Built-In Bunk Beds

Every time my 3-year-old sees a bunk bed, he asks if he can have one in his room. He currently sleeps in an incredible antique Beidermier burled walnut bed that I got at auction. It is elegant and handsome and I keep telling him it kinda looks like a pirate ship, but he’s not buying it. I won’t be replacing his current bed for a bunk style, but we are considering purchasing a vacation property, and I will get him a bunk bed there. Bunks are perfect for vacation homes and I am especially fond of the kind that are built-in. Here are some images of bunk beds that I am keeping to inspire me when we get around to buying our recreational property.

Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids

In Calgary, many of our clients have recreational properties in Canmore, Invermere or Panorama that we design for them. The look in this photograph is typical for the rustic, western mountain theme that is requested in these ski resort areas. This bunk bed is not built-in but a millworker or cabinet-maker could construct a customized version with some drawings from your interior designer.

 Photo courtesy of safe kids loft beds. 

A lot of built-in bunks have a Marine theme and it works nicely for children’s rooms. I love the porthole between the two lower bunks, and the wood treads of the ladder. However, I would have added side rails on this model just to be safe.

Photo courtesy of Your Design Style and Traditional Home Magazine

This is a very sophisticated version with artwork and reading lights with shades. The ladder is recessed in between the columns of beds, and I like how it is set back and out-of-the-way.

Photo courtesy of Elle Decor via Dwell in Beauty

This bunk is perfect for a modern little princess. I really like the crisp white finish and the drawers below. Bunks are a wonderful solutions for small bedrooms.

Photo courtesy of Cottage Home via My Home Ideas

These bunks are built-in but float against the wall so that the window is not obstructed. These are simple and fun and could be decorated in any color or theme.

Photo courtesy of This Old House

Here’s another example of a nautical inspired bunk bed with some very clever storage. The steps up are drawers and there is a cubby on the lower bunk for books and bedside items. I also like how the lower bed is actually a double.

Photo via Laura Casey Interiors

This example has a beautiful tapered shape and really celebrates nautical design. Very handsome.

Photo courtesy of Oh Dee Doh

For a modern bedroom, this style would work well. It has clean lines and a hip vibe. Something like this would work for a house in Palm Springs – which is where we are thinking of buying and where many of our clients have getaway property.

Photo courtesy of Oh Dee Doh

The curtains are fun and add privacy on this built-in bunk. Imagine lots of kids playing peek-a-boo behind them!

Kid’s love bunks and they are great for sleepovers. They are perfect for holiday homes where one room can accommodate all the children or an entire family. I like the built-in variety because they are interesting architecturally and unique details can be incorporated. When planning and designing your vacation home or children’s room, think about using bunk beds. Your kids will love you for it!

Cheers!

Jacqueline

Spring Bed Linens

Spring is the time to freshen up your home, dust everything off and lighten things up. In your bedrooms, the easiest way to do this is to change your bedding. Often when we are designing bedrooms for our clients we will do a winter scheme and a summer scheme so that the bedroom linens match the season. Often we will design custom bed linens, but there are some tremendous retailers in Calgary which carry some wonderful lines of pre-made duvet covers, shams and sheets. Here are a few that recently caught my eye and epitomize spring.

 This lovely embroidered duvet cover and sham is available through Pottery Barn.  The crewel work and soft powder blue is perfect for this season and so trendy right now.

 

 Available through Cushy Life a delightful bedding shop in Calgary, this duvet set from Dwell Studio features a pretty bird pattern. The soft palette and hand-drawn quality of this print modernizes this bedding.

 

I adore the color combination of yellow and grey in this Designer’s Guild duvet cover and pillow set. Designer’s Guild is famous for the way they celebrate color and pattern. It is also available at Cushy Life.

 

Ann Gish is a bedding company that specializes in silk bedding. It’s breathable, better for allergy sufferers and extremely luxurious! This grouping is tailored and the mix of dove grey and ivory is fresh and clean. Ann Gish linens are available at Valerianne of Calgary another top-notch bedding boutique.

 Sferra is an Italian company renowned for quality. This pale pink reminds me of delicate spring blossoms. It is available at both Valerianne and Cushy Life. If you can convince your hubby to go with pink in the bedroom I think this would be adorable!

 What better color to welcome spring then green? This leafy shade paired with the geometric trellis pattern is so fresh and available through designers from WildCat Territory.

There are so many charming patterns and colors of bedding that welcome this time of year. Changing your linens is a simple way to brighten your room and freshen it up. Making seasonal changes like this keeps your interiors from getting stale and boring. I hope that this small collection of pretty linens inspires you to consider a brand new scheme for your bedrooms!

 Cheers!

Upholstered Headboards

Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

Upholstered headboards say luxury. If you want your bedroom to be sumptuous, comfortable and plush an upholstered headboard is the answer. Nestling into bed and leaning against one of these beauties is a real treat at the end of a busy day. Headboards are the natural focal point of a bedroom and these upholstered options are definite eye catchers!

Interior design by Elizabeth Kimberly Design

Recently I was introduced to the gorgeous work of Elizabeth Kimberly Design by the blog Elements of Style and I was blown away by their beautiful portfolio. This oversized headboard caught my eye. This kind of color palette is frequently requested by our clients and is very popular in Calgary. Isn’t this just the most serene, elegant bedroom?

Interior design by Amanda Nisbet Design

Headboards are very dramatic if done in a bright color like this lovely violet. Against a chocolate brown wall this color is fantastic. There is no reason not to choose a vibrant shade or a pretty patterned fabric for your headboard.

Interior design by Amanda Nisbet Design

This is a sharp look for a teenage boy’s room. The upholstery tacks and contrasting edge detail are striking. A side note – check out the wallpapered ceiling, a trend I wrote about in a past post. It looks terrific in this room.

Interior design by Amanda Nisbet Design

Scalloped edges, contrast piping and buttons on these twin headboards make this kids room magical! The green and yellow combination is wonderful too.

Interior design by Tobi Fairley

This handsome headboard is reminiscent of a wing back chair. I think it would be the perfect thing to snuggle up against while reading a book on a cold winter’s night.

Interior design by Sarah Richardson

Canadian design maven Sarah Richardson designed this wingback headboard. She has created a line of upholstered furniture including headboards that are available at shops across Canada like Maria Tomas one of my favorite haunts in Calgary.

Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

Headboards are most often custom made. They may have an upholstered base which the mattress sits inside or they may have no base and sit on the floor or attach to the wall. If they are not made with an attached base a bed skirt is required. The bed skirt may be made of the same material of the headboard or a fabric which complements the bedding. The headboard in this room that we designed has no base and sits on the floor behind the bed.

Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

This tiny master bedroom was a challenge for our design team and a custom headboard was the answer! We designed the headboard to fit precisely underneath the angled ceiling and stained its frame to match our custom designed nightstands.

Photo via Things That Inspire

This image was taken from a wonderful article brimming with very elegant photographs of bedrooms from the blog Things That Inspire. I highly recommend that you check out this article which features so many lovely upholstered headboards.

Interior design by Noel Jeffery photo via Things That Inspire

An entire wall has been upholstered and then the luxury has been doubled by placing an upholstered headboard in front of it! I’ll bet that this bedroom is whisper quiet because of all the fabric which helps to deaden noise.

Interior design by Tobi Fairley Design

I love this coral damask fabric used for this headboard. It is pretty and fresh on this very simple headboard style. It is making me think of spring!

Interior design by Palmer Weiss photo via Anh-Minh.com

This headboard has a traditional shape, but has been upholstered in a mod patterned fabric. I love the contrast between the two which creates a very unique focal point. Here the bed skirt has been manufactured out of the same fabric as the headboard.

Photo via Canadian House and Home

If you are planning on making your own simple headboard, Canadian House and Home featured a handy DIY Upholstered Headboard article which outlines the steps and materials required.

Since your bed is the most important feature of your bedroom, why not make a statement with an upholstered headboard? Choose an interesting shape, upholstery tacks, tufting, a patterned fabric or an exciting color to highlight your focal point. Add some luxury in your life with an upholstered headboard.

Cheers!

Pink Rooms for Valentine’s Day

Pink Rooms for Valentine’s Day

Photo courtesy of Sarah Richardson Design

Perhaps pink is not the first color to spring to mind when you are decorating your home. It has a girly stigma, and therefore it is not a color that my interior design firm in Calgary, Corea Sotropa Interior Design works with very often. However, used correctly, pink can be gorgeous in living rooms, dining rooms and master bedrooms. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, here are some gorgeous rooms done in shades of pink from blush to fuchsia.  Think of pink for more then just your daughter’s bedroom!

Photo courtesy of Lulu Painting

This pink hued living room is delightful and reminds me of a chocolate dipped strawberry. Delicious! The use of neutral white on the trim, ceiling and table mixed with the chocolate brown accents ground the bright wall color and fabrics. The brown and pink chinoisery fabric on the chairs and accent pillow is fabulous and a very unusual combination for a traditional pattern.

Photo courtesy of House Beautiful

This California living room by designer Stephen Shubel sports a soft pink paint and an eclectic mix of furniture. The dark upholstery adds a slightly masculine element to this pretty room. It’s a great contrast.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Richardson Design

Baby pink upholstery on the sofa mixed with darker peony pink accents like the pillows and glass lamps are elegant in this lovely sitting area. That glass lamp is a stunner! Sarah Richardson did this suite for one of her television episodes and it still stands out in my mind as an absolutely charming room.

Photo courtesy of  Alkemie

The designer here has carefully mixed different shades of pink so the room is not to matchy-matchy. There is a baby pink cabinet, a rose colored damask throw, a shell pink cushion and drapery fabric and a fuchsia candlestick on the mantle. The dark lamp base, picture frame, urn and drapery hardware keep this room from feeling like it is floating away.

Photo courtesy of House Beautiful

Gold accents work wonderfully with pink as illustrated in this photograph. The gold light fixtures, upholstery tacks and furniture details lend warmth and patina. Very lovely and very French, non?

Photo courtesy of House Beautiful

The pop of pink provided by the glass chandelier and fabric on the chair backs is unexpected. The interesting white frame surrounds a pin board. What a great idea for an eating nook! This NYC brownstone was designed by Johnathan Berger.

Photo courtesy of House Beautiful

White dining chairs outfitted with gorgeous shell pink upholstery add punch to this dining room by designer Ashley Whittaker. The chandelier is drop dead gorgeous in this room!

Photo courtesy of House Beautiful

This pink settee greets guests in a foyer designed by Ned Marshall in New Orleans. What a happy welcome!

Wow! An incredible shade of fuchsia graces this entryway also designed by Johnathan Berger

Photo courtesy of Canadian House and Home

The berger chair in pink leopard print fabric is fabulous in this teenagers bedroom. This room is feminine, but has a modern edge to it.

Photo courtesy of Canadian House and Home

The great thing about this master bedroom is that if you tire of the pink, all you need to do is replace the duvet cover and accent cushions. Everything else in the room is dove grey or white. This bedroom was designed by Omniarte Design.

Bedroom design by Larry Laslo,  photo via Desire to Inspire

This stunning bedroom goes all the way with pink everywhere! When using this much pink in a room the artwork must be kept neutral. Mirrors and photographs are a perfect choice.

Photo courtesy of Domino Magazine via DomestiKatedLife

A shot of shocking hot pink in this white and black bedroom is very dramatic, but easy to change if you tire of the color.

Photographs courtesy of JuBella

Designer Jamie Drake of Drake Design Associates is the King of Color! He fearlessly mixes fuchsia, lavender and plum together for this bedroom suite in the Kips Bay Designer Showcase. His signature look is vibrant luxury and he has mastered that in this suite.

Photo courtesy of Brides via Stylish Events Blog

If a pink room is too much for you to handle, try adding pink flowers to your interiors for a burst of color. This arrangement pairs all shades of pink roses and peonies.

When you are ready to redecorate, don’t forget about pink! It can be a very sophisticated color palette and suitable for many rooms of your home. A bright shot of pink injects happiness. Pink paint or wallpaper provides an allover glow that is flattering to the complexion. Pink pairs gloriously with taupe, brown, ivory and grey. Try using blush or shell pink in your neutral rooms for a splash of color. I hope you all have a very pink and happy Valentine’s Day!

Cheers!

Little Girl’s Bedrooms

I am thrilled to announce that my business partner and best friend has just become a mother to a precious little girl. Congratulations Reena! In honor of the arrival of this lovely little princess here are some gorgeous and inspirational girl’s bedrooms.

This first bedroom is by designer Tobi Fairley and I must say that her work always inspires me. She boldly uses colours and patterns in a modern way and yet her rooms look timeless and chic. This purple bedroom is so spirited and the hits of black and white keep it fresh and hip. Of course I adore the zebra print behind the bed!

Amanda Nisbet is another designer whose work I find uplifting and exciting. She fearlessly mixes colours, textures and patterns in a way that is unexpected and cheerful. I adore the headboard with the black detailing and the black and white rug. This is a bedroom that I could see a teenager loving!

Here is another example of Amanda Nisbet creating a fabulous girl’s room. I am especially charmed by the lantern, mix of floral prints and striped rug. Wow!

Growing up, I was jealous of my girlfriends that had canopy beds. I am still so attracted by the idea and this lovely bedroom really caught my eye. Designer Palmer Weiss from San Francisco created this delightful pink bedroom with floral canopy over the bed. The pompom fringe edging the canopy is brilliant!

Jeffers Design Group designed this adorable nursery. Check out the pink ceiling and scalloped molding! This room is so serene, pretty and inviting.

This next bedroom is one of our own projects and was so much fun to do. The colour scheme began with a fuchsia and orange sequined sheer fabric which we used on the windows.

We built the curved bench seat so that our client could enjoy the spectacular city of view of downtown Calgary.

The original bed and armoire had a french country feel so we had them repainted bright pink accentuating their elegant lines. Our faux finisher added the finishing touches with her fun colorful circles.  Our young client has dreams of making the Olympic Luge team one day and those circles represent the Olympic Rings.

I hope that you were inspired by these lively colours and patterns!

Cheers!

Jacqueline

Designer’s Own Master Bedroom Renovation

During the renovation of our house I decided to also tackle our master bedroom. Now, our new bedroom is completed and I couldn’t be happier!

I used some beautiful wallpaper from Osborne & Little called Grove Garden.  Once I saw this wallpaper, I knew that it would be the jumping off point for this bedroom.  It still takes my breath away every time I see it!

Recently, I had this lovely little stool custom made from Hickory Chair and it looks so fresh against the aquamarine background of the wallpaper.  One of my own personal favorite pieces of art is this charming charcoal drawing by Cathy Daley who is represented by Newzones Gallery here in Calgary.  We have used Kathy’s beautiful abstract drawings of female figures in several of our projects because they are so lighthearted and full of movement. I have had this piece for several years, but it never felt like it belonged where I hung it until this bedroom was finished. It looks perfect!

The master bedroom ceiling was beyond boring so I added some architectural detailing. Since the wallpaper had a garden like quality I wanted the ceiling to feel like a trellis. My fabulous carpenter and I worked out some ideas and came up with this geometric pattern that really is incredible! 400 linear feet of the small cove molding was used to create it. Since the ceiling was only 8 feet high I had all of the moldings and drywall painted the same white colour in a flat finish so that it wouldn’t be too overwhelming.  Originally, I was considering doing all the moldings in a black gloss finish, and now I am so glad that I changed my mind and painted it all white!

The leading edge of the drapery was outlined with a beautiful undulating trim from Kravet. Sometimes, all that you need is a little trim to bring something plain to life! The little pillow on the chair was also custom made.  I adore the pleated fabric on the sides.  The black and white botanical fabric with the cheerful yellow bird is from Jab one of my favorite fabric companies.

The duvet cover and euro shams with the black pinstripe are from Restoration Hardware, but I mixed in a few other pieces that I found from here and there. Many of the accessories are from a lovely store here in Calgary called Peridot which we frequent regularly for our clients.

It truly is a luxury to have a marvelous master bedroom and I feel spoiled every time I enter this room! There is nothing better then going to sleep in a space that is a little piece of heaven and waking up to colours that enliven you.

Cheers!