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As your haven for relaxation and rejuvenation, the primary bedroom is a sacred space in any Washington DC area home. A well-designed modern primary bedroom combines style, functionality, and serenity, creating the perfect retreat from our busy lives. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the art of styling and designing a primary bedroom that exudes tranquility, sophistication, and personalized elegance.
Key Elements for a Serene Primary Bedroom Sanctuary in Washington DC
With gut renovations or remodeling jobs, we recommend that clients consider updating their layouts for maximum effect. Today, it is increasingly common to have a full primary suite, complete with a large en suite bathroom and two walk-in closets. If budget and space allows, this is a great investment in your home, adding fantastic day to day utility, and increasing the value of your property. But, let’s be clear: your home is primarily a place to live, and not necessarily an investment. Think about how you live, and what’s important in your life. This might be why you’re reading an interior design blog, and considering your options! For the fashionistas among us, who have never seen an Ulla Johnson piece they don’t love, a walk-in closet may be at the top of the priority list!!
While many in the Washington DC area awake before sunrise to get after it at Oh-dark-thirty, we still prefer primary bedroom suites with southern or eastern exposures to maximize the natural light at the start of everyday. We recommend large windows to increase daylight, as well as enabling a connection to the outdoors with French Doors or balconies– if circumstances and design considerations permit. Large windows and French Doors will certainly need window treatments, and you should always allow for a significant budget for these, which are frequently more expensive than most expect. Good window treatments are critical to getting a good night's rest, and in helping create a finished and cohesive design. For bedrooms in particular, this usually means combining black-out shades with sumptuous fabric curtains that are chosen to complement the design, and give maximum flexibility for both privacy and optimal sleeping conditions. With the DC area’s intense summers, good window treatments will also help insulate your home, and provide sound-deafening for those more urban neighborhoods, like Georgetown and downtown Bethesda.
A Few Other Design Ideas for Your Modern Primary Bedroom:
The most successful outcomes start from understanding personal needs and preferences. In many cases, one of the hardest parts is defining the elements of a room or style that work for you, and thinking about why. If this challenges describes you, then check out our post chic family home designs for some suggestions on how to tackle this!
There are certainly many considerations to a design that works for you, so here are a few other areas to consider for a primary bedroom.
1. Soft Color Palette: Primary suites are intimate spaces that often set the tone for your day, or give you the space and comfort to wind down and refresh. Because of this, many consider calming hues such as ivory, gray, and taupe to promote relaxation. Clients often also consider warmer tones for primary bedrooms, which often have a hint of yellow.
2. Monochrome Color Palette: Another more modern take on the primary bedroom is to utilize a color theme, or to “dip” a room in one color: this generally refers to a schema that uses the same color paint for walls, trim, and even ceilings. Using one color on the walls and ceiling creates a cozy, cocoon-like effect that is even more dramatic when using a dark color.
3. Layered Lighting: For a successful design, often our spaces need to be workhorses that not only serve a single purpose, but can accommodate secondary goals for a room. In bedrooms, this often means prioritizing task lighting for flexibility and ambiance. We recommend wall sconces or bedside table lamps for evening reading, and always encourage homeowners to skip recessed lighting in their modern primary suite. There are very few instances in which you would need to blast a primary bedroom with overhead lights.
4. Overhead Lighting: There are some who will still insist on overhead lighting, or a home with builder-grade finishes often has can lights in every room. We see overhead lighting as most useful in task-oriented spaces, such as kitchens and bathrooms. We generally aim for our bedrooms to get ample light from decorative ceiling fixtures and bedside lighting. If overhead lights are unavoidable, be sure to use dimmer switches to allow for all situations.
5. Textiles: An easy way to add interest to a space is to play with textures. One of the best and most cost-effective ways to do this is with textiles, and there are countless options for throw pillows to help complete a space. Incorporate luxurious bedding, soft carpets with extra padding underneath, and sumptuous curtains for a cozy atmosphere. Layers of textiles have the added benefit of absorbing sounds. Be prepared for sticker shock with window treatments! They are often expensive, but can be transforming and pivotal for a completed space– particularly in the most intimate space of your home.
6. Consider All the Senses: We see interior design as a means to create a space that works for you and makes you feel good. Many default to thinking about this in visual terms, but the most effective primary suites consider all the senses. Create a soothing atmosphere with thoughtful sound design. Install acoustic panels or sound-absorbing materials. Think about aromatic options, like diffusers or scented candles for calming fragrances. Ensure design cohesion through repeated elements (color, shape, style).
7. Visual Clutter Leads to Mental Clutter: When cooking in the kitchen, often chefs remind the novice chef to season at every step in a recipe. This can be a hard-learned lesson with a salty Tomato soup or beef bourgogne! But, the critical point is to understand the right amount of seasoning, and to seek the right balance. This is also true in the built environment, and there is such thing as over-doing it. No, this is not a throw-away line for the couple, where one cannot have enough pillows on the bed, and the other is ready to throw them all out the window at the first opportunity! Find a balance. We recommend stylish, space-efficient solutions to maintain a clutter-free environment. Chic options include furniture with hidden storage, such as a bedframe with concealed storage underneath, or a bench or chest at the foot of the bed. Balance elements to avoid visual overload, and combine materials (wood, metal, fabric) for depth and interest.
Yes, there’s a lot to consider! Ready to design your perfect modern primary bedroom in Washington DC? We are here to help.
How You Can Work With Us
At Lorla Studio, a modern interior design firm in Washington, D.C, our talented team of designers craft modern, livable and functional spaces throughout the district and beyond. Hire us for a seamless renovation process, and a modern, approachable design you are sure to love!
Check out the five questions to ask yourself before hiring an interior designer in Washington D.C. If you think we’d make a good team, contact us today!
Ready to transform your space with us?
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