Our moody blue bedroom

We finally finished our bedroom, and I think we did a good job turning a small, dark room into a cozy, calm retreat.

What we started with

The master bedroom bedroom is a small, low room with plain windows jammed awkwardly in the corners. Privacy-preserving shrubs block sunlight from one set of windows, and the other window only gets late afternoon sun. I thought we could live with it because I love the rest of the house so much.

Renovating the bedroom

The bedroom benefited from a few upgrades during the overall house renovation, plus a few things to make the room more comfortable:

• Re-plastered and painted the walls and ceiling
• Refinished the floors
• Replaced the heavy fan with a soft fabric light fixture
• Installed central air (so we could get rid of the AC window units)
• Replaced the plantation-style closet doors with shaker-style doors
• Installed a closet organization system

Choosing a paint color was a struggle. We needed a color that would make the room look bigger, tolerate dramatic shadows, and not feel cave-like. I also wanted to avoid pastels or any shade of blue that would look beachy with the yellow hardwood floors. We tested a half dozen mid-range blues (like the ones below) and ultimately settled on Benjamin Moore Ocean City Blue 718.

Another issue was the window placement. Both windows are set too close to corners for symmetrical curtains. To keep things simple, I installed white canvas Roman blinds. They get the job done at night without blocking any precious daytime sunlight.

The finished product

I tried to keep the room calm with an undercurrent of moodiness, like the feeling of staying inside in a warm sweater on a rainy spring day. We didn't buy any new furniture -- we just moved things around.

From the hallway

The main hallway looks into both bedrooms at opposite ends. I can see into the baby's crib in the nursery (at the other end of the hallway) from my side of the bed.

Shades of white

Aside from the gray-blue walls and artwork, we kept the rest of the room neutral.

My side of the bed

We get gentle, soft afternoon light through the South-facing window on my side of the bed.

Artwork

I love these two paintings by Kathleen Robbins. They were originally in the living room, but I thought their stormy day vibes were perfect for the bedroom.

Reflected light

The two windows pictured here don't let in a lot of light, but I do like seeing the trees through the window. We won't cut them back because our neighbor's driveway is only a few feet away on the other side of the trees.

Laundry baskets

My half of the closet is too full to fit my laundry, so I popped some decorative Serena & Lily baskets near the door.

Looking to the future, the master bedroom will be a big area of change. We want to build an addition off the master bedroom to increase its light and size. That will be a year or two away, however -- and in the meantime, I'm happy with what we've got.