

{{gwi:1729224}}

http://www.homefurnituredecor.com/livingroomden/sofaslipcover_105104.shtml

Since the room is just a guest room and the chair probably will not get much use, you could just buy cabbage rose fabric or a cabbage rose sheet, and tuck it in the chair or add a couple of ties to secure it.

What about the ceiling fan? It does not show in the photo. Is it cute? Does it need to be painted to better suit the new decor you are planning?

Of course you will need a couple of things on the wall for decor. Nothing too bold though. Keep it dainty and simple and let the beauty of the windows and architectural lines come through. How about continuing the cabbage rose theme with framed vintage prints of flowers similar to the ones in the Liz Claiborne slipcover photo above? They can be got at Goodwill for a song.

I think I'd continue the blue of the floor onto the wall behind the bed only in a semi gloss at the most. Possibly satin. Either just the center area or the whole wall.
I'd go with a white bedspread instead of comforter and bed skirt. Something like Jaden MatelassBedspread & Accessories from JCP.com. It's on sale right now for $59.99 Queen. That's half off the original price.
I'd slip cover the chair in a washable white fabric that has the seat cushion separate and paint the dresser a paler blue than the floors. Almost a white. Add glass knobs too if they'll fit in your budget. That's something you can always add later if they don't.
As for the rest you can add pillows and a throw at the end of the bed to add pattern and color. I love the fabrics Les linked or if you can find a ticking that's not too off white to look dirty like Jane liked. And if it's at all in your budget (check Craigslist) a head board painted to match the dresser would be a great touch.

I love this room; but I would paint the walls a nice sunny yellow. And I like the advice of a metal head & footboard. They are airy looking and not heavy.
With the yellow walls a chenille bedspread would look nice. Lots of colors go with yellow; but even a white one would look nice. And I would also paint the dresser.

Any photos of the bathroom? It looks cute since I see a claw foot tub there. Can that dresser mirror that sits on the floor be painted and used over the sink in there?

I would also try to get a floor lamp for the next to the chair instead of the wall mounted one with the cord. Again, they can be found at thrift shops. I got a nice one for $1.97 with a marble base. I think it was orphaned because it needed a mogul bulb and the PO didn't know where to buy them.

{{gwi:1729225}}Oh, my! Thank you all so much for your thoughts! I do like the idea of leaving the walls white; it would be a lot easier, and free up a little money for better accessories. Plus it is a narrow space with those leaning walls. The white does keep it light.

Dilly_dally, here's a picture of the teeny-tiny bath. Previous owners removed the old white sink and toilet and replaced them with more modern (in the 80s) fixtures, sadly in an odd color. But the bath is a project for another day, although sooner or later I would like get to it. Unfortunately there is NO room for that dresser mirror in the bath. But I think I could mount it on the wall (where it stands now) at a more appropriate height, with a narrow shelf below it. What I'd really like is a pier mirror.

I like the metal headboard idea, and recovering the comfy chair. The idea of color on the wall over the bed is a good one too; at one time I considered a trompe l'oeil painted window, which would "show" the roof of the house next door, with trees etc. But I'd have to get a pro in for that, and right now, I want to do this relatively inexpensively. I love the room, but it's not used very often.

Thank you all for the links to colors, fabrics and headboards. I have made note of all of them for reference.

I'm still listening, if anyone wants to chime in with more!

What a great room! I'm glad you're not overthinking this, because it's great as it is, and with a few tweaks it will be perfect.

These days, travel is--or, anyway, was, until two years ago--such a normal, everyday part of our lives that people have already been everywhere & seen everything. But the more we see, the fewer opportunities for surprise are left, and thus fewer opportunities for delight. It's gotten to the point that, when I see a time-darkened stucco wall in somebody's house, I'm not reminded of an ancient Tuscan villa, I'm reminded of Home Depot's Saturday morning faux-finishing classes. [Memo to self: buy new showerhead.] Everything's been dumbed down & overused.

A few weeks ago, I had to stay overnight in a motel in the middle of Illinois' Corn Belt, and as soon as I walked in the door of my room, I was hit by two conflicting impressions. The hadn't-been-turned-on-for-six-months smell coming from the air conditioner reassured me that I was in a small-town motel, but the greeny-beigy walls, the vaguely Asian-patterned bedspread, the fake orchid in the fake raku pot & the pile of water-smoothed river stones on the pile of towels told me that I was somewhere else, somewhere far, far way--Asia, perhaps--or, at least, in someone's idea of a what a budget version of spa-themed room in a NYC boutique hotel looked like, in say, 2002. I tell ya, they don't call this the Corn Belt for nothing. When Tulsa is channeling Tuscany & Kankakee looks like Kyoto, maybe it's time to stop looking to foreign sources of inspiration when we decorate, and look instead to our own home-grown variety.

Anyway, we allagree that your room already has a wonderful, unique feel, so it's just a matter of preserving that feeling, and as long as you avoid catalog stuff like the plague, you'll be fine. The best part is that, since the 192Os Maid's Room theme isn't hot at the moment, you shouldn't have to worry about overshooting your budget. That's what yard sales are for.

Regards,
Magnaverde.

I love the up-in-the-sky feeling of the room, and the floor color on the wall behind the bed, and a metal headboard, are all perfect ideas. Putting pattern on those complicated walls would likely cost you the serenity of the space...I don't think I would like cabbage roses looming at me on those angled walls when trying to sleep...and by the time you got stripes all around and over the room, I think it might make your pretty little head swim...

I'm getting a clear image of this room finished, so here it is...if you can stand it!

In keeping with the Gustavian idea, I'd look for a cotton rug in a wide dark blue and white stripe. I'd paint the dresser a rich (but not dark) gray, slipcover the chair in a paler gray, and add a bold cushion with some red and orange in it.
I'd put a white diamond matelasse spread on the bed, add a pair of European square pillows with flanged shams made of old white linen damask tablecloths (easy to find at yard and flea sales), and put a bright yellow coverlet folded at the foot of the bed.

Then I'd hang your mirror as you describe, with a skinny little white-painted bookcase below to ground it. I'd add a pair of swing-arm reading lamps on either side of the bed wall, and a couple of interesting small tables beside the bed for kleenex, a water glass, a book, a clock, a fresh flower.

Then for a finishing touch, I'd comb the fleas and the consignment stores for a nice old landscape painting in a rough wooden frame to hang over the bed.

Just last week me and someone else here were talking about wallpapered attic rooms, they may have one.

All I know is nothing is more gorgeous and welcoming than a wallpapered attic room shaped like your's! I'm talking walls and ceiling.

If you do stay with white, chintz it up big time! I wish that were my room. I'd fix it up and never leave it. lol

I will try to post two pictures that I thought you might find inspirational. One has wallpaper and one doesn't.

Here is a link that might be useful: Attic with Wallpaper

Okay, I messed up on posting a picture. Sorry. Why don't these forums let you edit or delete posts?

oakleyok, that's what I thought too; cozy and, well, atticky! Chintz is a good idea. It fits the period of the house.

forhgtv, I'd love to see those pictures. Can you simply post the urls for them?

bronwynsmom, thanks for the ideas! I like the idea of the reading lamps at bedside; currently there is a reading lamp on the wall over the comfy chair and a kind of uninspired ceiling fixture with the old fashioned pull-chain, no switch. You have to get out of bed to turn out the light and then get back into bed in the dark. The bedside reading lights would take care of that.

magnaverde, your picture has just the feel I'd like for that room. (You can see why I was thinking cabbage roses.) Thanks! Maybe I'll save them for the other guest room/visiting daughter room that will be on the redecorating list very shortly.

Lots of ideas! Thanks!

I saw that chain hanging and assumed it was for a ceiling fan, hence my question regarding the color and style.

It would defiantly be a good idea to invest in better lighting and a ceiling fan in an attic room would be practical by saving on heating and AC. A ceiling fan in an attic room looks cute too. You can get ceiling and light combos with a remote control for operation making it easy to adjust the light dimmer and the fan from bed.

A ceiling fan! I never thought of that; it would have to have very short blades and not hang far from the ceiling, but I bet it's doable. And a fan up there would work wonderfully in the summer. Maybe one of these.

Don't forget to check out Ikea for a headboard if you have one nearby. They have some very affordable options.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S99849961
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S89849971
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90140020
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S79861567

Penney's also has some good deals and you can usually get a coupon:

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=57087&CatID=77442&GrpTyp=STY&ItemID=144917a&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CMID=57087%7c57091&Fltr=&Srt=&QL=F&IND=15&cmVirtualCat=&CmCatId=57087:57091:77442

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=57087&CatID=77442&GrpTyp=STY&ItemID=175a917&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CMID=57087%7c57091&Fltr=&Srt=&QL=F&IND=14&cmVirtualCat=&CmCatId=57087:57091:77442

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=57087&CatID=77442&GrpTyp=STY&ItemID=131a409&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CMID=57087%7c57091&Fltr=&Srt=&QL=F&IND=55&cmVirtualCat=&CmCatId=57087:57091:77442

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?DeptID=57087&CatID=77442&GrpTyp=STY&ItemID=131a5b8&attrtype=&attrvalue=&CMID=57087%7c57091&Fltr=&Srt=&QL=F&IND=57&cmVirtualCat=&CmCatId=57087:57091:77442

A little more expensive but nicely done is West Elm:

http://www.westelm.com/products/f821/?pkey=cheadboards-beds

http://www.westelm.com/products/g007/?pkey=cheadboards-beds

If you don't have room for bedside tables or they would block the windows, a storage headboard comes in handy for guests to put their glasses/books. You can always paint it a color that coordinates with walls.

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Montego-Maple-Full-Queen-size-Headboard/2205152/product.html

Since I'm redoing three attic guest rooms....my only thought is....I'd stay away from the cabbage roses and move towards the gustovian or a blue and white room with perhaps a few pink accents if you want the cabbage rose feel. I only say this because I have a husband who hates staying in rooms clearly decorated for women (which cabbage roses scream).

Somewhere between a hunt room and cabbage roses lies the perfect guest space for couples :) Men or women etc.

If you have more than one guest room, maybe the roses would be ok because you could offer a choice...but just think of the boys before you paper the walls :)

I'm in an opposite quandry because I have my mind set on taking a guest room in the attic into a hunt type room...deep rich greens, plaid silk drapes, etc. But I have to figure out how to soften that so it does not feel like the men's guest room :) since I never know who will be staying in there.

I love the blue and white idea. I've decided on somehow making the hunt room work (toile will be involved I'd imagine) and the other guest room I'm doing in a gray/lavendar with deep deep deep purple trim, but the back bedroom (which has a horrific mural of a garden on two walls and gray on the others) I've been stumped on...blue and white is so pretty and light...I love that idea :) Want to race me to the finish? (You will win, you're half way there LOL).

igloochic! What up, Girl? How is your son? You're all over these forums!

Toile will not show up in my house. I loathe it. I have no idea why, but **shudder**. I'm leaning heavily towards the blue/white/gray theme, though.

Are you decorating that unbelievable old house? It has a silver sink, doesn't it, or am I thinking of someone else?

"....it would have to have very short blades and not hang far from the ceiling"

Hmmm......not sure of your attic room dimensions but with an angled ceiling/walls the lower you drop the fan the wider it can be. If your attic ceiling is low, you can get one of those ceiling hugger fans. They do make micro fans for narrow areas but you may be able to save money by getting a plain white one made for a child's room.

For decorating a guest room on a budget, I think a plain, simple white fan could look great in there. You don't want to get anything too industrial or bulky with dark wood and metal tones like those you show in your link. JMHO. Plain white keeps your decorating options open for the future changes to the space.

Of course, if it is in the budget...........one with shiny brass to add bling to the room along with some detailed styling might be worth the investment. This is one of the few cases where a shiny brass ceiling fan can be an asset instead of an eyesore. The guest bedroom you envision with cabbage roses can take something like that.

You might find fans with fabric or parchment blades that don't look heavy and foreboding. Be careful to avoid the beach/tropical theme that many of them have though.

I had to go away and learn how to post pictures. LOL!

Here's a picture of wallpaper on a slanted ceiling. While this isn't a cabbage rose on every surface picture, I thought you might enjoy looking at it for the way they mixed color and pattern.

And here's a picture of a fresh and charming room that includes an iron bedstead like some of the other posters suggested. I think your blue floor and white walls would look great with a crisp white duvet and a clean stripe or tiny floral slip cover on your chair. A sea grass rug could add even more texture.

We remodeled our attic and made it our bedroom. It is our sanctuary! We used Benjamin Moore Navajo white on the walls and a brilliant white Benjamin moore paint on the ceilings, baseboard and trim. I love it! (The slanted part of the room is considered part of the ceiling and painted white too.) Our floors are a lavender blue color -- but in carpet, not paint. I just could not do white (DIRT) or brown. It does not seem to clash, but rather adds to the serene atmosphere. We don't have a headboard, because our slanted ceiling is too low. Instead, we use large european pillows. We decorated in shades of cream, white, taupe, etc. The overall result is serene--perfect for a bedroom.

LOL Vj I've been on bedrest and there is nothing else to do but wander the forums (I'm having aol issues....I can't get my freaking email and itp's making me nuts LOPL) p(=moy sion is heul0ping type) poiuytrewwwwq

You know, if you could find the perfect, just barely silver gray for those walls and leave the ceiling white I think the space would really be stunning. Then pop in the blue in your bedding and accents....yummy :) And then those wonderful costco fluffy sheep skin rugs for the floor to break up the blue and add an amazing texture :)

LOL Yes we're playing in the house. I finished phase one of the dining room a month or so ago. When I found out I was going to lose the babies I gave up my bedrest and have been tearing down the parlor now :) Lemonaid from lemon's ya know. I'm going DEEP blue in there and can't wait to get the paint on the wall. DS encourages me by pulling paper off whenever he can reach it. :) It's a family sickness LOL

No we didn't get the silver sink, but we're going to put one in here since the butlers pantry went missing in the 40's (we'll replace it). I loved that sink :)

You know for your room...you could find a great window frame with glass in it and just frost it and hang it behind the bed. It would look gorgeous, maybe even do it in a distressed blue (dark dark dark) with white over the top so just a bit of the blue shows??? In my anchorage house I have a window frame with a picture I had blown up of the view (if there were a hole in the wall) on the inside...much cheaper than a muralist!!

If our attic room weren't up in the attic I'd have taken it as our master...it's a few more steps than I want to do in the middle of the night when DS needs help but I do love the cozyness of the space.

And now I must pull a space shuttle out of my arse....gad there's nothing like a sick 4 year old LOL He wants me to go get them in his other bedroom (in alaska) NOW!!!!

Just popped in before I head to bed and liked this photo that forhgtv posted and thought I'd play with it a bit to make a mix of what some of us have suggested. Hubby's home from his ballgame so it's time for bed, but here is what I came up with.
{{gwi:1729230}}
Click photo to see larger version

dktrahan, thanks for all the links. Some of those headboards have real possibilities. I especially like the look of one of the metal ones; I think this one has a great 20s vibe.

dilly_dally, I went up with a tape measure and I think I have enough horizontal space for a fan (I overestimated the pitch of the ceiling) but I do kind of worry about the head space. I'll have to do some calculating. I'd hate to have to clean up after someone was beheaded. A fan is a great idea, though. This one has possibilities, although it doesn't have a light or a remote control. It wouldn't do brain surgery either, though.

forhgtv, thank you for the pics! They were worth the wait, I love them both. Very inspirational, especially that long low bench at the foot of the bed in the second one.

enright, your room sounds lovely. You're pushing me towards that more subdued palette and away from cabbage roses! (I have another room to redo eventually that might be more cabbage-rose-worthy!)

igloochic, I'm SO sorry to hear of your loss. But I'm thrilled that your son seems to be doing well. (He needs to work on his typing skills, though.) And you didn't get the silver-sink house? Bummer! It was so gorgeous! But I'm sure that whatever you do, it'll be insanely perfect. I love reading your posts; if I had half your energy I'd rule the world.

justgotabme, thanks for the touch-up on that picture. It changes the whole room, doesn't it?

So many ideas! My head is whirling!

You're welcome. I thought it did, but I do like it the original way too.

"if I had half your energy I'd rule the world".

Rule the world LOL I can't get the dog to obey the command "SHUT UP" (he barks whenever the ferry pulls into dock down below the house...that's every half hour from about 5:30 am on) and my son won't thinks the word "no" is optional :oP

Thank you for your kind words and educational advice for my son LOL (I just can't get him to understand that the letters have to go in a specific order to be understood heh heh) We'll work on him. :)

I did love that house but the old lady was nuts...we attract nuts for some reason...it's a gift of some sort I'm told. :oP It never did sell and is off the market because the agents wouldn't even list it at her price. Sad...I hope it does not go into disrepair because it was so special, but really Port townsend is a better place for our son so it's ok ;) We'll be in Duluth someday for a summer cottage or something :)

I was thinking, perhaps you might consider going in a very different direction with the room? Gustovian, elegant, wonderfully expected is well...so expected! I remebered I have a picture or two from a very "unique" attic room that was in a home we toured in a college town in Wisconsin....it might inspire you....

{{gwi:1605174}}

Can't you just hear the oohhsss and awwwsss from your guests as they see the room? And their words when they see the luxurious bed...

{{gwi:1605175}}

And honey I have about 15 yards of leopard faux fur (yes I do...it was on sale) if you'd like to get started......

I'd hate to have to clean up after someone was beheaded.

Photos don't show the real space dimensions. LOL. How is the decorating coming along???

It's a lovely room. Have you spent a night in it? I think that's always a good idea to see how comfortable it really is. I think you need a couple of small tables next to the bed and some reading lamps there, too. You could put them on the tables or attach them to the walls.

I would also add a ceiling fan but at least put a fan on the dresser for your guests to use. Add a clock radio, tissue, and some magazines, too.

Glad to see this thread reprised! How's it going?

We had an attic room with cabbage rose wallpaper in our old house, and we have one in this ranch house (with lace curtains), too! Now that our youngest dtr is out of the house, we are thinking of turning that gorgeous room into a den for hub. He loves the paper so we won't change it; we'll add his desk and bookcases, a comfy reading chair, and he'll be happy as a clam in those roses.

If your project isn't already complete, don't be afraid of cabbage roses and "manliness" issues for occasional guests. Your room is just begging for cabbage roses, chintz, you know the stuff. I miss our old house and its attic room!

Post some pics!

Sherry

Project complete? Oh, my no! Heh. In fact, I've been traveling for the last 5 weeks (just got back from 2 weeks in England, my first trip there, loved it!) so I haven't done anything at all. I usually need to sit on a project for a while anyway before it firms up.

AND my younger daughter is coming to pack up her things now that she's living on her own, so I need to redo her room too! Decisions, decisions! Maybe the cabbage roses would go better in her room; it has an 8.5 foot ceiling and they might loom less in a taller room!

I usually need to sit on a project for a while anyway before it firms up. I'm so glad to know this! I always sit on my projects, too, and get flack from friends about it. "What? You mean you haven't got that done yet? It's been weeks!" They think about a project for a day or two, make the decision and do it! Not me....

Don't forget - cabbage roses come in all sizes. Truth to tell, though, your room looks very inviting just the way it is. With a few tweaks, it would be gorgeous!