Inspiration for a room re-do can come from anywhere. And they are so much fun!

The inspiration for this bedroom refresh came from a rug.

This rug:

It’s a strong statement, this rug. And it can be a tricky one to decorate around for two reasons.

1. There’s pink. Lots of pink. Nothing wrong with pink: but lots of husbands might object to being surrounded by a lot of it. Plus, this strong pink reads as somewhat juvenile. Great for a ten year old –not so much for adults! And, if all that isn’t enough, the ‘in” version of pink is blush, right now,  not a colour that really goes with this rug!
2. Balance. Tricksy. The colours are strong as I mentioned. If you go light with everything else, the rug can overwhelm the room–and by that, I mean the room risks looking unfinished with a great colourful rug plopped down in the middle of it. These bold colours need to be balanced with other bold colours–and it needs to be done without causing the entire room to tip over into too much colour. However, just like our tolerance for visual noise –“too much” is definitely a personal thing. 

Note how clear and vibrant these colours are! This is not dusty or muted in any way. It’s going to pair better with white and off-white than anything cream or beige. That eliminates a lot of choices right there, fortunately.

From the three main colours in this rug: mustard, a blue-green, and the pink., we need to pick our star, supporting player, and our bit player. It’s the old 60/30/10 “rule” of using colour. Every time you introduce a colour into a room, you really should do your best to repeat it again in the room in order to make it look deliberate. 

Here is what I came up with:

Here’s why.

Mustard is our main star! Pink was out for the reasons stated above. The blue is beautiful, however, and even though I feel I shouldn’t say it, it is extremely tricky to identify that exact shade on-line. I found lots of blue furniture, drapes, lamps and bedding–but nothing I was confident about choosing to coordinate with the rug. Besides, too much blue can be heavy. I was thrilled to find this marigold yellow! Nothing says cheerful like bright vibrant yellow! 

The second colour, obviously, was the blue. It’s really the only contender for the walls. This lovely soft blue from Benjamin Moore–Wythe Blue HC-143 to be precise– isn’t too grey, too bright, or too dark! Just a touch more–in the lamp and another pillow (not shown) is all that’s needed to round out this supporting cast member. The peacock blue bed was irresistable–just a wonderful way to include something dark and grounded in the space.

The pink is sprinkled in just to keep the room happy and vibrant. 

The white/off-white bedding is crucial for that all important white space. It lets the room breathe, the eyes rest and tempers the heat of all that colour.

So, it’s not that hard. And this is most definitely not the only way to build a room around this rug. I hope this inspires you to put together a colourful and cheerful room. And remember, I’m always available for a chat, if you need some help.

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