Last week I showed a very large master bedroom that is typical of today’s oversized rooms – the bedroom looked bare and unfinished. These oversized, large rooms are typical today – smaller rooms seem to be found mostly in older houses.
Why are we designing oversized rooms?
It is, as if we are building and living in big houses without any regard for the space that humans truly need or seek out. A generation ago, a family of four seemed happy in a house that measured 1500 sq ft. Today, that size is considered woefully small.
When did we decide we needed more living space? Was it around the time that builders decided they were also architects and started selling McMansions like the house above? Was it also at the same time when these builders started installing windows and gables with no regard to architectural need or integrity? Was it at the same time that builders decided the bigger the better – quantity over quality.
This photograph above illustrates the differences between a classic mansion and a McMansion. None of the rules of architecture have been followed in the design of the McMansion. This image comes from my favorite Tumblr blog: “McMansion Hell” where the author thoroughly (and very humorously) contrasts proper design with poor design. It’s a great lesson in architecture and reading it you will learn as much as any course you might take on the subject. HERE.
With so many suburban neighborhoods now filled with these large houses, designers are faced with furnishing their oversized rooms. One mistake many owners and designers make is not placing enough furniture in the room to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The master bedroom is often the most obvious example of this. The days of a bedroom needing only a bed, two nightstands and a dresser are over. Today, many of these large rooms call for a seating area or two, a desk, a chest, an armoire, and/or other accent furniture.
For instance, this vast master bedroom is so large, using just a bed and a dresser would not be enough. When designing an oversized room like this – you must be sure to put in enough furniture! This room probably requires two seating areas as opposed to even one.
For example, in this oversized master bedroom, Ginger Barber set up several sitting areas. Against the window is a sofa and chairs and in front of the bed is a bench and a large console table with a chaise and chair. Linen curtains and shades further warm up the room, as does the canopy bed. In what could have been an underfurnished, cold room, Ginger has turned it into a room with an atmosphere its owners probably hate to leave.
The answer to properly designing an oversized bedroom? Enough furniture to fill it up along with curtains, and an area rug or two.
Here is another large bedroom, properly furnished with a sofa, two chairs and ottomans, and a desk. The curtains and shades add more warmth – imagine how bare windows would look here. The curtains and shades add much warmth. Thomas Pheasant.
Another bedroom – with a canopy, again. A sofa, two chairs, a bench, and a screen. Without the extra furniture, the room would be underfurnished.
Houstonian Julie Dodson furnished this large bedroom with an antique settee and two club chairs. Again, the curtains and canopy bed help warm up the space and bring it down to a more human scale.
And here’s a large bedroom by Mark Sikes, one of the hottest designer right now. Sikes used two sofas and two chairs and assorted tables to fill out this room – and it looks great, warm, inviting and cozy. Just as a large room should.
Mark Sikes is “it” right now. He just wrote a #1 design book, created a fabric line for F. Schumacher and debuted a line of furniture for Henredon that was a huge hit at market last week. Go HERE to preorder his line at discounted prices from “Best Prices For Furniture.”
Mark based his line, seen above, on his own house’s furniture and it’s going to be hugely popular for Henredon.
While Mark is a top-notch designer, he does have a very accessible look that appeals to most. His portfolio shows that he understands that properly furnishing a large room is visually appealing.
But, his budget and his client’s budgets are more than most can afford. So, how do you furnish a large room without spending a fortune? Can it be done?
Of course it can! Today with so many copies on the market, it is much easier to copy an expensive room on the cheap. I thought it would be fun to take Mark’s own large master bedroom and try to recreate it without spending a lot of money.
Mark’s house was recently remodeled, including his master bedroom. At that time, he covered the walls in Gracie handpainted paper, which probably cost more than a large car. The gorgeous paper is not something most of us can afford, so I had a hard time sourcing a substitute but I did. Finding copies of his furniture was easier.
Here’s his large bedroom in his house that everyone loves:
Sikes’ master bedroom with a canopy bed. Canopy beds are great in a large room because they create a room within a room. At the end of the bed, he used a love seat and a chair and ottoman with an accent chair and oriental chest. The focal point of the room is the Gracie wallpaper.
Sikes used apple matting instead of seagrass, which is more expensive and honestly – I don’t know if it’s as indestructible and stain proof as seagrass. There is a lot of blue and white porcelain which is Mark’s trademark. Here the wallpaper looks more blue than aqua – either shade will be ok to copy.
Against the wall is the chinoiserie chest which is also hard to source on a budget. Mark’s furniture line has two pieces of chinoiserie – a screen and an armoire:
I’m curious as to how much this piece and his screen will retail for?
Here is his room restyled for One King’s Lane last week. A bit different with an area rug and the glimpse into his bathroom.
Here’s what I chose to use to copy this room on a strict budget:
I started with a white slipcovered sofa. Finding a light blue sofa is a bit harder – and a white slipped sofa goes great in this room.
Wayfair.com – under $470!!! HERE.
Ikea does make this slipcovered blue velvet love seat that would also look good. They have another one that is even lighter blue. It’s a bit higher than the white sofa at $699. HERE.
And the white slipcovered IKEA choice above is always great. You can order extra slipcovers for practically nothing and there are companies that make more luxe pure linen slips for the IKEA sofas. The IKEA sofas are always a great choice for a tight budget. You can’t go wrong with a white slipcovered sofa. It can be classic or contemporary based on the pillows and accessories in the room. No wonder this is probably one of the most popular sofas in the IKEA catalogue. If you choose the blue sofa, you could use the white chairs from this line.
This chair would be a beautiful addition next to the white sofa. HERE – on Walmart’s online shop. Do NOT go to your local Walmart looking for this!!! Online only!! You could use two along with the sofa – or choose two chairs instead of the sofa depending on the room available.
This line of furniture is from Pier 1 and I LOVE it!! For the money, look at the trim detail and tufting and curved arm. It comes in sectionals, chairs and chaises. Now, I’m not sure I would put this light seersucker fabric in a family room, but for a room without a lot of traffic, like a bedroom, it would be beautiful! And you can’t beat the price. The same styles also come in more user friendly blue and olive green velvet, brown leather, and many more fabrics! Only $650. That’s a lot of look for what amounts to a few meals at fancy restaurant. LOVE!!! HERE.
To copy Mark Sikes’ bedroom, mix this chair or two chairs with the white slipcovered sofa. You’ll get the same muted look in tones of light blue. HERE. To see the entire collection at Pier 1 in all the different fabrics, go HERE.
Sikes uses a round ottoman instead of a coffee table – and I think an ottoman is a softer look in this room. His is brown leather, which I’m not crazy about. Instead I found this option which I love – in the soft blue, again a good mix with the white and seersucker fabrics shown above or the white slipcovered sofa. Plus I love the French lines, of course! I found it at its least expensive price on Amazon HERE. $360.
There is this round ottoman that would go with the white sofa/chair or Pier I settee. HERE.
Mark uses a lot of blue & white everywhere. It’s one of his trademarks (he has several!) You can find examples to buy all over the internet, but this is the least expensive garden seat I could find that I actually liked, a lot. HERE.
If I was going to buy this one – I would buy a few – I think the garden seats look best in a room, when they match.
For $149 – this is my all time favorite kind of blue & white stool. It’s out of stock everywhere. I wonder if it’s because of Mark Sikes’ book being #1 at Amazon??? OKL says it will be in stock early November. Worth preordering, IMO. HERE.
The wallpaper in Mark’s master bedroom is the hardest element to do on the cheap. There are stencils that you could try yourself to emulate the Gracie handpainted paper in his room. And there are companies that copy Gracie and deGournay papers HERE and HERE and HERE.
But, those companies are still expensive and hanging this kind of wallpaper will cost a small fortune – trust me!
So, I looked for traditional wallpaper that you can buy and hang yourself to save the money. I found a few papers that gives the look or atmosphere of the handpainted paper in Sikes bedroom.
F.Schumacher at Wallpapers To Go: HERE.
What you want to look for to emulate the Gracie paper is a blue, aqua or green background and you want the leafy, stem, vine element with an open feel to the paper.
Anthropologie has this paper that would look great in a bedroom to emulate the Gracie paper. HERE.
This Brunschwig & Fils paper comes in green and blue. HERE. I love this option.
The above Brunschwig & Fils comes in a lighter blue too.
Thibaut Nemour HERE. This would be pretty and subtle and the light colors would be good.
And there is always this option – handpainted wallpaper panels! Simon Paul Scott sells these in all different colors. Talk to him and tell him exactly what you want. He’ll have it made for you. Simon is the man who made my own bedroom’s hand painted wallpaper. HERE.
Simon also has these smaller paintings – in a huge assortment. This would make a great thing to mass together – or use alone. You could even layer a few over the wallpaper. Go HERE to see more.
Now, the canopy bed.
Here is a canopy bed that is very inexpensive – and looks great! Shock at the price $450/500 for queen/king. Love the headboard which makes it easy to read in bed. HERE.
You can find these types of beds at any price, but since we are going budget friendly – this is the winner and it would be really hard to beat. The lines are good and the headboard is very nice looking..
Again – the canopy beds are rooms within rooms and make an oversized room much more cozy and inviting!!
At the windows – try Ballard Designs Buffalo Check panels. For a larger window – double the panels for more fullness. These are lined, but to customize them even more – find a seamstress and have her sew in a blackout lining which will add luxurious weight.
Now, for the panels on the bed – you could add these same check panels OR you could buy a white panel with tabs that make it very easy to take down and clean. Notice that Mark’s panels are not that fancy – though he did add a trim and a backing fabric. The more custom you make these, the more they will cost.
In my daughter’s bedroom, I used a simple cotton panel with ties. It gets dusty so, a few times a year we take it down and wash the panels. Very easy. This won’t look nearly as custom as Mark’s – but it would make a nice copy.
OK – next, the Chinoiserie cabinet. This was HARD to source!!! Most new cabinets are FUGLY and cheap looking and just something you would never put in your bedroom, no matter whose style you are copying and how small your budget is!
Now, Mark has this armoire in his new Henredon furniture line. This is a copy of the first antique he ever bought and one that he still has – and this look has become one of this trademarks. Yes, another trademark!
This armoire is beautiful – and you will be able to pre-order it HERE from “Best Prices For Furniture” – for High Point discounts – BUT I don’t know how much it is.
So, for a similar look – at a great price, from Amazon HERE. This is actually a wine bar – but I like its muted colors and I think it’s good looking for the bedroom.
Now, this is at Chairish - HERE. And it’s even less money than the wine bar and it’s fabulous looking. It’s only $600, it was bought on auction – so it’s one of a kind. If you want another one – search Ebay and Chairish, they have much more reasonable prices than 1st Dibs – of course.
Overstock has quality seagrass rugs in all sizes and styles. For 9 x 12’ for $250. HERE. This was the least expensive I could find. Getting a discounted rush matting rug like Mark has is not feasible on a budget, unless you live in England where it is more common.
Another item is the Chinoiserie styled chair. Frankly, I think you could use any number of styles here including French or English or even a dining chair like this:
This is a good copy, in asst. colors from Ballard Designs around $300. A look at Chairish and Ebay pulled up a lot of other choices though – and much cheaper.
Finally, I think with the wallpaper choices, the seagrass rug, the slipcovered sofa/chairs, the ottoman, the oriental chest, the blue & white porcelain, the canopy bed, and the curtains – I think you could copy this room on a strict budget and have it look really, really good.
If your room is oversized – you could fill it with enough furniture – sofa, chairs, seating areas, etc, and still maintain a tight budget and have a beautiful room.
Agree? Or not? Comments welcome!!!
AND!!!!!!!!
One of Instragram’s breakout stars is artist/interior designer William McLure of Birmingham. He is a hugely popular person on Instagram mostly because of his ever changing apartment and art work, both of which are fabulous.
OKL just photographed his apartment – and then he promptly moved!!! Here is your last chance to see the apartment – and to buy his goodies too!!
HURRY!!!
0 comments:
Post a Comment