During normal times, we all spend approximately 70% of our lives in our homes, and on average we sleep for 8 hours' a day, that amounts to 30 years' asleep! - if we live until we are 90 years' old that is. That's a lot of down-time in the bedroom, so making it your haven, your sanctuary is our goal. For months now, most of us have been at home and our homes and their decor have no doubt come under rigorous scrutiny. Clients have contacted me and said they feel they need more light in their homes, more colour, more delineation between zones within their homes, be more in touch with nature and bring the outside in; they just don't know how to do that. Most of us are craving change, and in its many guises the sense of touch has diminished during these times and as a result adding texture and intrigue to schemes is more important than ever.
So, what are my recommendations for a perfect bedroom? There is never "a one shop fits all approach", but bedrooms should be designed to feel welcoming, sophisticated, restful whilst being elegant. So vis-a-vis bringing natural elements inside, and adding texture and intrigue, I love to mix natural materials, especially cane, raffia and different types of wood, and if some vintage or antique items can be woven in them all the better for a layered cozy look.
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| Cane sheeting used for seating and other furniture applications |
The comparatively recent renaissance of natural materials such as rattan, cane, wicker and bamboo. Cane comes from the climbing vine known as rattan stalk - which is part of the palm family. Caning, which is used on chairs and beds predominantly, is the process whereby rattan cane is applied, whereas wickerwork is the technique used to make products out of woven natural materials such as rattan, bamboo, reed and willow. Today’s designers have reinvented both into versatile, refined, modern pieces, which can inject some calm into any room. Often perceived as dated 1970s materials, cane and it’s close relatives were wildly popular back during the Victorian era, due to its hygienic properties, which is even more relevant today than ever.
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| My vintage rattan wicker peacock chair, updated with a new botanical seat cushion |
Whilst on woven furniture, don’t forget the iconic peacock chair, above is my own vintage beauty – and these chairs are still hugely popular today, and have many guises.
Keeping with the them of creating a sanctuary and being close to nature, here are some of my favourite natural options for bedrooms:
The great thing about incorporating cane and wicker items alike is that you often see vintage or antique items for sale and are equally, if not more beautiful than new items. Happy hunting. xo
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