Often, the primary suite is last on the list, but happily, these clients decided early in our relationship to make their space a priority. Truly, there is nothing better than to have a quiet space to retreat at the end of the day, and I know my clients are making good use of this wonderful spot in their home.
Photography by Amy Bartlam
The room had enough floorspace to include a sitting area, but the original fireplace looked a bit like the wardrobe from Beauty and the Beast! We took out all of the heaviness and added a beautiful -- but sleek -- stone surround. We also removed shutters from all of the windows to let in plenty of light, and did a custom sheer and a linen drapery for softness and height.
The room also got new carpet, a tone-on-tone paint scheme, and all new furniture. My client really wanted the room to be peaceful, so we opted for mostly neutrals but with pops of blue throughout. The key to pulling off such a neutral space is to use plenty of texture and different shades of the same colors, so we really layered up the bed. The nightstands have a kind of a white-washed paint finish and the lamps have a speckled finish, both of which have more depth than a solid painted piece.
The suite included not one, but two full baths: His and Her's! This was my first experience with this layout, and it turned into one of the most satisfying spaces in the entire project. Often, one of the biggest challenges in designing the primary suite is marrying (pun intended!) the at-times disparate tastes and needs of each member of the couple and making sure each person feels at home and represented in their room. So it was really fun to be able to lean in to a serene, feminine vibe and create a special place for my client that is all her own.
The room was quite outdated, so when we removed the oversized sunk-in tub situation, we were able to create a little niche around the new free-standing tub. We chose a marble tile in a trellis pattern and covered the entire wall so it felt luxurious -- not to mention, it's totally splash proof. The window treatment isn't needed here for privacy, but rather filters the light beautifully and brings in texture.
The room has both a makeup vanity and a sink vanity, and we painted both Pale Oak by Benjamin Moore, which has faint pink undertones. The flooring is a large-format greige tile that has a lot of depth and brings in those pale neutrals we used in the bedroom space. I wanted to be intentional with every little detail here, like the curves of the makeup mirror and round knobs that mimic the arch in the tub alcove.
We've been using a lot of brass and mixed metals lately, but here we went with the classic, luxurious beauty of polished nickel on the plumbing, hardware, and lighting. While it looks cool at first glance, polished nickel has a warm undertone and it played really nicely with the soft tones in the room without being too bold. Opposite the makeup vanity is the full-length sink vanity that has tons of great storage. We added a vintage rug here for some muted color and texture.
While challenging at times, primary suites are some of my favorite spaces to design. If you'd like to learn more about design services, fill out a design inquiry. If your space just needs a little zhushing, give our studio a call at 805-371-3222 to book an exclusive shopping experience.
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