In My Dreams

While I've been blabbering on in my last two posts about my de-cluttered chair, I've also been reviewing my collection of images intended to inspire the long overdue makeover of the rest of my master bedroom. So today, instead of so much talk about clutter, it's all about the pretty! These are the choices I've narrowed my big fat file down to, and with each I'll tell you what about it speaks to me.

At the top of the post is a bedroom by a favorite California designer, Lynn von Kersting. If my room and windows were a bit more grand, I might be able to pull this off. The colors and patterns and mix of florals and stripes will inform my choices, I'm sure.

These next four are favorites I could move into as is... especially if the rest of the house they're a part of comes with them!

Above and below, are both halves of the master bedroom in a Malibu beach house designed by Michael S. Smith. This room is probably close to ten years old, but the antiques, vintage and classic elements make it timeless. I'm also very attracted to the triad color scheme of red, yellow and blue. But as I really do want the bedroom to be quieter than the rest of my house, I'll probably not use such large doses of red and blue and focus more on the yellows and golds.

The bedroom below in the old apartment of former Country Living magazine Editor-in-Chief Nancy Soriano, has long been a favorite space. I like the painted furniture, the wall color, the trim detail on the curtains and the vintage elements and patterns.

The next bedroom is from a house completely redesigned both architecturally and decoratively by designer Linda Applewhite. Here, I love her use of warm, sun-drenched colors and found objects as wall art. The exposed ceiling is beautiful, but, sadly, not an option in my home.

Writer, designer and former Country Living editor-at-large Nina Williams features her own bedroom in her book "The Illustrated Cottage". I love the mix of patterns, the soft blues and reds used together, the plates over the headboard and the details on the mixed but matching window treatments.

Next, a beautiful French-inspired bedroom by an unknown designer pulled from an unknown source. Many of the tear sheets in my ideas files were put there long before I started this blog, so my apologies to any source that I am unable to identify and to any reader who wishes I could. By now it should be obvious that it's the color and pattern I love here.

This photo is from a Meredith Specials publication called Country French Decorating. You'll see them on newsstands with the magazines a couple of times a year. This image is from their Fall/Winter 2007 issue and it stops me every time I see it. The timeless combination of yellow and blue is one I have loved since childhood. Add in French antiques, blue and white checks, vintage florals and beautiful art, and I'll take it!

This room with its small size and window at the head of the bed is the most like my own, structurally speaking. And while I like the idea of a canopy or poster bed, I'm afraid I would tire of it. And I do like the headboard I have. The quiet colors here with just a touch of pattern in the needlepoint pillows appeal to me and make me think that I might, maybe, be happy with less pattern.

This room is just so cheery, I had to include it. I also like the juxtaposition of black lamp shade and dark windows with the white walls.

Phoebe Howard is one of my favorite designers and I love her use of soft, muted colors in rooms like this bedroom, below. I get my blues and yellows but in pale, creamy shades instead of the more vibrant tones in the pics above. Further inspiration for me to "tone it down" a bit.

But if I took the Phoebe Howard room and added a few more patterns and just a pop of brighter colors, like in the art and center pillow in the room below, I think I'd be happier. I also like the modern lamps in combination with the largely traditional elements in this room.

This beautiful blue room I love for its use of mixed patterns in a quiet color scheme. What I like most though is the burlap bedskirt!

I've included the photo below because of the window treatments. A few months ago, I bought panels very much like these for my bedroom. Same golden color, same linen-like texture, they even have brassy rings sewn into their French pleats. I wondered if I could combine the bright brassy rings with a dark antique brass rod, and this photo answered that question for me. Yes, I can.

The bedding below is new from Pottery Barn. They say the pattern was inspired by a vintage American fabric from the 1920's. If it's as pretty in person as I think it is on their website, it might have to come home with me. So much for my quiet bedroom!

Finally, this image begged to make an appearance! Isn't it pretty?! The home of this young designer, Rosie Winstead, was featured in the Spring 2008 BH&G Special Interest magazine called Decorating. Her entire home is just as fresh and fun as this bedroom. And while this level of fearless exuberance is not likely to happen in my space, I'm very inspired by it nonetheless. The painted furniture, bed-framing window treatment, vintage art and cheerful mix of pattern and color will all, I'm quite sure of it, find their way into my room.

As I was preparing this post for publication this morning, I noticed that the ladies of the Skirted Roundtable (link to it here or from my sidebar) have focused their newest podcast on bedrooms. What they like to put in them, whether for clients or themselves, and why. Something Joni (of Cote de Texas) said during their conversation reminded me of a design principle I read somewhere many years ago and have used in my own master bedroom decorating ever since. It explains why I'm all for decorating a room that I share with my husband in such a feminine way. Joni attributed this philosophy to design icon Charlotte Moss (I did not know that, thanks Joni!) and it is that the bedroom shared by a man and woman should appear to be the woman's "boudoir" that the man has been invited into. I love that! And, lucky for me and my flowery bedroom, the man in my boudoir gets it and appreciates it and is more than willing to assist in its long-awaited transformation. I'll keep you posted on our progress!