Certain words come to mind when describing master bedrooms: tranquility, escape, luxury. A sanctuary from life’s storms, master bedrooms are often the most personal, unique spaces in any home, and they warrant a bit more thought and money into making them as comfortable as possible.
Homeowners expect different things of their private quarters than they do of their public spaces like living rooms and kitchens. And some of the things homeowners are looking for in the new breed of master bedroom designs, are sumptuous, spacious hotel-like suites that give a feeling of total escape from the cares of the everyday world with sitting areas, spa-like master baths and a sense of separation from the rest of the home. Opulence and privacy can be added to a master bedroom in any variety of ways, from introducing luxurious linens to creating a multi-room retreat.
Margaret L. Norcott, Milieu Design Group owner and interior designer, recently completed not one, but two, master bedrooms in retired couple Ann and George Mewborne’s Cherokee County home to accommodate George’s sleep apnea. “He was very much interested in having something quiet, and something where the light wouldn’t bother him,” said Ann Mewborne, who wanted a very different, brighter feel in her own 20-by-20 foot bedroom. “I wanted something that’s light. I have three nice windows that look onto the yard and my room is big enough for me to have a chaise and my own television.”
Added Ann Mewborne, “I love my bedroom. I spend the day here. I do my chores outside, then I come in here and read the paper, listen to the news and write letters. It’s where I live.”
Norcott added details such as a custom stained glass window in the master bath and a green faux-linen finish on the wall to bring Ann’s love of the outdoors inside. “I took it from builder-grade and completely personalized it to them,” Norcott said. For George Mewborne, Norcott used black-out lining on drapery panels and motorized woven shades with remote control to keep light out and allow him to sleep soundly.
Although the Mewbornes sleep apart because of George’s medical condition, his and her master bedrooms, as well as masters on the main such as the Mewbornes’, are actually growing trends. The National Association of Homebuilders has predicted that by 2015 upscale homes will see an uptick in separate master bedrooms and that the average new two-story home will have its master bedroom on the main floor.
In keeping with that aging-in-place, master-on-main trend, Dale Contant, president of Atlanta Design & Build in Marietta, recently completed a major renovation and second-story addition to a 1950s-era ranch in the Cascade area. He moved the children’s bedrooms to the home’s second level so that the homeowners could enjoy the privacy and comfort of a main-level suite made by consolidating two extra bedrooms and a bath.
When homeowners are working with their existing home’s footprint, they have several options for getting that suite ambiance, Contant said. He recommended homeowners consider converting an adjoining bedroom into a walk-in closet, an office or reading room off the bedroom. Contant did offer one caveat, however. “From a resale point of view, be careful,” he said. “You still need to leave a closet in there and still have it be accessible if it needed to be repurposed again by the next homeowner to have it be a bedroom.”
Contant also recommended, when opening up the master suite by consolidating several rooms, “the rule of thumb is either have a cased opening where it flows into the other room or a set of French doors. It makes it feel like one big space.”
Contant took that feeling of openness even further in a Marietta home remodel where he combined a number of smaller rooms into a 645-square-foot bedroom suite. The bedroom opens directly into a bathroom spa, with only a three-sided fireplace to divide the rooms. “Fewer barriers” said Contant is the new trend, whether in open-plan kitchens or in master suites.
“’I just want you to remember three letters: s-p-a,’” a master suite renovation client recently told Contant. “She wants to come home to a very relaxing and comfortable place.”
The master bedroom
There are many things that conspire to make a sublime master bedroom. Here are some of the tips experts offer to make sure your bedroom renovation or build translates into a restful, beautiful space:
Think comfort
Interior designer Margaret L. Norcott observed that a top-quality mattress customized to your needs is a homeowner’s most important investment. After that, pillow type and the right weight linens that suit your sleeping style will ensure a comfortable night’s sleep. Interior designer Catherine Cocke suggested homeowners spend a bit extra to have sheets and duvets starched and pressed. “It makes a huge difference in how nice the bed looks. Ironing the pillowcases with lavender-scented water in the iron makes for a good night’s sleep also,” Cocke said.
Hotel suite features
More and more homeowners are bringing the hotel suite concept to their master, which means a sitting area within the bedroom if space allows, or even a separate den or lounge area connected by French doors or cased opening. Coffee bars and mini fridges are also on the rise. Atlanta Design & Build owner Dale Contant said heated tile floors and TVs in the bath -- including ones embedded into the bathroom mirror -- are also increasingly part of the master bedroom-as-hotel room trend.
Design with rest in mind
The key to a restful night’s sleep are soft, neutral colors to create a soothing ambiance. If you have sleep issues, heavy black-out drapes are crucial. “And don’t bring work into your bedroom if you want to have a relaxing spa-like feel. There are no computers in a spa,” Norcott said.
Lighting is key
Plentiful lighting is important for reading, especially as homeowners get older, Contant said. To get your natural biological clock set for sleep, Norcott recommended using dimmers to lower the lights in your bedroom an hour before you go to bed. Interior designer Catherine Cocke suggested swing arm reading sconces “so one person can read without disturbing the other as much.”
Matchy-matchy is no-no
“Matchy-matchy bedroom furniture is taboo now,” Norcott said. Instead, blend in family heirlooms and newer pieces.
Think long term
Aging in place is a growing trend, according to the National Association of Homebuilders, and many homeowners are creating master suites on the main level for easy access as they grow older.
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