Room is screaming out for an area rug. I think it would go a long ways toward helping to break up the empty space. Definatly larger nightstands. Maybe one of those curved large floor-lamps beside the Barcelona chair.

You could get similar-style to your Barcelona chair, in bench form for the end of the bed, too.

Definitely hang some art and mirrors on the walls!

And if you're concerned about different colors of woods, you could try getting some vintage peices and paint them? Besides, I think it looks kinda neat when the woods are different...when things are all the same it looks too matchy-matchy.

Oh, and have you thought about a duvet cover? Your sheets seem so...bland?

I don't suppose you could re-stain the bed a darker color?

Well, one thing I noticed immediately is the way the drapes were hung. I'd hang them above the window and widen them to frame the window a bit more. I'd also add an area rug (it's fine if you use the right grip) under either the bed or by the chair to create a separate area. Maybe something like a cowhide or calfskin style? You need a few things to bridge the organic style of the bed with the more modern look of the chair. I'd recommend bedding that pulls in some of the blue and black, to tie things together a little more.

As for furniture, it depends on how much storage you need. You could do small chests on either side of the bed or floating shelves, depending on your needs.

don't stain the bed - it's gorgeous and you are so lucky to have had your dad *make* it for you. as for furniture finishes, i like the idea of vintage/thrift store pieces that have been painted - or maybe something like acrylic for the night stands? i second the recommendation of bedding to tie things together to help bridge the decor styles. and artwork that you love will help tie things together, too. i think in general if you get stuff that you love, you'll end up creating the eclectic look that you want.

I think it's lovely that your father made your bed and I hope you don't change it's color. Maybe get a large rectangular mirror for above the headboard in a complimentary but darker wood, and match the side tables to the mirror. I also think painted furniture can do a lot in some cases. You probably don't want to hear this, but I would paint the room a color that isn't quite such a clash with the bed. The blue against the orangey color of the bed (unless that's just my computer's interpretation) is really jarring, and not in a good way. Or maybe just that wall. I don't know. I do know that there is always a dollop of gutsiness needed to carry off a bit of outrageous style.

That bed is beautiful!

your dad has some serious skills - that bed is gorgeous!

The bed is beautful .. lucky! I think a large mirror would do a lot for this room. Good luck :)

I'm not advocating changing the bed's color; I like it the way it is - we've actually got a mission-style armoire in a similar stain that I love. I was just throwing that out there as one of many possibilities.

hey everyone
thanks SO MUCH for all of your thoughtful comments, i really appreciate it. and i'll let my dad know he has some fans ;)

here are some thoughts:
-nope, can't stain or paint the bed
-yes you're right cometz, the bed looks pretty orange on the computer. it's actually quite "blonde" in real life
-the idea of a rug is completely new one for me. thanks!
-good thinking re the curtains queenbee

Maybe dark colored wood or metal nightstands with glass tops?

Dressers in a dark stained wood?

I would leave the stand up mirror since the wood stain matches the bed and it would help if one other thing matched and add some dark colored art to pop against the light colored walls. I would probably try to get ahold of another chair like yours and make a seating area.

A few ideas:

Two dressers in front of the windows opposite the bed. Make a vanity between them, e.g. with a glass table top, or a long piece of wood that also acts as table top on the dressers.

Longer curtain rods; the curtains do not clear the windows completely as it is now.

Colours: for the dressers I'd choose an "individual" style and colour, like a deep red. Pine would look mismatched with the bed, and I don't really like the look of dark wood (the armoire) in this room.

those wall sconces are holding you back

without them, you could angle the bed in that corner - the windows are positioned perfectly for it

First of all, change the brass hotel style reading lamps flanking the bed. You could try some more modern sconces to balance the Barcelona chair. I'd go with black to balance the curtain rods.

Paint the wall behind the bed a few shades darker than the rest of the walls. It will ground the space. I agree about an area rug and I liked queenbee's suggestion for a cowhide style.

Hang your picture that is on the floor and perhaps a few others with similar frames/mats.

The room needs some pops of color. as for furniture, I'd try to keep it black or dark. The lovely bed will not clash with the black.

Post some "after" photos when you are all finished.

Is there a specific style you going for? you have a modern chair but the rest doesn't go with it. like brass lamps and maple bed. Yeah! id go with a modern silver lamp to go with the barcelona chair. Maybe a table lamp on each side of the bed. A higher side table would also look better.

When i saw you room my eyes went straight to the barcelona chair. Maybe that barcelona chair is throwing you off. Can that go in the living room instead?

Start playing with the biggest furntiture in your bedroom which is your bed then go from there.

I don't think you have room for two dressers.

It's a big room, but there are so many windows that furniture will look "squeezed" between the windows (like the armoire does now).

You have two large closets -- can you fit everything in there?

For the nightstands, you'll need something that balances the large, heavy-looking bed, and I would consider more substantial lighting as well.

Add a few really beautiful, large pieces of art around the room, replace the drapery fabric with a lighter fabric that doesn't make such stark lines around the windows, and call it a day. I don't really think the chair makes sense in the room, but if it's meaningful for you, keep it.

The size and openness will make it more peaceful.

Are you keeping the ceiling fans as well?

I'm in complete agreement w/ the area rug (think Huge - at least 8x10) and draperies...

Nightstands: Rather than the typical dinky-toy nightstands, I'd encourage you to consider a pair of big 36" wide Batchelor's Chests placed on either side of the bed - such as this:

http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1261009&navCount=2

I'd also remove the wall-lamps and get a pair of substantial table lamps on either side of the bed.

Barcelona Chair: It's waay too underscaled for that room. I'd consider an upholstered armchair and ottoman, or even a chaise - someplace that you can lounge in your bathrobe and read (this will require a side table and a reading lamp)

Dresser: Rather than two separate dressers (which will make the place look like a furniture store) I'd use the above mentioned dressers on either side of the bed for clothing storage plus one large chest - such as these:

http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1261019&navCount=3

http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1471023&navAction=jump&navCount=6

There are also Mule Chests and Highboys out there that should have all the storage you need.

Since your bedroom is so large, I'd imagine that you also have a walk-in closet. Get that fitted out properly with drawers in addition to shelves and hanging so that the majority of your clothing storage is in there and your overflow is stored in the bedroom.

Good Luck!

I was thinking of these dressers...what do people think?
would they help balance out the 'organic' bed and modern chair?

(1) Cole 4 and 6 drawer dresser
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1030&f=24162

OR

(2) Elan 4 drawer chest x 2
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1030&f=12747

I've always wanted to have a couch in my bedroom. You have the space, why not have one? Bedrooms are generally relaxing places and why not have someplace to sprawl on a couch and read a book?

Do people have thoughts on these dressers in this room (either as dressers or as nightstands)? Some combination of the two?

(1) Elan 4 drawer chest
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1030&f=12747

(2) Cole 4 drawer and/or 6 drawer dresser
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1030&f=24162

In a blue room such as yours, wood stains along with gray tones work well alot of times. You could try to find furniture peices that could be painted in a grey tone.

As far as the walls go, since you have alot of bare walls, you could consider doing about 5 or so larger matted prints across the whole back wall where the bed is, and then recenter the bed. That way the sconces you have, would be the wall accent at the lower level.

OR, you can do a larger peice of artwork directly above the bed, and on the wall beside the bed you can do a photo collage. There is a good amount of space there to do something nice. You just would want to make sure its balanced.

Lastly the mats you use for the artwork could help to define what color furnitre to buy. Meaning, a grey matt, would help tie in the grey furniture, and if you do a photo collage, you can use some wood frames (to tie in the bed) and some just regular metal ones.

Just some thoughts!

I think your room will look crowded with two dressers, plus nightstands, plus the chair. You have too many windows, too close together, for so much furniture.

The Barcelona chair is so lonely in that corner-- relocate it to another room, where it will be better appreciated, or put under the window closest to the closets, where it could function as a sort of slipper chair.

And in lieu of dressers out in the room, I second others' ideas to have substantial nightstands w/storage, and put smaller dressers in the closets.

I think vintage white nightstands would help to tie the traditional and modern elements you have together.

Also, a bench with some great patterned upholstery at the foot of the bed, would do wonders for the room. Something very luxurious.

I think if you buy furniture with the idea that you need to "fill up" the space, you will be disappointed. While there are some great suggestions here, I would take your time and find pieces that you love.

Hey, a fellow Ottontonian!

On to your dilemma... I think the crux of your problem is your palette... While powder blue and dark brown are a classic combo, they do not work with the clear maple and styling of the bed.

Since it is such a special piece, I would just ditch the curtains, and, as beautiful as it is, move the chair to another part of the house.

I would keep the palette at blue and white, with hits of bright cheerful colours.

My favourite rug in that respect (the one I lust after!) is Kim Parker's Mums & Asters:

http://absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com/2009/04/stumbling-across-kim-parker.html

Since maple is a perfect fit for a blue and white bedroom, I would proposed you go with Sir Terence Conran's Pendine line -- it is pricey, but exquisitely made, uncommon and beautiful.

http://www.conranusa.com/searchlist.aspx?term=pendine&language=en-US

I am suggesting it because although the wood matches, the shapes and styles are different.

If you think that is a little too matchy, or would like something bolder, I would go with wardrobes and sideboards used as dressers from Poliform.

You could go with white, but since the shapes are very simple, I would go with something bolder -- taking inspiration from the Mums and Asters rug -- and go with a bold green (in the Poliform palette, lime green). The one I most like is Link:

http://www.poliform.it/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/PoliformSpa-Online-Site/en_US/-/EUR/SVCPresentationPipeline-Start?Page=issite%3a%2f%2fPoliformSpa-Online-Site%2fpubblicazione_inglese%2fPoliformUsi_root%2fmadie%2fmadia_link%2epage

http://www.poliform.it/is-bin/intershop.static/WFS/PoliformSpa-Online-Site/PoliformSpa-Online/en/pdf/colours%20and%20materials%20sideboards.pdf

Lime green link would look stunning paired with a Pax Ardal wardrobe with green glass sliding doors (the two different shades of green would look brill, especially with that rug):

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/S09850609

This could be very cool too:

http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=21034&cid=Storage&language=en-US

This classic French Jielde wall lamp in a blue which deliberately differs from that of your wall would be beautiful:

http://www.conranshop.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=313087&cid=Wall&language=en-GB

(you can easily find it in Toronto).

As for beside tables, don't match them -- go with differing whites. Perhaps a small marble-covered tulip table on one side

http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=3662&cid=CoffeeSideTables&language=en-US

And something completely different on the other... perhaps iron,

http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=24576&cid=CoffeeSideTables&language=en-US

or wenge

http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=11970&cid=CoffeeSideTables&language=en-US

Or something white like this:

http://www.alivar.com/contemporary_detail.aspx?codart=278

or this:

http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=18361&cid=Storage&language=en-US

To pull the room together, I'd replace the Barcelona chair with something white -- a white Eames recliner and footstool, or Saarinen womb chair & footstool (also in white), or another Barcelona in white.

The curtains should be white, too, and you may wish to wallpaper the wall behind the bed.

Good luck!

I LOVE your craftsman bed!
Gorgeous!
It looks like you have a nearly clean slate to start with for this room (at least you don't have much that needs to stay). I would consider embracing the craftsman style a little more. There is a lot of Asian influence in Bungalow houses try mixing some oriental artwork and lamps (maybe a rug). Mixed wood tones look GREAT in craftsman houses.
I think the reason that your dark furniture looks so out of place is that everything else in the room is so BRIGHT.
Mixing wood tones isn't a problem as long as you have MORE variation. Here you are jumping from 'blonde' to nearly black with out any steps between.
Right now the bed, and walls are creating a very preppy white and blue theme, and the dark dresser, chair and curtains are darker and more modern.
I would consider painting your trim a darker color, changing the curtains to a lighter color, or buying a not white duvet cover.
Staining the bed would be my last choice. I think if you pull in a lighter colored dresser, and switch out some of your textiles it will pull the room together a lot more than you think.

My first thought is to replace the ceiling fan with a large chandelier or pendant.

I think you could make a little seating area that is floated out in the middle of the room infront of the closets. Make that part of the room feel a bit more like a dressing room lounging area. You could bring the barcelona chair over as a part of that, thus making the scale more appropriate. Right now, pushed back into the corner it looks too much like it's supposed to be a presence. I like to think of large rooms like this as you might imagine a very large formal living room - where there are small clusters of furniture forming different areas for seating of different kinds.
And lighting improvements will really help a lot.

Oh, and consider a piece of furniture or two that is NOT made out of wood, or that is painted a color. I feel like having that contrast allows you to mix a few wood tones together without having to worry about it looking wrong. It makes each wood finish turn into just another color, instead of clashing wood.

Let's address your furniture additions. Since your father has created a craftsman style bed, and you wish to build your room around this bed, you should acquire craftsman style or craftsman coordinating furniture for your side chests and dressers. The safest, most available choice is furniture made by the Stickley Company, although there are a few other furniture manufacturers and a number of furniture artisans producing very nice craftsman furniture derivatives.

If you want to completely depart from the craftsman style of the bed, I suggest you do a lot of research visiting furniture showrooms and manufacturer websites and also consult with a professional. Craftsman doesn't always coordinate well with other furniture styles, therefore a successful room requires careful selection of pieces.

Because it takes time and (if you do it right) money to put together some good art or photographs to hang on the wall (it is difficult to just pull something together, and "sofa art" is pretty hollow) I think that until you are able to do so, either painting the wall a couple of shades darker than the main body of the room or wallpapering the wall are your best options for the shorter term.

The safest wallpaper would be something very soft and close to the wall colour. This one would be nice:

http://www.wallpaperdirect.co.uk/products/cole-son/malabar/25187

Another option, fitting with the green theme and rug I put forward would be Garden Beech:

http://www.housecouturier.eu/wallpaper_beech.htm

You have many fun options!

As for the curtains, they should be something like this:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/inspiration/more-interiors-in-robins-egg-blue-083588?image_id=115851

(you could also go with fluffy flokatis on the floor -- great blue and white room!)

As for those who posted about a walk-in closet - this is not my space - but look again at the third picture. It does NOT look like there are walk in closets - just two normal ones.

I do like the idea of two bombay chests used as nightstands and then maybe one long dresser. The more I look at it, the more the Barcelona chair would look better in a guest room or living room - a nice chaise would be perfect and since the room is big, you might be able to pull it off by placing it in front of the closet doors as your new dressing area.

Thanks to everyone who has commented on my bedroom. I really appreciate the time and effort you've put into your suggestions.

While we don't have walk in closets, we have 3 double closets (I am one lucky gal), though we are still feeling the need to have dressers.

Ms. Chatelaine, i LOVE the ideas you've put forward...a bright and cheery space with punches of colour is right up my alley. Thanks from one fellow Ottawa gal to another!

We are thinking that we may switch some of your ideas around however, i.e. get 1 or 2 white dressers and then brightly coloured painted/vintage side tables. I am thinking this may extend the life of potentially expensive new dressers, while bold punches of colour via painted side tables may be a little less of a commitment if we'd like to change in the future. I am also thinking of a painted vintage bench at the foot of the bed covered with a funky bright floral, a la Amy Butler. Bright lamps or basic glass/white lamp with bright shades and the white curtains I think will be great.

I am really excited to take all of your suggestions to heart and really start to plan this space out. We have a new baby coming in July so the clock is a-tickin'!

Thanks again and happy weekend!
kkb

My bedroom has a similar color scheme. I have aqua walls and white woodwork. My headboard is Asian inspired and dark wood with a matching 7 drawer dresser and mirror. My night stands are blond wood shaker style one drawer tables, so I am mixing wood tones, too.

I have a patterned beige wall-to-wall, but I also have a white flokati under my (white) Barcelona chair. My drapes are white floor-to-ceiling dupioini, and I suggest that you might like white drapes too -- the ones you have break up the look of the wall too much, and white would go with yur closet doors, etc. in a less obtrusive way.

I got two crystal lamps (Home Goods) with white silk shades for a bit of glamour on the night stands, and a teal ginger jar ceramic lamp on the dresser. I'm using a lot of shades of blue and teal and turquoise in throws and pillows, and I have toyed with the idea of bright turquoise paint on the night stands, but so far have been too lazy.

At the foot of my bed (which has a slightly darker aqua silk-look comforter) I have a dark brown leather storage bench/trunk. The dark color works well with all the lighter colors and offsets the headboard. (I don't have a footboard, like you do, though.)

For your room, I'd get a comforter or duvet in a shade darker than your walls, either in the blue family or brown. I'd carry the lighter wood tone in a few places with small accessories or picture frames.

And oh yeah, I also have a big gold metallic sunburst mirror -- getting a bit of gold and silver (both) in the room adds to the luxurious feel. (So does a white faux fur throw across the end of the bed.)

Finally, you do need art -- some in blond wood frames, some in dark, maybe.)

Of the two dressers you asked about, I like the lower darker one better.

I love the color of your room and the bed can totally work with it but I think 1. you should change the color of the drapes, and 2. pick an area rug before you do anything else. An please get a good size one. Most people tend to get them too small. Don't listen to them about the chair. The problem is the room is so empty the chair looks lost. If you get a small table and a substantial lamp or just a floor lamp it will help anchor it. Then hang some artwork on the wall side with no lamp (make sure it comes close to the chair so it makes sense, either a long piece or a duo or trio in a column)

I love Candice Olsen. She is an amazing designer. She mixes different styles and patterns and makes it work. When I am stuck on a room I look to designer room inspiration. Check out her site or HGTV for her portfolio rooms. Here's an inspiration room with different kinds of furniture:

http://www.hgtv.com/designers-portfolio/room/contemporary/bedrooms/324/index.html

I love this West Elm lamp to sit next to the chair:
http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODw465&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1WALLAM&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1WALLAM

And this Crate & Barrel lamp although more $$ is beautiful. Actually they have a ton of lamps that would look great in your room:
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1220&f=22323

I think you need to change out the drapes to something lighter and with a subtle pattern.

I like the color of your room and the drapes. If you have a Ross Dress for Less in your city you can probably find a nice chocolate colored bed set at a good price. Also for vintage check out good will and some flea markets. I think your room will turn out great just remember less is more and keep it simple.
Bella

Keegan,

You're very welcome!

Congrats on the baby! Must be busy with the nursery -- how's that coming along? (when I was pregnant I started channeling Boho-Chic, a totally alien style).

Keep us posted on how it turns out!