In this week’s Retro Design Dilemma, reader Jeanne is asking for ideas to decorate her beautiful vintage knotty pine bedroom. She wants tips on colors to paint the angled ceiling, along with ideas for window treatments and nightstands to match her beautiful Broyhill Brasilia bedroom set.
Jeanne’s full letter:
Hi Kate,
Here’s my knotty pine bedroom. I live in a story-and-a-half brick bungalow built in 1952. The upstairs is finished in knotty pine and is one large, open room. It has two sections, one which I use as my sleeping/bedroom area and the other is sort of a dressing, open area. The only thing I did before moving in, was have the hardwood floors refinished with three coats of polyurethane applied because I figured I’d never do it once I moved in.
I’m the second owner of the home. The widowed “woman of the house” passed away and her two sons (who grew up in the home) sold it to me (in 2008). I assume that the sons used the upstairs as their bedroom, because there are two sets of built-in drawers built into the kneewall/attic space – one on each side of the bedroom. The cool thing about the house is that the kitchen was custom remodeled around 1960 and the bathroom was remodeled in 1964. Everything is original to these remodel periods, except a year ago I stripped all the wallpaper in the bathroom (even on the ceiling) and repainted and wallpapered.
Two braided rugs were left in the bedroom when I moved in. I decided that I don’t really want to use them in the bedroom and have replaced the one on my bed side with the chevron rug (although I’m rethinking that decision but will use it for now). I plan on replacing the braided rug on the dressing area side eventually. I was thinking a solid color, depending on what color(s) I paint the room.
The ceiling and angled walls are white. A flat white. This is my dilemma. I really love aqua. I would love to paint the room light aqua. Do I just paint the angled walls and leave the ceiling white? Do I paint the angles AND ceiling aqua (the same color) or should I paint the ceiling one shade and the angles another for contrast? I’m open to a darker teal as well. I’m not sure if that would be too dark, or would make the room enveloping and cozy.
There are built-in book cases in the dressing area that I use for my shoes (I’m a woman, what can I say!).
Also, there is a built-in open shelf unit that divides the two areas (I love it!). I was debating about painting the shelf unit (maybe a darker teal) and possibly painting the backs of the bookcases the same dark teal. Or should I leave the shelf and bookcases wood. There is a lot of wood in this room. Or maybe paint them white or black. Help!
Plus, my biggest challenge will be painting the ceiling area above the stairway (above the shoe shelves in the photo). I don’t think I can do a precision paint job using roller extensions and may have to hire someone for that area. A friend told me about using a “plank” but there is no way that I will be standing on something suspended above the stairs and I do not own one of those fancy ladders than transforms into scaffolding.
You’ll notice the closet and built-in drawers have the original black wrought iron hardware, hinges and pulls. I recently painted and re-did the inside of the closet (it was wood with one galvanized rod across). It has an angled ceiling – so I had to configure it to optimize the storage & hanging space with custom ClosetMaid parts I got at Home Depot. I’m really happy the way it turned out.
My goals for the room are:
• Paint the ceiling and walls (hope to do this between Christmas and New Year when I’m off work)
• Possibly paint the shoe shelves (backs only) and open shelf unit
• Find nightstands – either Brasilias to match my bedroom set* or possibly something modern from IKEA that I can mount on the wall. I don’t believe I have enough space for two full sized nightstands.
• New lighting – possibly something that mounts on the wall or turquoise ceramic vintage lamps.
• I’m not attached to the window treatments and will be re-thinking those as well. I saw some aqua velvet (not to be confused with “Aqua Velva”) curtains at IKEA (not sure if they still have them) or I also have some barkcloth drapes that I started cutting up to make valances. They are a cream background with turquoise and red tropical floral pattern.I went to school for and was a graphic designer/art director for about 20 years before switching to the account side of the advertising business. Yet, I have the hardest time trying to decide on something for myself. Just like the shoemaker’s children who have no shoes – either that or I have commitment issues. 🙂
* I found my Brasilia set on Craigslist and got it for $450 (Queen headboard, dresser with mirror and chest)! I’m still thrilled about it!
Thanks, Jeanne, for all this great information, and the photos. What a beautiful space — the knotty pine looks like it is terrific quality! We’ll be back at noon — with some ideas!
Readers, what do you think Jeanne should do?
Thanks to everyone who commented with suggestions or was able to tune in (or join in — that’s you Larry) live for our Google Hangout. Below are the three solutions that Pam and I came up with for Jeanne’s knotty pine bedroom.
Pam here: We know that Jeanne prefers aqua, but I wanted to show this first mood board — knotty pine and rust — to principally show how starting with your curtains — or, another complex colored textile — can be a great starting point to choosing colors for any room. In this case, I had these vintage rust and orange curtains on hand. I found them at the Goodwill and, well, have been hoarding them for some future project. I love how the rusty tones meld with the honey amber of the knotty pine walls and the oak floor. I found a braided rug in the same tones from Capel — I would make it big… I suggest a buttery yellow coverlet that picks up one of the colors in the curtains, on Wayfair.com…. and even would spray paint the traverse rod a hammered iron color to coordinate the rod with the knotty pine hardware used elsewhere in the room.
When I saw Jeanne’s knotty pine in combination with the Broyhill Brazillia and her tropical palm tree lamps, I immediately thought — tiki. I wanted to try to use what Jeanne already had in the room and make it work together. The Brazilia design reminds me of an up close view of a carved wood tiki figure and the knotty pine is reminiscent of a close up view of bamboo — perhaps like the bamboo that often lines the front of tiki bars. Even Jeanne’s existing natural wicker end table has a tiki feel to it because of its natural texture. I first found these Tommy Bahama Tropical Harvest window curtain panels (now gone from website) at Bed Bath & Beyond. They have a lot of the same warm brownish orange color that is already present in the wood floor and knotty pine walls. I picked out the acid green from the leaf design on the curtain and found this limey green bedspread (now gone from website) from CB2, which has a great modern texture instead of being just a solid block of color. For a rug, I chose this greenish hand woven Amesbury Jute Rug from Overstock.com, which also adds some earthy texture — that reminds me of a grass skirt — to the room without calling too much attention to itself. To finish off the room, painting the walls and ceiling a light, buttery cream — pulled from the curtains — will warm up the walls without competing with the knotty pine walls or any of the other elements in the room.
Pam back: Mood board #3 heads into the aqua-ish territory that Jeanne likes. However, as we discuss in more detail in our video, Kate and I are concerned that a strong aqua will be too clashy with the knotty pine… it may be too “competitive” with all the orange in the kp. But, we think that if you tone the aqua down somewhat — lighten it and grey it out, then the values of both colors will be harmonious. The color of this coverlet set from Garnet Hill is called “mineral green”, and I think that it would work. The blue/green in the vintage curtains (now sold) spotted for sale by ebay seller private screening are a darker version of the mineral green. I found another Capel braided rug that seems to have the right colors — all the colors from throughout the room. Pick up the stronger colors in the rug for your accents. For example, the Arcadia Green of the spray paint for the traverse rod.
So there you have it. Lots of ideas, Jeanne — we hope we helped, rather than just confuse you. For sure: Your room already is beautiful — that knotty pine is dreamy — and versatile. We’re… jealous… because we don’t have this room in our own house to decorate! Let us know what you decide — many thanks for sharing!
Lynne says
Please, don’t paint the wood! We have a knotty pine bedroom that my son stripped of paint…don’t paint the wood.
I agree that the ceiling white is stark. I would paint it to blend with the wood. A light honey color, or at least a candlelight creamy color. I think the aqua would be just as jarring. Use the aqua in your bedding, curtains or accessories. Aqua goes very nicely with yellows and gold tones.
Velvet curtains? I would suggest something more towards a linen or canvas. Something with a slubbed weave.
The chevrons on the rug really clash with the verticals of the paneling. Go for a more mottled tweedy rug. Texture without the pattern.
Also, you say there is no room for two nightstands. What about on the other wall? Can you flip the bed to the other wall where the dresser is?
As for the shoes. Have you considered under the bed storage boxes? If you must keep them on the shelves, maybe store them in attractive boxes or baskets? Hobby Lobby or the Container Store should have some good options.
Ana says
First, I’d like to say I’d love to have a room like yours. It’s HUGE.
An option I want to throw out for painting the sloped walls and ceiling (which should all be painted the same color): You can get paint tinted. Not sure if that’s the right term, but let’s say you like a particular shade of aqua or teal but you don’t know if will be too intense. You can ask the paint department to mix the color with a percentage of white. You still get color, but a little more “neutral” of a backdrop so you can have fun with bedding and accessories.
I also like some people’s suggestion of shifting the bed under the window to be centered in the room. (Can you move the tall dressert to where that white piece of furniture is on the other side of the room?) Then you could do a big window treatment like a large box valance and coordinating (not necessarily matching) drapes/curtains to make it really dramatic. For colors, since you mentioned you have fabric with turquoise and red, those would be great colors to carry through the rest of the room. I really like your bedding, but it doesn’t cover everything and looks unfinished. If you know someone who sews well, maybe they could incorporate the quilt into a larger bedspread (to add longer sides and cover the mattress/box).
As for nightstands, I wouldn’t recommend attaching them to the wall as you would damage the paneling and if you decided to re-arrange the room later, you’d have holes. If Brasilia nightstands don’t fit, try something narrow or round in black (so it stands out against the paneling). Like this from IKEA:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20146676/
Don’t paint the wood if you can help it, though I do kind of like the idea of painting the see-through divider a shiny black (like lacquer). The main reason I’d be OK with that is if you regret painting it, you could always get a woodworker to make you a new one easily whereas you’d have trouble sourcing the paneling. And the black would also reference the black hardware and make it look like a deliberate design choice. You can put fun wallpaper or wrapping paper behind your shoe shelves either using double-stick tape or foam board. Even fabric would work there using foam board.
As for lighting, IKEA and Target have affordable table lamp options, maybe something with a fun shape/color and simple shade. You can get a larger vintage fixture on eBay for the area above the stairs — something with multiple bulbs so you get a lot of light. I saw something cool on Apartment Therapy yesterday if you want to do built-in hanging lights without damaging the paneling (done with small ceiling hooks):
http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/knoxy/item/377774
Good luck with your space! Don’t forget to post After pictures.
Tami says
I was in a similar position a few years back. I loathe white ceilings. So when we raised the ceiling in our upstairs bedroom to the roof and installed skylights, we painted everything (ceiling, walls, knee walls) the same color in a satin finish. It’s a deep twilight blue (Olympic Paints ‘Majestic Blue’ from the Biltmore Estate collection). Eventually, I intend to stencil shimmery stars across the ceiling parts. It’s calm, cozy, and complements so many other colors. Visitors gasp when they first see it – using darker colors are beyond most peoples’ imaginations. But they fall for it immediately.
Now, I’m not recommending that you adopt *this* color: you should go with your chosen aqua. I think it would work well with that glowy woodwork, particularly if you tied them together with fabrics incorporating both. But be brave! Dark shades don’t ‘close in on you.’ It’s the angled ceilings and too much furniture for the space that can give that feeling. The best way to counter that is to make sure the paint has a finish that softly reflects light regardless of hue.
Good luck and don’t forget to send in photos of your finished project.
Annie B. says
Wow! I could live in just this wonderful, lovely space by itself. Your Brasilia is the icing on the cake. Also love that Eames chair.
For this room(s), I would paint the entire ceiling a soft aqua, put white shutters on the windows, and absolutely not paint any of that fantastic wood.
Stacia says
Hi Jeanne–I too am a graphic designer with an art degree, but when it came time to decorate my house I had some of the same issues. Maybe its something about working 3D vs. 2D?? I have lots of layers of wood in my kitchen/living room (floors, cabinets, trim, staircase). What I came to realize is that I had to look at the wood as a big block of color and go from there. What you have is a nice warm orangey color (all the wood) dominating the room, so what looks good with that? I think your instincts are great with the pale turquoise.
Definitely paint the ceiling and angled parts the same. I like the idea about the valances. Maybe consider matching curtains covering the bookshelves where your shoes are? That would give you some color and hide the shoes.
I also really like that red braided rug. Red goes great with turquoise and is a good 3rd color for the room. (This is what I did in my kitchen–good retro combo!) Bring in some fun retro stuff in shades of orange, teal, and red for those open bookshelves.
This is a wonderful room! Good luck.
lynda says
I agree about adding curtains on the shoe cabinet. Perhaps you could install some type of copper pipe and use ring clips for the curtain. You might also be able to put some short (above the refrigerator) cabinets above the shoe shelf for storage. Take out the white dresser in the dressing area and put the taller chest in the other room there. Clean up the TV, when possible, with a flat screen and some wireless equipment that can be somehow put in a cabinet and hidden. I don’t care for the braided rugs with the Brasillia furniture. Chevron rug may not be perfect, but something contemporary could work as long as it coordinates (not match) the rug at the other end. I think the Chevron might work if you take away the spread. You may want to go with a solid color spread (even white might look good) and you need to lighten up the nightstands. They need to be small with no storage so that area does not look heavy. I think the aqua on the ceiling would look nice (not two tones) and I wouldn’t paint the wood. I like the look.
You could use a folded throw and some pillows on the bed for color. You might be able to put a comfy chair in the room too instead of just the wooden chairs. Curtain choice could be last I think it might be easiest to find fabric for curtains than rugs and spreads. The open divider cabinet could have more color and taste specific items that coordinate with the room. Although I understand where others think the Brasillia should not be used with the knotty pine, I don’t think it looks that off and I think it could work by just simplifying the room.
Emily says
Not sure where you are, but these nightstands are located in Texas and are posted on Ebay right now:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Broyhill-Brasilia-Vintage-Mid-Century-Modern-Nightstand-Chest-End-Table-/281040394084?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item416f501764
I love your ideas for a pale aqua ceiling and painted or wallpapered details on the shelves, and Marta’s idea for a cornice. It seems like you have a lot of storage space; maybe the shoes could go somewhere else? The bookshelves seem like a nice chance to display some vintage pretties.
I love your bedspread, too. I have the same issue in my guest bedroom though: vintage, full sized blankets don’t quite cover the sides of a queen bed. I’ve dealt with it by looking for queen sized blankets in a matching, solid color I can use under the cuter spread.
If you’re looking to fit more color in the space, maybe painting the white dresser is an option? I’m picturing a teal frame, pale aqua drawers, and maybe red knobs to match the accents on your barkcloth, if you use that for drapes.
Elaine says
Is there a way to put that cute little Franklin heater under the mirror? Maybe if there is not a plug there, you could have one installed. Electricians can work magic. That way the cord will not be trailing across the floor like that. It makes me remember my attic bedroom we had as kids, brrrrr in the winter for sure!
Jeanne says
Great tip. I have a mental list going for electrical things I need done around the house. Someday I will have an electrician come over and take care of all the odds and ends I have at one time.
brad says
i will dare to weigh in with a male perspective:
i would think about pickling the knotty pine in a very semi-transparent stain of white and leave the ceiling white….i would maybe use a warmer shade of white on it.
do not paint anything aqua, or even worse, teal !!!… unless you are in miami, and i don’t think you are.
with all the built-ins, i would ditch that bedroom set which makes the sleeping area look claustrophobic. it’s a nice set, but doesn’t go there….you do need a different nightstand, and if you sleep alone, then yes, limit it to one stand. it will look airier.
also, of all the furniture, the one thing you need, but do not have, is an actual bed frame. the mattresses on the floor make it look like a dorm room…find something airy, not heavy…..i dont like anything ikea carries for bedroom furniture….look for something higher quality and very simple…..think about a platform so you can ditch the box spring which looks bulky, indeed.
do not, for the love of god, put up any granny curtain valences. but do raise the curtain rod to ceiling height and expand the rod to cover the entire length of the wall.
get rid of the granny braided rugs and put down some nice old persian antique runners…and new tasteful bedding in a solid muted color…
David says
For another male perspective, I say NOOOOO! don’t touch the paneling! It’s beautiful and like someone else said, it’s almost impossible to undo paint, or pickling, or whatever. Someone caulked the joints and then painted the pine paneling in our house and it looks terrible now that it has expanded and shrank over the years with changing humidity. Also, the paint peels pretty easily if you don’t do a lot of surface prep (the people who attacked our poor walls with a paintbrush didn’t do much prep).
I do think the fabric idea for the back of the bookcases is excellent if you want some color back there – that would be easy to undo. As for the ceiling/white stuff I’d probably go with something close to the paneling color, but if you like teal that’s OK too – it can be repainted if you decide you don’t like it after all, or if some future owner likes something else. Maybe paint the bedroom end and see if you like it before hitting the stair end.
Regarding the stairs, what one does to get out there is this: get a ladder that you can put on one of the stairs beind the bookcase/shoecase and then lean the top back against the back of the closet that overhangs the stairs. (The ladder should end up resting at a normal ladder angle, not straight up and down.) Then, use a plank like a 2×12 with one end on the floor at the top of the stairs and the other end on one of the ladder rungs so that your board is (more or less) level. This isn’t as precarious as it sounds – the ladder can’t go anywhere because the bottom is up against the stair riser. Then ask someone who is tall enough to reach the ceiling with a brush to inch out there and paint that little section. 🙂 Wouldn’t take them but a few minutes.
This room is gorgeous. As for furnishings, knicknacks, etc. I’ll leave those suggestions to others. I wouldn’t change anything but the white ceiling myself. Would love to see what the rest of the house looks like. Best of luck with your project!
Jeanne says
Thank you for the painting tip, David. A friend of mine was trying to describe the same method to me. Maybe I’ll have one of my sons help me with that.
Jeanne says
Thanks for the male perspective, Brad! I appreciate your input. It sounds like I need to scrap everything and start over, haha. I wasn’t thinking of a bright Miami-ish aqua, but a pale aqua (maybe more on the blueish side). I’m in Michigan. After listening to the video, I think it would be wise for me to start with a fabric and pick a color after that, as suggested.
Just to clarify: I do have a basic metal bed frame attached to the Brasilia headboard, so the bed is not on the floor. And it would probably look better if I had the proper bedspread/bed cover so that the box spring is not showing.
Rebecca@MidcenturyModernRemodel says
I agree, don’t touch that paneling. Very tricky room. Loved the bright green mood board. I feel like many others that the pine walls are so strong, any serious paint color may be too much. Therefore, the color would really be pulled in through the bedspread and art.
Elaine says
Do the stairs go right behind the shoe shelves? It looks like they are against that back wall. If that is open to the stairs going down, I don’t blame you for being scared to paint up there, but it really is not that big a space, and looks reachable with an extension rod on your roller. If you are really scared of heights, maybe you could find a tall friend who doesn’t mind heights just for that spot.
I love the idea of the barkcloth valances. They would add a wonderful and retro splash of color and pattern. If you have enough fabric you could make some panels to hang on the shelves as suggested above. Plantation style blinds would look lovely with the valances, I would pick a shade to match the walls, but they also come in traditional colors such as almond.
I agree with the suggestion of moving the bed in front of the window. You do not have a great view, and the headboard is not so high you will block much light. Plus it will showcase that gorgeous headboard. You will gain much needed space on either side for your nightstands, and you can put one dresser on each side wall that way, for balance.
Teresa says
First of all, let me say what a truly lovely room. That knotty pine reminds me of my Auntie Pat’s living room circa 1960…. she was a very stylish lady and had hung these gorgeous barkcloth drapes at her windows. The print was an oversized tropical leaf with tropical flowers. The background color was a fifties grey-green with yellow, salmon, and grey predominating in the flowers.
Chenille bedspreads ruled during this era… might consider a new cotton chenille spread dyed to complement those barkcloth drapes.
The braid rugs are more authentic, but I hated those then and I’m still not a fan. They fit in with that ‘colonial’ style that was so popular, and that morphed into ‘country’ style later… no thank you! I like graphic rugs; prevents your room from being too fussy or grandma.
That room divider is divine. I’d carefully stage it with shiny stuff to play with the light. Chalet glass, big lucite grape clusters, stylized brass figures, etc….
I’d be very careful painting the ceiling… as others have advised do keep it one color. The different angles alone will ensure there are many different shades seen because of how the light bounces from one surface to the next. If you must do aqua or grey I’d test carefully and use the most neutral version possible of those colors.
I’d also play with my furniture placement, put some metal art on the walls, and perhaps add some vintage hanging pendants to complete the look. I envy you having such a beautiful room to decorate!
Jeanne says
Wow, really some great ideas Teresa. Thank you for the compliment. Those barkcloth drapes you describe sound like something I would really like.
I really need to work on “staging” my shelves. I’m a super patient person but for some reason have no patience for organizing shelves. Funny that you mention big lucite grape clusters because I saw some in a thrift shop in Nashville when I was there in May and DID NOT GET THEM. I could kick myself now. I have grape cluster regrets. LOL