LIFE AT THE COTTAGE

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Time Travel Thursday #25 - Sweet Dreams


CHECK OUT ALL THE DETAILS FOR THE PARTY HERE!


Welcome to the 25th Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Are you ready for our next trip back in time and into the future?

Then climb aboard!


A few weeks ago, I shared some photos of a bedroom from a model home I worked on back in the 1980s.

I thought you might enjoy seeing the master bedroom of that same house.


The springboard for the design of this particular room was the trendy, graphic wallpaper used in the vanity/dressing area and the adjoining bath.

It was a great choice for this master suite for a number of reasons—it packed a big punch, without being overpowering and had a coordinating fabric to match—which unified the three separate spaces.


From the coordinating fabric, I created a tailored bed skirt and a handful of simple throw pillows—of assorted sizes.

Though the colors in the fabric were fairly muted, the pattern was quite busy. 

To add design interest to the skirt, without getting too fussy, I created it as straight panels of fabric everywhere except the very corners—where I added extra-large pleats.


From this angle, it's easy to see how the fabric—though used sparingly—pulled the eye from the dressing area into the bedroom.


To keep the space light and airy, soft whites dominated the rest of the bedroom décor—the furniture, bedding, and window treatments.

Note the clean lines of the contemporary-styled lowboys on either side of the bed and the tall chest, set at an angle to it. 

  To preserve the serene simplicity of this room's design, handles were omitted from the furniture.


The gathered white fabric on the headboard added just the right amount of visual detail to wall behind the bed...

while the cushy-soft, down-filled comforter and plump pillows were an invitation to stretch out and dream the night away.


To give this room the illusion of even more space, the solid white window treatments were started just below the ceiling.


And to keep the look from being too stark and formal, I attached the panels to fabric tabs, which permitted them to drape loosely from the rods and puddle every so slightly on the floor.

I'll share a little secret with you about the rods I used. 

Though large wooden rods were part of the original design plan, they were quite costly for the size and lengths needed. 

So, I purchased PVC pipes—with the desired measurements—made tubes from the same fabric as the drapery material to cover them, and hung them on inexpensive wooden brackets that had been painted white.

And the rod finials?  Nothing more than Styrofoam balls, covered with the same fabric, then hot glued to the rod ends.

There's always a way to get "the look" for less! ; )


Another design trick employed here was to use the same style window treatments on either side of the bed.

What made it a design "trick"?  There were no windows there!

The bed wall was the longest in the room, and the bed itself would have floated aimlessly along the wall, without something substantial around it, to anchor it.


Not only did these pretty panels anchor the bed, they enhanced the overall dreamy effect of the room's décor.


Though this gorgeous room was designed over twenty years ago, it would work perfectly for a bedroom today—to entice sweet dreams.

Linking to Nichelle's for Talent Tuesday, Leigh's for Thrifty Thursday, Suzanne's for Vintage Thingie Thursday, Gina's for Transformation Thursday, Becky's for 100 Ideas Under $100.00, and Susan's for Metamorphosis Monday.


9 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting again! I can't believe you helped put that model home together. I am totally impressed!

    ReplyDelete
  2. PVC pipes? Who'd have known? Noone...had you not told us! They look great! Very impressive room!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely room. My bedroom is cluttered this time of year (Christmas stuff, clutter from other rooms hidden...) That bed looks inviting!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a fun trip back in time. You are right that the room feels timeless. You employed good design principles, so the space feels balanced and restful.
    ~Amanda

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy New Year!
    Kisses, Zondra Art

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Liz, happy New Year!!
    Thanks for hosting, hugs Biljana

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love the window treatments and the way they were hung. You are right, this room does have a timeless feel.

    Have a Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The trick with the two "windows" is a great idea! I wouldn't have picked up on it from the pictures if you hadn't told us! I love the clean lines of the room and the white, it makes it so serene and relaxing!

    Have a Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm late but I linked up!!
    xox Jeanne @ Beeskneesbungalow.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to comment.