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A good night’s sleep – or the lack of it – can make or break your disposition, your well-being. It can change how you treat people, how you respond to the world, even how you look. As any furniture designer, sleep expert, or daily grinder would agree, the bed is the most important piece of furniture you own. It should have a certain status within your home; it should be a focal point that suits your lifestyle completely.
How fitting, then, that some of the latest designs in beds have come to resemble, say, the rustic elegance of a secluded country inn. How appropriate that the level of attention to detail given to haute couture is now given to the cuts and folds of fabric designed for the bed. Whatever your fancy – the sumptuous glamour of Old Hollywood, the natural allure of wrought iron or raw wood, or the bare simplicity of a modern platform – those traits can be incorporated into your own nightly retreat. Read on for some expert advice on choosing a beautiful, unique piece for your private space.
Mix, Don’t Match
People are moving away from the matched bedroom set; the key is in mixing it up, in juxtaposing the bed with complementary elements in the room, says Janice Kantor, interior designer and merchandiser for Theodore’s. Selecting bedroom furniture and beds is overall a more organic process than it used to be, Kantor says, and that trend has opened up a world of possibilities for designers and the way they approach the bed. A sort of moderate eclecticism has taken over, bringing with it the freedom to mix and match pieces that incorporate similar concepts but weren’t necessarily designed by the same hands.
Ideally, the bed is chosen first, and the rest of the room follows, but if you’re not looking to overhaul the entire space, consider the elements you have that you can’t live without; what they communicate, which decades or cultures have most influenced your tastes. Discerning your own personal style is the key to finding a bed that makes the right statement and makes you feel your best.
Basics Done Better
Some pieces aren’t only eye-catching – they are thought-provoking. The Rune bed, pictured opposite, by Hivemindesign is one such example. The bed is carved from a single giant column of wood (usually raw or lacquered poplar) that is cut into beams and fashioned into roughly a cube. Ornamental carving is done on the interior edges of the bed, with the exterior edges remaining smooth as can be. As Sather Duke, designer and principal at Hivemindesign, says, “the bed has turned in on itself” for an effect that is outwardly simple but inwardly complex.
Another design house that experiments with the notion of simplicity is John Houshmand, known for gorgeous contemporary furniture made from spalted maple, black walnut, and pine woods. Creative Director Courtney Fikri says “each piece has a story.” The love and care given to every stick of furniture in the showroom is evident in her voice as she remembers how a particular piece of wood (now a lovely bench) was discovered in rural Maryland. They create truly unique, high-concept custom pieces, including the Spalted Maple bed shown on the opposite page.
More pared-down looks in contemporary materials are locally available. From Anora Home, for example, the Gemma bed, or the Eden Hauteur bed by Roche Bobois.
Go With Glamour
For some, that Zen-like notion of simplicity doesn’t quite fulfill – some find comfort in embellishment, in accoutrement. From the curve of a bed’s headboard to the plush fabric of an accent pillow, these beds are inviting because they are such a departure from daily life; they truly take you away to another, more decadent time.
Bedding hugs the sleek lines of the Visionnaire bed, below, available at Theodore’s, like a ball gown does a fine figure. “It might be called Baroque Modern,” Kantor says, and adds that it would look especially beautiful with a chandelier hanging overhead. The Modern Hollywood, a design from Ralph Lauren Home, is another updated inspiration from a bygone era. The Boss bed, shown opposite far left, with its overstuffed headboard, elegant stitching, and multiple textures, also fits this style personality.
The High Life
Alice Busch, principal of Great Falls Distinctive Interiors Inc., says her mother always told her that “your shoes and your bed are the most important [items] in your life,” indicating that comfort is not just valuable, but essential.
Those who take comfort in the structures of formality or classicism might choose a reaching four-poster or canopy bed that sits high above the ground, or an open design with a prominent headboard upholstered in rich leather or textured fabrics. Tapered, streamlined posters are in fashion, and update their more ornate predecessors. Designs such as the Arezzo and Loire beds by Niermann Weeks or the lush Clivedon sleigh bed by Ralph Lauren Home give a feeling of warmth with a bit of regality. The suggestion of enclosure, for some, promotes strong feelings of security and comfort.
Finishing Touches
The bed may be the bones of your sanctuary, but bedding is what makes it cozy and complete. Many people take cues from their favorite luxury hotels and go with whites, creams, or other cushy neutrals for their linens, and those are all timeless choices. But don’t be afraid to experiment and add colorful accents. A throw pillow is just meant to be that – a whimsical touch, a flight of fancy. Try the Palm Beach group of pillows, pictured above, a selection of candy-colored pillows to spice up your space.
However you structure your own slice of heaven, give it the attention it deserves. After all, you spend more time in your bed than you do in, say, your wedding gown or your most elegant suit – make sure it is the perfect fit.
