The Most Personal Room in the House

The most private room in the home is also becoming its most expressive.

The primary bedroom is the most intimate space in the home, often set deep in the interior, rarely seen by anyone outside the family that lives there. Entryways, kitchens, living rooms, powder rooms — these all have a public face. Not so the primary bedroom.

This provides a unique canvas for interior designers to create a highly personalized environment for homeowners — tailored, yet multifunctional. Primary bedrooms must meet clients’ needs for rest, relaxation, maybe a little entertainment or work — and, yes, intimacy.

Élan Design House principal designer Kilian Camp’s own bedroom is light-filled, with doors that overlook her backyard and a wall of windows behind her bed, too. And, she admits, there’s a wall of mirrored closet doors.

“It’s controversial,” she says, with a laugh. “A lot of people don’t like that, and I know it’s a bit dated, but I love it.”

With all that natural light and reflective surfaces, Camp has lined the windowed walls with dark blue velvet curtains to allow for better sleep. Carpet provides a soft foot, even more so with a rug atop it.

“And my bed is super comfy. I have a big, high, wraparound headboard and like a thousand pillows” — sleeping pillows of various shapes and sizes, not decorative pillows, she explains. “… We don’t have children, so we like to spend Saturday morning in bed reading and just hanging out, pillows piled up against the headboard for a relaxing morning.”

Camp founded Élan Design House, a San Diego-based firm specializing in high-end residential and boutique hospitality projects, with principal designer Alison Green and their business partner Kadie Chiera.

Green, whose bedroom overlooks a golf course, loves to wake up to natural sunlight and gave her bedroom an airier, more expansive feel by raising the height of the ceilings from the 8-foot throughout other parts of the house to 9 feet. She encourages clients to add motorized shades to their bedrooms — and it’s on her to-do list for her own bedroom.

But she has balanced that natural light and higher ceiling with a dark palette. “People often like to go a little bit darker in their bedrooms,” Green says. “I color drenched my room and I love it. It’s a dark, dark blue and it just feels so like cozy.”

Next week I’ll talk more with Élan Design House and other designers about more design directions in primary bedrooms. This week, we’re focusing on the defining item in every bedroom: the bed, with a look at a wide variety of inviting offerings.

Invisible Collection New York Headboard — The Invisible Collection’s New York Headboard, created for the “La Chambre 100” centennial exhibition celebrating 100 years of Lesage, is a poetic study in craftsmanship. Designed by Studio Biehler-Graveleine, it features Lesage Interiors’ intricate embroidery inspired by Van Gogh’s cloud sketches, complemented by French ironwork from Atelier Muquet. Edge-laid straw strips, hand-stitched onto fabric, create a striking three-dimensional effect.

Sossego Tulipa Bed — Sossego’s Tulipa bed, crafted from solid Brazilian wood, evokes the soft, fluid folds of fabric draped over a headboard. Finished on all sides — including each mattress-supporting slat — the design is as considered as it is sculptural. Inset legs protect toes and make moving around the bed effortless when changing linens. Designed by Aristeu Pires, the Tulipa is available in 13 finishes.

Baker McGuire Woven Leather Bed — Baker McGuire’s Woven Leather bed, part of its Milling Road collection, draws inspiration from classic European design. Cylindrical textured metal meets hand-woven belting leather in a statement-making design that celebrates craftsmanship and old-world charm. The bed rests on tapered legs, while French Brass-finished metal accents add a refined touch.

Holly Hunt Bravado bed — Holly Hunt’s Bravado bed is defined by its strong lines, polished wood frame and a high-back headboard with enveloping wings. Note the cutouts along the back that provide airy elegance and create a bed that’s graceful from all angles. It’s available in several wood finishes and comes in queen, king and California king.

South + English Lloyd four-poster bed — South + English’s Lloyd collection is notable for its trio of undulating rolls, and the Lloyd queen-size bed scales that up with style. Shown here in Walnut on cherry wood, it’s available in several wood finishes and can be upholstered with your own material.

Sherrill Furniture Tranquility bed — Sherrill Furniture’s Tranquility bed is sculptural and sumptuous with wide channel detailing on headboard and footboard. It’s shown here in Briar and comes in queen and king sizes.

Note: Header image is designed by Élan Design House photographed by Charlotte Lea Photography

Julie A. Palm

Julie A. Palm is style editor for both Design News Now and Lighting News Now. She grew up with a DIYer mother who spent weekends browsing vintage stores, painting and decorating, giving Julie a love of all things home. Julie has covered the home furnishings industry for nearly three decades. In her role as style editor, Julie is thrilled she can focus on two of her favorite parts of the business — interior design and lighting.