Master Bedroom Update and How to Mix Vintage & Modern Moments

You should have seen the look on my mom’s face when I told her I planned to paint at least three rooms in our new house black. Her style is pretty traditional, so this was like a really wild concept to her. But I’d argue that black is just another neutral–a much cooler neutral. As classic as it gets.

“Aren’t you worried it will make the room look small?” she asked. And that’s a legit concern if there’s not a lot of natural light. Luckily, the spaces I painted black are blessed with large windows. If you’re after the perfect black–very deep, rich, and matte looking–then look no further than “Tricorn Black” by Sherwin Williams- SW 6258. It’s my favorite black and apparently I’m not alone. Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams, says on their company website that, “Tricorn Black is our most popular black — it’s sophisticated and classic.”

I have the biggest weakness for vintage floral fabric anything. I fell so hard for these ochre colored floral pillows when I saw them on Instagram. And Instagram, my friends, is the true key to finding vintage gold. Don’t just follow your favorite local shop’s Instagram (or other social media platforms), keep an eye out for the the smaller accounts of people who supply those shops. For example, my favorite vintage shop in Lexington is called The Domestic and, like many other antique/second hand shops, it is comprised of several vendors and booth owners. These are the sourcing wizards. The road warriors who find The. Best. Stuff. Most booth owners have their own Instagram accounts and will often have sales of their amazing stuff on the side. My favorite words to read on Instagram are: “Story sale! Here’s some stuff you can have dibs on before I take to the Domestic tomorrow!” Some of my favorite-of-all-time finds are from smaller accounts like that. Like these pillows!

I let the color of the pillows dictate the palette of the rest of the room, letting various shades of gold and brown mingle with the black walls. It’s a combination of colors I’ll never tire of. I just need new blinds and a mirror or two before I do full room tour!

I bought the vintage floral pillows as just pillow cases. This made it so easy to carry them around for a few weeks as I found the other elements of the room. I pulled the pillow cases out at other vintage shops, Target, HomeGoods, and Macy’s looking for the perfect combination of patterns and colors. When I saw my vintage floral pattern next to the chevron fur pillow at Target, my heart skipped a beat. I don’t know what it is, but I love them together.

And then I realized that I do that a lot. I fall in love with one piece of décor and carry it around in my purse for weeks looking for its “design mates.” Highly recommend this method because it narrows your focus. And if the décor inspiration is too big to tote around from shop to shop, you can always take a pic on your phone for reference instead!

Sources: The chair, art, and vintage floral pillows are all vintage. The curtains, curtain tie backs, and fur pillows are all shoppable!

Curtains by Anthropologie, Curtain Tie Backs by Anthropologie, Fur Throw Pillow by Target.