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michigammemom Take a look at Benjamin Moore's Waynesboro Taupe...similar to the reverse side of your comforter.

Aggie Purvinska Looks lovely, I'd like to see that warm mossy brown you have peaking as a flat sheet there...[houzz=
]

judyg I see the Eiffel tower. How about a French blue?

decoenthusiaste I like the dark trim on the shams and the sheet color. Try the light one on walls and the dark one for window treatment.

Fenstermann LLC-Newport Beach This would set it off!

Stanton Designs-online design services I would choose a color in the range of the underside of your bedding. It would be a great compliment to your orangish rust tones. You need some color on the walls above the bed...find a great piece of art and it will dramatically change the room's feel.

ceilsan32 You could consider rag rolling with a glaze, or a Tuscan finish to the walls to add more depth. How much light does the room receive?

sloffler You could hang one of my paintings.

kellieharden Thank you for your comments!! Great ideas!

kellieharden @ ceilsan32. It doesn't get a great deal of light. The window faces north.

kellieharden @ Stanton Designs. Do you have any suggestions? ( The opposite wall is a mirrored closet.)

Homestead Window Treatments After you paint you should get a nice roman shade for the window. Hunter Douglas has a product called design studio and you can pick from four different styles. I suggest the Hobble Roman shade which features a unique, triple-layer fabric construction which adds body and fullness to the window.

dcer I would do a rusty orange- the color on your shams for an accent wall behind the bed, and then paint the rest of the room a warm taupe. Then add natural bamboo romans. Great room!

lesliedgoodman I would paint the same color as the accent color in bedding then add some great artwork with a French theme.

anitajoyce A Tan color would be nice on the walls.

nevadan Your bed is beautiful I would center the bed on the wall. A good picture over the bed. Everything will depend on your window treatment, which should go from ceiling to floor. Taupe would be a good color pick for walls - you want something restful Get a bit of sea-mist or turquoise into the draperies.

rebk4 A warm taupe( like a fudge bar or latte) is almost always a good choice. Then buy an inexpensive bamboo roman shade and hang it 6 to 9 inches above the top of the window. Then get a curtain rod that is the same wood tone as your bed and hang it close to the ceiling height and about 6 inches beyond the window on each side. This will make the window appear larger. The color could be taken from the bedding. Personally, I would go with one of the lightest colors. Since this is custom bedding, if you have any left over material you could customize stock curtains. Run a 2" wide piece down the length of each side. The lamps are a little small. If you can't replace them try stacking two or three books under them. Then put a round mirror over the headboard (about 36'' in diameter).

nevadan I have often used bamboo shades and generally like them a lot, but in this instance I wold dramatize the window with more of a formal "treatment". Maybe with tie-backs. Maybe tie-back drapes on top of roll down bamboo. It looks as though the window is too small for the room and ought to be made to appear larger than it is. Of course it all depends on what exposure does the window have and is there a view.

Danny Salzgeber Definitely put in a nice commanding backboard!
Don't do anything drastic with the color palate of the room by adding any paintings or likewise. The room is nice and textured and complex as it is. With a backboard, one that goes all the way the hell to the ceiling. As mentioned before (not by me), bamboo shades or a nice warm taupe would do wonderfully...and insert some brass into it!

Like this backboard save in different colors:

victorianbungalowranch I think a warm white to pale buttercream (depends on colors in bedspread) would give it a sort of Colonial Carribean feel.

liljcj1 Hi, rejuvenating a space is so exciting! Lighten and liven it up with gilded gold mirrors above the bed. Lighten and soften bedroom with a whitish soothing grey (with blue tones). Hang drapery from the ceiling to really open the space up and choose a gilded pattern to bring richness into the room. I have attached a pic (courtesy of bhg) which defines the soothing blends of cool gray and warm golden honey tones (of your custom bedding):

Christopher James Interiors You need color! I would encourge going bold. Make the accent wall behind the bed a subltle orange or terracotta - the bed frame and bedding will really stand out. Go for a lighter color of the same palette for the other walls! The contrasts will really make your bedding/ furniture stand out! Good luck

rawketgrl Pretty bedding! I vote blue also. I would cool the room down with French blue grays for a restful environment.

ceilsan32 I would seriously consider adding moulding to your window. You could match the wood to that of the bed, or try a complimentary color. I'd also consider crown moulding in this room. Given that the room receives so little light, you may want to stick with lighter wall color- a cream or antique white, which would help to reflect the light. Try something with a soft sheen to magnify the effect.

dicksiedael Loved the comment suggesting color...I vote for terra cotta; would be GORGEOUS with both the bed and the bedding. Windows...ceiling to floor panels in a shade similar to the front pillows on the bed...for 'safer' alternative, go with the overall bedding color..a bit more subdued. Agree strongly that molding would help, but if not wanting to go that route, the panels will help hide the fact that they're missing...and lend height by hanging them high on wall.

leighflynn Add 3 tall mirrors - perhaps a metallic frame - over the bed to expand the light. Lightweight shades in ivory to continue to lighten it up. Add a large mirror on the opposite or adjacent wall, matching the bed in style. Bigger lamps, and a cozy throw with coordinating pillows in red or rust. Small pictures to personalize the space, and an upholstered chair to fit the space in a coordinating print - red or rust. Add a large pattern rug in cordinating colors and a vase of flowers and you're done.

trebinje To capitalize on your beautiful British Colonial furniture and to add architectural interest, suggest wood plantation shutters in a similar (dark, but not matchy) stain as the furniture. This installation will also add a frame & dimension to the window. Think about BM Lenox Tan for the walls. Add bronze bedside lamps, some light woven wood accent pieces and perhaps a soft sisal rug to underscore the casual aspects of the British Colonial theme.

Stacey Gibson If your home has rich wall colors then continue this to the guest bedroom. If not, consider trying out a deep color - experiment with the guest room. I like what both dicksiedael and trebinje suggest. Rich color walls: terra cotta, ochre, warm greige with high hung curtain panels [can simply be yardage purchased from local fabric store and hung with clip rings] and eventually plantation shutters or matchstick blinds [much less expensive] in dark stain. Please post after pics!

jadedk As the room faces north and does not get a lot of light, why not add some light to the walls? Try out the color range, starting with Benjamin Moore Honeybell, here: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/honeybell

Katherine Marle_Moberg Just a couple of ideas. Since you have gone to the expense of the wall treatment and custom bedding you need to go a step farther with the window treatment and accessories. Add crown molding and window trim in a dark wood finish. This will continue the theme of the room that you seem to be going for.

Purchase a 3" wood blind in a dark finish, it will give you more light control than most other shades and is less expensive than plantation shutters. You could make the cotton time on the blind coordinate with the bed cover. Buy a fabric that has your bed covering colors in it and have fully lined, interlined panels made for both sides of the window and hang from a decorative rod in the color of the bed. Hang the rod very near ceiling height.

Your lamps are a bit small for the size of the bed, and the white ceramic is rather lost against the wall color. You should look for something in an accent color or brass, making sure that the lamp is bigger in the store than you think you need. Look in some consignment or antique shops for lamps, or look for something that can be made into a lamp.

Look for some art. Go to a local arts show and find things that speaks to you, not necessarily to match the room's furnishing, it can be something un-expected.

If you have a particular guest in mind for this room, add personal touches just for them.

tommyk I'd vote for white as well (a creamy white such as Benjamin Moore's Bavarian Cream) I'd use white california shutters or "Silhouettes". I too think you need bigger lamps. I'd be gutsy with lime green shades with a white base or vice versa and a nice lime green throw for the bottom of the bed. Bring more green into the artwork or use the pumpkin-like colour. Or behind the bed, do a montage of 9 or 12 framed black and white photos with white frames.

little01jk paint the walls a warm beige or brown color to compliment the bedding. Add a valance on the window and blinds above the bed put two pictures with neutral colors.

nbmartin As the room does not receive much light, and already has an abundance of browns, I would be tempted to paint all walls in a shade matching the palest colour in the bedding. I would match the curtains too - in a beautiful raw silk cream, full and decadent, pooling on the floor. As the bedding has so much pattern in it, it should absolutely take centre stage so I would not recommend anything busy on the wall above. Instead, a pair of really tall, striking bedside lamps to compliment the dramatic look of the bed - perhaps in chrome to add a cool fresh contrast!

Transforming Rooms A soothing blue/green "spa" color. Below are some examples

You can see hundreds of before and after photos on a web site:

http://www.Transformingrooms.com

It has ideas on color transformations, lamps & accessories, etc. Be sure to check out the before and after "windows treatment" section (to see how full length silk or linen drapes could change the room)

There's also a blog with designer photos - just click the orange "B" at the top of the web site

simplify52 Taupe/gray paint, larger lamps, framed art above bed, decorative pillows (pull a color from wall art), blinds and silk drapes hung from near ceiling, area rug large enough to go under bed/sides of bed.

Brenda Greer Since you've had a lot of help with the walls etc. I won't go there but as a guest I appreciate a place to sit my suitcase on instead of the floor. I also take a lot of medicines. I really don't like the glasses that come with a bathroom set si I always go hunting in the kitchen for a regular glass. I will soon have a a guest suite and I plan on putting nice glasses in the rom, even if the bath is attached to the bedroom. I will get a hotel type of luggage holder as well, and all matching hangers, a small chair to help guests getting dressed and two bedside clocks! We always fight who gets the clock! I now carry my own. Also be sure to have a night light. Waking up in a foreign bedroom can be disconcerting for older people and a fall is sure to happen! We carry our own everywhere we travel.

pollyb1942 I would do a drapery floor to ceiling on the window the width of the bed on a decorator rod, and put the bed in front of the window with a tall lamp on each nitestand. That way you are combining the bed and the window to be the focal point of the room instead of both fighting for attention. You don't really need a lot of light in a bedroom anyway.

jadedk pollyb: bed in front of window bad feng shui
drains brain cells out through the opening, or something like that. ;-) Besides, the headboard will block light from the north-facing window.

kellieharden: I'm wondering why you had the walls textured. ??? The texture doesn't show up very well in the photo, but I really like the idea. If you were going for a slightly rustic but elegant look [Tuscan? Caribbean?], I'm still with the terracotta gang. There's a wiiide choice of hues in that color range. You already have enough "taupe" or whatever (although I LOVE taupe. . .and despise "orange"). Some shade of terracotta, plus the mirrors on the opposite wall will give the room a nice warm glow. Putting sheer curtains across the entire wall (ceiling to floor) does make the room look more elegant, but slat shades or plantation shutters are also good, if ancient Tuscan or colonial Caribbean is the theme.

And yes, the bedside tables are too small for the proportions of that gorgeous bed. But you already have them. Stand-alone reading lamps? Reading lights above the headboard to save space? Try out something non-permanent, using a wall plug that surely must be behind the bed or very nearby.

tnews Three cheers for all the blue walls comments. I have just learned after all these years of decorating to add cool with warm colors in a room so it is not so matchy-matchy. I have warm colors in our living room but a large thick shag rug in cool blues, greens and white to pull it all together. Very much a decorator touch....hum...a decorator suggested it! Tall mirrors on each side of the bed to mimic windows...perhaps ones from Ballard catalog or your favorite discount home store.YES on the moulding!!! Go larger than you think in a curved style. Moulding around windows is an easy fix. You don't need to case them in. Just choose a wide one and cheat them in about 1/4" and then paint the sill the same color as the moulding. We just finished our guest room off with the moulding and it really makes a difference. Cost about $300 fro a 10'x10' from a local guy who painted them first, installed, caulked and touched up! Very custom. Photo of room moulding is from guest room and casing around window is from our kitchen nook....that was a $30 fix per window. Our flooring guys did those.The last photo is a close up of the guest room crown.

shockjulie I'm late in responding, but with this room and your furniture, I would keep the walls a neutral color. Add a soft cream colored luxurious afghan to the corner of the bed, and a couple more small throw pillows to the bed that will match your bedding, probably a solid color. I like to keep a tray on the bed with current magazines, or other fun reading material. I have also sometimes added a basket with shampoo etc that the guest could use. (That basket can also go in the guest bathroom) Above the bed, I would add a mirror grouping to reflect some light, and on the window soft sheers behind a blackout drapery. On the nightstands candle grouping on one, and perhaps a plant on another. My guests favorite thing? A luxurious white robe hung in the closet. Seems like a lot, but over time, it can happen. Have fun !

nevadan Almost never will you want to put a bed with its headboard in front of a window, for these reasons: You block the air flow and light, you miss out on the view, you may get a draft (and maybe noise). Always place the bed so the sleeper can see out of the window (unless the view is wretched) and so that the sleeper can see the door entering the bedroom.

krm41 I really LOVE your bed and nightstands but, everything else you have is way too small including the comforter. It needs to hang a little more than halfway down from the top of the bed to the floor on both sides. You also need to get bigger lamps to frame such a beautiful bed! I'm with the people that are for blue walls. Cherry furniture pops against blue and it is gorgeous!! It doesn't have to be a "true" blue, it could be a dark slate blue or even a cool ice blue. Also, if you decide to stay with your comforter, go with the taupe-y brown color and pillow up that bed!!!!! Another idea is to go monochromatic which is so popular these days. You could go straight grey everything in that beautiful room with splashes of white and tangerine. The possibilities are endless!!

NexTrend Design I agree with going toward whisper gray-turquoise to complement the brown & gold. In my opinion, anything in the brown/tan/rust family will get tired looking very quickly because it's all too much the same.

North facing rooms need a lighter touch so they don't look like a dark dungeon, so the contrast provided by a light gray/turquoise would do the trick. I really like the photos by liljcj and Transforming Rooms, THANK YOU. It's a bit of that "Old World" elegant feeling with a touch of Shabby Chic. That's the look I'd recommend you try to create. Then add some glitz with mirrors and metallics to let the light reflect & provide some eye candy.

Bedside Tables: You can add larger/wider glass tops to the bedside tables if you can't get larger bedside tables... OR... find matching framed mirrors & use them as bedside tabletops like trays... as long as they're larger/wider than the tables. That'll serve double duty to enlarge the bedside tables plus add glitz & light reflections from new larger lamps.

Lamps: Yes, go much bigger on lamps. If you love chandeliers, you could opt for 2 chandelier style table lamps in order to reflect something you want to see (from the mirrored tabletops) rather than reflecting the inner mechanics of a regular table lamp & bulb.

Chair: Add a curvy chair with a cozy throw like the one shown below. The sunburst mirrors add more curves, elegance, and glitz. Guests will so want to sit there and relax with a book or magazine.

Art: Some elegant art above the bed should be at least 3/4 the width of the bed to look balanced. A soft & serene room creates an inviting and restful place for guests. The art shown below are some ideas for you to consider. While they may not be "exactly" what you need, it gives you a general idea. I custom painted these for a north facing home that desperately needed a lighter contrasting touch of color with the existing brown floors & carpets and blah beige walls. The large painting was in the dining room and notice how it combines so well with the elegant calla lilly arrangement and a dark espresso brown/black console table. I've thrown in another photo of the dining table just so you can see that the turquoise doesn't need to be all the same depth of color throughout the room. The table had brighter deeper turquoise accents to create more interest. The smaller painting was in the powder room featuring an old world style vanity, and the soft white-washed turquoise pillar & art complemented the brown & tan vanity very well because the art also had hints of tan in it.

Does that help you a bit with ideas and narrowing down your color direction?