Finishing Touches

Add style to your bedroom with subtle color and varying textures

Photographs by Chris Edwards

The bedroom is the room you spend most of your time in when you’re home. So one would think designing that happy haven would be high on the priority list. But it’s often the most overlooked room by homeowners during the decorating and design process, according to interior designer Amy Vermillion. “One mistake that clients make is working on their bedroom last,” she says, “after every ‘public’ room is finished.”

Don’t make that error. Instead, create the relaxing retreat a bedroom should be by adding color and texture through paint finishes, patterned upholstery and draperies, and bed linens.

Here are three bedrooms that master the art of coordinating color and texture to create a restful room. Each mixes and matches patterns—think toile with complementing stripes—as well as furniture (consider the coupling of a rustic armoire with an antique mirror). And each room shows that texture is simply another way to incorporate design in a bedroom. Try mixing three to four fabrics, from chenille throws and crewel embroidered shams to linen lampshades and silk organza draperies.

Lastly, remember that this is the place you’ll sleep so keep comfort in mind—instead of cotton sheets, opt for 100 percent linen sheets, which are both super-soft and stylish. After all, “a bedroom sets the tone for a peaceful sleep,” says Vermillion, “and a great outlook on a new day.”

TIP: Texture doesn’t have to come strictly from fabrics. Here, an antler-framed mirror provides a focal point above the bed while faux-painted stripes (in Saw Dust #SW6158 by Sherwin-Williams) add dimension to the trey ceiling.

Duvet, bedskirt, and
bench (paisley and stripe)
By Ralph Lauren

Carpet
By Fabrica

Faux strié
By Michael Braldaut

Coverlet
By Beacon Hill

Interior Design
By Scott Carpenter
Interiors
704-373-2966

Rice Grain
#SW6155
In eggshell finish
Sherwin-Williams

TIP:  By keeping the patterns in the bed linens simple but full of texture, you can incorporate patterns such as the floral in the draperies, as well as windowpane print in the upholstered chair, ottoman, and bedskirt.

Pale Celery
#2150-60
In eggshell finish
Benjamin Moore

Interior design
By Kathryn Ash
Kathryn Ash Interiors
704-335-1090

Draperies
By Raoul Textiles
To trade only

Throw pillow
By Kevin O’Brien Studio

TIP:  Keep the wall color minimal and instead add color and texture through draperies, linens, and even carpeting. Here, various fabrics like chenille, soft cotton, and silk provide comfort and design without overdoing it.

Pillow
By Kravet
To trade only

Euro shams
By Highland Court
To trade only

Interior Design
By Amy Vermillion
Martineau Vermillion Interior Design
704-544-3999

King shams
By Pindler & Pindler
and Highland Court
To trade only

Brunswick Beige
#1061
In eggshell finish
Benjamin Moore

Coverlet
By Pindler & Pindler
To trade only