Our time abroad has come to end and we are back in Charleston. The past 6 months were an exciting time for our family as we lived in Macau, China and had the opportunity to travel a lot in Asia. It was a wonderful experience that has enriched the lives of my children and helped me to see the world a little differently. I have come home with a head full of ideas and inspiration and I can't wait to put it to use!
Unfortunately, I also came home to the flooded lower level of my home. It caused some major damage to the master bedroom, master bath and our home gym. It was not really what you want to arrive home to after travelling for 24 hours, lugging 12 suitcase and trying not to catch the corona virus along the way. Now that we have been home for several weeks, the clean up is over and the construction is almost complete, I'm starting to remember why I love renovating! In fact, if it was going to happen to any room in my house, I'm happy that it was my room as I get to recreate it into my own Asian inspired sanctuary!
I have decided on Farrow and Ball- No. 229 Sulking Room Pink for the walls..( I have been obsessed with this color since seeing the Gucci Store in the Tokyo Airport....it's heavenly).
Before During After
I also splurged a little and decided I needed a "grown up closet". It also helps to own a tile company, and I was able to use some extra tiles we had around for this fabulous floor!
I was so incredibly inspired by all the beauty I was able to see in India and the wonderful places I got to visit. I was finally able to visit the "Instagram famous”, Patrika Gate and take in all the exquisite hand painted walls and archways. I was also thrilled to visit what is now my favorite bar on the planet, Bar Palladio ( and I'm not the only one) in Jaipur! It was designed by Dutch designer Marie-Anne Oudejans and located in the historic Narain Niwas Palace Hotel. Everywhere you go in Jaipur you find hand painted walls, murals, ceilings and floors as the country is so rich with skilled artisans. I can't wait to use all this new found inspiration while designing my room!
I also had the opportunity to visit many workshops that specialize in the art of hand block printed textiles. I packed my suitcase with as much as I could carry back and plan to incorporate them into the bedroom design with throw pillows and curtains.
To get things rolling, the first thing on the agenda has been to design a custom design wood tile (of course it is!)
After much deliberation and many samples, I decided to create a simplified lattice or Treillage Design (as they say in France) as my starting point. I have had to use restraint ( something I struggle with) when designing the pattern so it won't compete with everything else I have in mind for the space. This one we have named Treillage and will be available on our website soon!
In addition to hand painted murals and the custom wood tile floor another design element I have always loved and seems to have a perfect place in my room in a wall of antique mirror tiles. After trying to find them "ready made" and within my budget I have decided I will take this project on myself ( and hopefully a little help from my crafty friends and family):) I have purchased the 84 sq. ft of mirror tile and I will begin to antique using a painstaking process involving pain stripper that I discovered online. That said, if anyone has any short cuts that I need to know about please feel free to share! I think the final look I am going for will be perfect for the space as it will bring it some light and make the space appear larger than it and add to the timeless feeling I am going for. I plan to finish off this nook with a glamorous dressing table and slipper chair flanked by 2 tall antique dressers I own.
In all the homes I have ever lived in, I have never really had a "real grown up bed", I seemed to always make a headboard and a well placed bed skirt work for me. But at one of our vacation spots in the Philippines I was taken by some daybeds I saw that gave me an idea for my own bed.
As I have never been crazy about the windows in my room but I had to choose function over fashion here. I am happy to draw the eye away from them and plan to create a large headboard of lattice that will mimic the hand painted lattice in the murals. I found this great 4 poster bed online and am hoping to attach lattice to it before it gets painted and becomes the focal point of the room.
I will finish off the bed with bedding created with the hand blocked fabrics from India. I sure hope it's comfortable as I will definitely need a nice resting spot when all the work is done!
xoxo,
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