“The details are not the details, they make the design.”
– Charles Eames
There are many phases to any given design project, and I’m happy to say that 5 weeks into our Healthy Master Bedroom Makeover, we are past the messy middle and starting to get to the good stuff. This is where the vision for the space starts to come into focus and anxiety gives way to excitement. Well, mostly. There’s still much to be done and of course photos to be taken for the big reveal, but I’m getting excited for all of it and can’t wait to share the finished space with you soon!
LAYERING IN LUXURIOUS LIGHTING
As I mentioned at the start of this project, we have modest 8′ ceilings in our Master Bedroom. This means a few things: one is that there’s not a lot of space above the headboard for art, especially when you factor in appropriately proportioned panelling and crown moulding.
The second is that some might shy away from dropping a large statement fixture in the middle of the room out of fear of making the room feel too small. This, my friends, would be a huge mistake. In fact, I’ve decided to allow this alabaster Serenity statement chandelier from Corbett Lighting do the work of both lighting and art as the visual anchor over the bed, and I can’t wait to show you how it looks installed next week.
Noah came for a chat in bed with me after Graham installed this beauty, and unprompted he commented on how the scale, natural materiality and luminescence of this fixture make our bedroom feel so thoughtfully connected and intimately beautiful. In this case, the scale is working for us and actually makes the room feel bigger.
(Side note: I don’t know too many 16 year old boys who will make such sophisticated observations. He’s a seriously cool kid.)
To compliment the elegant and slightly contemporary edge of the alabaster discs in the Serenity, I’ve chosen a pair of Caton table lamps from Hudson Valley Lighting for our nightstands.
The Caton is not super tall at 17 1/4″ high, which is exactly what I wanted so that I could layer artwork behind them casually leaned against the wall. Their solid crystal base glows when they’re turned on, adding to their simple elegance. I just love the Caton’s curvy silhouette and her effortless elegance. Definitely my kind of girl (I mean, table lamp).
FORM MEETS FUNCTION IN OUR NIGHTSTANDS
With our bedroom being as small as it is and our love for a king sized bed being as real as it is, we needed to find nightstands that could work hard and look really good doing it. Specifically, we needed nightstands that were a max of 36″ wide and had three large and functional drawers to house all our folded bits and pieces. We have a large closet that spans the entire wall across from our bed, but no room for a dresser otherwise, so our nightstands essentially function as dressers for us.
Let me tell you, the options for nightstands in the 26-36″ wide dimension range are hard to find. Manufacturers just don’t seem to understand this need in the market, that is apart from my friends at Bernhardt who have several options that meet these parameters and totally saved the day with theirĀ Clarendon nightstand which is the perfect fit for our space!
The custom bed frame wound up a few inches wider than originally designed, but the Clarendon still fits perfectly and gives us the additional storage we need for a truly functional bedroom.
ORIGINAL ART FOR EXPRESSIVE STORYTELLING
As mentioned, my plan for the art is to layer a pair of pieces behind each of the table lamps. When searching for options, I found myself not wanting to disrespect an artist by hiding half of their work. I also found myself itching to put my art background to work and create again, so I set my hand to creating this pair – The Unwinding and Unexpected Peace – for our space.
Thank you to all of you on Instagram who affirmed me in re-engaging in art making. Based on your feedback, I plan to make some works available for sale in the coming weeks, so watch for that. In the meantime, I’m super excited to get these two framed up in their custom Framed & Matted frames and layered in place behind the lamps. Hopefully that will happen tomorrow.
Even more exciting is the gorgeous original work on paper that the beautiful human Zoe Pawlak sent me.
Entitled “Just Some Partial Darkness,” it speaks to Zoe’s understanding of the human struggle for meaning and beauty. Not all of life is light, and yet as Leonard Cohen says, the cracks are how the light gets in. This has been so painfully true for me on my health journey. I’ve been transformed in so many ways by wrestling with the darkness, and I believe I’ll be coming out the other side of Lyme Disease a much stronger, more resilient person than if I’d never walked this path. This beautiful piece by Zoe will be a daily reminder of that resilient hope, and I love that I’ll see it every morning when I wake up.
EXPRESSING STYLE WITH TEXTILES
As you know, the base of this room is very neutral, albeit richly textural. Given that the room is small and the vibe I’m after is sexy and moody, I didn’t want to overwhelm the space with too much pattern. That said, the textiles on the bed are where I’m having some fun, starting with this insanely gorgeous embroidered linen by my friends Beth and Carolina from Pulp Studios. Their whole collection for S.Harris is stunning (and they’ll be releasing a second collection soon – I’m already obsessed), but Hidalgo had my heart from hello.
To layer in front of these stunning embroidered beauties, I’ve got an extra wide bolster from the absolute pillow queen Arianna Belle.
I don’t want to show you the whole thing yet so as not to spoil the surprise, but suffice it to say these textiles are definitely going to bring a sexy, sophisticated edge to this space.
To finish the bed, I’m going to layer a tasseled Turkish Souk Blanket from my friend Brittany at The Vintage Rug Shop over the end of our gorgeous White Terry duvet cover. The goal is layered and luxe and a bit of a traveled vibe, and I can’t wait to finally put it all together!
Apart from styling the nightstands, that is truly it, my friends! Those are the last loving layers that will make this Healthy Master Bedroom Makeover as pretty as she is restful. We are sooo close now I can taste it, and the taste is pretty sweet!
Be sure to check in on the progress of the other One Room Challenge participants and mark your calendars for the big reveal next Thursday! I truly cannot wait.
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