One of the delights of checking into a modern boutique hotel is the atmosphere of calm and quiet that pervades above a bustling city street below. But why should you have to leave home to experience the chic contemporary style you associate with a hotel when you can infuse your own bedroom with a cool cosmopolitan vibe? This tired high-rise condo was given a new lease on life with plush finishes and a subdued masculine palette that acts as an antidote to busy urban life.
Every room starts with a jumping-off point that helps define the overall direction of the design. A pair of vintage George Nelson side tables acted as the foundation from which all other choices were influenced in this bedroom. The grid pattern of the drawers is referenced in the menswear-inspired wool windowpane check on the tailored headboard, and the light/dark mix was repeated on the drapes, accent fabrics, and in the boldly striped broadloom that anchors the space. The horizontal framed artwork echoes the shape of the side table, with the green grass in the image complementing the bright green lamp and the open road adding depth to the space.
This bedroom could be likened to the way many of us start each and every day — with a shot of espresso in a mug full of milk. The palette is a comforting range of cozy latte-toned neutrals, in everything from the walls to the fabrics and floor coverings. When creating a space with a warm, modern vibe, rich chocolate and coffee present a perfect pairing.
There are no rules about what style of lighting you need to use in particular areas of your home, and your selection of style should be a matter of personal choice. Often overlooked as strictly office-appropriate, the flexible task light is a favourite bedside illuminator for me. Sleek and streamlined, a task lamp will enable you to focus a beam of light on the page you’re reading without illuminating the entire room and waking your bedmate.
After laying the groundwork for a scheme in a monochromatic palette, I look to inject an accent colour to enliven and energize the finished space. You can seek inspiration anywhere, but in this room, a piece of art from the client’s collection offered ample opportunity to extract a high-intensity hue. The bold kelly green in the painting is echoed in the cheetah-print linen on the bed pillows, in the lamps, and in a few vintage accessories throughout the room.
