- Name:
- Cynthia
- Location:
- Toronto Canada
- Division:
- International
- What do you love about your bedroom?:
- I love that our bedroom is a calm retreat in a sea of constant excitement. With three young children, jobs, and lots on the go, my husband Graham and I wanted to create a sanctuary. For us, that meant a soft palette of whites and greys, a comfortable splurge bed thatâs big enough for the whole family to snuggle in, a statement piece of art, over-scaled lighting, and fabulous storage.
- What are your tips for creating a beautiful, healthy and organized bedroom?
- Most of us donât have Million Dollar Rooms for bedrooms, so we have to make good design choices to maximize our spaces and make them lovely. Everything in its place. The key to a gorgeous bedroom retreat is removing visual clutter and squeezing in as much storage as possible. With only one small closet, we decided to steal some space from the room and create a built-in storage wall. It does triple-duty to hold clothes, the TV and books/magazines. Embrace your quirky spatial features. The cove-sloped ceilings are tricky - where does one colour end and another begin? So we painted everything the same warm white and then put in some simple molding to create a border for some happy wallpaper. Make the bed your Queen or King. While we do lots of things in here, sleeping is still the primary function. So, buy the best-quality cotton sheets you can (white is always best) and invest in a great bed in the biggest size that fits in your space. Sweet dreams.
- In modern homes, bedrooms have become more than just a place to sleep; they can be a retreat, a home office, a library, a relaxation zone. What are some ways you make the most of your bedroom?
- We moved from a house double the size of the home we are in now so we had to maximize every inch of space. Our multi-purpose bedroom is no exception. A quiet place to read. Oversized lamps add design punch and provide great lighting to catch up on your décor magazines. End tables with drawers are good extra storage and a stable spot for a glass of wine or morning coffee. Boutique hotel escape. Nothing like a slick, wall-mounted TV to make you feel like youâre staying in a hotel suite. When you need some me-time, sneak away and watch your fav reality programs. Or, as a before-bed-treat, the kids pile on the bed in PJs and watch TV. Bedroom work. It doesnât feel like work when youâre in bed. Lean up against the handsome padded, headboard and catch up on those emails on your laptop.
Categories:
Style,
Main,
2013,
Bedroom,
My Bedroom Retreat
Like this My Bedroom Retreat contest entry? Favorite it below!
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I'm so happy to see the beautiful Amy Butler wallpaper on your walls; I've been wondering about putting up some in my veranda, and now, I'm feeling confident and thrilled ! Off to buy a roll or two.
Your bedroom is the most beautiful yet, in my opinion. Every single bit of it. Loving it.
I feel better just looking at that room. Sleepy, sleepy....
Bonjour Anne-Helene,
Thank you so much. I love the wallpaper as well! There were so many in the line to select from... Go do it, you'll be thrilled with the results. And, it didn't take too long to install. Good luck and send me a picture when you're done (cynthia@recreationaldecorator.com)
This is my favorite so far!! It looks so comfy. There have been many great bedrooms featured on AT -- but this one is exactly what I'd want for my room.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....... I love it.. I want to recreate your bed linens. Would you please your comforter, blanket, and everthing underneath, please and thank you?
I love it. King bed rules. My favourite.
This is my favorite one, too. I want this bedroom. Great job! Looks very relaxing and comfortable.
Not a fan of TV's in the bedroom but you've done it right. It's a beautiful room.
A favourite for the built-ins alone!
Your room is beautiful and I voted for you. I have a question though ~ how did you decide to make the wallpaper end where you put the molding strip instead of at the natural curve of the ceiling/wall juncture?
Thank you all for your kind comments - come over for a slumber party any time! To answer Beautyeverywhere's question - we put the molding at the last flatest spot on the wall, just before it started to curve. We wanted to keep as much height as possible to make sure the we didn't shrink the wall.
Sweet dreams,
Cynthia
What a lovely, restful spot. My favourite by far.
I need this bed. Where is it from?
Hi mateo's mom,
The bed comes from ELTE. http://www.elte.com
You'll be cozy in it for sure.
Cynthia
Dear ReesecupLIC,
The linens mostly came from HomseSense, the Canadian equivalent of HomeGoods in the US. The big blue-grey velvet pillows were custom made (have your dry cleaner sew them) and the pillow forms are from IKEA. The upholstered bed frame is from ELTE http://www.elte.com. Hope you can create your own little sleep oasis.
Best,
Cynthia
Cynthia, you clearly have a professional-level eye and the discipline it takes to do a carefully edited room. It's gorgeous.
Although I've looked through most of the entries, I've "favorited" just a handful of rooms in this contest (notably all "international" except Tiffany's white room - why are the non-US bedrooms all so much more serene and uncluttered?) but yours is the first-ever contest entry (of any contest) that I've added to my Bedrooms folder on Houzz. That's as big a compliment as I can pay. It's superb. :-)
PS> Can you give some details about the artwork? Paired with your choice of wallpaper, I think it's what helps the room cross over into the sublime. :-)
It reminds me of a New England/Nantucket/Hamptons Bed&Breakfast...so calm and relaxing. Nice job!
It could use some maple leafs paraphernalia, but other than that, a beautiful room ;)
Hey Geoff,
We hid the Maple Leaf hockey pillows and blanket for the photo shoot - they are under the bed!
Cynthia
Oh thank you CatbirdFarm, you've made my day. Thank you for adding our bedroom to your folder on Houzz - you can find me on Houzz under Cynthia Zamaria Design although my profile is in desperate need of some updating. Check in soon and you can see more images, and in the meantime, please visit my blog, www.RecreationalDecorator.com.
Thank you again,
Cynthia
CatbirdFarm,
The artist is Bruce Steinhoff, from Port Dover, Ontario (Canada). He's a sentimental favourite of ours and has a personal connection as my husband went to school with him.
Cynthia
I immediately feel calm looking at this room. It is beautiful - all the right touches. The built-in is gorgeous. I could totally envision my family nd I doing everything you described.
Gorgeous!
Ah Amy Butler, White Linens and gorgeous shades. It is just gorgeous, so relaxing, its one of the nicest rooms yet. Well done in spite of your busy life, its a room I would never leave.
I am so moving in...
i feel calm just by looking at the photos ,well done!
Refreshing! I love the bed and built-in. This is a winner for me :)