Interior Design with
Julia Luttrell
I’m dreaming
of a beautiful bedroom
Ever wonder what it would be like to have those folks on Trading
Spaces, the savvy designer and her team of trades people, (whom I
can’t help noticing, apparently work for free…but I digress) show up
at your home and magically transform the room of your choice?
Only, unlike the TV show, imagine what it would be like to have your
own input in what happens, to know beforehand exactly how long it
will take, how much it will cost, and what the final outcome will
be. Sound like something you might enjoy?
Well I’ll let you in on a little secret. Most designers want that
too! Many interior designers fantasize among themselves, “Wouldn’t
it be great to hire a designer?
I want someone to come in and present me with fabulous possibilities
and inspire me with fresh, exciting ideas to personalize my space.
Bring me sketches and photographs and floor plans and fabrics and
samples. And mediate between my mate and myself and justify their
choices and show me how to save money and find hidden space. Boy,
what a treat that would be.”
In the real world, however, no designer wants to work for another
designer. We know all too well what nightmares we’d be. We change
our minds far too often.
Yes, sadly, the cobbler’s children have no shoes.
Instead, what I do for myself is create designs that allow me to
change my mind without too much effort. Designs which, when applied
to a single specific area, can change the entire effect of a room.
And how do I achieve that, you may well ask?
Well, let’s take my favourite room in the house, the bedroom for
instance. For some people the bedroom is simply a sleeping space,
however, my fantasy bedroom would be a versatile, multi-functional
retreat.
A fireplace, a cozy sofa to curl up and read on, my television and
stereo hidden in an interesting custom cabinet, an antique roll-top
desk (to disguise my home office computer), flanked by
floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall bookcases and great lighting washing
the walls. And for a dash of decadence, I’d have to have an elegant
little dressing area, with a fabulous bergere chair hidden behind a
three-panel screen. That way I could toss my negligee over it
whenever I’m feeling dramatic.
And of course, I’d have a bed.
And here’s where it gets interesting, because here’s where you can
affect massive change, merely by changing the decorating details of
the bed. The trick is to choose a bed that has as little detail as
possible to begin with. It should be stripped down to the bare
fundamentals, simply a box spring and mattress is just fine.
Then, with the simple addition of a custom wall-hung headboard, or
by introducing a canopy, bed curtains, or by establishing a theme in
the fabrics used in the bedding itself, you can push the entire room
into any design direction you choose, without having to change any
of the other furnishings.
Consider the canopy for instance. By day it provides shade from any
incoming sunlight, by night it creates a comforting, cocooning
effect. Picture this. Construct a wide banner of mattress-ticking
striped fabric, tabbed over metal drapery rods that are attached to
the ceiling and allow it to fall airily in a single scallop. Run
this same fabric down the headboard wall and allow it to drop to the
floor at the foot of the bed. You will have a crisp, tailored effect
that suggests a sultan’s tent pitched under the stars.
Or, for a feeling of inviting opulence, think of the romance of bed
curtains. A simple box-pleated valance is suspended (attached by
velcro) from a 1x2” strip of wood which is fastened to the ceiling
all around the perimeter of the bed.
At each corner of the valance, faux bed curtains are fastened (again
by velcro) suggesting that the curtains have been ‘drawn’. These
‘gathered’ curtains are then allowed to puddle on the floor in a
luxury of abundant fabric.
Of all bed decoration details that can create maximum impact, with
minimal effort, the custom wall-mounted headboard is definitely the
most effective. You can construct a headboard any size, any shape,
upholster it in any material and apply any sort of tassles, tacks or
trim to reinforce your theme. And, since it mounts on the wall by
means of a simple hanging rail, it can be easily changed at any
time. Think of it, you can have ‘seasonal’ headboards if you wish!
Yes, from theatrical fantasy to pared down practicality, whether you
hire a designer or do it yourself, the decoration and covering of
your bed will reflect your personal style, whatever it may happen to
be on that particular day.
