A Bit of Background
We’ve been in our new apartment in LA for four months now, and I’ve finally gotten around to finishing up the design plans for our master bedroom. Between moving from NYC, taking care of our now 7-month-old puppy, and running my business, designing our own space definitely took a backseat. But I’m using any extra quarantine downtime to finalize our plans and I’m really excited to see it come together.
Before I get into the inspiration and plans, here is a little backstory on the space: When we moved from Brooklyn, we took 3 pieces of furniture with us in total, so we were practically starting from scratch in LA. We didn’t have an apartment lined up when we got here (pro tip: December and January is the slowest rental season), so we secured an Airbnb for the first two weeks while we looked at apartments nearly every evening after work. The apartment building we ended up in is a new build and definitely felt like it when we moved in—blank white walls, vinyl faux-hardwood flooring, and a modern, blue kitchen. I’ll be honest and say that the finishes were nearly a deal-breaker for me when I first saw the unit, but we loved the neighborhood, amenities, and outdoor space (something we dreamed of in NYC. And frankly, we needed to move in fast. The hard part about renting is that you’ll never find something perfect, so I look for the key features that are most important and find creative ways to make the space my own.
The Inspiration
For the master bedroom, my main goal was to warm it up and bring in character. Since the building lacked any interesting architectural details, I leaned on textures and materials to bring it to life. I was really inspired by the Spanish Colonial Revival style because it is so present in Los Angeles, especially around our neighborhood. Some of the main elements I wanted to incorporate were textured walls, neutral-colored textiles, geometric patterns, natural materials, vintage accent furniture, and darker pops of color throughout.
The floor plan
The layout for the space was pretty straightforward given its size (roughly 11×13.5’). Luckily we have ample closet space, so we didn’t need a dresser. I found a vintage wooden bench from Jayson Home to place across from the bed, which helps the TV feel more anchored and not just floating on the wall.
My plan has evolved a bit as we’ve started to get furniture in. For example, the patterned 8×10 rug nicely framed the bed and nightstands, but after we got it in the room, I decided I couldn’t stand to see so much of the rental flooring. My solution was layering an oversized jute rug underneath to cover more of the floor. I’m a big believer that sometimes you just need to live in a space for a while to get a sense of what you want to get out of it.
The design scheme
I wanted our bedroom to feel calming and peaceful every time we stepped into it. I love using color in client’s homes, but I tend to gravitate towards neutral colors for my own spaces. I think that is partly to do with the fact that I’m thinking about color and its emotive impact all day long in design, so when it comes to my own home, I like to practice restraint and allow some room to breathe.
The room is still only half-way there right now, but we did just finish painting with Portola Paints’ Roman Clay last weekend and I am in love with the way the textured walls are looking (I might do a separate post on that process). When sourcing for a space, I try to be very intentional about using a mix of small businesses, vintage shops, and responsible companies. Some of my favorites used in this design are Lostine, Portola Paints, Jayson Home, Etsy, Pampa, and Maiden Home. You can also find links to some of the items or similar versions below!
While many of us are still in quarantine, working on your own space and creating plans is a great way to have something to look forward to when stores and manufacturers do start to open back up. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you are interested in learning about our remote design services!
Stay tuned for more design updates as I finish this room.
xx CH
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