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bluebell66

Sad Master Bedroom

10 years ago

I am at my wits' end. We moved into our new (to us) home last fall. I kid you not, I probably have auditioned a dozen bedding ideas lately. I'm getting tired of returning stuff to the stores! I have been unable to make anything work with the big, black, upholstered headboard. The previous owner had it custom made, and didn't take it when they moved as they were downsizing and moving into a condo. We'd like to make it work, but I need some direction, please, as to bedding. Everything I've tried seem so disconnected with the hardboard, and the King size of the be makes certain bedding seem so massive. I tend to like blue, green and white, and the combinations that I've tried just haven't seemed to work with the black. I would like to use the blue shams if possible, and I know the white quilt doesn't work on its own, but I'm having trouble figuring out what does work. Does anyone have any ideas, words of wisdom or direction for me? I plan to repaint the walls after I select my bedding. Depending on which way I go with the bedding and wills, I will either paint the nightstand or get new ones. (And eventually will get rid of bench, as I know it doesn't go, and I need bigger king pillows to fill my blue shams, if I keep using them. I have a box spring cover on order. Lamps can be replaced.) Thanks!

Comments (36)

  • 10 years ago

    I'd probably use draperies as a way to balance the headboard. Something in a more weighty fabric and more saturated color, perhaps with a little black in it, like stripes or edge trim.

    Bluebell66 thanked lana_roma
  • 10 years ago

    I like your white spread and pillows. and wall color, but in this case, and IMO, the wall color clashes with black headboard, which I also like, on its own. I don't know how to do it, but maybe a white paint with just a drop of green, to satisfy your love of green and also to counter the darkness of the headboard. I envision a much lighter wall color, in fact most all other elements, beeding, lampshades, nightstands, white or whitish, to balance big, black headboard. and you have all solids, maybe prints in pillows or area rugs with liven the room up.

    Bluebell66 thanked bossyvossy
  • 10 years ago

    Good point, bossyvossy. I have been planning a much lighter color on the walls, but I think a pattern somewhere would make a huge difference in the space. I've been looking at patterned bedding, but haven't found anything just yet that works for me. Lana, I would love drapes, however, we have a few cats that hang out in our bedroom and in my experience, drapes and cat hair don't get along, even though I really try to stay on top of the cleaning. But I'm not ruling them out! Thanks.

  • 10 years ago

    Are you wiling to paint the walls? Here is an idea where the black plays so nicely with the warm colors of bedding and the walls. It doesn't have to be so lavish but gives an idea.

    Master bedroom. · More Info

    Here is a similar looking bedding.

    Here is a link

    http://www.steinmart.com/villa-lugano-3-piece-natural-linen-comforter-collection-zid25-VILLUGANO01/cat-25-catid-80000?_t=pfm%3Dcategory

    Bluebell66 thanked amykath
  • 10 years ago

    here is the color I envision. See how good the white framed mirror and the thick black pic frames look? You just need a little tweaking, that's all


    I tried to delete the books and isolate white mirror and black pics, but it didn't work. hopefully, it can still illustrate what I was thinking

    Bluebell66 thanked bossyvossy
  • 10 years ago

    another option would be keeping paint color and getting a headboard slipcover, similar to this. You can incorporate print in headboard or make it plain and neutral or textured solid, any would work.

    Bluebell66 thanked bossyvossy
  • PRO
    10 years ago

    If you can buy a white spread to match the one you have (or a similar one), do so and then have a slipcover made to change colors cover the headboard. Be sure to pre-shrink it as it may need to be washed or dry cleaned at some point.

    Now you have a blank slate for the rest of your bedding, wall color and curtains.

    Bluebell66 thanked Anglophilia
  • 10 years ago

    Here are a couple of other ideas.


    Bluebell66 thanked amykath
  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I think first I'd get everything out of there but the bed, start with a clean slate. The night tables, lamps, bedding, bench, etc make it hard to focus. As others have said, I'd paint a neutral color on the wall, and go from there.

    I'm guessing you want to go in a traditional direction? (Your headboard could definitely go in a glammed up room!) If traditional, a couple of pics I found:

    I really love toile, so that was my first thought seeing your headboard. The second pic has blue you like, but I'd paint the night tables black, not white, or leave them as is (they look cream on my monitor). Black and white or cream toile is beautiful, and lends itself well to accent colors brought in.

    ETA: Love the pic AK posted (first pic in post above mine).

    Bluebell66 thanked User
  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I think if you use dark end tables (maybe stain yours dark) and add some dark patterned pillows, maybe a throw or quilt at the foot of the bed, you could make the white bedding and black head board work well with green:

    one more with warmer colors:


    Bluebell66 thanked Olychick
  • 10 years ago

    Wow, lots of great inspiration photos, thank you! aktillery, definitely willing to paint the walls!! Yes, MizGG, probably more traditional than glam. We are pretty plain folk. ;) I love toile! Hmmm.... hadn't considered painting the nightstands black, but I could do that. I had thought to go with a creamy white to match the vintage sideboard that is opposite the bed. But I think black might look really nice with the headboard. Oly, thank you, that green paint is really pretty and both bedrooms are lovely. I guess my biggest problems are I like so many styles, and even more so, I never really finish things off. I think any one of the quilts or duvet covers I tried probably would have worked, had I just completed the room. You've given me lots of food for thought, thank you.

  • 10 years ago

    By the way, bossy, I really like that light green in the pic you posted. My first choice for paint many weeks ago was Sherwin Williams Sea Salt, but then I thought it might be too grey. But I may revisit that.

  • 10 years ago

    here is sea salt in my guest room not gray at all.


    Bluebell66 thanked amykath
  • 10 years ago

    So pretty, ak! I love that room.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    At first glance it may seem like you have a real challenge to contend with but after looking at a ton of pictures of rooms with black headboards, I think it's quite the opposite. That headboard will lend a lot of options and just brings out the color(s) of anything around it. So IMO, only real challenge you have is nailing down a style and colors you want to go with. Here are some other options I found. I think some are super sophisticated and quite stunning.

    Bluebell66 thanked User
  • 10 years ago

    Round two, sorry, found so many I thought were wonderful I couldn't stop!

    Bluebell66 thanked User
  • 10 years ago

    Thanks, lukk! Lots of great rooms and ideas there! I have a couple of things in mind after hearing all the suggestions and seeing the helpful photos. Now to try a few....

  • 10 years ago

    Make sure you test the paint in your room. Sea salt read mint green in our guest room.

    Bluebell66 thanked maggieq
  • 10 years ago

    We had sea salt in our master bath, very pretty gray with a greenish tint. It does require a lot of light though to really see it as anything more than an off white. Our master bath is limited on light so we repainted with the next color up, Comfort Gray and it's perfect. It toois a green based gray but is not overwhelming and has a very calming feel to it.

    Bluebell66 thanked User
  • 10 years ago

    Assuming your wall color is gray or grayish, I would leave it and choose pillows that are yellow or gold and also some with gray and white patterns, and I would get yellow lamps instead of blue ones. Blue with black reads cold and uninteresting. When I look at the inspiration pictures the ones that seem most inviting have warm colors in them, even if just touches here and there. Curtains that have a pattern in gray and white would be great if you keep your coverlet, or even gray, white and yellow if you can find it. A yellow or gold throw near the end of the bed, and an upholstered bench would make this space cozy and inviting. Painting the cabinets black would also be a good idea. The blue lamps are pretty and the right size but I would paint them yellow, black, white or a pewter tone. If you love cool colors of course this advice would be useless, but I don't think I've ever seen a bedroom with cool tones only that looked inviting or pretty. But to each his own, and you know where your inclination lies.

    Bluebell66 thanked ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
  • 10 years ago

    Lukk, I'll check out Comfort Grey. We get lots of sun in this room in the winter, but not so much in the summer with the trees just outside. Ingrid, the wall color is a yellow-green. I think it's BM Thyme, but not 100% positive. I prefer cozy over cool, and I don't think this current green is cold at all. The paint is burnished and nicked in a few spots, and really does eventually need freshening.

    Greywings, that is a really good observation about the repetition. There really isn't any other black in the room. I've been thinking about painting the nightstands ever since it was suggested earlier today, however, we painted our coffee table black over the winter and it is a nightmare to keep clean. Every cat hair, every smudge shows immediately. Instead of dusting it 2-3 times a week, I feel like I'm dusting it 2-3 times daily. Anyway, I'll check out the 60-30-10 rule. Thanks for suggesting it.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    You could paint the nightstands a deeper version of the wall color that you decide on to avoid the dust problem and use black hardware on them, black frames on some art and black in a print for bed, pillows, or draperies.

  • 10 years ago

    I have nothing to add for the OP; I just wanted to say that all of you are so helpful and talented! These are all fabulous ideas and lovely rooms!

    This forum is such a help to so many(myself included), and it warms my heart to see you bending over backwards with your contributions. :)

    OP, good luck with this room! I look forward to your reveal. I know it will be beautiful.

    Bluebell66 thanked mom2sulu
  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Bluebell, your comment regarding your preference to warm over cool colors tells me that the grays may not be for you. Not saying they aren't but...they do tend to run cool as opposed to warm, the tint of green in both the grays you're planning to try doesn't change that.

    That said, I was never really drawn to blue or gray walls and didn't quite get why so many people were, especially in a bedroom. Like you, warm colors equated to cozy and homey in my mind and blue was way too cold. Well, while painting our house, I came across a blue I really liked and decided to try it in our guest bedroom just for fun. Boy was I surprised. We loved it so much that we ended up using the same color in our master bedroom. Blues and grays may be cool colors but they both have a very calming and soothing feel to them; so I now understand the draw. It doesn't matter if the color is so much cool or warm, both have something positive they can bring to a room and cool colors can be exactly what's needed especially in a bedroom.

    Bluebell66 thanked User
  • 10 years ago

    Hmmm... you may be right Lukk. I do love blue walls and have never felt they were cold or cool unless they are really icy. But grey could be a different story. I will have to do up some sample boards and test them in our space. What blue is it that you love so much in your bedrooms? The one I like in photos and am considering testing is SW Tradewind.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I think Greywings raised the most important point. You can work with the headboard, you can work with the wall color -- the biggest problem is that you have one blob of black. It isn't so much that it is a king bed as it is that it is the only black in the room. All those other photos where the black headboard works have other black elements in the room. Personally, I would paint, but that has nothing to do with the headboard -- only that I would prefer other wall colors. If you like that color and want to work with it, you can. No paint color is going to fix things until you bring in some additional touches of black (look at the throw on the end of the bed -- it doesn't all have to be pure black, but enough to balance and ground. ) The nightstands could be espresso or charcoal grey. They will still show dust, but not as bad as a piano black finish.

    Bluebell66 thanked lascatx
  • 10 years ago

    IKEA has a white and black toile duvet set that you could just put a light blanket in and fold and at the foot of the bed and use the pillow shams.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    IMO, gray has a very similar feel as the blue and there are so many tints, your options are unlimited. We used Tradewind in our guest bathroom. It came off lighter when I sampled it on the wall but still a pretty blue.

    The blue we used in the guest room some might consider to be icy but it has some gray in it to keep it from be stark. It's definitely blue though and not gray. It's SW Hint of Blue. I started learning about color a while after using it and was afraid I'd gone too baby blue, but come to find out, Newell Turner, the then Editor of House Beautiful used the same color in his living room, so then I didn't feel so bad about it, ha ha. Either way I still love it. Not great pics, but hope it helps to give you a visual.

    Tradewinds:

    Hint of Blue

    Sea Salt

    Bluebell66 thanked User
  • 10 years ago

    I love the black headboard, but yes, you need to 'go with it' and bring more black into the room. I'm posting a picture of my greatroom where I chose to use black as an accent color. Don't be 'afraid' of it. lol

    Bluebell66 thanked patty Vinson
  • 10 years ago

    I agree with everyone who has suggested using more black throughout the room. Will work on that, along with sampling paint colors and looking at bedding. While I like toile and think that IKEA one would work great, my husband feels it's a little feminine. But I may be able to work on him. Fortunately, he's generally pretty agreeable to whatever I wish to do with the house. Thanks again everyone who took the time to make suggestions and post pictures. Mom2sulu is right, this is a great group of people!

  • 10 years ago

    Black can go masculine --especially in the other details. Tell him to be grateful you haven't fallen for a pick toile. LOL

  • 10 years ago

    Bluebell66 thanked Kristen H
  • 10 years ago

    If you're not averse to decorative pillows - three Euros would likely cover most of the headboard. Place your two kings in front.

    Bluebell66 thanked torreykm
  • 10 years ago

    Bluebell66 thanked torreykm
  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    I'm really late to this discussion, but wanted to echo what graywings advised. The room needs more black. Perhaps black framed pictures above as shown below:

    [https://www.houzz.com/photos/quail-west-brentano-traditional-bedroom-miami-phvw-vp~9348720[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/quail-west-brentano-traditional-bedroom-miami-phvw-vp~9348720)

    Maybe paired with a sheer black scarf valance for your window?