homestyle Editor Alice Lines teams up with Citta’s Head of Design Imogen Tunnicliffe to explore creative ways to personalise your bedroom.
CREATE A SERENE SPACE TO SLEEP IN
With one of New Zealand’s hottest summers behind us, we’re embracing
the opportunity to play stylist in the bedroom as autumn permits sleeping beneath more than just a sheet.
Furniture, lighting and what’s underfoot all play an important role
in pulling together a succinct bedroom look, but the bed takes the lead in the decorating hierarchy. Dressing said bed starts with a simple formula: find a duvet set that suits your personality, then mix-match the pillows, cushions and throws to suit the season, or the mood you want to create.
If you want a bed that looks like it’s straight out of the pages of a magazine – including this one – you’re going to have to be prepared to spend a minute or two throwing off your extra cushions before you go to sleep. If you need a practical reason to justify their existence, Euro pillows, especially, provide literal props for sitting up while watching TV or reading – adding both beauty and functionality to your bed.
TOP IMAGE CLOCKWISE FROM above LEFT Dieter canvas and leather tote, $219; Iringa woven basket, $263; Mina mohair blend jumper, $239; Fable oak armchair, $890; Purl Stitch wool throw, $239; Stardust cushion cover, $49.90; Compound bedside cabinet, $690; Talo mug, $25.90; Contrast light shade, from $159; Camelia rug, $1990; American oak Hut bench, $990; Felt storage baskets, $49.90 each; Purl stitch wool throw, $239; Cotton velvet cushion cover, $49.90; Klaus corduroy cushion cover, $69.90; Finch lunch plate, $24.90; Talo mug; $25.90, Shift table lamp, $289; Connect storage two bedside, $499, all cittadesign.com. Freemans Birch Curtain fabric by James Dunlop, $139 p/m, jamesdunloptextiles.com. L.A ankle boots, $349.90, latribe.co.nz. Linen and wool hanging, handwoven by Christopher Duncan, $350, turstudio.com. ON THE BED Stitch Linen bedhead, from $599; Dieter Dot Euro pillowcase, $39.90; Cotton velvet cushion covers, $49.90 each; Sove linen pillowcase, $69.90 (pair); Dieter Dot pillowcase, $69.90 (pair); Sove linen Euro pillowcase, $39.90; Ablers cushion cove, $64.90; Dieter Dot woven cushion cover, $54.90; Dieter Dot duvet cover, from $169; Leni Woven throw, $289, all cittadesign.com. All other items, stylist’s own.
THINGS TO TRY:
Hang pendants on either side of the bed to make space for flowers and books.
Soft colours enjoy the company of similar tones, but adding a pop of a punchier colour provides a sophisticated edge.
Having ‘His and Her’ bedsides in one material but different shapes adds both uniformity and interest to your bedroom.
A benchseat at the end of the bed does double duty as a place to stash blankets, while also grounding the bed in the room.
USE ACCESSORIES TO SWITCH THINGS UP
People often equate monochromatic colour schemes with stark minimalism
– but that isn’t necessarily the aesthetic you want to go for in the bedroom.
To successfully create a relaxed atmosphere with a black and white palette, try experimenting with shades of grey. From dark charcoal to the palest dove grey, there’s no limit to the tones at your disposal.
Black and white aren’t off limits, but are best utilised as accents. Choose one or the other as the dominant tone, rather than using both in equal measures to create a place for the eye to rest.
A bedroom with a restricted colour palette demands contrasting tones and textures to create depth – the more layers, the more personality.
THINGS TO TRY:
When using a monochrome palette in the bedroom, keep things cosy by choosing warm hues, rather then cool ones.
Layering a variety of textures, from rough to smooth, dark to light will save your bedroom from blandness.
A throw at the end of the bed will (a) keep you warm and (b) break up
the visual dominance of the duvet.
Finish with a shot of metallic (such as the Citta Stardust cushion) to add a bit of fun and femininity, without being too girly.
CLOCKWISE FROM above LEFT Eno demin cushion cover, $49.90; Grid wool and linen scarf with fringe, $139; Mina mohair blend jumper, $239, all cittadesign.com. ON THE BED Lean-To rounded bedhead/hanger, from $499; Dieter Dot Euro pillowcase, $39.90; Sove linen pillowcase, $69.90 (pair); Dieter Dot pillowcase, $69.99 (pair); Muster cushion cover, $69.90; Stardust cushion cover with gold foil, $69.90; Dieter Dot duvet cover, from $169; Purl Stitch wool throw, $239, all cittadesign.com. All other items, stylist’s own.
Words & styling Alice Lines & Imogen Tunnicliffe
Photography Simon Wilson
