Not that I would say any part of my apartment is particularly colorful, but my bedroom I purposely kept especially neutral and calm. Since my “office” is 3 feet away in the living room, I wanted to be able to shut the doors (there are actually 2 doors – saloon style that lead into my bedroom, that’s not an error!) in here and really be able to decompress.
frames // art // nightstand // vintage lamp // lamp shade // vintage rug // duvet (similar) // headboard // decorative pillow // throw blanket
My bed itself is just a plain metal frame. I needed something tall to fit underbed storage (have I mentioned that I need storage living in NYC in the past??). For that, I have these very large wooden underbed drawers. They fit a TON. This was a better solution for me than an all-in-one bed with drawers incorporated directly in the frame. I have the two drawers toward the foot of the bed, and empty space to store things like luggage (which, yes, shockingly, has not been used since I moved here in July 2020) toward the headboard.
Speaking of the headboard, because there isn’t much clearance between the footboard and the wall, I didn’t want something that would bring the bed further out. I ordered a pretty basic headboard, but instead of attaching it to the bed frame, I have it resting on the base of the bed with the mattress pushed directly up against it. I’m only able to do this because the headboard itself is very light. I had actually gone so far to buy a french cleat, but realized it wasn’t necessary. Of course, I would have hung it a little higher, which I think would be preferable, but not enough to justify having more holes to patch when I move. I’m not in love with the color, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I get some fabric to cover it, but I do think it helps break up all the beige I have going on in here.
I originally didn’t have a rug in here. The room doesn’t really need it because of the size/lay-out (it was very hard to shoot this room, its about 9’x12′ and there really isn’t a lot of floor space). But, I just moved my vintage rug into this room, and not only does it fit perfectly, but the colors work well in here and I’ve really been liking having something softer than the wood floor under my feet when I wake up.
I know there are a million posts on how to mix and match bedding color and pattern and scale and I also know that a white bed can be considered boring. But, you know what looks so very inviting? A fluffy white bed. I will not apologize. The duvet I got on super sale from Anthropologie and it’s unfortunately sold out. It is a king though! Especially with my bed being so high, I really like the look of a sized up comforter on a bed. Also, if you’re sharing a bed with a partner, a larger duvet will save a lot of fights over cover-hogging. I added this throw from Crate and Barrel for just a smidge of interest.
I don’t mind a slightly rumpled bed. My duvet is linen. The wrinkles are to be expected. I have these pillowcases from Parachute, which I like because they’re envelope style and look more finished than a traditional case. I had originally purchased the throw pillow for my couch, but I love it here instead.
The armoire fits the space perfectly, and I’m still really happy with the function.
The lamps I spoke about in my lighting post. They’re vintage from eBay and I was so excited to find them for a fairly reasonable price. I like how the shine contrasts with all the muted textures throughout the room, and really love how they play with the linen-covered nightstands.
The art is a couple of simple and modern pieces by Angela Allen that I got way back in 2019 (aka, normal times). I paired them with these burl wood frames from Craig Frames. The entire set-up is very minimal which I love. And again, I could not love MQuan more, so this room has a couple of her garlands, which I scored at a sample sale at her studio in Brooklyn a few years ago. The simple hooks are from CB2 (where else???).
Is this my dream bedroom? Of course not, there are things I would change. But, is it very relaxing and does it give me a nice break from the chaos of NYC in a pandemic? It sure does. I love both ending and beginning my days in this serene space.