BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT

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BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGIt’s no secret that I’ve been talking about updating our master bedroom and that I’ve been working on a few new things in recent weeks. The time has finally come for the big reveal – and you wouldn’t believe the change. Even my husband and kids can’t believe it. Don’t get me wrong – we loved our bedroom before. It was sophisticated and curated, with an enveloping colour palette and warm, earthy elements. You can read all about it HERE. The layers of grey on grey were exactly what I wanted when I designed our space. The issue with it was the overall light quality. Lighting is the single most important element in any design. I often tell clients and friends that without the right lighting, your desired results may not be achievable. Our north-facing windows cast cold light into the room, and on a dark day, with this colour palette, walking into the space felt confining and a little heavy at times. We were in need of a change, so I set out to create a light and airy space by brightening up the master retreat with paint and lighting  – basically the complete opposite of what we had – to help visually enlarge and to brighten up our small bedroom.

While I have recieved product and payment in exchange for writing this post, all reviews and opinions are my own. *Affiliate links are provided throughout, or at the bottom of this post for your shopping convenience – see my full disclosure policy here

Here it is – our new master retreat. I must say, the results are exactly what I had envisioned. I created this look with only a few changes, believe it or not, and it wasn’t a huge cost factor either: a new, fresh and light paint colour, new bedding (which I revealed to you last month, HERE), a few new accessories, new lamps, a new chandelier, and the real stars of this space, SYLVANIA LED lightbulbs, which I purchased at Canadian Tire (I’ll get to that shortly). That’s it. Small changes, HUGE impact. Take a look…
BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGBRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGI wanted the palette to be cool and crisp, literally like a breath of fresh air – especially for the summer months. I plan on reverting back to our grey bedding in the winter to add the cozy factor back in here. The wall colour, Icicle White, by Benjamin Moore Origins for Canadian Tire, works fantastically with both palettes, so it’s a big win-win. This colour is so refreshing and calming at the same time; it’s the softest blue imaginable, with a hint of grey in certain light.BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGThere were already a few brass accessories in the room and paired with the dark grey, it was quite glamorous. I loved it. I wanted even more of the brass with my new blue and white palette, and I fell hard when I found this gorgeous Canvas Harlowe Chandelier from Canadian Tire. The soft brass colour and brushed finish add the perfect modern element to the space. I’m thinking I may add some shades to it to create a more tailored look, but I am in love with this little gem and its linear quality just the way it is. It’s very different from our previous fixture, which was more feminine.BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGI’ve used SYLVANIA ULTRA LEDs in the chandelier, which are dimmable; it’s very important to me that the ceiling fixture has this feature because I love being able to have low, ambient light when I’m relaxing in the evening. There’s a small, initial investment, but the overall savings can be quite significant – with up to 85% in energy savings! That’s a big factor as far as the environment goes, and even better, they’re mercury free – I love this feature the most because it feels great knowing our home is that much safer for our family and the environment. There is no warm up time, and they turn on right away – no delays. You can view SYLVANIA’s full lighting collection HERE.I used the gold-framed coral print artwork from our master bathroom and hung them in a simple row on the large wall. Keeping it minimal here allowed for the space to breathe and let the chandelier really set the tone for the room.BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGBRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGBRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGThe existing bedside lamps moved over to this wall, atop our two Ikea dressers, and the regency style mirror was yet another metallic touch that reinforced the Palm Beach vibe I wanted for this vignette. It has been in a few different rooms around our home, and I think I’ve finally found its permanent spot.BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGThe blue and white ginger jars from the living room have found a new home in here for the summer and provide the perfect balance for our new blue and white bedding. I have plans to glam up these dressers as well. I’m debating between brass drawer pulls, brass ring pulls, mirrored drawer fronts and sides, or a patterned overlay on the drawers only. Maybe mirrors and overlays…that would be gorgeous. There are so many options! I can’t decide which one – I may just keep it simple and go with new hardware.BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGBRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGAs far as lightbulbs are concerned, I honestly did not know about the features of LEDs until I tried them in this space. I’ve always used basic incandescent bulbs, and since switching them out for LED lightbulbs in this room, I can’t believe how gorgeous the light quality is, day or night. Now I want them everywhere! It brings out the wall colour at night and enhances my metallic finishes – which are a very important element of this design – even more so than before. I absolutely love it all.BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGI have two different types of LED lightbulbs for the table lamps: SYLVANIA LED for the dresser lamps and SYLVANIA ULTRA LED for the nightstand lamps. Both are soft white with a cool colour temperature, which is ideal for interiors. It creates a bright, crisp and clean feeling in this space. SYLVANIA LED lightbulbs are less expensive than premium, SYLVANIA ULTRA LED bulbs, and they last up to 10 years! I’m using SYLVANIA ULTRA LED lightbulbs for the nightstand lamps because we use these lamps the most. I like to read at night and do work while sitting up in bed, and since they can last up to 22 years – yes, 22 years – I’ll definitely get a lot of work done!BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGBRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGThe lighting enhances all of the beautiful accessories on my dressers and nightstands as well. Everything sparkles and shines so much more…who doesn’t love extra sparkle?!BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGHERE’S A CLOSE UP LOOK  :LED3_CHANDELIER_LED ULTRA_LED3_I love how it brings out the details of the decor and colours even more at night.BRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGBRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGBRIGHTENING UP THE MASTER RETREAT WITH PAINT AND LIGHTINGMy husband and kids have all said it looks and feels like a hotel suite in here, and they can’t believe the difference in the before and after. Hearing that coming from my family is the icing on the cake for me; I could not be happier with how this turned out and how much the lighting affects the overall feeling in here. I can tell you that I’d have to agree with them on the hotel thing. It’s like my own little retreat. Not only at the end of the day (when it’s time to wind down) but even in the middle of the day, I’ll come in sometimes just for a few minutes, look around and get that breath of fresh air to recharge. I hope you like this as much as we do! Thanks for reading, I’d love to hear what you think. xo

GET THE LOOK OF OUR MASTER BEDROOM :

Brighten Up Your Space With Simple Fixes Like Paint And Lighting!

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57 Comments

  1. Your bedroom is a stunning retreat Tamara! I loved each and every detail and that light is gorgeous!

  2. Love! Which ikea dressers are they?

  3. tamaraanka says:

    Thank you so much, Maria :) It really is a retreat! It makes me so happy to spending time in here and I’m thrilled you love it! Thanks for stopping by to say hello! xoxo

  4. Maria (House Five Decor) says:

    Wow Tamara! I love your retreat!! It’s so fresh and bright. Definitely a space you’ll want to spend lots of time in. You did a great job! xo

  5. tamaraanka says:

    Thank you so much Patricia!! I’m thrilled you like it – truly, I’m so grateful!! Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment! xoxo

  6. Tam! This is such a beautiful space!! Every detail is perfection. xo

  7. tamaraanka says:

    Hi Danielle, yes, they’re from Walmart! Thanks so much for stopping by, I’m glad you like it!

  8. Beautiful room. Can you tell me where the sheets are from?

  9. tamaraanka says:

    Haha get over here! I love it so much, we all do! It’s like being on vacation, seriously!! Aren’t the lights amazing? That chandelier is my fav! Love you! xoxo

  10. tamaraanka says:

    Terry, I love that you love it! Thank you!! I can’t wait for you to see it in person – and it’s so true – having our own space to sneak off to is so important! Love you! xoxo

  11. Tam- Everything is pulled together beautifully… and the light fixture is stunning.. Important to have our own special space at any time of day!!! I would not expect any less from you..Great job xoxoxo

  12. Tam…the ambience that the
    Lighting/chandelier, gives is beautiful. And it IS like a retreat…so beautiful with the walls, new pattern for the bed and those incredible lights!! Can’t wait to get over there to relax…xxxxx!!!

  13. tamaraanka says:

    Izab, the fact that I’ve inspired you to try something in your home is over the top exciting to me! Thank you for your support – I can’t tell you enough what it means to me! I’m so happy you like it! I can’t wait to see pics of that new retreat of yours…it will be gorgeous! Love you! xoxo

  14. tamaraanka says:

    Kelley!! Thank you, thank you!! The difference in here is tremendous, literally like night and day. I feel like I’m away when I’m in here! You need to try these bulbs, you will love them, trust me! worth every penny! I’m so happy you stopped by to visit! Love you! xo

  15. tamaraanka says:

    Shauna, you have no idea how much it means to me that you love it – isn’t the light fantastic? I got so excited when I saw it – and I could see this in your beach cottage!! Thank you for your sweet words, my friend!! xoxo

  16. tamaraanka says:

    Kris, I am so thrilled that you like it! You are welcome to visit any time! You will love these bulbs, they make a huge difference in the space and at night it’s magical in in our room…I love it! And 22 years – isn’t that crazy?! Thanks for stopping by! xoxo

  17. Wow Tamara, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!! It definitely looks lighter and brighter and the perfect little retreat – when can I visit?! :) I need to get some of those ultra LED bulbs – I have a few bulbs in spots that are a huge pain in the neck to change out so it would be pretty awesome to only have to do it every 22 years!

  18. That light is GORGEOUS!!! Love the room makeover and so sophisticated and beautiful! Great job my friend!
    Xoxo

  19. Oh my goodness! Your transformation is stunning! I can’t believe how much lighter and brighter everything looks! Confession- I can’t find bulbs that I like beyond the old school that I stocked up on at the dollar store because you can’t find them any more. I need to give these a try; our home is currently filled with a mix left by the builder and ones that I have switched. Thank you for sharing!!

  20. Oh Tamara, i am in love with your retreat!! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! I can’t wait to turn my bedroom into my own retreat! thanks for the shopping tips and design tricks, you make our lives much easier. i love cutting corners when i can!! Thanks to you xox

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