PUT SOME “SPRING” BACK IN THE BEDROOM

April 15, 2010

By Jane Lockhart
Photos by Brandon Barré (courtesy of W Network’s Colour Confidential)

For Ryan, a television and movie hairstylist, his bedroom had become uninviting and dull. His long hours on set left him with little creativity and even less energy to breathe new life into the bedroom and create an inspiring comfortable space to come home to. Even though he knew that it would only take a fresh coat of paint, a bit of updating in the style department and some simple personal touches he knew he needed help to pull it all together. With the help of Jane Lockhart of W Network’s Colour Confidential Ryan’s dreams of coming home to a calm, serene space at the end of a long day’s work has finally come true. Defined by his clean contemporary furnishings the space has been transformed into a welcoming modern room that reflects Ryan’s personal style and practical needs.

Jane’s designer tip: Freshen things up in your bedroom this spring. Determine how you want your space to feel overall. For a relaxing retreat, use soft colours and add accents in contrasting colours for a modern flavour with soothing vibe. Adding functional and personal elements, pictures, flowers and even aspirational phrases can transform a room into a nourishing environment for your body and soul!

“To fully achieve Ryan’s vision it was necessary to start with the simple things that won’t cost a penny but will make the biggest impact to both the esthetics and the functionality of a room,” says Jane. Moving the bed to the other side of the room, opposite the entrance gave it prominence as the focal point and created a sense of balance in the space. In addition, the previous layout felt cramped with the bed shoved down to one end of the room and tight around the headboard. Simply placing the bed on the opposite wall, trading places with the dresser, opened up the space overall and created harmony with all the items in the room.

To set the peaceful and relaxed tone of the room, Ryan was inspired by a light aqua colour that reminded him of ocean waves. A colour scheme of soft blues, pale greens and light greys were chosen to instantly freshen up a room and help make it feel more open and airy. “To further define the look of a master bedroom, consider the colour and material of the floor coverings,” says Jane. Ryan’s pale plush carpet added little to the space with its outdated look. A new hardwood floor in a warm nutmeg stain grounds the space and complements the pale green-blue walls for a clean classic look. Under the bed an area rug warms up the space and feels good underfoot. The contrast of dark floors and light coloured walls takes the room from bland and washed out to bright and cheery.

The clean linear lines of the dresser are reflected in the artsy mirror above – the unique design of the mirror acts as an ever changing work of art reflecting multiple images from every vantage point

Designer, spokesperson, author and television personality, Jane Lockhart is an expert in the world of colour and design. As host of W Network’s Colour Confidential, Jane brings a breathtaking sense of colour into viewers’ homes each week. With more than 15 years of experience as a designer, her firm, Jane Lockhart Design Communications Inc. (janelockhart.com), specializes in projects ranging from residential to corporate brand building.

Filed under: FROM THE EXPERTS