As if I hadn't said enough already...

Forgot to mention a few things:

One wall of my room has a couple of windows and the adjacent wall has a set of french doors leading to a small balcony rather than window/s. The french doors are single-panel glass doors.

Also forgot to say that I took down the original small ceiling fixture which was just an antique-brass colored (or may have been painted over a cream color - I forgot) small canopy with a frosted clear glass sconce-type shade hanging from a couple of small chain links. Very simple and small. I put in its place a horrific white fan cause in the warmer months I loooove the feel of a ceiling fan. Put the original safely in storage though!

Is it unfair to a husband (a husband who's particularly indifferent) to paint the walls a white color that has a hint of pink in it? I thought that might look nice with the white curtains and white trim and the black rod iron bed and such. My other thought was that I've noticed - the last couple of years - that the look of white walls with white window treatments and white trim is (or at least was) kind if in vogue in a New York "show off your art" sort of way. The walls being a sort of canvas. I don't have any amazing art but that monochromatic white look has something slightly appealing about it - even if in reality it might be a bit much?

Lastly, if I change the white curtains for something else (keeping the white sheer drapes behind them), I'm wondering if a gold, solid-colored silk type fabric would work even though I have black rod iron which is more of a rustic look, and even though I have the white ceiling fan (all white - no fake wood or wicker stuff)? Ugh - I hope I haven't driven away those who would have given me advice had I not overwhelmed them with all this blah blah blah writing!! ;)

The kind of funny thing about your thread is you don't seem to love anything you have.

you need to start with an element you love

bedding might be a good way to start

try anthropologie, pine cone hill, lily & Serena, and garnet hill

I live in an old house and, although I am a big fan of beige, beige doesn't work in my house. Maybe it's time to change out what yoiu call the childish periwinkle. If you want to be current, paint the room a current color. There is a thread on Ben Moore's color of the year, Wythe Blue, from its Historic Collection. That might be the perfect pairing of old and new for your bedroom.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread on Wythe Blue

I agree with mtnrdredux: you should start by identifying what it is you love. I will go a step further, however, and suggest that you think about the overall color or colors you like, and overall feel you want to achieve for your room.

Some pictures might help here, too. You describe your "sort of" periwinkle walls as "childish." Without seeing them, it's hard to make any judgments, but I will say: a color I've seen in books & magazines that I think is stunning sounds somewhat like your color. One would have to see it however. At any rate, the pictures often show color schemes of periwinkle (or hyacinth or lavender or whatever it is) with rich, dark reds, perhaps corals, etc. or, at the other extreme, with soft grays & silvery colors or with natural stone colors & other neutrals, etc. Look up John Saladino online and seek out images. Perhaps your wall color is like enough that you might want to adapt some of his color schemes to your room.

For starters, I think your black iron bed is very much in keeping with an old house, much more than the upholstered headboard. I happen to have a Charles Rogers bed and love the " old house " look myself. I would find a bedding set that I love and go from there. Recently I bought the pottery barn ivory panels which allow me to change out my bedding. I really think the really pale shades of soft pink or very pale lavender shades are beautiful too. I recall seeing a designer in a magazine that used what I would call a white with the palest tint of lavender which was beautiful. That would be pretty with your iron bed. Good luck and keep us posted.