Room of the Day: Bringing Intimacy to a Big Master Bedroom
A smart and well-detailed design makes a spacious master bedroom feel cozier, warmer and more inviting
Most homeowners would be thrilled to have a large bedroom, but sometimes too much space can make a room feel cold and uninviting. That was the case for Jim and Christi Summers when they moved from California to a traditional center-hall Colonial in Potomac, Maryland.
“After” photos by Angie Seckinger
AFTER: They hired designer Roxanne Lumme for help, and she got to work bringing the ceiling down visually by painting it a dark color in contrast with the light walls. She then established zones for sleeping, lounging, catching up on mail and enjoying a glass of wine to make the cavernous space feel more like a collection of smaller rooms.
Lumme removed paneling behind the new upholstered charcoal-gray bed to allow room for a new sunburst mirror, and the moldings were painted a warm ivory color to blend in with the walls. “We wanted to take the emphasis off the moldings, because we didn’t want that to be the first thing you see,” she says.
She brought in a cozy, dark taupe-gray color to significantly warm the space. “The room didn’t feel so cavernous [after that], and it brought the scale down,” Christi says. “It also softened the room.”
An extra-large 15-by-22-foot taupe-gray and ivory wool rug with a subtle pattern adds warmth to the dark plank wood floor.
Paint by Benjamin Moore: Ivory White 925 (walls) and Chelsea Gray HC-168 (ceiling); upholstered bed: custom, Lancaster Custom Works; bed upholstery fabric: 36208-433, Duralee; bench: The Charles Stewart Co.; bench fabric: Starburst W72774, Thibaut
AFTER: They hired designer Roxanne Lumme for help, and she got to work bringing the ceiling down visually by painting it a dark color in contrast with the light walls. She then established zones for sleeping, lounging, catching up on mail and enjoying a glass of wine to make the cavernous space feel more like a collection of smaller rooms.
Lumme removed paneling behind the new upholstered charcoal-gray bed to allow room for a new sunburst mirror, and the moldings were painted a warm ivory color to blend in with the walls. “We wanted to take the emphasis off the moldings, because we didn’t want that to be the first thing you see,” she says.
She brought in a cozy, dark taupe-gray color to significantly warm the space. “The room didn’t feel so cavernous [after that], and it brought the scale down,” Christi says. “It also softened the room.”
An extra-large 15-by-22-foot taupe-gray and ivory wool rug with a subtle pattern adds warmth to the dark plank wood floor.
Paint by Benjamin Moore: Ivory White 925 (walls) and Chelsea Gray HC-168 (ceiling); upholstered bed: custom, Lancaster Custom Works; bed upholstery fabric: 36208-433, Duralee; bench: The Charles Stewart Co.; bench fabric: Starburst W72774, Thibaut
A sculptural chandelier replaced the existing ceiling fan. “The size and loops just fill up the room, and the contrast between the dark ceiling and the brass of the chandelier makes it pop,” Lumme says.
The geometric pattern on the bed’s bolster pillow repeats on the bench at the end of the bed and the chair used for the secretary desk.
Chandelier: Ringmaster 9490, Currey & Co.; rug: Daxon, Stark Carpet
The geometric pattern on the bed’s bolster pillow repeats on the bench at the end of the bed and the chair used for the secretary desk.
Chandelier: Ringmaster 9490, Currey & Co.; rug: Daxon, Stark Carpet
By dividing the spacious bedroom into different zones, Lumme gave Jim and Christi a more user-friendly space with a king-size upholstered bed for sleeping, a desk area with secretary and this seating area made for lounging. Two ivory and gray lounge chairs with a woven herringbone pattern are flanked by aged gold C-shaped side tables with antique mirrors on top.
The Summers inherited the floor-length framed mirror from the previous owners of the home, and Lumme turned it into a focal point by adding a console table in front and placing two brass lamps with a touch of gold and ivory shades on top.
Chinoiserie panels on each side of the seating area offer contrast and complete the large, open wall space.
Argentinian console 49440: Jonathan Charles Fine Furniture; console lamps: Colette 6040, Currey & Co.; floor mirror: homeowners’ own; chinoiserie panels: commissioned from artist Richard Schaad; lounge chairs: CR Laine; lounge chair fabric: Cline 15638-15, Duralee; side tables: Chelsea House
The Summers inherited the floor-length framed mirror from the previous owners of the home, and Lumme turned it into a focal point by adding a console table in front and placing two brass lamps with a touch of gold and ivory shades on top.
Chinoiserie panels on each side of the seating area offer contrast and complete the large, open wall space.
Argentinian console 49440: Jonathan Charles Fine Furniture; console lamps: Colette 6040, Currey & Co.; floor mirror: homeowners’ own; chinoiserie panels: commissioned from artist Richard Schaad; lounge chairs: CR Laine; lounge chair fabric: Cline 15638-15, Duralee; side tables: Chelsea House
The large round upholstered ottoman on casters includes an open shelf below for books and magazines.
The “bachelor chest” nightstands feature textured walnut veneers on the drawers. The brass sunburst mirror provides what Lumme calls an exclamation point for that part of the bedroom.
Duvet and shams: Williams-Sonoma Home; bolster and throw pillow: custom; nightstands: Haven Bachelor’s Chest 346-230, Bernhardt; ottoman: Vanguard Furniture; ottoman fabric: Contentment in Daffodil, Robert Allen Design; gold sunburst mirror: Pottery Barn
The “bachelor chest” nightstands feature textured walnut veneers on the drawers. The brass sunburst mirror provides what Lumme calls an exclamation point for that part of the bedroom.
Duvet and shams: Williams-Sonoma Home; bolster and throw pillow: custom; nightstands: Haven Bachelor’s Chest 346-230, Bernhardt; ottoman: Vanguard Furniture; ottoman fabric: Contentment in Daffodil, Robert Allen Design; gold sunburst mirror: Pottery Barn
The bedroom enjoys lots of natural light, thanks to three corner windows and an 8-foot-tall French door that leads to a deck. The patterned, tone-on-tone window treatments hang from simple iron rods with no finials. “It was already busy enough with the moldings, so we wanted to keep things simple,” Lumme says. The fabric inspired the room’s color palette, and the pattern includes peacocks, reflecting Christi’s love for birds.
The elegant lamps on the nightstands have a slim shape and a gold finish that references the gold on the chandelier and the lounge area side tables.
Nightstand lamps: Ballet 6129, Currey & Co.; drapery fabric: Woodside collection 21003-140, Duralee
The elegant lamps on the nightstands have a slim shape and a gold finish that references the gold on the chandelier and the lounge area side tables.
Nightstand lamps: Ballet 6129, Currey & Co.; drapery fabric: Woodside collection 21003-140, Duralee
The black lacquer secretary with gold hardware gives Christi a place to write letters or thank-you notes, with lots of drawers for storage. A collection of urns adds height to this side of the bedroom. “To me, what really makes this bedroom is the way we were able to bring in color and texture,” Lumme says. “We gave the eye very specific places to go, so it distracts you from the fact that the room is so large.”
Secretary and accent chair: Hickory Chair
See more bedroom stories
Secretary and accent chair: Hickory Chair
See more bedroom stories
Who lives here: Jim and Christi Summers
Location: Potomac, Maryland
Size: About 400 square feet (37.1 square meters)
BEFORE: The Summers wanted their new generously sized master bedroom, seen here with its heavy moldings, 10½-foot ceiling and out-of-place burlap drapes, to feel cozier and more intimate.