Idea House Main Bedroom by Lauren Liess
Designer Lauren Liess avoided a fussy bedside tablescape by choosing a few delicate, intentional touches for this corner of the room. Atop a clean-lined Parsons-style desk, Liess arranged a collection of naturally inspired features: a substantial, neutral-toned lamp, a glass vase filled with greenery, and a vintage bust. Thanks to the window treatment—Natural Woven Waterfall Shades by Smith & Noble, which are as simple and clean-lined as the Parsons desk—the area glows in the morning light. Liess’ relaxed, natural inspirations are also evident in the addition of an antique bent wood chair, which makes the corner perfect for sitting down to read a book or write a letter.
Designer Lauren Liess layers natural-fiber rugs and floor coverings in the main bedroom. This natural fiber rug by Stark almost extends to each corner of the room, just allowing the deep-hued wood floors—which continue into the master bath—to show at the edges of the room. This rug also evokes the texture of the room’s hemp burlap walls. The walls and floor covering give the impression of being cocooned in a cozy-but-airy escape. Atop the bottom rug, another floor covering—the plush Vintage Turkish Kilim by J&D Oriental Rugs—brings playful pattern to the center of the room with vertical stripes.
The sitting area introduces a light blue-gray accent color to the main bedroom. The tufted seating—the Darby Settee by CR Laine in the fabric Snyder Mist—creates the perfect place to read and relax, and the carefully constructed gallery wall adds elegance and character to the space above. Liess collected pieces over time from local antique malls to create this wall. A picture light hung over the artwork (French Library Double Wall Lamp in bronze by Visual Comfort) illuminates the grouping. Bright, patterned pillows and a petite table—just the right size for resting a cup of tea—complete the vignette.
Liess’ playful pillow fabric choices bring life to the seating area. The green and gold print echoes the room’s coverlet fabric. (It is the lively Fern Star fabric in the color Lou Lou’s Pistachio from Liess’ own textile range, Lauren Liess Textiles.) The pillow intensifies Liess’ natural theme with a sweeping leaf and branch print. Liess pairs this fabric with a cream and peach pillow bearing a cheeky spider web pattern mixed with leaves and fruits. This fabric is Gisele’s Web in Apricot, also from Liess’ line.
Liess’ master bed becomes an oasis of cream and chartreuse in a modern, streamlined canopy bed. Atop a Tritter Feefer Spiro Queen Bed, Liess designed a pleated canopy with clean lines and a wraparound, oversized, gold paisley pattern. The fabric is Live Paisley in Gold from Liess’ own collection, Lauren Liess Textiles. The coverlet injects color and contrast the neutral sheeting.
Liess’ relaxed space brings bits of nature indoors with plants and botanical prints. Here, she placed a small, easy-to-maintain potted tree near the entrance to the bath. Bold artwork behind the shrub (Custom by William McClure) adds gravity to the airy space and draws the eye to the white louvered doors that lead to the main bath.
Liess’ wallcovering, Hemp Burlap in Palm by Twenty2, evokes the Southern Living photo that she used for inspiration—a shot from the October 1979 issue—which showcased a burlap wallcovering. An antique, light wood chest of drawers provides additional, unobtrusive storage and is topped with a simple bamboo vase, a sculptural piece of art that glows in the window’s light, and a small, silver turtle figurine.
Designer Lauren Liess believes in the functionality of nightstands, and she chose a few meaningful touches for her bedside table which is actually a Parsons-style desk. A plant and a vase of wildflowers and fern fronds accompany a striking sculpture, reminiscent of the traditional Greek busts one would happen upon in a museum.
Leiss’ paisley canopy makes a statement against the cream and beige neutrals found throughout the room. The traditional four-poster (by Georgia-based Tritter Feefer) is a modern Parsons style, topped with a tailored box-pleat canopy in block-print fabric. Simple bedding allows the canopy to standout. (The fabric is Live Paisley in Gold from Lauren Liess Textiles.)
The wall’s bold, oversized paintings brings heft and energy to this corner of the room. Pairing two pieces together, framed with a slim gold border, adds symmetry and balance to the room with the nearby busy gallery wall. This art (Custom by William McClure) evokes a sliced gemstone, with a fascinating and eye-catching blend of negative space and bold strokes of color.
Echoing the small turtle figurine on the bedside table, Liess’ unique wall art evokes nature in the form of old turtle shells. The shells are intricate and eye-catching, a beautiful blend of nature brought indoors to be celebrated.
Avoid having only overhead lighting in a room. This wall boasts a J. Randall Powers Hargett Single Sconce by Visual Comfort. Unobtrusive and convenient, wall-mounted sconces are a great lighting solution, they create warm, atmospheric lighting -- perfect for a bedroom.
Inspired by natural and antique touches, Designer Lauren Liess created a clean white main bath brimming with delicate design features. A classic garden seat by Ballard Designs flanks the roomy, white cast iron tub by Canyon Bath. Liess filled the wall behind the bath with antique, framed pressed botanicals, the grid of which rises three frames high and six frames across. It is a simple touch with fantastic, understated impact.
Gold-accented sconces (the E.F. Chapman Boston Loop Arm Sconces by Visual Comfort) flank the the vanity mirror from Ballard Designs which cleverly hides a medicine cabinet. This lighting brings an antique and elegant feel to the space, and the metallic gold shimmers next to the bath’s mirror. Liess tucked a reed diffuser behind the mirror for a lovely scent.
Stylish symmetry frames the vanity in the master bath. Two elegant sconces and two doors with diagonal slats flank the space. Bright white touches in the wide mirror frame, doors, and vanity base add light and levity. The vanity top imparts weight and is crafted from the beautiful Carrara Marble in White by Surface One. The large cabinet doors offer sleek storage for the space.
A dream shower, this spacious beauty is tiled in the Rittenhouse Square Semi-Gloss in Arctic White and the Marble Collection, First Snow Elegance in Tumbled by Datile. Clean and streamlined, this tile style is both modern and timeless, the perfect choice for this walk-in wonder.
Idea House Main Bedroom by Lauren Liess
Inspired by natural-fiber fabrics and a bedroom from the October 1979 issue of Southern Living, designer Lauren Liess created a breezy, relaxed escape with playful wall art, unique colors and interesting textures.
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