Part 11: Bedroom Romance (Designing My House Series)

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Designing the master bedroom in my “new old house” is probably one of the most exciting parts of the interior design phase. It will be a light and air-filled space with lots of design possibilities. If you recall from earlier blogs, the house is basically a Georgian rectangle with a large dependency off the south gable end for a screen porch and master bedroom on top. The master bedroom is made up of three rooms – a sleeping chamber, dressing room and bathroom (click floor plan to enlarge). The sleeping chamber has windows on three sides and a large fireplace on the fourth and since it’s not part of the main structure, I can take full advantage of the steeply pitched roof line to get a cathedral ceiling, something that isn’t possible in the rest of the house where the attic will be finished loft space.

My interior design theme is simple – beams, beams and more beams! The exterior will have a somewhat medieval appearance with exposed timber frames filled in with brick and I like that the inside will mirror the outside. This will be quite a departure from the rest of the house which will be designed with a more restrained early American look. Exposed beams work especially well in rooms that have a lot of architectural interest. My master bedroom has five foot knee walls and steep eaves, a cathedral ceiling which will be dropped a few feet below the ridge line and window dormers on the east and west sides. These angles and varying roof lines create a feeling of intimacy which is especially important in a bedroom.

I’ll be lucky enough to have a fireplace in the master bedroom which adds even more romance. I will probably leave the brick exposed since the room will be heavily trimmed in wooden beams. I’ve always loved a mix of wood and masonry. Brick or stone gives a home a sense of weight and permanence and although they are hard substances, it’s easy enough to soften the space with luxurious fabrics and rugs. I’ve saved my mom’s treasured living room rug from our house in NJ to anchor the room. It’s large and colorful and makes a statement. Aside from two bedside tables and maybe two chairs in front of the fireplace, the room will be sparsely furnished. I want it to be a place of rest and retreat far from the rest of the house in terms of location and feel.