Whether you live alone or with other people, a beautiful master bedroom can provide a sense of peace and privacy at home. The following five spaces have transformed from dark and nondescript rooms to thoughtfully pulled-together places to rest. Their designers used a variety of tools, including built-in storage, calming colors and natural light to create bedrooms that beckon. Which one would you most like to relax in?
Before Photo
Jenni Leasia Interior Design
1. Dimly Defined to Cleanly Zen
Bedroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple whose kids have grown up and moved out
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 270 square feet (25 square meters)
Designer: Jenni Leasia Interior Design
Before: After 30 years in their home, these homeowners were ready to update their master suite. They shared some Houzz ideabooks with their friend and longtime designer, Jenni Leasia, to get the ball rolling.
Jenni Leasia Interior Design
Photo by Caleb Vandermeer
After: Leasia created a streamlined look that fits the home’s 1960s architecture and honors the couple’s love of Japanese minimalism. Built-in nightstands and a dresser add storage, while a warm neutral palette of natural materials keeps the room from feeling sterile. The bed is cane, the Roman shades woven grass and the new built-in furniture rift-cut ash.
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Jenni Leasia Interior Design
Photo by Caleb Vandermeer
Large new windows make a massive difference in the feel of the room, as they let in abundant natural light. The windows look out over gardens created by one of the homeowners, who’s a landscape designer.
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2. Cluttered to Contained
Bedroom at a Glance
Location: Toronto
Size: 275 square feet (26 square meters)
Designer: Brenda Izen of Izen Architecture
Before: This master bedroom belongs to empty nesters who love to travel and read. The room felt cluttered and cramped, and the lack of shelving resulted in piles of books on the floor and nightstands.
Izen Architecture Inc.
Photo by Stephani Buchman
After: Architect Brenda Izen of Izen Architecture rethought the room and gave it a series of built-ins. A custom white oak platform bed contains six drawers in which the couple can store off-season clothes. Shelves above the bed house their beloved books.
Custom bed: Izen Architecture
Izen Architecture Inc.
Photo by Stephani Buchman
A custom window seat offers a cozy reading nook and provides more storage.
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Before Photo
Marci Goulart Interior Design
3. Dated Wallpaper to Craftsman Charm
Bedroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired physical education professor and a pension consultant
Location: Durham, California
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Marci Goulart
Before: The owners of this 1918 Craftsman farmhouse in the middle of a Northern California vineyard wanted to make their dark bedroom lighter, brighter and more like a retreat. They hoped to take in views of the sycamore trees outside their second-story windows. They also wanted to get rid of the room’s blue vinyl wallpaper embossed with flowers.
Marci Goulart Interior Design
Photo by Lindsey King Photography
After: Designer Marci Goulart replaced the home’s old windows with energy-efficient wood ones that let in more light. She refaced the fireplace in yellow subway and accent tiles that fit with the home’s Craftsman style.
The painting above the bed is one the homeowners brought back from Mexico.
Marci Goulart Interior Design
Photo by Lindsey King Photography
The designer replaced the vinyl wallpaper with cream-colored grasscloth.
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Before Photo
JLV Creative
4. Bachelor Pad Holdover to Bohemian Layers
Bedroom at a Glance
Who lives here: New parents
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Size: 176 square feet (16 square meters)
Designer: Jesse Vickers of JLV Creative
Before: This bedroom had furniture from the husband’s bachelor days that the homeowners were ready to let go.
JLV Creative
Photo by Caroline Tan
After: Designer Jesse Vickers helped the homeowners achieve a global-meets-transitional style in the space. A tall headboard with custom upholstery adds drama to the room and helps fill out its spaciousness. Three layered rugs on the floor help pull the different furniture pieces and room zones together.
JLV Creative
Photo by Caroline Tan
White walls and drapes serve as a quiet backdrop to the room’s multiple patterns and textures.
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Before Photo
Kelsey Leigh Design Co.
5. Hodgepodge Space to Hotel-Like Zone
Bedroom at a Glance
Who lives here: A husband and wife (both doctors) and their toddler, newborn and dog
Location: Oklahoma City
Size: About 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Kelsey McGregor of Kelsey Leigh Design
Before: This doctor couple bought a midcentury-style house in Oklahoma City but lacked time to focus on decorating their master bedroom. Instead, they filled it with furniture they still had from their single days. The couple eventually hired designer Kelsey McGregor to transform the space into a restful retreat.
Kelsey Leigh Design Co.
Photo by Nested Tours
After: A subtle coastal palette of blues, greens and grays against a rich brown sofa creates a hotel-like vibe. The walls are now pale gray (Drift of Mist by Sherwin-Williams) and the trim is white. A sliding barn door leads to the master bathroom and closet.
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Kelsey Leigh Design Co.
Photo by Nested Tours
The elm nightstands offer closed storage and a surface for lamps and decorative accessories. Faux linen window treatments add softness, and the warm gray quilt and linen duvet make the bed inviting.
Downtown side table in elm and metal: Noir; Gardenia faux linen curtain panels: Exclusive Fabrics & Furnishings; Culloden table lamp in Blue Lagoon: Visual Comfort
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Before and After: 6 Bedrooms That Offer Function and Style
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