master bedroom

Patience Makes Perfect: Part Three

November 9, 2022

Back again today with Part Three of this lovely home’s transformation. In case you missed them, here are links to Part One and Part Two … the Kitchen and Family Room.

Today we are heading into the Master Bedroom! This room started out with pink walls. The bedding was a pale blue with shades of pink and sage green in a kind of Chinoiserie pattern that featured Chinese lanterns. Drapes were sage green, and there were two bergère chairs in off white against the windows. One side of the bed had an antique pine chest and the other side was a skirted table. On top were two large Cornflower blue lamps. While I don’t have a Before photo of the whole room, below is a picture my client had on Chairish to sell the existing bed, It gives you some idea of where we started.

And here it is today!

It feels so elegant and serene. With all of the bold colors and patterns of the original design, the goal here was to keep things soft and quiet and I think we achieved just that.

With tray ceilings like this, my preference is to take the paint color all the way up and to the ceiling to avoid a harsh line as in the first photo. We painted this room Sherwin Williams Alabaster.

This shot shows a few of my favorite elements. First, the bedside lamps from Circa Lighting … that shape is so good! Next, the lovely rattan and wicker bench at the end of the bed adds some warmth and texture.

Also, the gorgeous rug from Loloi (one of the first things we got and the colors were really our jumping off point for the room. Sadly it is no longer available.)

And let’s talk about these dressers we used as nightstands …

From Noir Furniture, the Daryl dresser is just gorgeous with the reeded fronts and vintage-inspired brass pulls. The white-washed finish was perfect for our soft breezy look while still leaning traditional which was important because we wanted to keep this beautiful traditional armoire that my client already owned …

I just love this corner vignette. The chair and ottoman are from Highland House. The fan is the Maverick from Circa Lighting. We were so happy to find a BEAUTIFUL fan!

The gorgeous abstract landscape is by Jacquie Gouveia and brings our soft color palette to this corner perfectly. The pharmacy lamp is from Circa and the side table is from Wisteria (no longer available). We loved the basket weave texture.

artwork by Jacquie Gouveia Pillow from Jolie Marche

The lovely sheer drapery panels you see in the background were custom-made by Karen Flanagan of Sew Special Designs.

Here you can see how they flank the windows and soften that far side of the room.

The bedding we selected is from Pom Pom Home – a beautiful white linen with subtle frayed edges and one of their lovely throws to add some color at the end of the bed.

We decided on a fun combo of decorative pillows from Chloe and Olive on Etsy and Jolie Marche. I love this set up of three large pillows in front of the sleeping pillows with one long lumbar. It feels special but not excessive.

The bed is the Lawson Shelter bed from RH and was chosen for it’s extra tall height, eliminating the need to hang anything over the bed.

Instead we hung this fun abstract entitled “Swirls” by Kristin Blakeney on the large wall next to the bed. My client is hoping to secure another piece by her to hang with it – but her new releases go fast!

So that’s the Master Bedroom! Such a calm and soothing place to retire at the end of the day. That was the goal! Thank you for following along on this three day journey of this beautiful home. And thank you once again to Marina Storm of Picture Perfect House for her wonderful photography.

A Suite Transformation

November 16, 2016

You guys … I am so excited to show you the transformation of this Master Bedroom Suite. My clients moved into their beautiful home over two years ago, but as is typical with most families, other areas of the house were prioritized over the Master Bedroom and Bathroom. It was time to show this space a little love! If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my sneak peak of the Bedroom last week. Now it’s time for the full reveal of both spaces. I had the pleasure of once again collaborating with Stephanie of Plain & Posh on the Bathroom design. I think you’ll love the results.

Here is where we started in the bedroom – I don’t even have too many pictures as we were basically working with a blank slate. My clients were ready for new furniture, bedding, rug, paint … the works.

And here we are today …

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Photography by Picture Perfect House

Since the bedroom before was mostly neutral and shades of brown, I wanted to bring some color in – pale green walls (Sherwin Williams – Sea Salt) and deep Indigo blue are one of my favorite combinations. Since the Indigo is a strong color, I used it around the room but kept much of the other elements light and neutral. Warm wood tones mixed with brass and marble accents also warmed things up and provided a modern rustic vibe that feels elegant but also cozy.

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One goal was to create a cozy seating area in front of these gorgeous windows … one that would actually get used! Instead of the loveseat that was there previously, I suggested two comfy chairs and an ottoman they could put their feet up on. Tables (for coffee cups … or wine glasses!) were a must and a killer chandelier fills out the space.

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We kept window treatments to a minimum since a) there are so many windows b) my clients really like having all of the windows open during the day since their backyard is so pretty and private and c) we felt like there was enough softness in that area with the chair, ottoman and pillow fabrics. But – for evening privacy and to help darken the room in the early morning, we added pretty textured roller shades from Hunter Douglas that work from a remote. One push of a button and they all come down at once! How cool is that?

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Ok – so magazine spreads rarely show you a TV in the bedroom – but who are we kidding? How great is it to snuggle up in bed and watch TV? The TV wall can still be pretty!

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Just put a gorgeous textured console with ring pulls under it and flank it with brass swing-arm lamps!

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I love how this piece ties in with the nightstands without being too matchy-matchy.

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We tried a few different things over the nightstands … but ultimately decided we needed to go-big-or-go-home. I am obsessed with these mirrors!

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Ok … are you ready to see the Bathroom? Follow me this way …

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Hold -up! I am going to keep you waiting a little longer. 😉 You want to see the “Befores” don’t you?

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Inherited from the previous owners it was a classic 90’s bathroom. But certainly a lot of space to work with! Here it is today …

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The goal here was to create a bathroom that was light, bright and timeless. I always love collaborating on projects with Stephanie of Plain & Posh. She is so creative, has a great eye and her cabinetry designs are both beautiful and functional.

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And how can you not love this beauty …

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The door to the bathroom sits on an angle, so we played that up by laying the tile on angle as well – the diamond pattern is one of my favorite elements.

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For artwork, the acrylic framed close-up photographs of Agate stones bring in a natural, organic element and the colors tie in with the palette we used in the bedroom.

For the shower floor, we chose a basketweave pattern and paired it with a white subway tile running vertically up the wall.

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And finally – those tall ceilings call for a dramatic light fixture. I fell in love with this Bubble light and begged my clients to trust me! SO glad they did – it’s perfect for this bathroom, don’t you think?

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Of course – remodeling always seems to open a can of worms, doesn’t it? Next up on my client’s Wish-list – changing out all of the brass hinges and knobs throughout the house. There are a LOT! Somehow they are lot easier to overlook when you’ve got a gorgeous space like this to live in though, right?

Once again – I can’t thank my clients enough for bringing me into their most personal space to create something beautiful. I hope they love it as much as I do! And a big thank you to the lovely Marina of Picture Perfect House for capturing this space in pictures.

xo-amy

Shopping, Champagne and Chandeliers … oh my!

January 19, 2016

Have you been to the new Restoration Hardware in the city yet? (Technically it’s called RH Chicago, The Gallery at the Three Arts Club). Judging by the steady flow of people mingling around the place with drinks in hand this past Saturday afternoon I would guess that there are quite a few of you who have! Did you love it as much as I did?

Tip: If you’re planning to dine in this lovely glass-roof atrium, (and I highly recommend you do!) put your name in for a table immediately upon entering. We were quoted a 1 hour 15 minute wait, which ended up being about an hour. But that’s okay – grab a coffee … or a Bellini (!) at the 3 Arts Cafe counter and start your own tour through this amazing store – all 5 floors of it!

The restaurant and loungey areas are take up most of the first floor. The 2nd floor is set up as a series of to-die-for bedrooms and bathrooms, all decked out in RH’s signature rustic elegance.

(I would move into this bedroom/bathroom/sitting room combo tomorrow!)

I’m putting this rolling ladder shelf on my Wish List.

The 3rd floor is Baby, Child and Teen – they were honestly some of the most fun and creative rooms.

In my fantasy world – this would be my daughter’s room. (I would also need a daughter, ha! I did say this was fantasy.)

Who am I kidding – I could live in this room just fine by myself.

Love this subtle wall treatment –

How about the entrance to this “hang-out” room. Heavy metal chains hung in the doorway. It’s very Brady Bunch meets Keeping up With the Kardashians …

Of course, there were some very cool boys rooms too – I love their use of dark colors, leathers and vintage pieces to make these rooms feel cozy but cool.

Love these bookshelves …

And the nurseries … so sweet and perfect for boy or girl. I just love the map wallpaper.

And here’s a precious idea to steal – photographs of animal babies hung over the crib:

Is it weird that Dan and I stood there for several minutes oooing and aaahing over how cute the baby animals were?

They continued the use of rope in a cool ceiling treatment too –

On up to the 4th Floor which was RH Modern and Artwork. Definitely a different vibe –

This gives new meaning to the word “bar-cart” –

Finally up one more flight of stairs – (there’s an elevator too – but you don’t want to miss this staircase)

And the view is worth the walk up …

A lovely rooftop to showcase their Outdoor Collection – I ‘d love to throw a party up here, wouldn’t you?

At this point you hope you’re receiving a text that says your table’s ready. But if not, just head back down stairs, lounge a little on the comfy sofas and enjoy the view.

(I really want to figure out how to do those uplit wine racks in my house.)

And finally – Voila!

Such a cozy spot on a cold winter’s day. Are you ready to plan your visit?

Client Files: Virtual Bedroom Makeover

January 15, 2013

A big part of what I love about this business is being invited into people’s homes and lives to help them create spaces that will make them feel happy, cozy, excited … rooms that will make them swoon a little bit every day.

What has surprised me is that in this crazy, connected digital world we live in … people in different cities across the country still invite me into their homes and I am able to work with them without even hopping a plane. It’s pretty fun too.

When Brittany who lives outside of Atlanta contacted me about helping her with her Master Bedroom this fall, she sent me these pictures and wrote:

“As you can see its really drab and boring. I want it to be a cozy, comfy space but also elegant and kind of my “getaway”. Unfortunately there are some pieces that have to stay for now (headboard, bench and furniture … night stands, dressers, etc). Depending on your thoughts I could be open to replacing the nightstands or something but my budget isn’t huge so that will probably dictate a lot.

Obviously that huge blob…aka the dog bed can go and everything else is free game….even wall color. In regards to color I will send some pics from Pinterest to give you an idea of what I like, but I am open. I like a basic color scheme with pops of color. I want it to look fresh and modern but something that won’t look dated in 3 years. I LOVE your master bedroom!”

We wrote back and forth via email for awhile and I began to create an inspiration board for her with a list of specific things to purchase for her room. We changed the paint color from what was originally more of a baby-blue to a pretty gray-blue. In order to keep within her budget, I decided to work with the existing nightstands.

Of course, it is fun to start with a completely blank slate when decorating a room … the rooms you see in magazines have every last detail selected by the designer. But in real life, a lot of us have furniture we already purchased, spent good money on and just can’t replace after only a few years. I really enjoy helping people work with what they have. You can still transform a room without buying all new furniture.

Here was the initial inspiration board I sent her:

I wanted to keep the colors soft and light but to add some pattern, texture and touches of elegance.

Brittany got busy buying and ordering and sent me some progress pictures along the way. Just after New Year’s she sent me the following note with these “After” shots:

“Here are the final shots!I still need to pick up the lamp for my dresser and want to get a few more accessories for my husbands night stand and dresser, but all in all right now it looks amazing. I can’t tell you how many people have come over and just swooned 🙂 over how great it looks. It seriously is my favorite room in our house now.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!”

I think Brittany did a great job of executing the plans I sent her and the room now has a fresh, modern feel. The gold drapery panels add a touch of warmth to the otherwise cool tones of the room. What a fun project to work on and a fun client to work for! A big thanks to Brittany for letting me share this peek inside her home!

Master Bedroom Mini Makeover

August 7, 2012

If you remember my post Dare to Go White from a few weeks ago, you know that I have been daydreaming about all white bedding in my master bedroom for awhile.

Well, I finally took the plunge …

… and I must admit, it makes me swoon.

Remember it before?

And after …

It just feels crisp and fresh and reminds me of staying at some of my favorite hotels.

Sometimes less really is more, don’t you think?

The pillow shams and duvet cover are from Serena and Lily, the Border Frame collection in the Bark color.

The matelasse coverlet is from Pine Cone Hill. I love the subtle texture (that easily hides bumps and wrinkles!) and it’s lightweight feel.

Of course, I couldn’t resist at least one pillow with some color.

This is one of my favorite fabrics from Kelly Wearstler … Bengal Bazaar in Magenta. I priced out ordering a yard of the fabric and having a lumbar pillow made, but even with my designer discount, nothing beats Etsy. I saw a smaller pillow made out of this fabric at a shop called Spark Modern, so I contacted the sellers and asked if they could make a lumbar pillow to my specifications, using the same fabric. They said it was no problem … and I had my pillow within a couple of weeks … for less than what a yard of the fabric costs! Swoon!

I must also point out here … as I did to my dear husband, that with this “new look” I have reduced the number of “decorative pillows” from 8 to 4! (Seriously, I think that is his favorite part, right honey?)

By changing just one thing, it really feels like a whole new room. (Still need some curtains and a comfy chaise …)

Does your master bedroom need a mini-makeover? I’d be happy to help!