Your Decorating Hotline previously answered email questions from readers on a regular basis and shared one of their dilemmas and our solutions in a post titled Reader Dilemma.  For two years we answered all email questions on a complimentary basis but eventually found ourselves so inundated with complex or time consuming questions that we recently had to eliminate free email advice.

We still get questions from readers seeking paid personal consultations.  Today’s post takes a peek at a consult I did for a reader early this spring - a bedroom.  This is not the full consult, rather an overview of Your Decorating Hotline’s solution presentation.

The Dilemma

This master bedroom is used by two people for sleeping, dressing and reading.  It lacked a cohesive style:  the cherry bed and large dresser (not seen in the photo above) dominate the space with an Amish/Pacific Rim feel; a tag sale dresser serves as a bedside table; the room has a low ceiling (7′ 6″); the floor is natural oak; the shutters and louvre closet doors (off to the right of the chair) are white.

The owner, Chris, wanted the overall feel of the bedroom to be relaxed, uncluttered and maybe a bit unexpected. She liked the current peach wall color but thought the current white trim looked brownish along side the peach.  She envisioned her ideal room as reminiscent of spring, but not sweet.

The Color Solution

Blushing Apricot

China cup

Chris wanted to use the current apricot wall and ceiling color so I selected a white trim color with a pink undertone so it would work better with the apricot than the current white and also work with the cherry furniture.

Sagey

Chris wanted a pop of color in the room and preferred earthy neutrals.  I suggested an earthy green as the primary accent color and for use in the bedding. (Note: color swatches do not show true on this post.)

To this color foundation I added touches of blue (a complement of the peach) and spots of peachy rust colors to help incorporate the apricot of the walls and ceiling.  Additional shades of green were apparent in the iris floral artwork Chris owned.

The Floor Plan Solution

Chris had the bed in the best spot for it.  I eliminated her reading chair near the corner of the bed as it created a difficult traffic pattern and hindered a closet door from opening.  I also eliminated the bench her husband used to put on and take off his shoes (the chair was too soft and low for him).  I replaced the chair and the bench with a single piece of furniture – a loveseat, providing additional floor space while serving the reading and dressing functions desired.

The Design Solution

A print area rug from Pottery Barn provided the unexpected in the room and tied the space together.  It established the desired spring feeling, incorporated the apricot wall color, and drew the focus to the floor with pattern so the eye was distracted from the low ceiling when entering the room.

The green velvet linen duvet adds two more textures to the bedroom (100% cotton velvet front and 100% cotton/linen back) and picks up the green hue from the leaves in the rug.  The Laurel Green color provides a fresh, spring feel and yet is neutral enough to work with a myriad of other colors.  It also complements the red tone of the cherry furniture.

Floor to ceiling sheer linen curtains soften the hard edges of the white window shutters and make the window look wider by extending the white from either side of the window.  They also draw the eye from floor to ceiling, helping the room seem taller.

For bed tables I suggested the Daniella Chest in the Desa Ivy color to coordinate with the bedding and enhance the fresh, spring feel of the room.  The lovely curve of the dresser’s legs and bottom edge are a flowing contrast to the hard, straight lines of the cherry furniture.  The long legs of the chest keep the floor visible, helping make the room seem bigger.  The little bit of space left on either side of each chest keeps the furniture arrangement feeling airy, not crowded (see floor plan) – again adding to the illusion of a larger sized space.

Curvy bedside lamps continue the curvilinear form of the chests beneath them and the glass bases add sparkle to each side of the bed but do not take up a lot of visual space since they are clear.

A loveseat at the foot of the bed has a small footprint and is up on legs so the floor beneath it is visible.  The neutral color of the sofa can be brightened with a pillow and a throw (I suggested peach so the wall color comes to life off the walls too).  The loveseat’s trim, straight lines reflect the shape of the bed that it’s adjacent to.

ETC:

• A flush mount ceiling light was recommended due to the low ceiling.  Its bronze metal finish ties to the curtain rod/clips and to the dresser hardware – creating continuity.
• Replacement of closet door hardware with bronze finish pulls was recommended.  Matching the closet hardware to the dresser pulls is a solution that makes sense as the two stand side by side.
• I suggested leaving the iris watercolor on the wall left of the bed and placing a small piece of art on the wall to the right of the dresser.

The Consultation

Your Decorating Hotline offers three levels of personal consultations.  A complete room design consultation (which is what Chris received), a “Choose Your Dilemma” consultation (focuses on a single issue of your choice), and a color consultation (development of a color palette for a room).

For more information and pricing on the three consultations visit our website here and also here.  After you select the personal consultation that best suits your needs, we’ll send you a targeted questionnaire targeted to complete.  The input you provide on the questionnaire will be used to design a personal solution you can implement in your space.

We’re here to help – partner with Your Decorating Hotline and stop struggling with your decorating dilemma!

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