Don't touch those beams! I would paint the walls a slightly warmer taupe to blend with them better. Note the wall color and beams in first pic below - I suppose if you are super careful, you could lightly sponge the beams in places with a very slightly lighter shades of brown and perhaps gray to make them not quite so stark. If you like clean and light, then just stick with neutral bedding and carpet, and use an iron chandelier. But, if you like warm, romantic and luxurious, go with a Ralph Lauren-style decor to play up the English Country House feel of the beams and windows - reds, greens, plaids, leopard accents, and maybe a great antler chandelier. It could be like a sensual little jewel box. God, I'd love to have that room! Attaching some inspiration pics... Also, definitely hang the curtain rods as high as possible - it makes a HUGE difference . It looks like you could raise them another foot. If you think it's workable, it would look better to have fabric panels hanging to the floor at the far sides of the windows, a wide swath of them all the way to the wall. These would be just for looks. Then have shorter blackout curtains that can be pulled across at night hiding behind them (like you see in hotels; you need a double rod). I could see an iron bed in this room, maybe a simple iron canopy bed, or a fabric headboard, but if you have to use your existing furniture, paint it - the different woods aren't working together. Espresso or black work like neutrals. Add hardware to any furniture. Replace the two chests of drawers with one long piece. The Hemnes dresser from IKEA is inexpensive and huge, and comes in several finishes. Looks like you may have room for a storage bench (leather?) at the foot of the bed, too. Definitely wall lamps instead of table lamps flanking the bed...

Thank you every one for your wonderful ideas. I have attached a few more pictures so that you can see the room a little better. We would love to dispense of all furniture and let the room speak for itself but it is just not practical . We are a large family of 7 living in a 4 bedroom house! We have to have some drawers in the room. We are having a small closet (and I mean small) built on our landing to accommodate some of the clothes so that we can be rid of the huge cupboard that we currently have alongside the bed. The chests of drawers , bed and bedside tables were all custom made in cherry wood for our previous house and need to go as they scream at the architecture in the room but there are limited funds to redo this room so we are making do at the moment!I love the idea of hanging the curtains high - I think this will make a big difference . I don't know whether the window seat hides any heating system but there are 2 radiators in the room one on the wall to the right of the bed next to the huge cupboard and the other underneath the window seat. Please keep the ideas coming . It is a wonderful room but as a few posters have said , not that relaxing at the end of a long hard day with 5 kids! I should mention to the poster that asked if the beams were faux- they are real stained wood! The wall beams are decorative but the ceiling beams are structural. There is also a door behind the middle set of draws which leads to a balcony.

I would never paint out the character of these walls. Center the bed, turn the night tables the other way (or catty-corner?) to get more space to center bed. Or perhaps bed could face the window. Sometimes in attic type rooms, nooks can be found for built-ins LAMPS are nice, especially the shades. The lamps could be taller, though, and/or the round base painted a brighter color (same as the lamp shades or lighter brown). The Duvet & pillow look nice with the walls, but don't enhance the curtains. The curtains are more vintage cottage chic and the duvet cover is sleek modern. Think of changing the duvet or the curtains. A zebra rug might look nice on the floor someday, repeating the walls. DO not think of changing the furniture. Dark woods and lighter woods are very nice together. Much more interesting than all the same variety of wood tone in a room OR HERE OR HERE

I've had a room similar to this. Mute the dark wall beams with paint or a wash; mute the white walls with a taupe or grey hue. This mitigates the boldness of that element. Next, as another poster advised, create a headboard(can be done using your existing one or create one that overlays the existing one if you want to preserve it. A new one from an old door with foam and batting and fabric can easily be created-I've done it and if I can...) Swing out, wall-mounted lights would work really well here in a rustic metal tone. Keep the draperies as you said they are double lined and help with the cold air seepage--perhaps do another set of drapes, mounted much higher--using the old ones only for warmth(literally)--but concealed so they don't show. You don't seem to be fond of them visually. I like the chandelier--I'm sure it's not as glaringly bright in person as the photo depicts and English roots. The duvet is great, but layer floral or plaid comforter and lighter weight blanket, some Euroshams and regular shams and throw pillows. Mix floral and plaid and solid. You need a punch of color...brick red, black etc..here. Is it possible to have a closet fashioned about where the clothes rack is standing? I swear this room seems more like our old one all the time. Same closet issues. Think about an area rug to ground the room and add visual warmth and interest. I agree Ralph Lauren would look great in here and can be done without investing in RL literally. You have a great room with lovely bones. Stick to colors you love, layer pillows and fabrics, textures etc...it's going to look beautiful!

Holloway: I found Inkwichs' comments humorous. There is a fine line between rudeness & humor, though, & often hard to tell which is what. I think your comment about rude posters could be applied to many Houzz posters: professionals, non-professionals & even homeowners with their dilemmas. I've read posts tantamount to bullying by professionals: "get rid of..." & only a few homeowner-dilemma-posters ever respond with a comment or simple, "thanks".

ohmygawd! I LOVE the medieval, storybook look of this room! And I am hyperventilating over the windows--where IS this place?

i can see your issue with storage/wall space. Could a platform bed with drawers underneath be an option? Often those are pretty modern looking so it could be covered with the bedding. Or build a closet all along the wall where the bed is currently if there is room? I'd, personally, hate to see that wall covered with a boring closetl but..storage is a somewhat important matter to modern living! You'd get creative advice here.

i also like your chandolier and the suggestion for some small shades.

You've gotten some fabulous advice and so hope we get to see what you decide!!

Ok, I'm back, now that I've seen the other pictures. It seems the bed placement you have is correct, but that neat and practical storage is the issue. Here's an idea I got from the internet that blew my mind - I used it in my library. I own several thousand hardback books, and I wanted to create a small, cozy library by lining all available wall space with bookshelves. However, one wall was basically taken up by a double-wide doorway, a second wall had two windows facing the front of the house, and a third wall had one window facing the side of the house. So, I had only one solid wall! I bought an inexpensive thick blackout roller shade from Lowe's, hung it on the single side wall window and pulled it all the way down. Then I simply placed an entire wall of shelves in front of it! In other words, the wall of shelves sits about three inches in front of the wall to allow for the window ledge that sticks out a little. No light comes in the window, from the outside you just see a closed blind, and from inside the room, no one would ever suspect there is window behind that row of shelves! That way I was able to get full walls of nonstop, connected shelving, plus shelves on either side of the door way. Now, I know this might sound scary, but you could actually do it on the window wall where the chests of drawers are. If you just cover that window and door and ignore them, you have an entire wall to work with! You have plenty of other windows, and from inside the room, no one would even know there was a window back there! So, back to IKEA, which is the most awesome place in the world; if you ignore the window/door, you could place a whole long row of their storage armoires against that wall (see pics below). If you look online, or better yet go to a store, they have a large variety. This would give you an incredible amount of storage. Then you could leave the wall on the side of the bed clean and uncluttered.

Now that I see your chandelier better, I like it. Maybe some shades, but I would definitely have a dimmer switch installed so you can control the amount of light... Also, don't ever discount thrift stores for FABULOUS furniture finds for practically nothing - you could find a great bed or headboard!

Thank you everyone for your much appreciated input . I am now beginning to get a little excited by this! For those that have asked, our home is in Surrey, England pretty close to where the movie"Holiday" was filmed . Since a couple of people have mentioned that it is like a storybook cottage, I thought I would let you know that our bedroom was indeed the study where JM Barrie partially wrote Peter Pan!! So there is a lot of history in the house and hence my reluctance to dispense with the beams- they certainly helped his creativity!!

It is a very special place. I wish you much happiness and inspiration there.

Wow i kinda knew this lovely tudor home had to be in the heart of England ! Your a very lucky family to live amongst all that history , and the view is beautiful .Dont paint the beams especially the ceiling ones . If you could place the bed on the wall where the clothes rail is, you could enjoy that view in the morning with a nice cup of tea , most certainly do not put them in front of the windows.Your light is in keeping with the era of your home, maybe as someone suggested some shades over the bulbs .Its a shame one of the regulars David comes up with great colour schemes photo fitted onto your pics.Have you thought about a four poster bed maybe , and some window seat cushions would be very useful .Keep us posted what you decide,and by the way living in N.Ireland we are well versed with humour , sorry i did,nt laugh at inkwichs comments ((

The faux wall idea sounds good! I had a storybook house with a room with a very similar layout as I said--but it was in Fort Worth, Texas! LOL Very English. No beams on the interior wall. Alas, no closets either. It seems you have plenty of light from other windows, and though I would normally reject covering any windows, closet availability outweighs windows. I do so hope you post what you decide and hopefully, eventually pictures. Cheers and good luck!

Hello!
I live in Germany and this room is a great, traditional German room. I know exactly what you are dealing with. The house my best friend lives in is over 500 years old!
I suspect the rest of the house is the same way. Lovely.

What I have seen work very well here is to use light colored wood furniture. It seems counter-intuitive but the furniture doesn't need to match the beams. Think country (but with plain lines!), rustic, Scandinavian. Since it is dark so much during the year, they try to bring the sun into the rooms using big windows and white. White sofas, white duvet, white curtains, white pillows, etc... They also use a lot of washed blues and greens as accent colors. Think nature.

I may not be explaining it well but can't find any pictures on the internet that do it justice. I will keep looking and post something soon.
German houses to not have closets which looks like something you are dealing with. Try to find a simple designed standing closet to put all of your clothes. Since IKEA is a European company they offer the best selection. They have large standing closets.

http://cdn.home-designing.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/stick-lounger.jpg

Hi There,
If it was my house I would paint the beams on the walls ( as well as the rest of the walls a warm white to complement the dark beams on the ceiling ( that should stay by the way)I would remove the TV entirely ( not calming for bedrooms) and remove the upright chests, clothes/makeshift wardrobe and chandelier too. I think if you de clutter first, remove as much of the extra pieces of furniture as you can and have a fresh look at the space it will be much easier and feel less overwhelming.
Have you thought about swapping the position of the bed so it faces the windows? Just a thought... I would soften the ledge against the windows with a custom made window seat and pad it up a bit to make it more compfy even if it does overlap the bottom part of the window. I would change the curtains too. maybe keep a heavy fabric for the cooler months ( to keep the heat in) but drape some soft ones in front from a different height. This will soften the room too and you can then use only the light weight ones in summer, doing the reverse of what the heavier fabric does in winter.
Hope some of this helps. Good luck
p.s. I'm new to this site and absolutely love it!
Jenny :)

Okay...I like the style of the window treatment... maybe you could dye them??? RIT does wonders....room arrangement....Take advantage of those windows! I'd center the bed with the headboard against the wall of windows (not the one with the door). I'd also buy a HUGE German Shrunk and center on the wall where the bed was. I'd then move the dressers to the wall where the clothes are hanging....Since your home is English Tudor and your furniture seems very 1970's american. . . I'd suggest buying an inexpensive 4 poster bed --even a canopy bed from a junk store and paint the frame flat black. The lamps must go! I'd find something fun and architectural to turn into a lamp or head to a discount home furnishing store (like Home Goods) and get a substantial set of lamps for the nightstands....on those, I'd paint them...maybe not black, but a color that suites your taste, same for the dressers. I'd also add glass knobs to the dressers and the drawers on the night stands. Right now they look like furniture from a dorm room, which in a beautiful home like yours, I'm sure you'd want not to happen! Over where the doorway is, I'd put a pair of club chairs, and an occasional table or two. Is the balcony safe? I'd put a bistro set out there and have breakfast on sunny mornings! Heck, put a mini fridge and coffeemaker near the chairs and never have to go down stairs!!!
Good Luck!

I think your furniture clashes too much with the style of the room so everything looks a bit out of place. If you had pieces the same color/tone of the beams and closer to the character of the room it would flow nicer. I also think you need a large headboard, again keep color dark. The bed needs more definition. If it was separated more visually from the walls you could emphasize big fluffy white pillows and down comforter and start to bring a restful cozy vibe back into the room. I wouldn't touch the beams though, not with that history! You just need to get your furniture to rise up to the character of the room.....good luck!

Regarding the beams, I agree with either muting the color or whitewashing them...just be sure to seal them before you apply paint over them so that they can be restored easier if someone decides to do so in the future. An additional paint idea is to paint the wall wood beams a bright color, turning them into a pattern, much as if you would paint stripes or geometric designs on a wall. The textured wall spaces in-between the walls could also be painted in different colors, depending on your palette. You could do different shades of your favorite color, which would be easy to do by picking up small pint samples taken off color sample strips you obtain at the paint store. The only thing I'd do to the ceiling beams is perhaps paint them out to make the room appear larger. As far as the wall(s) of windows goes, why not just take some privacy appliques that you cut, peel & stick to each pane of glass you want covered. You can apply solid sheets of it. Some come with patterns, as well. Or, just use a window privacy spray to make your choice of window panes opaque. Doing so would give each frame of windows the appearance of a solid wall, akin to something like a Japanese wall screen. Then you could set a piece of furniture in front of it as if it were indeed a solid wall. Remember that perception is a key as how things appear to us. The window seats have unfortunately eliminated some the possible wall space you could have had. From what i can tell of the split window seat at the end of the room, it appears as if it were cut into to place a chest-of-drawers (?). Why not turn your window seats into storage. You could either have drawers put under the seats and/or have the seats turned into hinged tops for storage chests. You could also have them cut out completely,refinishing under the windows, giving you a small amount of extra floor space that could be utilized as I previously mentioned.

For more storage space, consider building a platform bed with storage drawers underneath. To help stave off winter chills from the windows, have a local carpenter build a sturdy removable window screen frame to inset into each of the existing window sills you have. instead of screening the frames with window screening, have them covered with a weather proof clear plastic or opaque material on the back side & cover the front with lace or a favorite print material. If done right, these removable screens will offer additional winter insulation, as well as providing beauty.

I thought the suggestion of drawers under the bed was a clever way to add storage and also raise the bed up to "fill in" some of the high wall space behind it. I would also paint the wall beams the same color as the wall, but leave the ceiling as is. You could add some interest and warmth to the room by hanging a tapestry or quilt above the headboard. LOVE all those windows, too!

I have to say that I love the architectural detail on the walls, even though it's faux. Simplify things with a tall upholstered headboard and 2 very light scale elegant night stands with either elegant table lamps or if you can install wall mount lamps onto either the faux wood slats or the plaster space between. Maybe some type of storage bench at the foot of bed, but you definitely need to eliminate the tall dressers and simplify the flat screen by wall mounting. As long as you can relocate the dressers to a nearby closet, you can have a very elegant master bedrm without spending a whole lot of money.

Granted- the wall slats are fake but I would argue that they are indeed part of the "character" of the home. That said, I am not a mad fan myself.We have a heavily beamed entrance hall downstairs as well as a large beamed open plan living / dining room with similar walls to the bedroom so in painting out the beams in the bedroom we would feel the need to follow suit in the rest of the house and this would be a huge undertaking ! Thanks for your comments though

Based on what I can see, regardless of the furniture you have, I would paint the walls and beams the same color. It appears as though you are in a giant cage with all the linear elements going on. Making the walls "calmer" will make you windows stand out more. I would also change out the curtains for ones that start near the ceiling and go to the floor. A taller headboard will make the bed more of a focal point. As it is now it appears dwarfed in the space especially being on that tall wall. Some of this may have already been said...I have not read the other posts. Good Luck!

I like your window treatments. I think they just need to be a different color. They get lost, maybe you could die them. I would work with them for now and concentrate on the furniture. Don't over whelm yourself. Make a plan and take it step by step.

Can you take out all the furniture but the bed and bed tables? Then centre the bed. I would have only whit furniture and floor to ceiling drapes everything whit to make a focus of the beams, the if they are still too much for you, bleach them to lighter wood color. If you have to have furniture only whit or pale wood

Congratulations on your new home. The rooms character is fantastic but I do understand your dilema. To me it is the stark contrast that is causing the eye to bounce. I know you have gotten a lot of suggestions to paint the beams, but I do believe they are the one thing in the room that should stay. Why not pick a warm tan/brown in the same family but a few shades lighter to soften the lines. Keep your funtiture either very light but an antque white/linen painted look or a color similar to the beams(warm and rich) The contmporary straight lines do not work. Lighting is going to be very important. Yes lighting up on teh window treatment, I hear your need for warmth but choose something with texture not necessarily pattern, but possible a banding or trim, but definitely raise them as high as you can, and I agree with lot of what liaparafam, has said. If you can handle one large , statement armoire(centered in the windows opposite of the bed and decently sized nightstasnds with storage, I store my knickers and socks in mine so I do not have to use up space elsewhere, then offer some more soft rich fabric in the room with splashes of traditional patterns. I like Ralph Lauren as well for this room. Keep other items like lamps simple and elegant as not to add to the business of the room. Good luck and enjoy the challenge!

I think you want some color on the bed and in a chair...the room is whimsical. I could see bright pattern on the bed. There are so many comments (which means this is one great space!) that I haven't read through them, but if you can, get rid of the furniture...Is there a place to put a closet outside of the bedroom? Any furnishings would want to be small, cute, low to the ground.

I read a few of the comments and decided not to read them all, so forgive me if this is repetitive. Your home is lovely and character filled, and, I'm guessing, quite old--early 20th century or older, and Tudor, my favorite style. It must be wonderful to wake up in this glorious setting. This room appears to have originally been used as a sunroom. The character of the wood would indicate that it is inset into the plaster of the walls (I assume this is what you call Artex) and I, too, would be hesitant to paint the beams, although they could possibly be lightened, but that would be a huge job. I don't know how large your home is, but if you have an adjacent smallish room not currently put to good use, convert it to a walk-in closet and remove all but the bed and side tables from the room (I did like the idea of a comfortable chair or two). This room would be decorative even if it were empty, so the fewer items you add to it, the better it will appeal. As for the walls, I suggest painting (or using a more transparent color wash) the plaster on the lower walls rather than the wood, using a muted aged sort of color, perhaps a mid or slightly dark blue, which would work well with the brown wood. If you should decide that painting is the easiest way to go, do so only on the lower walls, not the ceiling. The colors suggested in the photos posted by liparifam (two of which I attach) are beautiful and would look stunning. A larger scaled fabric headboard, perhaps covered in a natural colored linen to add a nice texture, would add some scale and balance that could complement the height of the room. A bed covering similar again to the those posted photos, and matching seating pillows on the benches below the windows. Linen weave curtains (matching the headboard) could replace the printed layer of curtains. The light fixture looks original to me; I would recommend small covers (again in a linen weave) that attach to the bulbs to give the light a softer look. It is clear that

I must have reached a word limit...
It is clear that the radiator is below the window bench on the wall closest to the bed, but perhaps longer curtains on the window facing the bed would also add some balance to the room. For color options, you can submit your photo to:
http://www.behr.com/Behr/home#vgnextoid=8328ea6621ca5110VgnVCM1000008119fea9RCRD;view=26;channel=EXPLORE
and be able to see how an applied color looks in your room. Good luck!

I have read a few of the comments, and agree with some of the other commentors.

I think:
1) do a wash on the white areas of the walls, contrast between a very light & dark colour causes visual business.

2) I agree with michigammemom with the minimal look. I like the the size of the bed tables & lamps. If you can't fit the bed tables in, then I would go with the wall mounted lamps.


3) bed, I would go for a fabric covered headboard that arched in the middle to match the height in the ceiling. I think the fabric will help balance out the amount of hard elements (wood) in this room. I would add some nail head detail to the headboard to help outline the shape. I would add some storage under the bed, IKEA had these roller baskets that had a dust flap, they don't seem to be available anymore but here is a picture: http://www.ikeafamilylive.com/en/room/wicker-under-bed-storage-1024

4) windows, I would have roman blinds in an off white colour (sticking to the 1st photo) made to fit in tight to each section of the bay windows. Have these made or make them yourself if you have sewing skills with a liner that will have a thermal layer (there is material like that). Levelor also make a blind called Energy Shield: http://www.levolor.com/products/cellular-shades/energy-savings.php But this maybe too modern compared to the roman blinds. You should be able to attached them to the "ceiling" of the bay window and not have to damage any wood.
I would then add tall curtains like the 1st photo (mentioned above) with a wood or black rod. I would make sure the rod is a substantial diameter. Add the curtains only at the ends of the window, as they are more decorative and add visual height to the room. This may make for a lot of curtain meeting in the one corner.
I would add some window seats in, this is where I would add some pattern in either a small print or stripe that was not too

Houzz should let you know length that can be typed in.

cont'd

bold. This would also conceal some of the wood.

5) Storage, I would get the IKEA PAX storage closet in the white (Bergsbo or Birkeland) in the 236 cm height, put it on the wall with the mirror & beside heater. I would put in a built in white desk over the heater the same depth as the closets so that you can have sit down area to get ready. I really think the dressers that are in the room have to go since the style and scale don't really work, their height is throwing things off.

I would add a storage bench at the foot of the bed, a fabric covered one that flips open one.

I think with the PAX closet, storage under the bed, and storage bench you may make up for the dressers.

6) I would put in a chaise chair or a chair in the corner where the 2 windows meet (reading nook?)

7) I like the light that is hanging in the room and like previous commentors would add some linen shades to it. I would remove the wall scones/light as I think they are in the wrong area and would interfer with the closet system if you use them.

8) Artwork, I think a collection of artwork or a collection of glossy black painted frames (different shapes & sizes) in the "squares" above the bed. I seen this on a Nate Berkus show and it looked quite nice but I can't seem to find the episode.

My 2 cents

Some random thoughts.

It seems there is a reasonable amount of space at the foot of your bed to the window wall with the door in it. Perhaps it might work to pull the bed forward into that space a good...5 or 6 feet and then behind the bed/headboard, put a talllll storage unit that you access by walking behind. Use that as your drawer space and hanging space too. Does that make any sense? Then on the bed side of the storage, put a large English tapestry (or maybe that would make too much pattern so just use the back of the storage unit covered in a solid color...).

Fake wall slats. Hmm. And Artexed between (textured). I guess I would leave the color of the slats as is, but go for some beige shade on the walls in between, to reduce the contrast.

For the windows, (yes, dye the drapes a solid color/colour) maybe some sheers over the windows would cut down on the contrast of the rectangular window grid and black iron railing outside. Later on you might get long drapes, and hang them from inside the room, not inside the bay/bow window.

Window seating cushions would warm up the room, as someone mentioned. With long drapes and some tie-back method (an actual tie, or a hook of some sort) the window seating could be very cozy.

Behind your hanging clothing rod--is that a mirror hiding another window? There've been some additions/renovations over time, it seems. If there really is a window there, inside the house (now), I'd take it out and dry wall or whatever over it, I think. Recreate more fake wall slats to blend in (or not). Other people's additions can be nightmares to deal with.

You've gotten some good ideas from so many here already. I hope you'll share you finished room some day.

Wow what a room to work with!
To start, I would definitely paint out the walls and faux beams the same color-maybe a soft neutral cream color. You said you loved painting them downstairs so why would upstairs be any different?
The bed, not the walls, should be the center of attention in your room. If you decide to leave the bed against the large wall, this could be done by putting the bed frame on risers allowing for storage underneath. The headboard could be hung directly on the wall at a higher position to give it more importance. Big fluffy bedding and pillows would add to the storybook feel. However, you might try moving the bed in front of the window wall. Floor to ceiling drapes could be closed behind the headboard. This still leaves a whole wall of windows and a door to the outside.
If you chose to move the bed to the window, it would leave the large wall open and able to carry the large wood pieces. I can't tell if all the chests match but you might put the long, lower one in the middle of the wall with a large mirror over it (actually if the TV just has to stay, it could go there) and flank it with the two taller chests. The mirror would reflect the view of the balcony.
Lighting-Like everyone else, I suggest shades on the ceiling light to soften the glare. The bedside lamps are way too small and should be replaced with something taller.
We all have dreamed of living in a place like this. Thank you for letting us do that through you. Please share pics of your progress. I would also LOVE to see pics of the outside of your house. Does it look like a storybook too? :-)

start by just painting those beams and walls a warm neutral color; I predict it will all blend together nicely and provide some nice textural contrast for you without the heavy and busy look it has now

also your window can be insulated but cleaned up by using insulated fabric Roman shades that will pull up above the windows; I would mount them up on the wall above so they pull clear of the window frame when opened and don't hang down into your pretty window when open

Hi,
Have you given any thought to a partially hung/suspended wall hanging such as in the link below? I'm not thinking the colours etc, but the concept?
It kind of lends itself as a bed head and a canopy.

Excellent inspiration pic, Sharon! That's a lot like what I had in mind conceptually, but with jewel tone plaids or paisley, rich solid fabrics, leopard accents, etc, rather then the country fabrics shown, and something other than a brass bed - they're not my personal taste. They could even paint and use the one they have... With all that fabric behind the bed, wide panels of it flanking the windows, and that far window/door combo closed off and covered by a row of storage armoires, the room would really feel cozy and romantic. And your pic has a bench at the foot of the bed like a had in mind, but make it a storage bench...

Another pic...

i love the suggestions other posters have made in terms of furniture and fabrics. I am confused about the "beams" i see on the walls/ are they wood beams? or painted out raised plaster. I agree that its too much to look at, and that the window shoudl be your focal point. i cant even see it under all that busy ness.

So many great ideas here - thank you all so much! I like the idea of keeping everything white - simple insulated roman blinds with light panels hanging high just for effect sumptuous white bedlinen and cushions and maybe a reading corner but I also love the canopy idea and the richer tones in the previous pictures; this warm homely look would also suit the house really well. I love the idea of pulling the bed forwards and having armoires accessible from behind the headboard - this really makes sense. The wicker storage from Ikea for under the bed looks great so I am going to try and find that. It would be great to have the luxury of a separate closet for clothes but the ideal room is shared by my two teenage sons! Diane_a - in answer to your question, yes that is a mirror in front of an internal window. The window sheds light on an otherwise dark corridor lobby area outside the bedroom. Our bedroom was an addition which was added by JM Barries wife! so the window must have been the original exterior window. It is kind of hard to explain but the door exiting our bedroom goes into this corridor which is open to the bathroom(as the previous owners knocked down the wall separating the bathroom from the corridor in order to make it an ensuite) there is also a door in this small corridor to my boys room which was the previous owners dressing room/ closet .
I will definitely post some pictures to show the finished result but it won't be for a while as we are working on updating the kitchen right now . Many Thanks again everyone.

I wouldn't change the walls at all. Gives it a somewhat whimsical feel and I like it. If your budget allows, I would do away with the light colored wood pieces and streamline the items in the room. Give it a classic/warm contemporary vibe to contrast the tudor/renaissance feel. I would also suggest less chatchkis (sp?). I would suggest a light (white or light khaki-type color) monotone color-scheme (so as to not fight with the business of the beams) and use a taller, upholstered (for a soft-feel) headboard (taller furniture in general with such a high ceiling). I would definitely change out the window material to a solid, light color.

Some ideas I see on the houzz website that I think might work with this:

A. contemporary bedroom design by new york kitchen and bath Kitchens & Baths, Linda Burkhardt

B. traditional bedroom design by

Oh shoot - thought I was copying the link for the photos of the rooms I thought might work - sorry :( guess I don't know how to save the photos from houzz.

I found this on Pinterest and thought it was such a coincidence! Wouldn't it be cute somewhere in your home just because of the history there! Sorry, I have never tried to put a picture on here so if it doesn't show up, you can go to the link.
http://weheartit.com/entry/3662515

@ Imagine That, that is SUCH a great quirky idea for this home!

@nell5, I just had to send you a message to inquire if you had done anything to your bedroom. I have thought often about this room and have looked often to see if you had posted any updates. Please ease my mind and tell me that your room is now gorgeous! hehehe! My family always says that I ask too many questions but how else will I know? Although I have never been to England, your home just struck a familiar chord. Someday...maybe.

Hi Imagine That!

We have been rather distracted by family events so all my decorating projects are on hold! I have however removed the large mahogany wardrobe to the left of the bed which has opened up the room so well .The rail of clothes has been rehoused as we have a new wardrobe on our landing and the chest of drawers blocking the exterior door is also gone.I have dispensed with the chandelier but am undecided what to replace it with So I am kinda back to the bare bones which is a start! I plan to hang long curtains along the full length of the bay window as suggested by a previous poster and I will paint the walls a warmer white - still unsure whether to paint out the wall beams am very tempted though as we did it in a small bootroom/office downstairs and it looks great. (see attached picture)

I promise to post when all is complete and thanks so much for your interest!

I have enjoyed reading all the back and forth. After spending time in homes like this in the Netherlands and Belgium, I can see both sides of maintaining authenticity vs. neutralizing the architectural details. If the picture above is any indication of the direction you are headed, I say BRAVO. Good luck...I'm sure it will be lovely and can't wait to see more pictures!

I know I am nearly two years late to this party, but Nell do you have any after pictures to share? Love the bones and history!

A very late response and still no conclusion to the bedroom but this time next week we will have finished (apart from the curtains) it so will post photos then. We removed all the beams in the end except the supporting ceiling beams which we have painted . This is the last room to be done in the house. It has been a real labour of love!

I will post a few photos since some people have asked . Thank you for all your very helpful guidance.