Primary Bedroom
"5. Nubby Neutrals Designers: Lauren Christine Henno and Debra Lynn Henno Location: Palm Desert, California Size: 270 square feet (25 square meters) Homeowners’ request. Create a bright, updated primary bedroom with a casually elegant tone. Special features. Designers Lauren Christine Henno and her mom, Debra Lynn Henno, replaced the room’s carpet with tile used throughout the home and swapped outdated shades with custom Roman shades in soft linen. “Since the room is all neutral, it was important to layer texture,” Lauren says. “For instance, the fabric chosen [to reupholster the king-size bed and] bench has a corduroy velvet hand to it, the bolster pillow is an alpaca boucle, the rug adds texture and warmth to the tile floors, the leather chair is layered with a satin pillow, and the TV cabinet [not pictured] was painted in a semigloss.” The bedside tables were made by splitting an antique round table into two demilune tables. The stool is from Africa, and the artwork above the bed is by Ellsworth Kelly. Designer tip. “A bedroom should always be a sacred space of inspiration and comfort,” Lauren says. “It’s where you fall asleep and wake up every day. Therefore, keep it open...
"4. Snuggle Central Designer: Stacia Winkler of Vintage Elements Builder: Aspect Design Build Architect: David Charlez Designs Location: Minnetonka, Minnesota Size: 234 square feet (22 square meters); about 14½ by 16 feet Homeowners’ request. Build a tranquil, comfortable and welcoming primary bedroom that both serves as an escape and provides space for kids to pile in for “snuggle sessions,” designer Stacia Winkler says. Special features. Behind the upholstered headboard, a grid wall painted in a dark gray-blue (Wall Street by Sherwin-Williams) serves a dual purpose. “It’s grounding, but the bedroom is also asymmetrical, and the grid wall is a visual tool to help transition the asymmetry of the space,” Winkler says. The homeowners, a busy professional couple with three kids, already owned the furniture. Winkler added a shell-and-bead chandelier, neutral linens and a hint of color in the throw pillows to complete the warm, textured look. The beam detail in the ceiling is pine stained to match the rest of the pine beams throughout the house. “Uh-oh” moment. “The homeowners love the feel of wool carpet on the feet but have a really hard time with seeing the seams,” Winkler says...
"1. Clean Suite Designer: Heidi Feliz-Grimm of Martha O’Hara Interiors Architect: Derek Barcinski of Atlantis Architects Location: Austin, Texas Size: 336 square feet (31 square meters); 16 by 21 feet Homeowners’ request. Remodel the primary suite to feel modern, classic and comfortable without being formal or stuffy. Special features. A California king canopy bed in matte black metal sits atop a hand-knotted Himalayan wool rug from Fay + Belle. The flooring is European white oak. At the foot of the bed sits a metal-legged bench upholstered in a herringbone-pattern velvet by Kravet. The nightstands feature a whitewash finish and gold details. And near the window, a sculptural stool and an armchair create a small sitting and reading area. “Uh-oh” moment. “Since this was an older home that was remodeled, we had to get creative with the window treatments,” designer Heidi Feliz-Grimm says. “There wasn’t enough space to design panels for all windows with the desire to have nightstands on both sides of the bed. Rather, we opted for outside mounted shades on the small window and traversing panels [in neutral linen] on the long wall.” Project photos: Andrea Calo; wall paint: Drift of...
"9. Clear Bedroom Clutter A clean and serene bedside makes for a more restful sleep. Remove everything from your nightstand (as well as anything piled on the floor beside it) and wipe down the table. Put away all those extra books, magazines, stray pens and old water glasses. Snip a fresh flower from the garden (or snag one from a larger bouquet in the house) and plunk it in a bud vase. Add a candle too if you like."
"9. Layer With Color Your choice of color isn’t important only for how it looks; it also will have a big impact on how you feel in the space. Get it wrong, and the color will shout at you every time you enter the room. Get it right, and you won’t even notice the color — you’ll just love spending time in the space. A good tip is to layer your color palette: Start with a neutral backdrop and build on color carefully by adding bolder shades through accessories and art. However, neutral doesn’t mean painting your walls a bland shade. You can create a neutral version of practically any color by going either very light or very dark. Think grays, caramels and sandy tones, all of which work in any version from light to dark as a neutral backdrop that you can combine with any other accent color."
"8. Serene Sophistication For this soothing bedroom renovation in Westchester, New York, the team at Chango & Co. did everything from designing the furniture to selecting the art. Beige and white elements, clean lines, varying textures and lots of natural light make for a peaceful and sophisticated space."
"On the original house plans this area was simply drywalled. Lee added an LED fireplace insert and designed the surround and built-in bookshelves around it. Then she added two comfortable swivel chairs and a shaggy rug to create a cozy nook for two."
"The couple wanted to go dark and dramatic in their master bedroom, so Lee used navy blue on the grasscloth wallpaper, trim and bedding. She then layered in lighter textiles, textures and metallic finishes to lighten it. The draperies are ivory with an abstract pattern in blues. The sunburst mirror shimmers and reflects the light. The table lamps are selenite that practically glows. The 1940s abstract painting, artist unknown, also lightens up the room. And she mixed in some brass finishes for warmth."
"9. Pretty in Pink Designer Phoebe Howard created this guest bedroom in Atlanta to show off the power of pink. Pink walls, furniture and accessories bring the color, while the white cotton curtains hanging from the canopy bed add a cozy touch."
"6. Ceiling Canopy The team at Drees Homes created a custom canopy bed by adding curtain tracks inside the wood ceiling beams. A padded upholstered headboard adds another custom touch to this Washington, D.C., master bedroom."
"The three built-in drawers are made of maple wood and painted blue-gray (Web Gray by Sherwin-Williams) in a satin finish. 'The drawers gave us the chance to add something both functional and beautiful,' McGregor says. Two custom floating maple shelves above display and store accessories and collectibles."
"After: Removing the closet allowed space for a new built-in set of drawers, a gas fireplace and a built-in desk area, all seen here."
"1. Architectural Boldness The floor-to-ceiling steel-framed doors and windows between this master bedroom and bathroom by Purcell had many Houzz users taking notes. While past comments have shown that Americans are often shy about a clear view through to the tub, this stunning architectural statement in Kent, England, appears to be changing minds."
"5. Comfy Bedding A big, cushy European-style duvet can add just the right bit of rumpled comfort to an otherwise perfectly tailored room. The mix of modern doors and traditional moldings provide the bones for this transitional bedroom, which enjoys the luxury of a fireplace and expansive views of Long Island Sound."
"9. Urbane and Soft The soft neutral palette of this sophisticated contemporary bedroom in Toronto by Meg Cassidy Creative allows a few key pieces to stand out in a quiet way. The tall, dark headboard and antiqued mirrors force the eye up to the stunning handblown glass chandelier."
A clever way to hide electronics: "A Frame TV by Samsung is cleverly camouflaged over the dresser."
"Bedrooms Decorating Guides How Many Pillows Should You Have on Your Bed? 2. Decorative pillows. Ever wonder why beds in home decor magazines always look so amazing? The answer: Euro pillows. They’re called this because the big (26-by-26-inch) squares have their roots in Europe as sleeping pillows. The Euro is the ultimate mix of function and fashion. Practically speaking, it provides back support when you’re sitting up in bed reading (or watching Netflix). It also protects your headboard, creating a barrier between it and the natural oils from your face and body. And if you don’t have a headboard, Euro pillows are a perfect stand-in. From a design perspective, their large scale helps create a sense of height for your bed, drawing the eye upward and around the room. They also completely cover rumpled, slept-on pillowcases. We recommend one Euro pillow on a twin-size bed, two on a double or queen-size bed and three on a king-size bed. Euro pillows are covered in pillow shams rather than pillowcases. Pillowcases are open-ended sleeves that you sleep on, whereas pillow shams cover decorative pillows. They usually have a flange or pretty detail, and we don’t recommend sleeping on t...
"Upstairs, the couple gave their master bedroom a mini refresh. The Murano glass lamps were an eBay find, while the sculpture was a lucky HomeGoods score. The radiator cover is new but was designed based on the original ones in the house. It has brass grilles. Traditional Bedroom by Laura Lee Home But it’s the nightstands that mean the most. 'Back when we were first married and had no money, I bought these for $25 at a yard sale — inside one of the drawers, someone scribbled, "Kimberly was here,"' Laura says. 'They were in our guest room, then in one son’s room, then the other son’s room, then back in the guest room. … They are always somewhere in the house!'" To give them a chic makeover, she had them lacquered and added beautiful new brass bamboo hardware. 'It’s so important to collect and incorporate pieces with history and a story behind them in a home,' she says. 'I never want everything to be brand-new.'"
"Savor and Relax Imagine doing a few gentle stretches or yoga poses before bed, lighting a scented candle and sipping some chamomile tea while you write in your journal. There are no to-do lists or pinging phones vying for your attention. You can simply be. Imagine how easy it would be to gradually unwind, release the tension of your day and ease into a restful, deep, restorative sleep in a space free of clutter and distractions. Once the busyness of the day is done, make time to simply relax in your newly cleared space."
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