Retro Retreat – Rules are made to be Broken

We are turning our Ocean Dunes fixer into a Coastal Modern retreat one room at a time. We want to play up the modern design features in our home, including the vaulted ceiling, floating staircase, and corner fireplace. The white walls and light floors create a bright space filled with exciting possibilities for our primary bedroom.

Transformation:

To create a cozy space, layer your bedding and add a wool rug. Using three colors – white, blue, and coral-blush brings our design to the next level. To master the 60-30-10 Color Rule simply follow a few simple rules.

The 60-30-10 Color Rule helped us create a beautiful, cohesive, and balanced bedroom. I found this color design tip at How to Use the 60-30-10 Color Rule in Your Home (thespruce.com.

• 60% Main Color for walls, large accent pieces, area rugs, and sofas
• 30% Secondary Color for draperies, accent chairs, linens, and accent walls
• 10% Accent Color for throw pillows, décor, and artwork

This color rule will help you create a dynamic, interesting space. Now that you have a good understanding of the rule, you might want to break it! Consider varying the rule:

• Try a 50 – 30 – 20 percentage or some other combination
• Use the same three colors, but swap the secondary and accent colors in different rooms
• Use the same three colors, but change the percentage in different rooms

Have fun with it and you will create spaces that you love.

I was so excited when I found a mid-century modern chest and dresser in a Facebook MCM Buy/Sell Group. We purchased a dresser and chest similar to the picture below. I also found two matching nightstands, also pictured below, but they were pricey.

The MCM chest and dresser from the Tableau Collection by Kent Coffey will look amazing against the warm white walls. Adding pops of colors will bring attention to the furniture’s clean modern lines, solid construction, quality materials, and dovetail joints. The stunning design and affordable price make it a very attractive choice for our space.

I have to pay for shipping, but the total cost of $2,100 is reasonable for a quality chest and dresser. I prefer unpainted wood and the Kent Coffey pieces, made in the late 1960s in North Carolina are a wonderful example of MCM style. The wood is a nice balance to all the soft bedding, pillows, and wool rug in our space. There was a mix-up with the shipper, which means our Ken Coffey pieces will not be here until mid-July. Bummer! I promise to show you the updated space once everything finally gets here.

I prefer a matching dresser and chest, but it is also fun to mix and match pieces, which I am doing for our bed and nightstands. Check out Facebook Marketplace or FB Groups for used furniture, art, bikes, etc. Be sure to ask questions, get pictures, and check reviews before buying from an online source.

The Wright Upholstered Bed from West Elm will complement the MCM furniture pieces beautifully. We like the walnut stain and upholstered headboard, which slopes back for extra comfort. The modern design and $1,400 price tag makes this bed perfect for our space. This bed is attractive, sturdy, and provides great support.

After checking several local and online sources, I finally found affordable, attractive nightstands at Rooms To Go Devon Loft Walnut Nightstand – Rooms To Go. I like the modern legs and curved corners, which will work well with our other bedroom pieces.

Our bedroom space needs several updates, including lighting, décor, linens, and window treatments. Our lighting plan includes, new lampshades and the Light Wave Ceiling Fan by Minka Aire Fans at Lumens.com. Adding West Elm Garden Pots filled with plants will provide color, beauty, and a sense of well-being. We like these Mid-Century Turned Wood Leg Planters – Gold | West Elm. The bed linens came from Bed, Bath & Beyond and the pillows and blanket came from Target. We will install lined bamboo shades, once our windows are replaced early this summer.

The light floors and walls provide a perfect backdrop for the darker furniture pieces. The blues evoke the cool sea, which is just a short walk away and a pop of coral-blush brings you back to your favorite sunset. Notice how the colors have been pulled around the room with the linens, pillows, lampshades, and artwork.

As you can see in the photos, we brought color to the other side of the room with the West Elm pots, Target Pillows, and Sundance Jewelry Box. The owl sculpture was made in Haiti and Judy, Jim’s Mom’s National Geographic Society books remind us of her and speak to our love of the outdoors. Did you catch the Terrazzo sample? That is going in all our bathrooms. You can read more about our bathrooms at Creating WOW!, instead of Yikes! – Majestic Meadows.

Please tell me what you think in the comments. I’d love to know you enjoyed it, so give me a thumbs up, and share this post with a friend. Never miss an interior design tip by subscribing below:

Design sources for this room:

• Wool Carpet at Ivy Bronx Moniz Hand-Tufted Wool Navy Area Rug & Reviews | Wayfair
• Pillows and Blanket from Target
• Bed Linens from Bath and Beyond
• Artwork from Local Art Festivals Juno Beach | ArtFestival.com
• Kent Coffey Chest and Dresser at (8) Mid Century Modern -Buy & Sell | Groups | Facebook
• Bed at Wright Upholstered Bed, King, Twill, Dove | West Elm