Suite possibilities

A warm palette sets the tone for master bedroom redo, By Anne Londrigan In the master bedroom, it’s all about the bed. A quick change of linens and decorative pillows can do wonders to refresh a look without spending a whole lot of money. Interior designers weigh in on the bed and other easy updates for this important getaway space in the home. “You have to start with a great bed or a great headboard and a good presentation with the bed,” says Pat Gilley of JB Interiors. “The bedding has to be decent, properly fitting, well-tailored, and it should make a statement with style or color or the design of the bed. A contemporary look is to hide the headboard behind the pillows. For a minimalist look, forget the headboard and hang a dramatic piece of art in its place on the wall.” The bed is exactly where Sharon Hewitt began her quest for a better master bedroom for herself and husband Ron in the 1970s home that they recently purchased. She shopped her local department stores and mail-order bedding catalogs, searching for the right look. “I saw this micro-suede comforter at Famous (Barr) that had this beautiful red color and it caught my eye, and I thought ‘How could I get that look?’ It was 50 percent off, so I bought everything to cover the bed in pillows and shams.” With the palette set - warm red with green and tan accents - she searched her favorite discount and import stores over the course of two weeks for items such as decorative pillows and curtains to complete the look. She put to use a set of hatboxes with a travel motif that she already owned and found the same travel theme on a pair of luggage pieces. The room’s existing green painted walls came to life with the new red bedding, so the couple saved some money - and time - on paint. Says Hewitt: “In the end, the overall feeling is very warm and inviting, I think, because the colors are warm. The furniture is all oak, so it has a nostalgic feel with the travel boxes and sleigh bed.” Warm and inviting is the ultimate goal for a master bedroom look. “I think people are trying to go for cozy,” says Carol Edwards, owner of I Do Windows and More in Springfield, which specializes in custom window treatments, accessories, bedding and pillows. “It’s almost as if it’s a retreat from the rest of the world, a sanctuary. It may even have a different look from the rest of the house, almost a bed-and-breakfast look so that when you go into it, it’s like you’re going on vacation.” Says Gilley of JB Interiors: “The bedroom is a very private space. It’s not a public space like the kitchen and the family room, so it does not have to follow the color palette of the rest of the house. “Try to go for something that will make it a retreat. Like an aqua blue with chocolate brown ... in a master bedroom it can be very calming. And we want the master suite to have a relaxing effect.” John Jordan, a self-employed paint and carpentry contractor for 25 years, works mostly in older residential homes. He says adding color is a current trend for updating the master bedroom. “Usually in the past, people would go with white ceilings and white woodwork and off-white walls, the same color as the trim,” Jordan says. “I always try to steer people to more color. Paint is relatively inexpensive when you compare it to wallpaper, and bedding is not too terribly expensive, depending on where you buy it. So you can change your look over every couple years.” Jordan says an average-size master bedroom of 12-by-14 feet would require about a gallon of paint for the ceilings, two gallons on the walls and one gallon for the trim at an average of $25 to $35 per gallon. “I always insist on two coats on the walls and ceilings, even if you use the same colors, because you’re not going to get good coverage on the first coat,” Jordan says. “It will fade, and the dirt from the furnace and air conditioner will affect it.” According to Jordan, paint typically comes in three tiers of quality, from the top level to a contractor line and one or two budget lines below that. He swears by the contractor level and suggests asking experts at local paint stores to help you pick the color. Want to add some instant glam? Crown molding, a wood trim used to accent where the ceiling and walls meet, can give the room some inexpensive elegance. There are numerous styles of crown molding from which to choose and costs will depend on the type of material. A typical master bedroom can run from $500 to $1,000, for example. Beyond the bed and paint, there are other elements that help convert a master bedroom into a cozy retreat. Says Gilley: “A lot of people wouldn’t think in a smaller master bedroom of creating a spot for an ottoman or a small chaise. Today, a lot of bedrooms have a decent-size closet, so especially in moderate and upper-end homes, you need less furniture for storage.” Says Edwards: “A chair, reading lamp and ottoman with a stack of magazines or books are just great for the master bedroom.” Throw rugs still are in and highly functional for an inexpensive update. “Throw rugs bring a color or softness to a builder basic carpet, which typically in a spec home or a resale home the new owner didn’t get to pick,” Gilley says. “Bring in a soft, cushy rug for the foot of the bed so you’ll feel cozier.” A television in the master bedroom certainly belies the getaway idea, but if the bedroom is where you like to hunker down and unwind with “Desperate Housewives” or “The Sopranos,” try to hide it in the overall look. “Flat screens are great because you can make those noninvasive in the room,” Edwards says. “I try to hide them in an armoire of some sort.” Says Edwards: “I always think that if you find a piece that you absolutely love and adore, even if it’s out of your budget, I’d go for it. Obviously in the bedroom the bed is the focus, and that’s where your money needs to lie. “You could do plain bedding, but embellish it with some great shams and piping from designer fabrics. You can get so much bang for your buck with great fabric that is funky or serene.” According to Edwards, you can spend $1,000-plus on high-end, custom-made bedding with pillows and shams. A less-expensive route is to buy designer sheets at stores such as TJ Maxx or Tuesday Morning and sew them together for a new duvet cover. Another design shortcut, she says, is beadboard. “I’m finding that people are starting to use beadboard on whole walls to make a cottage look,” Edwards says. “You can get a whole Nantucket look in the master bedroom. Top the walls with crown molding and you have a crisp, clean look and you think you’re on the beach.”