After we moved in to our country cottage, my dear friend, Chania at RAZMATAZ, had asked if our campaign bed fit anywhere in the new house. The only room in our tiny home that has a ceiling tall enough to accommodate the bed's canopy is a loft, which we have made into our bedroom.
I have always loved the act of climbing stairs to go to bed at night. For me, this little ritual creates separation from the busier spaces of the house, and there is a sense of both anticipation and arrival as the ascent is being made. I sleep better here than I have slept in many years, and I think climbing the stairs has something to do with that. Literature on sleep hygiene suggests that our brains associate little cues like walking upstairs or any other bedtime ritual with signaling the body that the time for sleep is near.
The bed takes center stage in this room. Sleeping on this bed makes me feel like a princess, with its stature and romantic, domed canopy. Its sculptural lines have a commanding presence in any space.
Furnishings here are sparse, contributing to the restful feel of this room. Accessories are organic and muted, such as the straw hat on the wall and linen lamp shades.
The angles lines of the canopy echo the roofline. A panel of fabric behind the headboard adds a cocoon-like feel to the bed without obstructing the view out the east-facing window. Every morning since we moved in I have watched the sun rise through this window. This morning bands of coral and salmon streaked across the sky, casting a glow over the forested hillsides. Waking with the sunrise is one of the simplest and most exquisite pleasures I know.
My cats are also quite fond of this space, a high vantage point for watching the birds and comfy spot for napping.
The walls in this room are painted the same dark sage green that the rest of the house was when we moved in. I am planning to lighten them up a bit with the same neutral creamy-taupey-grey, Sherwin Williams Neutral Ground, that I have used in the main downstairs room. The continuity of paint colors keeps things simple and allows one to move furniture and accessories easily from one room to another. I find colors other than neutrals to be limiting and confining. The neutral color spectrum offers more flexibility and freedom.
Taking photographs of small rooms is extremely challenging. It is hard to convey the relation of items in the room to the overall space itself, and thus I am having a hard time relating the way the room feels beyond the bed. I hope these photos give you a taste at least.
Autumn has completely arrived here. I hope you are able to enjoy the beauty and peace that come with this time of year.
Until next time...
Anne
