More substantial hardware for the drapes. Add a panel to the bottom or top of the drapes to create the proper length, and move the drapes up to the ceiling. Art on the walls will go a long way. A rug on the floor. Wall mounted scones on both sides of the bed. And by all means...get rid of all of the storage boxes and magazine holders! They, more than anything else give the room a college door feel. Move stat stuff out of sight (a rolling drawer under the bed or another room).

Are those someone's feet in the air?

I second the comments about the drapes being way too short, they should puddle slightly on the floor. Also, is the bed on the floor? It looks really low for such tall ceilings. Hanging something on the walls would also help a lot. A mirror above the chest of drawers would help reflect the light from the windows and keep the room bright. I'd also try to incorporate the gray with some coordinating throw pillows on the bed or by addidng some trim to the existing ones.

It's really a shame that the drapes have to stay. When I first looked at the picture, I thought that you had hung towels over the windows.

I would totally play off of the clean feeling of that blue color, and work with that and other shades of blue, especially navy. That with nice, clean, white accents would be awesome.

I also feel that the furniture is a little college dorm-ish. It would be really cool to see some more substantial furniture, perhaps a vintage piece. Oh, and definitely a rug. :)

Good luck!

I agree that the curtains are too short. West Elm has long drapes where the bottom consists of a panel sown across the bottom in a different color. That may make the curtains fit the room.

You should accentuate the high ceilings, maybe with pieces or furniture that draw the eye upward. You could afford to get a very nice bed with a tall headboard.

I agree that the colors suggest vintage or antiques to me. You can get nice antiques for pretty cheap these days either off of craigslist, at a swapmeet or even an antique store. I'd love to see something tall in dark wood for the headboard. You could probably snag an attractive dresser to replace the pine, too.

The curtains need to be longer, not necessarily all the way to the ceiling, but definitely touching the floor, or maybe an inch or two above it. A panel of dupioni silk in a dark blue, maybe? (You could probably get enough for $20ish if you look around).

Art on the walls would help a LOT. If you do nothing else, put some thought into it and hang stuff on the walls.

add fabric at the bottom of the curtains - and maybe split them into 2 panels? They look so heavy it might be nice to open them in the middle, instead of pulling the whole lot to one side.

I would think some nice, longer white drapes would go well, even though you said they have to stay :-)

Those drapes aren't doing you any favours--they are very heavy and kind of baggy looking. I would replace them with something lighter and airier, but if you must keep them, please listen to previous posters and add a panel to the bottoms so they are long enough to touch the floor, plus an inch or two. I'd suggest a blue in the same tone as your walls, but much darker.

How about adding a nice big potted plant between the two windows and putting some artwork on the walls? A darker, more dramatic bed treatment would also help balance out the dark drapes.

Oh! I almost forgot. If there's room, set up a small reading corner. It's nice for sitting to put your shoes on, reading if someone else is watching TV or even just sitting and chatting while your SO is getting ready in the morning. (

Why do the drapes need to stay? They look like big beach towels.
I agree the pine furniture is not working and would be better suited in a home office. You could pick up some larger vintage darker wood pieces to add some interest. A head board is calling out, but looks like the bed has a mini one..get some large euro style pillows to give some height.

Some bedside tables with lamps would pull it together plus who like overhead lights in a bedroom. , a runner rug at the end of the bed would help and yes art on the walls, add a mirror.
I am not crazy about the white used with that blue, plus the base trim in white really stands out in not a good way.

Just take it slow and enjoy.

Can you raise the bed off the floor more? It just looks too low. Switch out the lamp next to the bed with a table lamp on a table, that appears to be a floor lamp next to the bed and it is too "industrial" (the best word I can think of) for the room - looks cold. I don't like the curtains with that wall color, though perhaps adding a sheer linen to the bottom, as suggested above would help tie them to the room. Agreed that they are too short, they also need to be steamed - wrinkled isn't helping them hang right.

More lighting, low lighting, would help, 2 table lamps on either end of the dresser and bedside lighting would warm the room up, there is a lot of blonde wood going on and nothing offsetting it.

Agreed with getting rid of the magazines, add art and some plants/flowers/something living, and a few decorative pieces to the top of the dresser. Could you use the media storage as a bookcase instead? Or turn it the other way to get some more height in the room? Also a floor mirror would look nice.

hope that helps. I wish my bedroom was at least this spartan--at least you are not a jumble of clutter and have things put away :)

The first thing I thought was the drapes are way too short, maybe you could use them in another room, or make great velvet throw pillows or something out of them, if they are vintage just hang on to them until you find the perfect spot for them. Also, your ceiling fixture is nice but I would put softer bulbs in them, make the light a little softer. Bedside lamps would look good as well, the one you have seems too small to me. I would go with darker wood furniture too. But I do love the wall color and trim. Owning your own home feels great doesn't it? It's always a work in progress though. Congrats!

Shawnia

I agree with everything that parttimedesign and bmfree said -- and I'd also find a better bedside light -- that one feels out of proportion and dinky.

All of your furniture is low profile, which gives the room the feel of a gallary with no art. Finding or making some great pieces will make this feel a lot more like home.

I think that the color blue suggest a more spring summer look along with the green comforter and the blonde wood furniture. The velvet drapes are heavy fall/ winter in weight and in color. I think thats what throwing you off.

The seasons are changing do you want to keep those drapes up? You can get a simple roman shade that is white or a natural wood and that would instantly change the feel and look of the room for this season.

In the fall you can put those drapes back up and accessorize with a gray throw, maybe get a new duvet that pulls the blue and the gray in together. Pillows accents and maybe something new in chrome and nickel.

I agree that the drapes should pool on the floor, and while I actually rather like the grey against the blue, they look as though they can't open - which seems like waste of windows.

Sadly, the furniture is rather unavoidably ikea, but if you are looking for a cheaper fix, putting legs on them and painting them (or putting wallpaper on the fronts of the dresser if you want to make more of a statement) could make a world of difference. Putting legs on the storage furniture and then somehow elevating the bed as well (possibly just using ikea legs, again) would go a long way towards opening up the space.

I also agree that some sort of rug would warm things up. Then throwing more personal touches in would make a big difference. Possibly putting a small decorative chair between the windows or in the corner? And of course putting things on the walls (maybe something big at the head of the bed?) would help.

Best of luck! And congrats on buying your own place.

before i read your question my first thought was UGH TOWELS! so, if you want them b/c they are vintage, maybe make some nice pillows w/ them. that or extend them to the floor.

white fabric across the wall (floor to ceiling) behind the bed would look great. it would be even better if you hung art in front of that. it would look very lux & dramatic.

& i'm not sure why, but the bedding looks a bit college. maybe use less pillows & have a lux throw at the bottom.

I think almost any color scheme can work as long as you have artwork containing the desired colors. In your case, hunt down some prints with the Wedgewood Blue and the slate gray - something nautical as others have suggested is not a bad idea.

I'd create a tufted fabric headboard with a nice patterned fabric that pulls the grey and the blue together - maybe with a touch of another more vibrant color to give it a bit more kick.

The gray drapes are fine with the blue, but not on their own. I understand that you can't just run out and replace them, but you can enhance them. Or maybe swap them with other drapes or curtains in the house?

Ideally, I think it would look nice if you had drapes that cover that whole wall, and went completely from floor to ceiling (of course, make sure you can open them!).
Essentially, you need to make the curtains longer. Or you can just make them "appear" to be longer. What if you moved that IKEA expedit shelf against the wall with the curtains, that way it would cover the exposed part of the wall and baseboard below the curtains.

Your windows are so close together - it might be interesting to run one long curtain rod across the span of the two windows, and put the velvet drapes, bunched together (right now they look stretched to their maximum width), to either side of your new big window. In the center of the rod you could run some sheers, or another velvet panel, so that you could get more light in the room.

And I think it'd be awesome if you had a big imposing crystal(y) chandelier instead of your current fixture - that would lower the ceiling and make the room more intimate.

To echo everyone else, the drapes are too short. But if they have to stay as is, maybe rearranging the furniture would help. Move the bed so that the head is centered between the windows, add nightstands on either side, and move the bookcase out of the room or closer to the entranceway.

Then add other objects in darker colors, like navy or bluish-purple, silver, and charcoal, to balance out the weight of the drapes. Use these colors for pillows, picture frames, vases, storage bins, etc. I'd do white bedding, and a charcoal or light gray rug. Here are some ideas:
http://bit.ly/2ZjmG
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=462&f=5070&viewall=1
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50103232
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00151678
http://bit.ly/2ZjmG http://bit.ly/1ue0u
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00144447
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1277&f=32057
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1277&f=31141
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1277&f=29158

Good luck!

Your drapes are beautiful! Your wall color is beautiful! It is a great room. But I second all parttimedesign's suggestions.

1. Your drapes are the wrong size! Adding panels to the top and bottom of the drapes is a great idea. I might go so far as to add some to the sides to create a little more substance. Ideally those windows would have two panels that width on each window. Maybe a dupioni silk a shade or two different to the drapes?

2. I think that Ikea sells bins for the bookcase you've got. Buy some of those to reduce visual clutter.

3. A mirror above the dresser will reflect light from the windows when they are open.

4. Art above the bookcase. Depending on where you live (i.e. not earthquake central) art above the head of the bed too. Or maybe one of those headboard wall decals.

5. And this is just a pet peeve of mine, painting the outlet cover to match the wall will draw less attention to it, allowing people to enjoy your wall color more.

6. Do you have a nightstand? You could hide your magazine holders under that - or go the other way - and cover them in beautiful paper.

7. I also saw on AT (but can't find it now) a company that sells "stickers" for customizing Ikea dressers.

8. I think the drape / wall color are really nice. Maybe the drapes only look like the wrong color when compared to your blue pillow cases?

I understand getting stuck at a certain point in decorating and needing help. You've done a great job so far. It sounds like you are managing to negotiate well with your fiance on decor so you're doing REALLY great. I'm sure you'll get lots of useful suggestions - the hard part will be picking which ones to implement. Please send us after pics!

You need a focal point. I would suggest making the bed your focal point. Since the curtains are tall, match it with a "tall" bed. I mean by lengthening the head board. Either invest in something tall or add a large rectangular pic ture or even use paint to decorate the wall space. Look into Pop art, its modern and fun but does not overtake the space. Stay away from things with too much detail, it will make the room look smaller.

Blue and grey go wonderful together, but it needs a third color, the accent or pop color. I suggest bright orange. Do not over use or under use it. Use the color in throw pillows on your bed, accessories even changing the lamp shade color... again, paint is inexpensive and does a lot.

You need floor length curtains. Since you like the curtains so much I would suggest buying some fabric that would nicely compliment the grey velvet and sewing it to the bottom of the curtains.

I would suggest moving a peice of furniture underneath the window. Even try experimenting with moving the bed underneath the window.

Jessiekb

I'd add a panel to the bottom of the drapes. Also, lower the lighting fixture would make it more intimate, because it feels a little cavernous right now. Some large art over the headboard and more substantial lamps on the sides of the bed.
Just guessing though, because I'm certainly no expert. Congrats on getting the place! Have fun!

Looking at some of your other choices, you tend to want things that are light and bright. You have blonde furniture, white bedding, white and light colored accessories. But then you have really dark drapes which are sort of fighting all of your other choices. I know you said they need to stay, but replacing them would be far cheaper than addressing the rest of the room. Plus, there are a couple of problems with the drapes as they now stand.

As stated earlier, the drapes are too short and you don't have enough width in the panels. You could try and add an extra panel to each window so that they retain some fullness when closed and add longer black or coordinated grey sheer panels over the velvet. This would allow the line of the drapes to look correct and would retain the darkening qualities of the velvet curtains. Or you could simply pin black or gray sheer behind the panels so they fall to the correct length. It is a more complex work around than simply replacing the curtains with curtains the correct length, but I am assuming they are heirlooms and you have absolutely no where else to feature them. Just one note: The drapery length should typically be a few inches or less from the floor. The drapery width should be somewhere between 1.75X and 2.25X the width of the window, depending on desired fullness.

I would also replace the ceiling fixture with a large oversized fabric pendant shade (on a dimmer) or add bedside table lamps that have fabric shades to serve as your main source of illumination. Overhead lighting is very institutional, great for working in the kitchen or finding a contact lens, but it drains every last bit of atmosphere from a room like the bedroom. Fabric shades provide a soft, flattering light in the room that should be more than sufficient to replace the light you are getting from the ceiling fixture. (Metal shades like the one you are using tend to restrict the light - great for bedside reading while someone is sleeping, but lousy for room illumination. If you need light for reading while your partner is sleeping, get one of those nifty book lights...) Add dimmers to the bedside lamps and add one of those wireless on/off devices so you don't have to cross the room to turn on your room illumination.

i like the blue walls! i would get a white duvet, some sheers for under the drapes (do they have to remain at that height? i can't tell if the windows go up that high), hang up some pretty art, and dress things up with some blue accessories.

Other "solutions" for the curtains include:

1. Draping them around the pole to create a swag, and supplement with floor length sheers

2. Use the curtains as the beginnings of a fabric half canopy over the bed

The drapes are beautiful and the color goes lovely with the walls. But, three problems:

1) They are not enough for the two windows. You need to buy two more panels just like them (or, if that proves impossible, a different panel to partner them with.

2) They are TOO SHORT!!! To fix this, buy fabric (think non-velvet and a coordinating color) and add panels to lengthen the curtains to floor length. The panels can go at the top or bottom, your choice.

3) The hardware is wimpy. Choose something dark and substantial, maybe one long rod spanning both windows. Use rings for the the curtains.

Fabrics for the bedding: Choose something bold and dramatic, maybe black and white.

Here's your problem: everything is a solid block. The walls are a solid block of blue, with nothing to break it up. Solution = add art, shelves, anything to spice up the the walls. Those awful curtains are the same thing, a big block of heavy grey. I agree with the other posters that you should add a block of fabric to extend them. Maybe a nice crisp white block at the top to bring the eye up to the tall ceilings and to break up all that grey. Maybe even a white stripe in the *middle* of the curtain... just break it up somehow. Same for your bed, one big block with the duvet matching the pillows exactly. Get contrasting sheets or at least different pillow cases or some throw pillows on there to add some variety. Even your furniture is a big block. I'm all about getting rid of clutter, but in this scenario its just a block of pine. I think some of these things will go a long way in making the place looked lived in and "complete".

The only other thing i have to say is that it doesn't look complete right now because it doesn't look like you really *tried* to bring it together. Does that blue really do anything for those grey curtains? Does that slightly greenish pattern on the bedspread have anything to do with the blue walls OR the curtains? There's no theme or consistency here, which is throwing the whole thing off.

How about some roomy bedside tables with reading lamps?

Moving the dresser to the wall across from the bed and moving the bookcase to the window wall and placing it between the windows: tipping it on it's side so that it's taller than long?

If the drapes must stay (I don't see why - They're the wrong color and there isn't anywhere near sufficient fullness) I'd sew a contrasting print fabric to the bottoms so that they reach the floor and rehang them on heavier rods - plus I'd get some great tie backs and pull each panel away from the center.

Finally, a nice area rug or two, some artwork on the walls and a nice chair in the far corner where you can sit to read or put your shoes on.

Nice place! Great start. I think adding some art would be a simple step to add some interest to this room. Maybe something big above the bed...?

Hello,

I read through all of the comments and was surprised to find that even with a lot of attention paid to the drapes nobody gave my suggestion, so here it is. You could make the drapes long enough by letting out the hem at the bottom (and facing the back) along with letting out the curtain rod channel and adding tab tops (or metal rings). The tab tops/rings would also lighten the look a bit. If you want the drapes to be wider as well, then you could put a border around them in the same fabric as the tab tops. A border would also add a much needed vertical element to the room. This represents quite a bit of sewing work, but it is all straight lines, and if you love the drapes then it will be worth it. I have actually done this with some curtains from my old apartment, which I made into doors for my new bedroom and I love them more than ever :-)

Check out this bedroom--the blue and brown theme works really well. It might give you some ideas.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/house-call-jillians-modern-elegant-on-the-cheap-connecticut-079254

Congratulations on your new home together :)

The proportions of this room are fantastic, but it looks like you've been a bit overwhelmed by it. The grey curtains are not only too short they are also not wide enough - they look stretched across the windows, and I think this is why some other posters initially mistook them for blankets. You say they have to go, but do you mean you like them too much to get rid of them? Maybe you could use them somewhere else in the apartment where they would fit better.

I think you need voluminous (in width) floor-length curtains, and I think white or at least a lighter colour would make the two windows look less like overpowering columns, and also could be tied back during the day and show off the windows.

I also think your bed, chest of drawers and shelving unit are too low for this high ceiling room, they look completely lost. I also think this is not a lot of storage for two people, so you could probably use new storage furniture. As you've just bought this place I presume funds are tight, but those not-too-expensive Ikea chests of drawers come in a taller version, and even such a small change as that would make a big difference. Although I think the darker wood finish would work much better with the blue walls, and would balance out white curtains very well. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70053924.

I'm afraid I don't think that shelving unit works in this room at all, I don't even think turning it the other way up would make it work. Could you move it to another part of the apartment (if all the ceilings are that high then definitely put it standing tall).

But I think the key to this beautiful room is a no-messing-about, the beddest bed you ever saw, capital-B Bed. Nothing low, nothing minimalist, verging on the kind of thing you have to stand on a stool to get into at night. If you have any money to spend at all this is what you should spend it on. And dress it with white white (which can also be cheap) bedlinen, with colourful highlights if you like, but the current duvet should become your guest duvet, it doesn't work with the blue or the proportions of this room.

This is a beautiful room, but you clearly need to take a deep breath and think bigger in nearly every way to do it justice. It'll be great!

Why do the curtains HAVE to stay, exactly? They're much too short, and I don't know that vintage is the way to go, if you're sporting mod MALM furniture.

I would definitely get a curtain rod that extends over both windows: 2 sets of opaque panels and some sheers to fill everything in.

I'd put some mirrors and art on the wall.

And the overhead light should go too.

Another drape suggestion:

1. Add a panel to the bottom/top to make them the right length.

2. Replace rod with a double rod. Use current drapes on the outside rod. Buy sheers for the second rod.

I'm not that keen on the blue wall color myself. Kinda cold.
I think you need better (larger) lamps and not rely on the overhead light. That might warm up the atmosphere.

Thanks for all the comments. Some of the comments have been in the back of my head. The ceiling lamp especially kills me everytime I walk in. I have had my eye on a Saucer Nelson lamp for a while but that will have to wait. I do have second panels for each window and will address the length and hardware first. Thanks again everyone.

Your room has a lot of potential! You are so lucky to be working with a room that has proper high ceilings! It makes the world of difference.

There are a couple of things going on -- or rather, not going on -- in your room. There isn't a coordinated vision for the room, and it is not coming together on its own. The elements are rather disparate, and they are not coming together. The second issue is... those window hangings. I think a palette with grey and blue can actually work, and the velvet too... it is just that they are wrong for your space because they are too short and too informal. Lengthening them will not work because they aren't wide enough either: in your space, with the height of your ceilings, you need to go with proper drapes -- pinch pleats or something similar, and not just hanging fabric on a rod.

However, given that you love the grey, I think you should try to work it into your scheme. A dramatic element that would pull your room together is wallpaper. This flocked white on grey paper would be perfect for the wall behind the bed (enlarge the image to get a better sense of the effect):

http://www.creativewallcovering.com/pc/22vc3-vc0836/95/White Damask On Silver Metallic Wallpaper.html

Because of that awkward box running along the ceiling, I think you should try to create an inset for the wallpaper by boxing in the vertical sides (same size box), painting the box walls blue (the one on the ceiling too), and wallpapering just in the inset you have created. Ensure that your night tables fit inside this inset.

The perfect lights are these blue Jielde wall lamps (you can find them Stateside too; this was just a great picture); you should have one on each side of the bed:

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

Needless to say, your bed should have white linens. Pure linen or a linen/cotton mix would be the most elegant, and they look very sexy when a bit rumpled. Libeco home has great options (simple white, no hemstich would be best), as does Matteo Home. Consider 2 Eurosquares with a bolster underneath running the full width of the bed instead of the 6 pillows you have now.

I like the height of your bed; I don't find it too low. HOwever, I think you should consider getting a simple upholstered headboard (blue velvet to match your paint).

In a blue and white colour scheme, I think that natural maple furniture is a perfect fit (err, it's not pine everyone!). My favourite maple furniture is designed by Sir Terence Conran, and is several cuts (and price points) above IKEA. The 3-drawer table would be perfect bed-side (if it fits in the space of course!), and is currently on sale:

http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=591719&cid=Storage&language=en-US

It would be exquisite in your bedroom, somewhat ethereal.

The 12-drawer too:

http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=591677&cid=Storage&language=en-US

Oh, just check out the whole Pendine line!

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

These are solidly made design classics (I've loved them a long time!), and they are not trendy, so will be an invest for the long-term.

You should replace your overhead light fixture with an antique chandelier, something like this:

http://www.perfectthing.net/estate%20sales/pics/ch10.jpg

or this:

http://www.salvo.co.uk/images/userimgs/34155/43332_1.jpg

On the floor, you should have something very textured and white -- a large very fluffy goatskin rug or very hairy flokati (just make sure it is big enough!).

As others have written, you should not be storing magazines and such in your bedroom, at least, not in the open. In this case, the expedit should probably go.

And now back to that pesky curtain... How about a custom made dark grey silk,

http://www.silktrading.com/stcProductDetail.aspx?id=181&catid=1

http://www.silktrading.com/stcProductDetail.aspx?id=628&catid=1

http://www.silktrading.com/stcProductDetail.aspx?id=166&catid=1

Lined with something surprising...

http://www.silktrading.com/stcProductDetail.aspx?id=181&catid=1

Make sure it is interlined and stuffed (so that it hangs beautifully), and puddles a bit on the floor.

You can take the velvet from the current window coverings, and turn them into beautiful pillows, like those be Kirsten Hecktermann -- make them long rectangles,

http://www.kirstenhecktermann.com/pages/currentstock.html

add a center panel of one of this silk:

http://www.silktrading.com/stcProductDetail.aspx?id=678&catid=1

At first I thought you could tie back the drapes each to one side, and add a sheer behind (because they really are heavy and baggy looking), but then I realized they are a weird length which gives that side an awkward feel. So I'd really consider something else... Plain white preferably then add a white throw pillow and some art above the bed. =) Then it would be beautiful. Oh and if you could afford it, add a small white area rug.

Artwork over the bed and long, gauzy drapes on the windows.

some awesome vintage black and white art in between windows, over bed etc would bring a lot. obviously the curtains are too short, and there really should be two panels on each window. if you have to keep them i think you should turn them into pillow cases for euroshams. then get the appropriate length and quantity of curtains like them. the color combo was nice i think. but dont use the green bedding too. i felt like it didnt go with the grey and blue. obviously when you can move on from the ikea dressers and stuff but that may take time. invest in the right curtains and some art and some plant life. also a new lamp. something that works with the room, not an office lamp.

My impression is you did not want a whole room makeover and to buy new furinte.

To tweak it?

If you love those drapes, fix them so they work.
I would shorten them to right below the window sill, and get a tie back. And use "double width" on each window.

Drapes and curtains need to be "double width" that means you actually need two double the measumeat, so they do not lay flat. Length should be under the window sill or touching the floor. I

I like your bedding.

Night stand or small tablee for the reading lamp.
Area Rug
Art is missing from the walls!

Folder organizers off the top of your dresser. :)

Here are my thoughts:
Add navy to you color palatte
get beige or navy velvet to add to curtain(cut 2/3 down then add extra length then add the rest of the grey)
thicker rods or at least one long one
replace headboard w/upholstered tall navy one
hang bookcase above dresser or turn vertical
large vase or pedastal w/ sculpture between curtains
Get a large drum shade lamp ($99 at z gallerie)for ceiling
two sconce lights for sides of bed (larrge and silver)
Interesting sculpteral small side tables
massive wall art (canvas and metal)

The drapes are nice but to short. I new cool vintage lamp would look cool. Artwork is a must. Love the wall color!

I suspect that the photograph doesn't do any justice to the curtains-- they might be better in real life than they come off in the picture.

Start with the bedside lamps. Turn off the overhead light.
If you like the velvet, consider adding velvet into your bedding, to bring more continuity.

I can also imagine, if you put a rod across the whole wall with two other large panels, you would have a great place in between for a plant stand, a big leafy green plant, and a picture you love. It would all be so nicely framed by the window arrangement.

Lovely floors, by the way.

Green plants! Do away with the large ceiling lamp and the drapes replace with low, upwards lighting and longer, sheerer drapes. Put up a few clusters of artwork, and remove the strange floating legs in your hallway!

This post is funny.. I have the same bed spread and the same dressers (I have two 4-drawers).. But I don't think your bedspread goes with your decor of blue walls and velvet curtains. Since you are keeping the curtain, I would say, get a new bedspread.

The key is to balance out the moderness of your furnitures and the drama of your curtains. (you do need to fix the length and add additional panels like others suggested, though) You can do this by adding round things in darker colors, like round mirrors and bedside tables, and table lamps.

I think you should swap the location of the bookshelf and the dressers. Put a ornate, non blocky mirror on top of the dressers. New overhead lighting, maybe a really cool vintage chandelier hung low.

Get curvy, but not flimsy looking bedside tables to offset the squareness of all the malm furnitures and with table lamps on top. Maybe like a black Hemnes bedside table (the round one) from ikea.

You need a carpet at the foot of the bed, and artwork above the bed and on the wall where the book shelf is going to be.

If you want, bring in a chair and you could set it up as a reading nook. And of course, buy crates for your bookshelf and eliminate the magazine files.

Try to get complimenting pieces of furniture - dresser(s), headboard, etc. That would give it a more mature look.

The drapes are short, so everyone will recommend you lower them down to the floor if possible. I won't go into this since my bedroom curtains don't even come this close, but they are temporary.

Two nice nightstands on either side of the bed (please get the bed off the floor) with two matching lamps - maybe try to get an extra one to place on the other side of the room so you get plenty of light.

If you can fit it in, a small reading chair one side of the bed would be very nice.

I hate white, so I won't recommend it - but some more pulled together bed dressings are needed with some nice fluffy pillows.

the curtains have been addressed and you have responded so i'll concentrate elsewhere.

love blue and gray together but this room could benefit for more hues / tones of gray and blue, pulling it into the bedding (pillows?) or painting the ceiling? the floor boards seem a little thin. i'd probably paint a few inches of the wall above them white and might add an additional thin molding border.

i think the second photo's white bedding is much nicer then the first's yellow (though gray and yellow work well and i'd like the first in another room), you just need a great throw/blanket in charcoal and some contrasting pillows (room and board has nice gray lambswool squares).

a really tall headboard - hanging fabric, a painted rectangle in a lighter gray, wallpaper, recycled weathered packing pallets or barn board - would enrich the gray and add height and architectural interest.

finally, a little decluttering of the surfaces would do wonders for your existing pieces.

have fun.

I'd like to see the grey and blue complimented with natural coloured linens. Add texture to your bed with an interesting throw and natural, charcoal and pale blue bedding. Add a flokati (or other wildly textured) rug to soften the crisp look of the furniture.

I also thought the bedhead needs some drama, a luxe padded tufted upholstered panel. Give it some height.

I also agree that the curtains are an odd length for the room, maybe you can hang a longer 'pooling' muslin layer behind in the natural colour?

And art... consider a large canvas... one I did in my house would be perfect for your room... http://ninaribenamakes.blogspot.com/2008/08/new-painting-love-it.html
... do it in charcoal to balance the curtains' heaviness.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Nina x

Bromelia - Those are nice and I've seen them at hotels, but they are out of most people's price range if they want a good thread count. We tend to go with jersey cotton sheets (the name could be off) that we found on sale for like $10 a set.

Do the drapes have to stay as drapes? If you can't part with them, what about sewing them together to make a luxurious throw for the bottom of the bed? White bedding and white flow-y drapes would be beautiful. The grey velvet would pop nicely against a white comforter. I like the idea of treating the two windows as one larger and putting drapes across the entirety of that wall.

I don't think one choice is smarter than the other, Bromelia. I've never heard of anyone actually throwing away cheap sheets when they buy a new set -- most people keep old sheets in rotation for variety's sake, or use them for guests. But if you know people who put $100 sheets on their guest beds, let me know because I have plenty of vacation time!

bromelia -- Let's see, the set of sheets on our bed right now I've owned for above five years. The set that was on it last week the fiance has had for at least three years. Sheets don't wear out as soon as you might think.

And I agree with MadrasSoup - when I finally get tired of a set, they turn into guest sheets or if they are too far gone, I've been known to tear them up into rags. The same thing I do with five dollar t-shirts I buy.

I would definitely recommend doing something else for the curtains. I don't mind the fabric or color, but the length and the fact that there is only one panel per window must be corrected. The bed feels a little low for the room. Maybe adding a nice tall headboard would give it a more regal look. I like the idea of a white headboard. If you don't want to replace the bedding, an easy spruce up would be to get rid of the purple pillows and add some silky more luxurious ones to the front with a nice white throw at the end of the bed. I'd find an nice antique looking white dresser to replace the one you've got. Then I'd ditch the bookcase thing you have and replace it with white floating shelves. Anything that doesn't go with the flow on the shelves can be stored in baskets or boxes that are a complementary color to get rid of the appearance of clutter and create a soothing atmosphere. Those are my thoughts. It's a great room. Good luck!

I don't hate the color of the drapes with the color of the walls; actually I think that there is no shortage of choices of area rugs in those colors, or in colors that would work with those colors.

In other words ... I think a rug would help, and I think I'd go ahead and get some kind of pattern that had both of those colors in it.

Meanwhile -- and I know that I'm going to have to dodge some shoes being thrown at me here -- but I would go into an Ikea and just have a look around their little mock-up rooms, and see what they do! Because with that light furniture and the color blue, they've bound to have done some rooms like that, and it might give you some ideas, right there!

The problem with an idea someone had about drapes all the way to the ceiling is that she has a beam on the adjacent wall at the ceiling, so that might not quit work. I think I would be tempted to do a sort of flat (and high) crown molding the entire height of that beam and just take it around the room.

i think the walls are just too naked and definitely put a rug to color up the room.