Masterfully designed bedrooms featuring fabulous fabrics, creative headboards, smart lighting, and tried-and-true palettes.
Double Duty Update
When her clients wanted an update of their guest room/office, Janice Burke of eye4design Interior Decorating created a clean, simple and comfortable space for the young professional couple.
Having a European family background, the owners preferred clean lines and low profile furniture, explained the decorator who, of course, added a touch of her signature pallet wood flair to the overall design. “The low profile bed was purchased from IKEA and chalk painted by The Creative Bug,” Burke said.
“Eye4design then made pallet wood inserts for the headboard, making sure some of the planks matched the colour of the clients’ existing bedside table. The table top was chalk painted too, and new knobs gave the piece a new look. We made the custom art above the bed, finding metal letters from Urban Cottage. I liked the simplicity of the words [work and sleep] that aptly describe the room.”
The decorator also chose a lilac-based grey wall paint, a new area rug from Souza Carpets & Flooring and grey and white bedding with lilac accents from Gibbons Company to completely change the look of the room. Removing some unwanted pieces to simplify the space, hiding computer wires and jazzing up the dull filing cabinet with some spray paint and new handles finished off the new look.
“It came out as clean, simple and comfortable as I envisioned,” said Burke.
A Restful Retreat
Requesting a retreat in their own home, this busy young family turned to interior designer Gregory Nelmes to convert their guest room and under-used pool room into an enviable master suite.
Located in Devonshire, this mid-twentieth-century cottage was lacking in detail but flooded with sunlight. Working with a blank canvas, the designer enhanced the ample window spaces with white plantation shutters and used a subdued neutral colour scheme to ensure the bold textures of the dark flooring and solid furniture took centre stage in the master bedroom. Custom-designed millwork and crown mouldings from Sticks and Stones and Fine Woodworking added character and a sense of timelessness to the spacious bedroom and dressing room, while the freestanding tub and faux candlelit chandelier turned the master bath into an elegant, spa-like retreat. Lighting, furniture, accessories and other window treatments were all selected from the designer’s own retail store, Gregory Nelmes Home in St. George’s.
“The residence lacked detail and a sense of history, so we set out to imbibe a collected presence that belies its true age,” said Nelmes. “These rooms are all about the experience as the room itself should not be the focus. Our dedication is to clarity and simplicity, and paring back on ‘fuss and bother’ to achieve environments that are strong yet subtle. Sometimes a whisper has the most impact.”
A Relaxed Reno
When the master bedroom of this character-filled old Bermuda house was in need of a minor update, the clients—a young, professional couple with two children—turned to Janice Burke of eye4design Interior Decorating.
“It is a beautiful huge house with old Bermuda charm,” explained the decorator. “The house has lots of wood detail, very high ceilings and wooden floors throughout. It is full of character—I love it.”
The renovation started simply with new window treatments, a new wall colour (“warm taupe and grey-based purple”) and some strategic furniture rearranging, and ended with delighted clients.
“The client was having the entire house painted and thought it was time to remove the existing floral drapes in the bedroom,” said Burke. “I suggested that she install blinds for a cleaner look and to show off the beautiful window frames. After deciding on a wall colour and accents, we also suggested moving the bed to the other wall so that the bed was the focal point when entering the room.”
“The client already had the furniture and bedding,” she continued. “I had helped her in the past with lamps and an accent chair, but what really made the difference in this room was removing the old floral drapes, painting the walls a warm up-to-date colour, adding the cleanline blinds and moving the furniture around. The room looks more connected now and so much larger!”
A Room of Her Own
Looking for a bright, airy and clutter-free sleeping space, this client contacted Janice Burke of eye4design Interior Decorating to help her reimagine her bedroom. “[My client is] a lovely lady who has raised two children who have lives of their own and is in the second phase of her life,” explained Burke. “It was time for her to invest in herself and her home and she wanted to start with the bedroom.”
The client was looking for a crisp white space which the decorator softened with a blue-grey accent wall. The bed was original to the owner but the team at eye4design created a custom-made headboard using their signature pallet wood design and washed it with dreamy whites and creams. “We also made a shelf to sit on top of the shoe storage and another over her make-up station,” added Burke. “We also distressed her existing mirror to match.”
Other alterations included new white curtains for the windows, a new area rug from Souza Carpets & Flooring and a simple yet effective update on the lighting. “Her bedside lamps were also original but we had them painted by The Creative Bug and bought new lampshades from Great Things,” said Burke.
