Page 118 - homes & gardens

H&G DESIGN DREAM BEDROOM

PITCH

PERFECT

the high ceilings and
quirky proportions of
this mews bedroom set

the stage for a daring
desiGner Alidad,
Studio Alidad, 020 7384 0121, wall treatment and
studioalidad.com.
striking headboard

Can you desCribe the spaCe? This guest bedroom is located in a
late-19th century mews house, which is attached to a much larger
property in central London. We decorated the latter in a rather grand
style, but for the mews we opted for a fresher, more contemporary
aesthetic. Although it is big, the bedroom was an awkward shape, so we
opened it up to the rafters to create a pitched ceiling, adding reclaimed
antique oak beams from France to give character.

teLL us about your use oF pattern. You can have fun with a space
like this, so we chose Romo’s bold foral Kimura fabric (now discontinued)
and backed it with paper so it could be hung on the walls. Our challenge
was to create a headboard that wouldn’t distract from this. We used a
plain fabric to tone with the aqua blue of the print and added braids that
echo the trellis formation of the fowers. The braids are placed one on
top of the other, so that the paler trimming is outlined with a darker one,
and large buttons were added for a fnishing touch. The third key pattern
is a checked valance, which pulls together all the colours in the room.

how did you determine the size oF the headboard? Being a
designer, I always have foorplans drawn up so that I can see exactly how
each piece of furniture will sit in a space. I would recommend doing this
to work out a suitable scale for an oversized headboard. Play around
and see what size looks best in proportion to the wall – you may be
surprised at how far you can go.
Can you expLain the ChoiCe oF Furniture? I love reusing my
clients’ furniture – my idea of heaven is to go into their attics to fnd
pieces, recover them and bring them into the rooms. This lovely
antique desk and chair belonged to the homeowners; I had the chair
reupholstered to suit the colours of the room and created a writing area
at the end of the bed, so that guests have a table they can sit at. The
contemporary lacquered bedside tables and reproduction armoire are
completely different styles, which demonstrates another important
philosophy of mine: to bring together pieces from different periods.

what about the window treatment? I like to use shutters for
windows in mews houses and cottages. Here, curtains would cramp the feature RACHEL LEEDHAM PhotograPh JAMEs MCDonALD
small windows, whereas shutters provide a clean, contemporary fnish
that doesn’t compromise the available light. I positioned an armchair
next to the window to make use of the natural light with a foor lamp
beside it for reading in the evening. l

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118 | H&G | SEPTEMBER 2015

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