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Archive for the ‘Bedroom Furniture & Design Ideas’ Category

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Reworking Dead Space

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

The most obvious culprit of dead space in our homes is the corners of rooms. But dead space is actually any vacant or underutilized area in our homes. Of course dealing with dead space becomes more of an issue when living in an apartment or a condominium. However, the size of the living space really shouldn’t matter; by eliminating dead space in a room, you are not only adding functionality, you are also increasing your quality of life.

In the Bedroom

Look under the bed. If you don’t already have a platform bed that has drawers, consider adding some type of underbed storage system. This will give you the perfect place to keep extra bedding or seasonal clothing.

Look under the windows. Because the bed is commonly placed in the center of the room, the space below the sill is often overlooked. This would be a great place to put a console table, providing a place for a small lamp or a vase.

Look beside the bed. By replacing one of the two nightstands with a desk, you are not only using dead floor space, you’re increasing the room’s functionality.

In the Bathroom

Look straight ahead. Of all the rooms in your home, the walls in a bathroom are probably the most underutilized. Transform dead wall space into an organized area with a full length wall cabinet. Use a space-saver to convert the area above the toilet from bare to organizational bliss.

In the Living Room

Look around. Wherever there is space by a chair, end of the sofa or between a piece of furniture and the wall, consider putting a floor lamp.

Look up. When considering what type of window treatments, choose something that includes a valance or curtains that go from ceiling to floor. This eliminates the dead space directly above the windows. If there is wall space below the window, place a storage bench there; it will create a comfy place to sit and read while increasing the living room’s seating capacity.

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The Great Escape – Decorating a Contemporary Style Bedroom

Friday, November 19th, 2010

Some interior designers and interior decorators define contemporary style simply as what is happening at the moment regarding furniture and décor trends. However, other design professionals look at contemporary style as an off-shoot of modern, which emerged mid-twentieth century as a reaction to traditional design. Modern design stripped away anything that was “useless” or additional to the intrinsic form of the piece. Simply put, contemporary style softens the stark, undiluted appearance of modern bedroom furniture with some decorative detail, tapered profiles and/or textured leather, stone or metal accents. Contemporary style is ideal for those who want their bedroom to posses the clean, uncluttered look of modern, but still includes elements that give the room a warm, comfortable and relaxed look.

Choose a Neutral Palette

For a contemporary style bedroom that will serve as a great escape, choose neutral palettes for your walls that are conducive to relaxation and tranquility. Gray, cream, and pure white are all good choices. More neutral shades of earth tones such brown, taupe, sand and sage are also color palette alternatives for a contemporary bedroom. Should you wish to add color to the walls, choose a bold shade for an accent wall. Keep in mind, that the accent color you choose should have some context; in other words, it matches or complements something else in the room such as your curtains, an area rug or an accent piece.

Contemporary Style Bedroom Furniture

When creating a contemporary bedroom that will provide the perfect escape after a busy or tiring day, select bedroom furniture with clean lines, smooth expanses and matte or satin finishes. Another option to consider is a contemporary bedroom set in birch, pine or maple. While lighter finishes are often more readily associated with modern style, light colored furniture can work equally well in a contemporary style bedroom.

Even if you are decorating a smaller-sized room, when arranging the bedroom furniture, leave as much free space as possible around each piece. You don’t have to go all out Feng Shui, but not only will this make allowances for opening doors and drawers and traffic flow, it will also lend the room a spacious feel.

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The Great Escape – Decorating a Transitional Style Bedroom

Friday, November 12th, 2010

In terms of style, a transitional bedroom offers you the best of both worlds. With its blend of contemporary and traditional décor styles, transitional furniture has just enough decorative detail to remind you of its more formal roots, while possessing a relaxed, present-day sophistication. Transitional style bedroom furnishings merge angular and tapered lines with softly curving profiles. Transitional style is also known for its neutral palette, equally applicable to wood finishes like espresso, tan and vanilla as it is to wall color. The versatility of transitional style makes it a good choice for a great escape after a long day because it has an inherent chicness that is rejuvenating yet tranquil.

 Look Around

In order for a transitional style bedroom to provide a great escape, color palettes for the walls should be light hues of neutrals like white, beige and gray or earth tones that range from light tans to deep browns. Don’t forget that yellows like sand or the gold of autumn leaves can also considered earth tones.

 

Look Up

Transitional style lighting blends the romantic fluidity of formal, traditional chandeliers with contemporary functionality. Transitional light fixtures contrast clean, austere lines with gentle curves and polished metal finishes. While a transitional chandelier or table lamp has the appearance and elegance of traditional style, decorative accents are not as ornate.

Transitional Style Bedroom Furniture

At first glance, transitional style is frequently mistaken for more formal styles of furniture, but the real “tell” is the use of motifs; while they abound in traditional furniture pieces, decorative motifs are used sparingly in a transitional context. Transitional bedroom furniture borrows the best of the classic elements of traditional and contemporary styles, merging them for a more formal look while keeping contemporary simplicity and comfort in mind. Profiles and lines are less curvaceous.

Transitional bedroom furniture, especially focal pieces like the bed or dresser, is scaled for contemporary living spaces like apartments and condominiums. Typical upholstered accent pieces like armchairs or bed benches are often overstuffed fro dramatic effect. Since the emphasis is on uncluttered detail and restrained decorative accents, transitional furniture is a great way to create a relaxing bedroom that will be a great escape.

Come back next Friday for the third part of the Great Escape, where we’ll explore contemporary style for a bedroom sanctuary.

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From the Design Files of Heather B – Sleigh Beds

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Design Question

When dressing a sleigh bed, should it ever have a dust ruffle?

Design Answer

Whether or not you use a dust ruffle on your sleigh bed is really a personal preference. I have a sleigh bed and I constantly use the dust ruffle that came as part of the bed-in-a-bag. When the dust ruffle is in the wash, I really don’t enjoy seeing the space under the bed. I tend to feel that the bed doesn’t look completely dressed. On the other hand, I love seeing the exposed wood sides; it makes the bedroom look richer somehow.

You didn’t specify, but it would also depend on the type of sleigh bed that you own. For example, a platform sleigh bed is typically lower to the ground than a standard sleigh bed that uses a box spring. In that case, you probably wouldn’t be able to use a dust ruffle then, because the frame would be too low to the ground.

Hope this helps. Thanks for writing in. Come back next Monday for another design question and answer.

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The Great Escape – Decorating a Traditional Style Bedroom

Friday, November 5th, 2010

There is something about a traditional style bedroom that is lushly dramatic, grandiose and regal. But there is also something very comforting and soothingly luxurious about a bedroom with traditional furnishings. Lines are richly curved and scrolled; decorative detail displays flourishes and motifs; and designs incorporate shapes and forms to create textures. A traditional style bedroom that is romantically reminiscent of a bedroom that belonged to a queen or king in the1700s or 1800s gives the room a sense of historical tradition and timelessness that will provide a great escape from hectic, everyday life.

Look Around

When choosing what to do with the walls in your traditional style bedroom, don’t summarily write-off wallpaper. Wallpaper is making a comeback, and especially for a traditional bedroom with a royal feel, it will lend the room a palpable texture that is visually rich.

Whether you opt to wallpaper or paint, colors should be muted. Avoid bright oranges and reds, including saturated hues, as they will give the room a modern rather than traditional vibe. Soft or less intense shades of jewel or berry tones such as jade or strawberry are ideal choices for a traditional Victorian style bedroom.

Look Up

In order for your traditional bedroom to be a great escape from your busy day, choose lighting that will give you options to shed a soft glow or to shine bright. A chandelier on a dimmer switch would be ideal. In keeping with the grand royal statement that traditional style makes, choose one that has elegantly shaped teardrop crystals or strings of crystal beads. For bedside table lamps, select bases that are ornately detailed with richly textured shades.

Look Down

Since wood plays an important role in traditional design, hardwood flooring in a medium to dark finish is a perfectly acceptable choice. To add texture and visual interest, as well as a little more comfort, select a reproduction oriental rug or one that has an intricate traditional style pattern like damask or paisley. Small floral patterned area rugs would also work in a traditional style bedroom.

Traditional Style Bedroom Furniture

Traditional style furniture can be stately, formal and impressive. But grandiose becomes comfortable and inviting when the color of the wood is warm. Selecting traditional bedroom furniture with a distressed finish will lend the décor a more lived in look while furnishings with a high polish will possess a more sophisticated appeal.

Woods commonly used to make traditional bedroom furniture are walnut, mahogany, teak and cherry. Case goods like the dresser, nightstands and armoire should include intricately designed hardware; shell, scroll and flora motifs and/or carved accents or inlays.

Traditional style bedding has a luxurious appearance that is guaranteed to guard against a winter chill.

Come back next Friday for the second part of the Great Escape, where we’ll explore transitional style for a bedroom sanctuary.

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Shabby Chic Teen Bedroom

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Shabby chic décor is the perfect opportunity to create a new bedroom for your teenage daughter, by using one or two of her favorite pieces already in the room and adding some that are new (or new to her). It can be as feminine and romantic as she wants it to be; it unashamedly mixes antiques (or traditional style reproductions) with contemporary furniture. Since shabby chic is all about texture, shape and color, it’s a great style for a teen’s room because it gives her a lot of different ways in which to express herself.

For a shabby chic teenage bedroom, decide where the color will be concentrated. If your daughter would like an intense shade of rose, pink or orange (all shabby chic shades) on the walls, choose pastel or neutral hues for accessories such as window treatments, bedding and the area rug. Part of the fun of this style is combining ornately decorated furniture, lace or patterned fabric curtains, antiqued brass hurricane lamps or a chandelier and colorful bedding together in ways that both surprise and please.

If she isn’t keeping her bed, maybe now is a good time to choose a type of bed that better reflects the shabby chic style. To create a teen bedroom for your daughter that possesses a softly romantic traditional heritage with an endearing Old World charm, choose a sleigh, poster or canopy bed. The bed of any bedroom interior design is the focal point of the room, but never more so in a shabby chic teenage bedroom. For a focal point that really commands attentions select a canopy bed and add draperies that tie in with at least two other elements in the room.

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Contemporary Style for the Teen Male in your Home

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

 When it’s time to give your teen son’s bedroom a new look, contemporary bedroom furniture is a good choice for several reasons. Contemporary style typically has smooth, clean lines that give a living space a calm and uncluttered appearance. Because contemporary bedroom furniture typically has restrained decorative detail, it’s ideal for furnishing a male teenage bedroom. Contemporary design focuses on function, which is always a good thing to consider when decorating a teen’s room. The important thing to remember when designing a contemporary teenage bedroom for your son is to include several different zones – even if the room is on the small side – that will allow him to be independent while safeguarding his privacy.

Zone #1 – the Bed

Especially if you’re redecorating for the first time since his dinosaur or pirate phase, typically it will be the bed that is the first thing they will want to change. If you have the floor space to spare, now might be to upgrade from a twin bed to something a bit roomier. His bed is not just a place to sleep; it will also serve as his “couch” where he’ll stretch out to study, listen to music or watch a movie. Adding a trundle bed to his bed gives him the option of having a friend or two over.

Zone #2 – Workspace

He will need a workspace that will be both a comfortable place to study and to play games or surf the web. Metal is a good material choice for contemporary teenage bedroom furniture. Not only does will it be easy to clean, it will also be strong and durable. A computer desk that has textured metal panels creates a vibe that is cutting-edge contemporary.

Zone #3 – Hanging Out

Having someplace to hang out is just as important as a place to sleep or study. Give your teenage son somewhere to watch movies or television with friends that he doesn’t have to share with the rest of the family by adding an entertainment center to your teens room décor. Don’t forget a couple of bean bag chairs. A bean bag chair can be easily moved around the room to wherever it’s needed.

Don’t redecorate without his help or input. Yes, the paint might be peeling off the walls or it might look like the room is sans closet and dresser because every article of his clothing is on the floor, but unless you have his okay, you might want to skip the makeover project until he’s ready for a change. Contemporary style is known for its clean lines, geometric shapes and bold colors, which makes it a perfect interior design style for a teenage boy’s bedroom.

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Urban Sophisticated – The Modern Style Bedroom

Friday, October 15th, 2010

How you design your bedroom and the bedroom furniture you choose to furnish it with is very important to the overall mood. We instantly feel relaxed and welcomed in spaces, especially bedroom spaces that are spacious, well-lit, uncluttered and aesthetically pleasing. Known for its underlying simplicity of line, shape, form, the clean lines and streamlined detail of modern style bedroom furniture ultimately contributes to an atmosphere of calm and tranquility, which is exactly the right tone you want for a bedroom that will be your sanctuary after a busy or even hectic day.

Earth tones and neutral palettes with splashes of bold color characterize a modern style bedroom. Whites, grays and blacks are commonly used as main or accent wall colors. Color is always used sparely: in a modern interior design bedroom, color is an exclamation instead of a conversation. If you’ve chosen a bold color like red, orange or intense blue as an accent color, select neutral colors for other items in the room such as lamps, window treatments and carpets or area rugs.

To the unfamiliar eye, furnishings can look stark or devoid of personality. Clean lines, natural elements, lighter finishes and polished, gleaming expanses typify modern style bedroom furniture. Because form is function, decorative detail is viewed as “unnecessary.”

Visual interest is commonly created through the design and appearance of the individual bedroom furniture piece. Shape, both strictly geometric and asymmetrical, is often used for dramatic effect. The result is bedroom furniture that is deceptively simple; but because lines are uncluttered, the eye isn’t working overtime, and the sleek profiles work just as well in smaller spaces as they do in larger ones.

When accessorizing – don’t! As with modern furniture design, when accessorizing your modern style bedroom, less really is more. While you do want the room to be inviting, you don’t want to add anything that does not have a specific purpose; including items that are solely decorative will not reflect true modern style principles. 

Modern style furniture has clean lines and streamlined detail. Profiles are strictly angular, geometric or asymmetrical. It can even have a “space age” appeal; so decide which modern vibe will work for you.

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From the Design Files of Heather B – Organizing a Small Closet

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Design Question

My husband and I live in a small two-bedroom house. Both bedrooms are approximately the same size; the bedroom we share is only marginally bigger than the second bedroom which is used as a home office. There is also a futon in the second room for guests. In each bedroom there is one small closet and we have reached critical mass in terms of having adequate space for our clothes, shoes and other personal items. The other closet is filled with seasonal items, including Christmas decorations. Ideally I would like to be able to store more things in both these closets, without having to work my way through a jumbled, disorganized mess. Do you have any tips on organizing a small closet?

Design Answer

Unless we’re talking about living spaces with walk-in closets, most of us never seem to have enough storage space. But there are some easy ways to pump up the storage volume of even a small bedroom closet. Because you will be storing a variety of items, when considering how to organize a small closet space, think general or multipurpose storage such as utility shelving, storage cubes, and multi-use hangers. Follow these simple steps to a new and better bedroom closet.

Step #1: Spring Clean (no matter what the season)

No matter if you’re a pack rat or not, we all have things in our closet that we no longer need, use or want. Before investing in closet organizers, a utility shelving system or storage bins, decide what stays and what goes. The best way to do this is to get medium sized cardboard boxes (you don’t want them to be too heavy when they are full) and label them Keep, Donate and Trash.

Pull everything out of the closet and sort it into like with like – belts with belts; Christmas decorations with other Christmas decorations, etc. As your sorting them into their categories, separate them again into Keep, Donate and Trash piles. Once everything has sorted, remove the Donate items and throw away the Trash. What’s left is what needs to go back into the closet. This is also a good opportunity to wipe down the walls and vacuum/wash the floor.

Step #2: Map out a Storage Solutions Plan

Inventory what you currently have in the space in terms of available shelving, etc. Especially if you have top shelves, plan on reserving them for items you won’t be using everyday, like your Christmas decorations, for example, in the second bedroom closet. If the space between the top of the shelf and the ceiling is substantial, you might consider adding cubbies, the top of which would act as a shelf while giving you more storage options.

Take measurements. Particularly if you’ve decided to purchase some kind of closet organization system, knowing exactly how much space you have will come in handy.

If you are not going the closet organization system route, decide what storage solutions would be most useful to you such as a shoe rack, storage cubes or thigh or hip height utility shelving that will leave room for hanging blouses, suit jackets, etc.

Plan on using the door. A row of hooks on the inside of your closet doors instantly increases your storage options. If hooks don’t appeal to you, how about an accessory bag, shoe bag or tie or belt rack?

Step #3: Multiple Garment and Accessory Hangers

You can maximize your closet space by using multiple pant, multiple skirt and/or multiple blouse hangers. Simply put, this means that you can technically hang seven pairs of pants on one hanger instead of seven hangers which takes up more room. Accessory hangers follow the same concept as multiple garment hangers, but are designed specifically for belts, ties and/or scarves.

Thanks for writing in. Come back next Monday when I answer another interior design question. Keep sending me those emails and don’t forget to include pictures if you can.

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One, Two, Three, Three Rooms in One!

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Fairmont Designs Caprice Boca Wood Sofa Table DeskWhether you live in a two-story home or an apartment, finding extra space to make room for guests can pose a decorating challenge. Do you decorate a room dedicated just for guests that will be largely unused throughout the majority of the year? Or do you make do with the convertible sofa in the family for whenever someone plans to stay over? Or do you sacrifice your home office/den in order to have guest bedroom? What if there is a way have a den, home office and guest bedroom all in one? The trick to designing a functional, multipurpose room that serves all of your needs is to plan ahead; with some creative furniture ideas such as using pieces that can do double duty, like a filing cabinet that can stand in as a night table or a day bed or sofa bed that serves as a couch, you can make room for guests without having to “waste” space.

Start with a Computer Armoire

A den is typically a “nesting” room – the nature of a den is relaxation, downtime, kicking back. Today many people opt for a home office instead of a den because in terms of space it is more practical. While a home office is for working and a den or a bedroom are for relaxing, the nature of these two rooms appear diametrically opposed. When blending a bedroom, den and home office together, a computer armoire is key. Computer armoires are designed as an all-in-one work station, which will allow you to work at your computer, file away important papers and then shut the doors on your work area. When used as a guest room or a den, once the armoire doors are closed, the room’s ambiance reverts back to a place to relax.

Pick a Bed that’s not a Bed

Of course, the main purpose of a guest room is to have somewhere for your visitors to sleep. Include some type of sofa in your multipurpose room interior design. There are several types of dual-purpose sofas available, such as the futon, the sleeper sofa and the convertible sofa. A futon with storage drawers or some other kind of hidden storage will be ideal for a home office/guest bedroom/den that is on the small size.

Adding those Extras

Bookshelves are an excellent choice when decorating a multipurpose room. When guests are over, shelves can be converted to personalized storage by placing baskets or storage trays in a section of the bookcase or shelving unit to use for items they would like to keep close at hand.

If your computer armoire doesn’t include file drawers, select a filing cabinet that is stylish enough to be used as a nightstand or end table.

A multipurpose living space is a great way to get the most mileage out of rooms that might not otherwise be used regularly year-round. Careful planning will help you create a room that is an ideal work environment as well as being a comfortable place for both you to relax and for guests whenever they come to stay.

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