New This Week: 5 Bold and Colorful Bedrooms
Take inspiration from these uplifting bedrooms to inject a little pattern and personality into your bedroom
Other special features. Blumenfeld-Russo custom-designed the bed with a built-in pillow headboard and chose the deep purple-brown Castel Maison fabric to complement the dark gray wallpaper. “The bed stands are family heirlooms from my grandparents, which were brought back from one of their trips to China,” she says. “The bedding I picked up on a recent trip to India. The rug was purchased by me on a trip to Nepal. The chair is a family heirloom from my parents. I refurbished and upholstered it in two tones of linen by Fabric and Steel. The wooden Buddha was purchased by me on a recent trip to Cambodia.”
Designer secret. “I am so inspired by traveling the world, which inspires my design,” Blumenfeld-Russo says. “Installing the Porter Teleo paper brought my collection of eclectic pieces together without looking thematic.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “I typically recommend to wallpaper the whole room. But I wanted to keep the fresh, light feeling, so decided to paper just the accent wall and bring the return around the closet, which was a little unusual and scary but ended up creating a little bed nook within our space, which we love.”
Paint on built-in bookcases and drawers: Silver Satin, Benjamin Moore; bed: custom-designed by Laurie Blumenfeld-Russo with fabric by Castel Maison, fabricated by The Work Room; light fixture: Kenneth Cobonpue; bedding: Shades of India; chair fabric: Fabric and Steel; sconces: Flos
Designer secret. “I am so inspired by traveling the world, which inspires my design,” Blumenfeld-Russo says. “Installing the Porter Teleo paper brought my collection of eclectic pieces together without looking thematic.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “I typically recommend to wallpaper the whole room. But I wanted to keep the fresh, light feeling, so decided to paper just the accent wall and bring the return around the closet, which was a little unusual and scary but ended up creating a little bed nook within our space, which we love.”
Paint on built-in bookcases and drawers: Silver Satin, Benjamin Moore; bed: custom-designed by Laurie Blumenfeld-Russo with fabric by Castel Maison, fabricated by The Work Room; light fixture: Kenneth Cobonpue; bedding: Shades of India; chair fabric: Fabric and Steel; sconces: Flos
2. Daring and Eclectic
Designer: Leslie Landis
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. Leslie Landis designed this bedroom for homeowner Carrie Hayward. “Our bedroom was the usual motley collection of hand-me-downs, cheap stopgap pieces from earlier in our lives and just one heirloom piece,” Hayward says. “We had placed the furniture on the fly as we moved in and never really considered that there might be a better arrangement for it. In search of a sophisticated, welcoming room I’d love to spend time in, I’d torn an inspiration picture out of a magazine. But I had no idea where to start.
“Leslie immediately suggested a new position for the bed, and suddenly the room snapped into place before we’d made a single purchase. The new layout created the reading nook I craved and gave my husband usable space in front of his dresser. From there, it was just a matter of selecting my favorite fabrics, furniture and finishes, along with designing the custom-upholstered bed of my dreams.”
Wallpaper. Bamboo by Cowtan & Tout. “It became the starting point for the room,” Hayward says. “I loved that it combined my favorite type of pattern, geometric, with my favorite decor style, Palm Beach chic. In fact, my love for bamboo became so rampant in the furniture, hardware, chandelier and mirrors that Leslie finally had to stage an intervention. The bamboo bedroom has reached maximum saturation.”
Designer: Leslie Landis
Location: Los Angeles
Size: 200 square feet (19 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. Leslie Landis designed this bedroom for homeowner Carrie Hayward. “Our bedroom was the usual motley collection of hand-me-downs, cheap stopgap pieces from earlier in our lives and just one heirloom piece,” Hayward says. “We had placed the furniture on the fly as we moved in and never really considered that there might be a better arrangement for it. In search of a sophisticated, welcoming room I’d love to spend time in, I’d torn an inspiration picture out of a magazine. But I had no idea where to start.
“Leslie immediately suggested a new position for the bed, and suddenly the room snapped into place before we’d made a single purchase. The new layout created the reading nook I craved and gave my husband usable space in front of his dresser. From there, it was just a matter of selecting my favorite fabrics, furniture and finishes, along with designing the custom-upholstered bed of my dreams.”
Wallpaper. Bamboo by Cowtan & Tout. “It became the starting point for the room,” Hayward says. “I loved that it combined my favorite type of pattern, geometric, with my favorite decor style, Palm Beach chic. In fact, my love for bamboo became so rampant in the furniture, hardware, chandelier and mirrors that Leslie finally had to stage an intervention. The bamboo bedroom has reached maximum saturation.”
Other special features. Landis “found the Beacon Hill Hidden Temple fabric in emerald, and I loved it so much that we used it for the draperies and the bed,” Hayward says. “I designed the bed with Leslie’s help because I had a very specific set of requirements. I wanted the bed to be high enough to store our art collection underneath in archival flat files, and I wanted a footboard to keep the covers from sliding off.
“I also had the bedding customized. I wanted a duvet cover we could flip over and launder regularly, so I had two of my favorite Matouk sheets sewn together, with hidden zippers extending up the two longer sides and ties on the inside to hold the comforter in place. My seamstress also created the fretwork bolster pillow using the same red trim fabric we used on the headboard and footboard.”
“I also had the bedding customized. I wanted a duvet cover we could flip over and launder regularly, so I had two of my favorite Matouk sheets sewn together, with hidden zippers extending up the two longer sides and ties on the inside to hold the comforter in place. My seamstress also created the fretwork bolster pillow using the same red trim fabric we used on the headboard and footboard.”
Designer secret. “I still marvel at Leslie’s ability to look at a room and know exactly where the furniture should be placed for best balance and flow,” Hayward says. “Simply rotating our bed 90 degrees made this room feel like a totally different place and improved its livability 100 percent.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “When my husband walked into the newly wallpapered room, he immediately noticed that the paper had been hung upside down,” Hayward says. “The bamboo hexagons have a slight drop shadow, and the wallpaper installer and I just matched the orientation based on that of the manufacturer’s label on the back of our sample. It turns out the label was upside down. I am not proud of my ensuing epic meltdown. But I am proud to say that — after several days of deliriously calculating the cost to repurchase and reinstall all the wallpaper — I finally learned to live with it. Nobody knows it’s upside down except me, my husband and now every single reader of Houzz.”
See more of this colorful home
“Uh-oh” moment. “When my husband walked into the newly wallpapered room, he immediately noticed that the paper had been hung upside down,” Hayward says. “The bamboo hexagons have a slight drop shadow, and the wallpaper installer and I just matched the orientation based on that of the manufacturer’s label on the back of our sample. It turns out the label was upside down. I am not proud of my ensuing epic meltdown. But I am proud to say that — after several days of deliriously calculating the cost to repurchase and reinstall all the wallpaper — I finally learned to live with it. Nobody knows it’s upside down except me, my husband and now every single reader of Houzz.”
See more of this colorful home
3. Retro and Refined
Designer: Alden Miller
Location: Palo Alto, California
Homeowners’ request. Revamp a master bedroom to add comfort and quality in a “contemporary version of 1970s style,” designer Alden Miller says.
Wallpaper. Hydrangea by Trustworth. “The wall treatment was a starting point along with the wall itself to achieve the separation from dressing room and master bath while bringing in a major element of the aesthetic goals,” Miller says.
Designer: Alden Miller
Location: Palo Alto, California
Homeowners’ request. Revamp a master bedroom to add comfort and quality in a “contemporary version of 1970s style,” designer Alden Miller says.
Wallpaper. Hydrangea by Trustworth. “The wall treatment was a starting point along with the wall itself to achieve the separation from dressing room and master bath while bringing in a major element of the aesthetic goals,” Miller says.
Other special features. Custom built-in cabinets and headboard. “Most homeowners with a 1970s-era house are looking to bring the style out of the ’70s, whereas these homeowners wanted to make their home reflect the ’70s but in a contemporary, thoughtful, well-designed way,” Miller says. “Creating this master bedroom retreat involved using textures and colors reminiscent of the ’70s, with high-quality materials and textiles and design to elevate it into the modern world.”
Designer secret. “Incorporating storage cabinets right into the wall and surrounding a doorway and entry creates a functional and visually appealing entryway and viewpoint into the space beyond,” Miller says.
Headboard: custom-made by Henry Built with fabric by Fortuny from Sloan Miyasato; bedding: Volterra fabric in Barley by C.&C. Milano from Malatesta, Calimala fabric in Biscotto by Clarence House from Malatesta, and Cambridge cord in Melon by Samuel & Sons from Kneedler Fauchère
Designer secret. “Incorporating storage cabinets right into the wall and surrounding a doorway and entry creates a functional and visually appealing entryway and viewpoint into the space beyond,” Miller says.
Headboard: custom-made by Henry Built with fabric by Fortuny from Sloan Miyasato; bedding: Volterra fabric in Barley by C.&C. Milano from Malatesta, Calimala fabric in Biscotto by Clarence House from Malatesta, and Cambridge cord in Melon by Samuel & Sons from Kneedler Fauchère
4. Mauve and Modern
Designer: Natasha Penzo of Urban Blueprint
Location: Toronto
Size: 224 square feet (21 square meters); 14 by 16 feet
Homeowners’ request. A soothing master en suite with soft shades but also drama and elegance.
Wallpaper. Lotus in mauve by Farrow & Ball. “Many homeowners are hesitant with wallcoverings and only wallpaper one wall in a bedroom as a feature wall,” designer Natasha Penzo says. “This room shows you that if you envelop the whole room in wallpaper, it has a great effect.”
Designer: Natasha Penzo of Urban Blueprint
Location: Toronto
Size: 224 square feet (21 square meters); 14 by 16 feet
Homeowners’ request. A soothing master en suite with soft shades but also drama and elegance.
Wallpaper. Lotus in mauve by Farrow & Ball. “Many homeowners are hesitant with wallcoverings and only wallpaper one wall in a bedroom as a feature wall,” designer Natasha Penzo says. “This room shows you that if you envelop the whole room in wallpaper, it has a great effect.”
Other special features. Trim and custom built-in cabinetry painted in After the Rain by Benjamin Moore. Wool drapes. Mirror-front nightstands.
“Uh-oh” moment. “When the client walked into the room with just the wallpaper, they thought they had made a mistake,” Penzo says. “It wasn’t until we started adding the paint, the light fixtures and all of the other design elements that the room really came together. Trust the process. You can’t look at items in silos with design and construction. You have to look at the final product.”
Bed and linen: Elte; drapes: Lee Jofa; night tables and lamps: Barbara Barry; blanket: MissoniHome; bench and fur pillows: Absolutely Home; light fixture: Aerin; rug: Y&Co; cabinet hardware: satin nickel, Nest Studio
See more of this home
“Uh-oh” moment. “When the client walked into the room with just the wallpaper, they thought they had made a mistake,” Penzo says. “It wasn’t until we started adding the paint, the light fixtures and all of the other design elements that the room really came together. Trust the process. You can’t look at items in silos with design and construction. You have to look at the final product.”
Bed and linen: Elte; drapes: Lee Jofa; night tables and lamps: Barbara Barry; blanket: MissoniHome; bench and fur pillows: Absolutely Home; light fixture: Aerin; rug: Y&Co; cabinet hardware: satin nickel, Nest Studio
See more of this home
5. Cool and Contemporary
Designer: Christopher Kitterman of STADT Architecture
Location: New York City
Size: 114 square feet (11 square meters); 12 by 9½ feet
Homeowners’ request. “Our clients, whose primary residence is in Vancouver, expressed a desire to bring some of the lush natural landscape from southwestern Canada to mitigate downtown Manhattan’s concrete landscape,” says architect Christopher Kitterman. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t literally accommodate a green living wall into the living areas as our clients could go months without being in the space. However, we reconsidered ‘landscape’ as a custom hand-painted wall covering.
Wall treatment. Custom color-and-drip layout version of Calico’s Satori wallpaper. “We worked closely with Calico to fine-tune the green palette tones and then drew the elevation on where the drips would occur,” Kitterman says. “By using a photo of Vancouver’s Stanley Park showing a golden sun streaming through a lush evergreen landscape, we developed our wallcovering, which is a translation of this image, a gold-leafed field that melds into a series of rich, saturated green tones.”
Designer: Christopher Kitterman of STADT Architecture
Location: New York City
Size: 114 square feet (11 square meters); 12 by 9½ feet
Homeowners’ request. “Our clients, whose primary residence is in Vancouver, expressed a desire to bring some of the lush natural landscape from southwestern Canada to mitigate downtown Manhattan’s concrete landscape,” says architect Christopher Kitterman. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t literally accommodate a green living wall into the living areas as our clients could go months without being in the space. However, we reconsidered ‘landscape’ as a custom hand-painted wall covering.
Wall treatment. Custom color-and-drip layout version of Calico’s Satori wallpaper. “We worked closely with Calico to fine-tune the green palette tones and then drew the elevation on where the drips would occur,” Kitterman says. “By using a photo of Vancouver’s Stanley Park showing a golden sun streaming through a lush evergreen landscape, we developed our wallcovering, which is a translation of this image, a gold-leafed field that melds into a series of rich, saturated green tones.”
“Canopy beds like the Great Bed of Ware by Hans Vredeman de Vries traditionally had landscape references incorporated into their design,” Kitterman says. “Using this example as a precedent, our custom wallcovering is analogous to the canopy bed’s use of upholstery and hand-carved embellishments, which line the canopy and headboard wall.
“For our design, the gold-leafed ceiling creates a luminous canopy over the bed, while the green field anchors the headboard wall. When privacy is not a concern, this room-sized architectural canopy bed becomes a visual focal point from the open living room. As needed, two large acid-etched glass doors close, obscuring visual details while still allowing natural light to filter through the apartment’s different spaces.”
Designer secret. “While we couldn’t literally accommodate the living-plan request, we found, what I hope is an original idea is to take inspiration from history and transform the idea for a contemporary lifestyle,” Kitterman says. “Instead of a hulking traditional canopy bed, we found a way to reference historical canopy beds but do so with off-the-shelf furnishings.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The ‘uh-oh’ moment was when our clients posed this problem to us,” Kitterman says. “Incorporating living plants would have been very exciting as part of our design vocabulary. We just didn’t have the space or the means to do this with our clients’ intermittent New York City visits. By our next design meeting, we had convinced them that a more abstract interpretation of landscape would be a better fit for their lifestyles.”
Bed: Asher, Rove Concepts; bedding: Frette; throw: mohair, Bronte by Moon; tables: Crate & Barrel; sconces: Pearl, Cedar & Moss; wood floor: LV Wood; wall paint: Oxford White, Benjamin Moore
See more of this home
More
8 Ideas From the Most Popular New Bedrooms
Key Measurements to Help You Design Your Dream Bedroom
Other Resources on Houzz
Get bedroom ideas
Find a designer
Browse bedroom products
“For our design, the gold-leafed ceiling creates a luminous canopy over the bed, while the green field anchors the headboard wall. When privacy is not a concern, this room-sized architectural canopy bed becomes a visual focal point from the open living room. As needed, two large acid-etched glass doors close, obscuring visual details while still allowing natural light to filter through the apartment’s different spaces.”
Designer secret. “While we couldn’t literally accommodate the living-plan request, we found, what I hope is an original idea is to take inspiration from history and transform the idea for a contemporary lifestyle,” Kitterman says. “Instead of a hulking traditional canopy bed, we found a way to reference historical canopy beds but do so with off-the-shelf furnishings.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The ‘uh-oh’ moment was when our clients posed this problem to us,” Kitterman says. “Incorporating living plants would have been very exciting as part of our design vocabulary. We just didn’t have the space or the means to do this with our clients’ intermittent New York City visits. By our next design meeting, we had convinced them that a more abstract interpretation of landscape would be a better fit for their lifestyles.”
Bed: Asher, Rove Concepts; bedding: Frette; throw: mohair, Bronte by Moon; tables: Crate & Barrel; sconces: Pearl, Cedar & Moss; wood floor: LV Wood; wall paint: Oxford White, Benjamin Moore
See more of this home
More
8 Ideas From the Most Popular New Bedrooms
Key Measurements to Help You Design Your Dream Bedroom
Other Resources on Houzz
Get bedroom ideas
Find a designer
Browse bedroom products
Designer: Laurie Blumenfeld-Russo of LBR Home
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 220½ square feet (20 square meters); 10½ by 21 feet
Homeowners’ request. This is the personal bedroom of designer Laurie Blumenfeld-Russo and her husband. “I was obsessed with Porter Teleo hand-painted wallpapers and needed an excuse to update my bedroom,” she says.
Wallpaper. Ink Blots in Or colorway by Porter Teleo. “I loved the drama of the metallic ink blots and the natural dark gray hand-painted on Japanese paper,” Blumenfeld-Russo says. “Such a statement.”