I Had It All Figured Out

Charles Spada Interiors, via designtrade.net, Eric Roth Photography

So, I had a plan for redecorating my bedroom (see previous posts if interested) and then I find this image and realize I may have to start over.  Why is it so hard to make decisions about decorating my own house?

 On one hand, I am drawn to antique furniture, time worn charm, and gilt finishes.  On the other hand, I admire rooms which combine antiques with contemporary furnishings and the designers who skillfully blend pieces from different eras to create perfect harmony.  The contrast of antiques next to contemporary pieces, like the chair and chest above, always surprises me and captures my attention, inviting me to look, study, and wonder. 

There's a complexity to rooms like these unlike those completely furnished with pieces from the same era.  I think the bottom line is that I like my life to be simple and predictable, but I favor rooms that are decorated to highlight contrast and complexity.

That's not too much to ask, is it?

Overboard for a Headboard

If you saw my last post, you know that I'm considering revamping my bedroom and in particular, my headboard.  Lately, I'm intrigued by anything gilded (see most recent post) and was also inspired by this pretty bedroom of antiques dealer Kay O'Toole.

Veranda Magazine, March 2010, Interior Design by Kay O'Toole, photo by Tria Giovan

The room is awash in creamy tones and a delicately patterned white Fortuny fabric adorns not only the headboard, but also the coverlet and the drapes.   If you know me from reading my blog, you will know that there will be no Fortuny in my bedroom (not even a pillow for now, I'm afraid).

But I like a challenge when it comes to decorating and I'm mulling over a few ideas for the room.  I would like to try gold-leafing (with an antique finish) an architectural element (above) to hang over the headboard.  It is quite large though; almost as wide as a queen-sized headboard.  And, I'm concerned about a possible tackiness factor.  There is the potential for a 1970s Las Vegas hotel room look here that would, to put it mildly, ruin the whole thing and embarrass me to no end.

My headboard currently sports a peach linen damask fabric.  I will definitely reupholster it, but I'm not sure if a solid white or linen colored fabric would be best or if this large scale damask print fabric in "Oyster" might work.  I received the fabric sample in the mail this week and it is actually lighter than shown here and a little more ivory in color too.

Or, I could use this fabric in the same pattern which is sightly darker in "Stone".  My concern is that this fabric may compete with the architectural element, which is already very ornate. So, I could keep shopping around for different fabrics without buying any, which I'm very good at these days.

It seems best to keep the bedside lighting simple if I use the gold-leafed piece described above, so these swing arm lamps from Circa Lighting might be a good choice.  The bedside tables will be simple one-drawer nightstands which I already have, but will paint to complement the rest of the room.  Since these lamps cast light downward, I'm not sure if they'll reflect enough light off the headboard to get the effect I want.  The idea though is to keep the bedside lighting simple since there will be enough going on with the piece above the upholstered headboard.

So, we'll see what happens with these choices.  At least this gives me something to think about during my commute and is more interesting than checking email on the Blackberry.