The bedroom should be a retreat from the hustle and bustle of our crazy lives. I wanted our bedroom to be dark and cave-like…and I would highly recommend this decision!

If you have been following my blog you may have noticed that I have this thing for dark and moody walls. Well, if I had to pick just one place to slap on a coat of dark, rich paint it would most certainly be the bedroom. After a long hard day, followed by a longer and harder child bedtime routine (the parent-to-kiddo ratio is not to my advantage here :), it is such a joy to retreat to my dark cave, like the complete mama bear that I am.

I am jealous of “normal” people who can slumber to comfortable wake-up times (like a dreamy 7 am). I really feel that I just don’t have the will power to sleep-in 🙂 To combat this weakness I needed the perfect shade of dark walls.

How did I happen upon this luscious dark navy with deep green undertones? It was a “custom mix”.  That’s a fancy way of saying that I often mix paint samples together until I find my dream concoction and then I rush to the paint store. As you likely know, most paint suppliers have a machine to read and match colors.

This custom mix approach gives me the control to nail wall colors, with only a little more time and money involved.

The walls alone provide the drama. Neutrals, metallics, and scatterings of teal keep the room feeling sophisticated.

I have a long standing crush on most all things animal print. So obviously, I needed to work this into my bedroom scheme.

We picked up this rug in Afghanistan over a decade ago. It adds a pop to an otherwise neutral color scheme.

I am certainly not an artist, but you may have noticed that I enjoy making most of my own art. This large piece is no exception. By so doing, I was able to custom make the frame to the perfect dimenions I needed. Wood, staples, drop cloth, gesso, and leftover paints made for a peaceful centerpiece to the room.

My design asthetic is a mix of old and new. I like the contrast of eras, and I find this eclectic style visually interesting. One place that is easy to mix styles and eras is wall art. If pieces have a consistent color scheme and similar color frames then I give it a green light. Mix away my friends!