Trend watch 2015: Bedrooms are getting plenty of design attention
BY SUSAN KELLY
The bed: it’s a natural focal point in bedroom design. “There are so many ways to make a very individual and distinctive design statement now, with a new elegance coming through,” says Lianne Carioto, interior designer and vice president at Design Louis George on Cote de Liesse Rd.
Upholstered headboards are a chic option, but Carioto says that what’s really new is cladding the bed frame and sometimes the legs in fabric. Fabric adds texture and colour and is a counterpoint to hardwood flooring and furniture.
The classic elegance of velvet or linen is timeless, but almost anything – leather, silk, microfibre – works now. Tufted headboards are extremely popular. “The look is toned down in decorative trims, away from chrome to antique silver, muted gold and antique brass,” Carioto notes.
One audacious trend takes headboards to new heights, more than six feet or even up to the ceiling for drama and design impact. The newest shapes have rounded edges. Just don’t make the mistake of buying a bedroom suite; the matching look is out, says Carioto, who prefers to start with a distinctive bed and coordinate the room around it.
Bed design includes floor-hugging contemporary platforms as well as towering pillowtop mattresses of Princess-and-the-Pea proportions. “We can raise or lower bed height and make it harder or softer by using a platform or box spring artfully,” says Brad Warner, president and managing partner of sales at Marshall Mattress.
“It’s important that the mattress complement the bed,” he adds. “If you have the right kind of fashion and feel, you affect a person’s comfort.” Thus Marshall offers damasks and other luxury woven fabrics, with tasteful touches of piping, borders and quilting.
As for the bedding atop the mattress, a cottony expanse of crisp white sheeting is always inviting, especially if it evokes the luxury of boutique hotels. “This look has evolved, becoming highly luxurious with more individual touches like appliques or embroidered borders,” says Carioto. What’s passé: insisting on very high thread counts. Savvy consumers know that the source of the cotton and how it is woven is more important in sheeting.
A passion for prints has also emerged. Over-sized motifs are still popular, with trendy inspiration from Moroccan tiles or old-fashioned floral chintz. And jacquard prints are back. With less ornamentation and artful use of colours, a fresh, contemporary look is created. Prints that are unique, almost like works of art for the bed, are also a strong trend; hand-blocked prints by Toronto design house Kiska are an example.
Soft neutral shades will continue to dominate in 2015, especially such warm shades as champagne and ivory, but many trend watchers see a bolder approach to colour as well. The primary colours of red, yellow and any shade of blue – especially a rich tone reminiscent of a Ming vase – are expected to trend strongly. A penchant for pastel shades of pink, blue and green is also forecast.
This new eclecticism presents more design options than ever. Says Carioto, “If you like a trend, there’s always a way to make it yours.”
