Bedroom Bench Mark

(Decor Pad)

The bench at the foot of our bed is one of the nicest pieces of furniture we own.  It was a gift from my mother when we first moved to Charlottesville and found ourselves in a really large master with hardly any furniture.  Lucky for us, she had some extra Chinese silk fabric from a custom ottoman project and I had found a gorgeous hand carved antique bench that needed to be recovered.  If you find a shape you like at a flea market or consignment shop, you can always change the fabric on the top and voila, a perfect piece for the foot of your bed.

A bedroom bench is so practical.  Not only can it be used as seating, but if you need to maximize the space in your bedroom, you can store more unsightly items in baskets underneath.  I love the look of our long bench that runs along almost the entire width of the bed (just be sure the sides of the bed show at least a few inches on either side for a framing effect).  For our bench I'd like a cream colored cashmere throw to drape on one side, adding a luxurious touch.  Beneath the bench, place some dark woven baskets for extra sheets and blankets; I like round shapes for a contrast with the rectangular bench.  For a slightly different style for the guest room in our first house, I would like a set of smaller boudoir benches, or cross-legged or "x" benches--a his and her's for our guests.  On one of my favorite interior design shopping site's Serena and Lily, you can customize a set of x benches, selecting a unique pattern or single color fabric and piping.  I love the set below, both the color and the shape, in a room by one of my favorite, fearless designers Jonathan Adler.

benches by Jonathan Adler
(House Beautiful September 2009)

(decor pad)

(summer design studio)

(Decor Pad)

(Elle Decor)

(House Beautiful)

Boudoir bench
(frenchgardenhouse.com)



                          

Ahoy Matey!

(mividabonita) 

One of my favorite Samantha Jones' quotes from "Sex and The City" is when she spies handsome navy officers walking down the street during NYC's Fleet Week. Taking off her dark shades, she announces, "Ahoy Matey!"

I grew up in Central Virginia, and thus my husband dubs me "a land lubber." While he spent his summers sailing in North Carolina, I prefered the dry ground of hunt country on the back of horse.  But despite my propensity for land over sea, I fully admit I'm looking forward to living near the water in Norfolk (the city sits at 3" above sea level).  I plan to draw decorating inspiration from my coastal surroundings and to me there is nothing more crisp than the classic combination of navy and white.  The nautical color palate is preppy, whimsical and it doesn't have to be reserved for a child's room, if done tastefully.  I'm going to cast my decorating net wide to incorporate a few seafaring accents in our first house.

(modernwingchairs.com)

(Laura Casey Interiors)

you can create your own pillow on his website
(Johnathan Adler)

The "Nautical Room" within a home in River Dunes, NC
(Coastal Living)

crisp white chair and desk
(brightboldandbeautiful)

a pair of navy chairs in velvet