Becolorful

Revisiting the Master Bedroom

 

This time two years ago we were still in the middle of a major master bedroom update. It was the last room of the house to be touched and we had lived here for almost fifteen years. It was beyond due.

Our home is a one hundred year old three story frame home and the bedrooms are all on the upper floors so building out was not an option. 

There is a small hallway that leads into the master suite and it originally had built ins on each side. 

 

 

 

As you can imagine closet space in an older home is almost non-existent so that was something that also needed to be considered. I had pinned images of cavernous closets, bedrooms and master baths but when it came down to finally creating a plan for our space we knew that our room would be considerably scaled down from those inspiration pictures.

We also wanted to think about resale. Even though we weren't ready to move anytime soon, we recognized that kitchens and bathrooms help to sell houses so we put the bulk of the budget into the bath and increased its size as much as possible.

We eliminated the built in closets  on the left side of the master entrance and gave up that space to the master bath. Then we put in an opaque glass pocket door to the bath area from this short entrance hallway .

 

 

 

We stole some real estate out of the bed area and built in a wall of closets.

 

 

We had some time to plan them out so we added interior configurations that best fit Mike's needs and built in light switches that light up the closet when the doors are opened but shut off when the doors are closed.

 

 

I liked how the beveled glass panels dressed up the doors and helped to reflect the light around the room but I am especially excited about the hardware that we went with.

It seems we have a variety of hardware in this aging old home, everything from weathered brass to nickel to glass but we had used polished nickel in the bathroom so I decided to continue that into the bedroom. In the end, this was what we did to blend the old and more contemporary looks that we love.

 

 

We dressed up our space with dark wood floors, wool rugs, and new bedroom furniture but I'm still not there.

I am definitely needing new lamps. I started out with the ivory lamps we were using before but they blocked out too much of the mirror. These are a cobbled together creation from lamps I was ready to take to the consignment shop.

So here it is two years later and I'm still shopping.

 

The space just seems to still need a nose or some dimension.

 

As I look at the photo below, I realize I need to add something to that wall with the little etching my grandma brought back to me years ago from Paris. It's a great piece but it looks totally lost.

:-/

 

 

 

Maybe it is the lack of color that is leaving me cold. Perhaps I should bring in some black? gold? navy? or a soft aqua?

 

There isn't much wall space for artwork so I will have to revisit the lamps, accent pillows and maybe a throw. I'll eventually figure it out but in the meantime any suggestions are always welcome.

:D

Have a great weekend.

xoxo

P

 

 

 

Adding A Little Pizazz To The Ceiling

 

Yes, we have basically completed the construction phase of our bedroom update but I am still waiting for some key pieces of furniture before I post our reveal.

In the meantime though I thought I would give you a sneak peek and highlight the treatment we added to the bedroom ceiling. 

This is the view into our bedroom from the hallway. I loved the looks of this Echelon ceiling fixture when I saw it on-line but it took two different electricians and an unexpectedly large block of time to put it together.  The only reason I mention this is because after I ordered this light I began seeing it on numerous websites and if it is something you are looking at too I think you should know what you are buying. I was so pleased with the Hudson Valley lighting we put in the bathroom but I was less thrilled with this light. What can I say? It seems like so much of what is out there to buy comes from China and the construction can be beyond disappointing. In fact, we had to reorder this chandelier and use pieces from both fixtures to create one complete lamp. Now that it's hanging I am really pleased with how it looks but knowing what we had to go through to get to this point I doubt I would order it again.

 

You can catch a glimpse of our new bed and bedding but more on that later.

 

Even after we had begun our remodeling project I continued to look at bedrooms on Pinterest. I'm not sure if this was a good or bad thing. We were already too far along to incorporate some of the design elements that I saw but one thing we could still add was a more interesting ceiling treatment.

I was drawn to images like these:

 

 

 

I really liked these curved corner pieces but they would need to be ordered. So, in the interest of not taking any more time, since we were already way beyond our targeted completion date, I  decided that mitered corners would be fine.

 

 

We also had some corners, juts, and duct work to navigate around.

 

In the end, though, I have to say that I was really pleased with the resulting look.

 

 

By using the lighter color of paint from the crown molding to the ceiling molding it appears that there is a wider molding extending onto the ceiling. The contrast on either side of the molding makes the center of the ceiling more dramatic.

The center ceiling color and the color of the accent wall are both painted in Pewter Tankard by Sherwin Williams. The color between the moldings is Sherwin Williams City Loft - the same color that is on the other three walls.

 

To the dismay of most designers we also replaced the ceiling fan. Hello, I am a woman of a certain age and I NEED my ceiling fan. I was more than a little surprised, though, when I found this Hampton Bay better than average looking ceiling fan at Home Depot of all places. Here's a BeColorful hint - Don't overlook the big box stores. They are doing a very decent job of following the trends and making them available at affordable prices.  I appreciated the clean lines of this fan and I liked that it could be hung without the light kit. It was incredibly well priced and it has been running steadily for about six weeks now. It's quiet and wobble free. Gotta love that. I also like the shiny silver finish and the gray blades. So much better than the brass and faux walnut number that had been here.

The ceiling plate went up without a coat of paint because I wan't here and Mike thought I wouldn't notice. :-/  It will be a bit trickier but I'll get that handled soon enough.

:D

 

I do have to say one of my favorite things about our bedroom update is waking up and seeing a ceiling with a bit more pizazz than the dirty white swirly plaster ceiling with its webs of cracks that I had been looking at for the past fourteen years. This dramatic gray and white molded ceiling is one element I would definitely do again. In fact, I am thinking it would be awesome in our black dining room.

It's true, home decor is never finished.

:D

xoxo,

p

 

Black and White or White and Black

 

Drama. I seem to need it.

Not in my life but in my decor.

I recently wrote about remodeling our master bedroom and bath and I am anxious to start on that project but we are still waiting on some bids from contractors.

In the meantime, I think we will go ahead with some painting projects on the first floor.

I've talked about our dining room and changing it up for almost two years now. How tired are you hearing about it?

:D

I am usually more impulsive and decisive but I think you know when something isn't quite right so you don't take the final plunge. I believe this is what has been holding me back when it comes to this paint project. I originally wanted to paint the room a raspberry pink but I think that when I shared my idea with Mike it was the first time that I met with some real resistance from him. He is usually very supportive of whatever I do with the house. So, when he voiced his opinion this time I felt it only fair that I listen. I'm glad I did because now I have decided on something a bit more sophisticated. I'm thinking a black and white palette, or maybe white and black.

Let me explain.

For starters our dining room does not have a lot of wall space. There are two sets of french doors, another single doorway plus large windows on both ends of the room.

 

Consequently, I am not concerned about this room becoming too dark.

I just need to decide if I want black walls ...

 

 

or if I would rather do a white room with black accents.

 

If I go black I would like to add white trim similar to these images. This could be done with wainscoting, or picture moldings or both.

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, I could go white with pops of black.

 

 

I could paint out the window frames and french doors in black. I think it is attractive here but, realistically, I actually doubt that I will do this in our space. 

 

 

I could see adding black to the back of the bookcases though

 

 

and perhaps bringing a dramatic dash of black to the ceiling ( 9 foot ).

 

 

I notice that where they have painted the entire wall black they have also gone in with a black ceiling. I would not do that. I would opt for a contrasting ceiling unless I was also using the wainscoting.

Decisions decisions.  At least now that I have my images all pulled together I can run them by the big guy for a bit of feedback. I'm lucky. He really has a pretty good eye and is not afraid of making bold design statements.

:D

Am I crazy? Perhaps. Crazy for drama.

xoxo,

p 

BeColorful Color of the Week - White

It seems incongruous that a blog entitled Be Colorful would feature white as the color of the week. This is a color, though, that I haven't explored here and I think it is a look that needs to be celebrated for its pure unadulterated glamour.

Done wrong I have always felt that an all white room comes across as cold and uninspired but done right as you will see in the following images an all white space can be either elegant, sophisticated and stately or simple and subtly chic.

 

The paired mirrors and chrystal chandelier make this white room truly stunning.

The eye is drawn to the soft pink pillows and the gold accents but the overall effect is all out white glam.

 

White has always been my favorite look when it comes to kitchens.

Southern Accents

 

Decor Pad

 

This all white space combined with those great windows and that door are totally breathtaking.

Apartment Therapy

 

The substantial woodwork, marble counter tops and the divided glass doors really help to elevate the wonders of white in these two rooms. Then again, great architectural elements make any space outstanding.

Country Living

 

Kelly's Blog

 

The Scandinavian take on all white rooms is usually casual and minimalist.

Interior Style Design

 

Inspiring Interiors

 

To change it up combine traditional and modern. Just add a gilded mirror and a Greek style ceramic bust and you create an entirely new vibe.

House to Home

 

Or how about this all white nursery? That is one brave mama that pulled this look together but the result is pretty spectacular.

unknown

 

So all white rooms, are they for you?  I love them and would consider this look for a kitchen or bath. In other areas I would probably want to bring in an element of color for that added dose of Be Colorfulness. In fact later this week I will be showing you my BeColorful spin on white rooms. 

If you have one of your own I hope you will share it with me. 

:D

xoxo,

p

 

Trina Turk via Joss and Main to the Rescue

In an earlier post featuring our living room makeover I lamented over my need for a bit more pattern and perhaps some pops of color in this space.

As is usually the case, pulling a room together is sometimes just a series of smaller trials and errors and this room proved to be no exception.

It goes without saying that I am a color evangelist but occasionally, and this is that occasion for me, I like a more neutral sophisticated look.

Our home is a collection of rooms of color. Yet, I wanted to bring in a couple of calmer, color- subdued spaces too. But after I had most of the bigger pieces in place I was still struggling with myself.  It still wasn't right. My go to easy element is color.  The more I thought about it the more I began to convince myself that I should introduce some brighter colors into this room for that quirky unexpected twist so I brought in this piece. 

My mom came over and put into words what I already knew.

The bright bold painting that I had just hung and written about on the blog was okay but it was actually a bit like the old game "One of these things doesn't belong". I like that unexpected element but maybe this wasn't quite the right thing.  If I hadn't already wondered about that myself then the canvas would have remained right where it was but I appreciated her honesty and knew she was right.

 So although I still loved the boldness and the color of the canvas, I knew it would look better in another space. So I have moved it to the dining room and I think it works wonderfully.

More on that room soon.

Other than introducing pattern and color to our living room, my other hurdle has been the accessories and where to find them. 

I live in one of those fly over states and although we have a couple of nice furniture and design stores, the fact that we have so few resources thwarts my ability to buy locally. A few years ago there were more choices but it seems as if the furniture business has suffered some collateral damage from the housing downturn. I doubt that I am the only one that is finding this to be the case. So what's a girl to do?

Shop on-line of course!

Actually, a major portion of this room is the result of on-line shopping.

The rug, tables, mirrored chest and piano are the only things that I bought here in town.

The rest of it was all an on-line purchase, including my latest pillow acquisitions.

Love love love these  TRINA TURK greek key pillows that I bought on Joss & Main

Now, what to do about that fireplace???

It is such a yawn.

:D

xoxo,

p

 

 

 

BeColorful Color of the Week - Dovetail Gray

 
 
via Rebecca June

 

Apartment Therapy

This week we had Mike's office painted a shade of medium gray.

We used Sherwin Williams Dovetail Gray.

( Just a sneak peek. The big guy has been traveling and I need him to help me put all the furniture back before the big reveal).

I do really like how it turned out though and thought it would be appropriate to celebrate these mid-tone grays in this week's BeColorful Color of the Week.

Nate Berkus

There are so many gorgeous  grays out there.

This steel grey with blue undertones is a definite stunner.

Elle Decor

 

Blue grays  look so sophisticated and modern

Country Living

 but I think I am drawn to the warmer grays with a hint of brown.

Decor Pad

John Jacobs Interiors via Bunny Cakes

 

Decor pad

 

Aiden-Gray

 

I have been looking at these gray chairs for my living room.

I saw them last week when we were in Chicago but I couldn't quite pull the plug on them. I have been thinking of a black and white stripe rug with off white chairs.

So what do I like more? The rug idea or these chairs?

Could they work together?

I'd have to think about that.

Ah decisions.

Crate and Barrel

 

I can also see these paired with a solid gray rug and the look would be tasteful yet versatile.
For me, that is the beauty of gray. It is such an elegant neutral and it seems to be the perfect way to showcase an accent color.

Like orange

bhg

or purples.

Decor Pad

 

The gray and yellow combination is probably my favorite

Decor Pad

but gray and pink place a close second.

Martha Stewart

I hadn't really thought of turquoise but hey, it works and is a fresh look for both of these colors.

Decor Pad

What would it look like with copper? Like in my living room ceiling?

I think it could be slamming.

Becolorful's Color of the Week - Gray.

What's your verdict?

xoxo

P

BeColorful Color of the Week - Taupe

Decor Pad

 

Is it gray? Is it brown? Somewhere in between?

It must be taupe.

A shitake mushroom color.

For someone who usually goes gaga for the bright and bold colors, this is an unexpected favorite of mine.

I even painted our kitchen this color about four years ago.

A friend came to see our remodel and actually asked me if I meant to go with this color.

I must have looked a bit taken back so she explained herself by saying that she was just surprised since I usually went with bolder more vibrant color choices.

Sometimes I surprise even myself.

I've been sofa searching lately and I've been thinking of off white but this taupe color could work for me too.

 

Crate and Barrel

Sometimes, the world just needs a calmer space.

That is when I like taupe.

 It has that zen feel.

  

Decor Pad

 

 Decor Pad

Taupe and white are so perfect together.

Decor Pad

I also like it paired with the drama of black.

Elle Decor

It is  commonly combined with a soft blue but I think that bringing yellow into the mix gives it a fresh spring/summer feel.

This is one of those colors that you could change out your accessories with the seasons and have almost limitless options.

    eileen katherine boyd

 

I'm all over it.

What are your thoughts? 

Does taupe speak to you?