Vintage Bedroom Makeover | 5 Ways to Update your Space

Vintage Bedroom Makeover: how to transform your room into a vintage Dream

How did I create my vintage bedroom makeover? It wasn’t fast. And it wasn’t easy. But what I learned along the way can help you design the room of your dreams. 

For some reason I have never been happy with my bedroom. Over the years I’ve tried almost everything.

• I painted.
• Changed the bedding.
• Brought in new lighting.
• Added curtains.
• Changed out furniture.
• Brought in plants.
• Created fresh wall decor.

But no matter what I did, it still didn’t feel right.

I decided once and for all that I was going to create a bedroom that I love.

I started to dream of a new space. Closing my eyes, I tried to dream of what would be there if I could start with a blank canvas. 

Here is what I imagined….A vintage, romantic, cozy space:

It is hard to come up with fresh, new ideas if you can’t get the old ideas out of your head.

Have you ever noticed that someone like your friend or your sister can come into a room you’ve been struggling to redesign and, in an instant, solve your design dilemma? It’s having “fresh eyes” that makes the difference.

In order to gain a fresh perspective, try to mentally step away from what exists.

• Create that blank canvas in your mind.
• Erase the existing colors.
• Try to empty the space.
• Now imagine new details.
• This takes practice.

I usually spend several weeks thinking and “trying on” new design ideas in my mind.

Pro Tip:  Look for design inspiration ideas in magazines, in your favorite online sources like blogs or Instagram, and take time to imagine recreating your space.

 

Inspired to Create My Vintage Bedroom Makeover

Start to identify the mood you want to create. Write down words to describe the room. This will help you in making design decisions down the road.

These were my inspiration words as I imagined my vintage bedroom makeover:

1. Vintage
2. Romantic
3. Cozy
4. Feminine (don’t tell Bill)
5. Relaxing
6. Calming

The Wall Mural Set the Stage

Decorating is like a puzzle. You have to take it piece by piece. The first piece that I visualized was the wall mural.

I had just completed the dining room makeover. The wall mural was the key element that transformed the room. If I could find a wall mural for the bedroom, I could achieve a similar transformation.

The mural would set the stage and mood for the whole room.

I had seen some black and white wall murals inspired by vintage French landscape etchings. I felt drawn to these. They ticked all the boxes:  Romantic, feminine, vintage and somewhat unique. Even still, they seemed to be on the cusp of trending.

I didn’t want to copy the exact wallpapers I had seen. Instead, I went to my go-to wall mural company, Wunder Wall Murals and described what I was looking for. They came back to me with some ideas, and we went from there. That was how I was able to come up with my own unique design.

My vintage bedroom makeover had begun.

 

Problems Result in Inspired Ideas

Installation:  The first wall went up. I saw that much of the mural was covered up by the bed. Another chunk of the mural was cut out by the arched doorway. This was not good and certainly not the vintage bedroom makeover I had hoped for.

Then it came to me. I decided to add a second wall. 

This is what I love about designing spaces. Very often solutions to problems result in the very best ideas. 

Wow. I really loved this idea because the wall mural took on a two-dimensional feel.

It is almost like you are walking onto a movie set or a stage, rather than just looking at a flat screen. Plus, the landscape scene is much clearer.

Creating My Vintage Bedroom Makeover with Color

The second puzzle piece was addressing the mismatched side tables. Here I also entered the color debate.

It took me a long time to decide what to do with the side tables. Many of my followers suggested that my side tables were too small. And technically this might be true. But I am a firm believer in recycling or “upcycling” whenever possible. 

I battled the question of color for months. Should I stick with a neutral palette, or should I add color?

After months of mental debate, I finally realized the room needed a pop of color. But what color? I had taken these photos with flowers. The photos helped me see what color could do for the space.

I went through the entire spectrum of blues and greens and grays which were my normal go-to colors.

I finally realized that I needed to branch out and went back to my “imagination drawing board,” scouring sources for vintage bedroom makeover inspiration ideas, focusing on color.

Choosing Paint Colors Isn’t Easy

I finally found it: my vintage bedroom makeover inspiration color. Sulking Room Pink by Farrow & Ball.

My idea was to bring in some warmth to the grays even though I knew Bill wasn’t much of a pink fan. I chose this pink because it was barely pink. It was a very muddy pink. I was fairly certain he would like it in the end.

But the process didn’t go exactly as planned. It’s a long story, but it ended up working out just as it was meant to.

Because Farrow & Ball colors are harder to come by, I went to the store hoping to be able to have the Farrow & Ball color mixed for me. When that turned out to be impossible, I panicked. I chose a color on impulse, and it was an awful shade of bubblegum pink. When Bill saw it he cringed.

The next day I drove down to a local stockist, found a mini sample of the Farrow & Ball color and was able to order to full pint for drop delivery in 2 days and start painting over the first coat right away. This was enough to calm Bill down and convince him the new color would be much more civilized and subtle.

It was my way of getting pink in the room and making Bill think I was doing him a favor. See how things work out?

Lighting Changes Create Vintage Bedroom Makeover

Next it was time to focus on lighting.

Lighting may seem like a minor feature, but never underestimate the power of lighting.  Therefore, never underestimate the importance of choosing the right lighting.

I had always wanted hanging pendant lights. I also thought that pendant lights would add a nice detail set against the mural backdrop.

Vintage lights are in keeping with my vintage bedroom makeover theme. The debate was between detailed and ornate like mini chandeliers or something more understated and simpler.

In the end, I chose vintage schoolhouse pendant lights with clear glass and antique bronze finish. I chose these because they don’t distract from the wall mural. They give just enough detail to add a bit of “jewelry” to the room. And the light they throw on the walls is so beautiful. The lights are on dimmers. At night it looks like the trees are glowing.

 

 

Don’t be Afraid to Make Mistakes

Even though I made a mistake with the initial color (because the store didn’t have the color formula), it turned into a strategic move on my part.

The finishing touch was adding the crystal knobs from Amazon.

Pro Tip: The magic is in the details.

Looking for more vintage bedroom decorating ideas? Read this article by The Spruce to get more inspiration.

Finishing Touches to My Vintage Bedroom Makeover

Next, I added a new rug from Boutique Rugs. This rug has all the wonderful grays in the room and lots of texture.

The vintage look is perfect for the mood I want. I love it.

 

New accent pillows and a new throw in mauve match the Sulking Room Pink paint almost exactly.  

These final pieces pulled in the new accent color perfectly. These may seem like simple details, but you don’t want to leave out this last step. If you’ve added an accent color you don’t want to leave it on its own.

Pro Tip: Rule of threes. Use your accent color in at least three places to tie your room together.

 

As soon as I added the pillow and the throw the room finally made sense. It felt balanced.

Wow, it was a long, long journey to get to this place. I am finally in love with my master bedroom. I learned a lot of lessons along the way. 

1. Sometimes you can’t rush design.
2. Mistakes/problems can lead to your greatest ideas.
3. Add a pop of color in three places to tie the space together.
4. The magic is in the details.

Now it’s your turn. Happy creating,