Last summer I was lucky enough to decorate the master bedroom of the 2017 Hampton Designer Showhouse for The Mine, where I’ve worked as Style Director for a year. Traditional Home always sponsors the house, so I knew I wanted to design a room with a fresh, vibrant take on classic decorating in the Hamptons. Glossy white walls lacquered in Fine Paints of Europe and sisal carpeting from Stark create a neutral canvas for a riot of color and pattern.
To furnish the room, I started off with this dreamy canopy bed decorated with bedhangings in blue, white, and coral prints (Robert Allen, Scalamandre, and Fabricut). Upholsterer Grant Trick custom-made them, but you can easily create this “cocoon” feeling yourself by tying standard curtain panels at the corners of a canopy bed. Next, I added linens and pillows in prints of different scales and color tones to create an all-consuming feeling of fresh luxury. Just because it’s a bedroom doesn’t mean it has to put you to sleep!
The vestibule, lacquered in Lobster from Fine Paints of Europe, is one of my absolute favorite parts of the room. As Mariah would say, I needed a mo–ment! To anchor the space, I paired an acrylic and glass console with a Sam Moore ottoman covered in a kicky leopard. Vintage and new objects and paintings bring the room to life. Notice we hung the art at every height—not just eye-level—and even leaned one piece against the mirror for a casual, layered look. Don’t be afraid to display what you love unconventionally—it’s daring and says “a true collector lives here.” Finally, one last tried-and-true decorator tip—black lamp shades have a way of elevating everything around them.
Just off the bedroom, there are two full-sized closets, so instead of putting a dresser in the room, I decided to create a space that functions as a casual office or a sitting area. It’s also a chic way to display all the mounds of coffee table books that can really make a room feel lived in. Using this big, beautiful screen trimmed in nailheads as my starting point, I mixed in traditional chairs upholstered in bright, modern colors and added an ultra-modern lamp to make a statement.
I never met a Chinoiserie secretary I didn’t like, and that goes for this showstopper from The Mine. The dresser is laquered a punchy red with gorgeous hardware like tassels. Taken together, these pieces infuse the room with a fun sense of formality. Both are traditional and a bit imposing but are made to seem a little less so by the way I styled them. The secretary is kept open to reveal the suprises inside—the unexpected deep red, the ornately gilded mirror, the splashy blue candlesticks. The dresser acts as a bedside table with plenty of storage, and nods to the fuschia, periwinkle, and pink in the bedhangings and linens.
To shop the room—and tour it virtually!—click here.
Browsing my Trad Home mag…fell in LOVE with your room & started stalking. It is FABULOUS!!!