A retreat for grown ups

Homes & Interiors

MANY master bedrooms are an afterthought. Interior designer Jamie Hempsall explains why they should be the focus of investment in making a relaxing hideaway.

It might not be the area of your home that most visitors see, but it is the one that you visit all the time – so why not lavish a little time and effort on yourself? Families often treat the young to a carefully designed bedroom-cum-playroom, but feel guilty about co-ordinating their own space.

However, by ensuring that you have a safe haven in your own home, you will be enhancing your feelings of ownership and security, which really does then filter into most other aspects of your life.The main priority for a restful night’s sleep is to create an uncluttered environment that reflects your personal taste. This is a place to be selfish – ignore thoughts of others, this is a room devoted entirely to you and your comfort.

The easiest way to create an instantly restful double bedroom is to make it relatively symmetrical – balancing either side of the bedroom so that it is visually comforting. This does not need to be slavish mirroring, but weighted so that furniture of comparable sizes is evenly distributed within your scheme.

Your bedside furniture is important. Matching cabinets on either side of the bed, with plenty of storage for books and all of the other paraphernalia we accumulate, are essential to create a clean and simple sleeping environment. These should be combined with identical (or co-ordinating) lamps of the same shape and height with shades that match. This direct balancing helps to instil a subconscious feeling of calm.

Ensure that you have plenty of cupboard space available to tidy clothes and make all occupants put everything away after use: a neat environment is also important to create a relaxing environment. A good laundry bin with a lid helps deal with discarded clothing at the end of the day and is an easy method of transport to the laundry.

I would strongly advise on keeping your pillowcases, sheets and duvet covers plain to avoid any limitations on future decorating schemes and dress with cushions and covers to add interest.When it comes to flooring, carpets really are king. The soft feel and warmth in the morning under bare foot is difficult to beat. If you already have natural floors then add rugs either side of the bed that are at least three feet wide to soften the look and feel.

Avoid using overly busy designs or really vibrant colours in your fabrics, wall-coverings and soft furnishings. Their impact may well work in the morning, but are unlikely to invoke the calming environment we all need when retiring for forty winks. Sometimes it is all about creating a get-away space and this is what we were asked to do in one of our award winning designs.

Our clients were a busy working couple with a young family who wanted to create a calm and comfortable haven away from the rest of the world once they retired to the bedroom. They loved travel and wanted a boutique hotel feel.

We started by knocking two large rooms together to create an intimate space for them to share together incorporating a flowing set of spaces for sleeping, dressing and bathing.The idea was that the space still gave privacy to each individual (with features such as the curved privacy screens in the bathroom) while allowing them to remain in contact and maximise their limited time together.

The oversized bed was designed to invoke the comfort and safety a child feels when getting into a warm, apparently massive bed and the hidden rise and fall TV in the base plate helped provide a necessary evil without upsetting the sight lines.

Velvets and silks in muted brown and duck egg blue tones provided a soft and sumptuous backs beyond.Natural wood and marble finishes with curved surfaces throughout enhanced the feeling of natural synergy.Sofas were included to allow conversation areas and ease of dressing.

The key to a room such as this is in the lighting. Antiqued mirrors were used throughout to help overcome the poor natural daylight and wallpaper with a subtle repeating fleck was used to invoke an all-day subtle up-light effect. 

Accent, sculptural lighting was used to provide strong visual images with subtle dimmable lighting – while wall wash and floor wash lighting was used in the bathroom to allow easy use throughout the night.Bedside remotes control everything electrical in the room for the ultimate feeling of pampered indulgence. It is just a pity we could not arrange room service.

Jamie Hempsall is a member of the British Institute of Interior Design and an award-winning interior designer. Visit him at www.jamiehempsall.com or contact him on 0800 032 1180

This article was originally published in the Yorkshire Post Saturday Magazine on 19th June 2011

Be our guest

INTERIORS

Ensuring your visitors feel at home can be a tricky business. Interior designer Jamie Hempsall offers some ideas.

It can be a bit of a luxury, but I know that many of us like to keep a bedroom as a guest room. I find the problem with many such spaces is they never lose the tag of spare room and get treated more as an after-thought.

For your guest room to be an attractive feature in your home, consider it an extension of your family’s living area. View it as somewhere you may want to sleep and you will come up with a considerably different design perspective.

A successfully-designed guest room should create a space where visitors feel instantly embraced by your home, but also have a sense of privacy. Think of a relaxing hotel feel, comfortable and neat, but with some more personal touches and you will not be far off the mark when creating the perfect guest space.

Start by mentally assigning your room its proper function and treat it as that at all times – work on the basis that someone could be staying at a moment’s notice and you will quickly overcome the “box room” concept.

The biggest rule is that your guest room must not become a dumping ground. If you need to store things make sure that you provide enough discrete storage and drawer space so that things can be hidden away, avoiding piles of clutter on the floor. Divan bed drawers are brilliant for this and the inclusion of a chest of drawers is always useful.

When designating the storage space, spare a thought for your guests’ needs and ensure that they have provision of the following:

* Drawers for underwear and tops
* Hanging space for coats, jackets and dresses
* A flat surface for toiletries and make-up
* Somewhere to store their overnight bag

This will ensure that they can unpack and relax without dealing with crumpled clothes or falling over luggage.

When it comes to beds and bedding do not skimp, but treat this as you would any other room in the house and budget for new additions, rather than depositing “hand me downs”.

The average life of a mattress should be 10 years with regular use; bear that in mind if you are “assigning” an old bed. If you would not be happy sleeping on it, should your guests be? Investing in a proper bed is vital, it need not cost the earth, but should at least be comfortable to inhabit for a few nights.

The size of bed should reflect the profile of your guests for the next three to five years. If the majority are single or children then two single beds make perfect sense and add extra flexibility. However, if they are more likely to be couples, then a double bed is the obvious choice. If your room can cope with it invest in a king size which will give your guests an extra six inches of sleeping space (still only equivalent to two standard single beds) as this is now the generally accepted minimum size for two adults to inhabit.

You should regularly invest in new duvets and pillows. Purchase good quality washable pillows and duvets so that your bedding not only looks inviting, but also is hygienic. The general rule of thumb on a pillow is it should be replaced after two years. You can extend the life of your bedding by investing in pillow and mattress protectors which can be easily washed on a regular basis.

I would always advise ensuring that your sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers are 100 per cent cotton – exactly as you would have on your own bed – with a thread count of 200 or more, to avoid allergic reactions. Again, design these into your scheme and do not hand down old bedding to your guests. Keep to plain colours, rather than patterns to avoid limiting any future redecoration and introduce interest into your scheme in the form of cushions and throws.

When it comes to bed dressing try not to overdo it. A plethora of cushions and bedcovers may look magazine-perfect, but can be a nightmare to get into and often have to be deposited all over the floor to allow your guest access to the bed. It also gives them the additional challenge of recreating your display when they get up in the morning. As a rule of thumb three cushions is a maximum on a double bed and one throw is sufficient.

For the finishing touches ensure your guests have access to a mirror (ideally full length), a clock, a reading light each and bath robes (to avoid an awkward streak to the bathroom).

Finally, do not forget to give them somewhere to hang wet towels to avoid damp bedding or damaged walls (as often happens when they are draped over radiators).

Applying these guidelines will ensure you make your guests feel perfectly welcome, how you get them to leave is up to you!

* Jamie Hempsall, BIID is an award winning interior designer. Visit www.jamiehempsall.com or contact 0800 032 1180.

The perfect pre-teen room!

Yorkshire Post - 18th August

Interiors

Too old for Thomas the Tank Engine yet not quite ready for teenage love of black.  So how do you create the perfect room for a pre-teen?  Interior Designer Jamie Hempsall tells us how.

When it comes to designing a room for pre-teens, especially boys, you have to be really careful to choose a theme that is not too grown up, but that they will not be embarrassed by within a couple of years.

As the excess of bulky, brightly coloured toys get put aside in favour of X-box and board games, this age range need a room that is relatively smart and a little more mature, but that also reflects their childhood interests.

Generally, I would advise if you are designing for pre-teens to avoid patterned character or theme papers (as these can date very quickly), opt for a subtle wall colour (blue is fine, but avoid shades that are cold, bland or overpowering) and then dress the room with wall-hangings, pictures and accessories. In this way you create a theme that can be changed with relative ease, but if done correctly will last quite a few years.

This room in a house we recently completed was designed for two brothers who fitted the pre-teen category perfectly. A flag theme based around the Stars & Stripes indulged their passion for all things Stateside and allowed the use of blue as a dominant, but not dominating colour though out the room.

The walls were painted in Zoffany La Seine, a subtle blue that is relatively light, but still has plenty of body. This was matched with a plain carpet, some terrific oak bedroom furniture from Aspace, and plain duvet covers and pillow cases. Bunk beds are terrific space savers (providing room for those sharing or a sleepover treat) and always seem to be popular with children of pretty much any age.

The blinds and pelmets were covered in Calvi Lacquer Red from Romo, a simple stripe which hints at the American flag. I opted for chain operated blinds, rather than curtains as they allow the more independent young adult to be responsible for opening their window covering without the need to dress them neatly. I find curtains also tend to be more at risk of being damaged by being dragged open from those operating them at a lower height than most adults.

This simple colour palette, furniture and blinds provided a basic bedroom design that could be adapted as tastes develop without any further major expense.

Flags were introduced in cushions and bed throws, a star covered blue rug and the great square Stars & Stripes trunk from Halo. The walls were dressed with USA themed art and a draped “antique” American flag (actually a brand new cotton flag that was left in cold tea for a couple of days) to provided a final, strong focal point.

Jamie Hempsall is a member of the British Institute of Interior Design and one of the region’s leading designers. Contact him on 0800 0321 180 or visit his website www.jamiehempsall.com.

A room with everything in its right place

Interiors

Is your wardrobe bursting at the seams?  Interior Designer Jamie Hempsall looks at some cool storage solutions

If your house is like the majority that I encounter (including my own) then clothing storage is likely to be a bit of an issue. Garment hoarding appears a national obsession and frankly that is no wonder given the Seasons change from minute to minute requiring instant access to both full Summer regalia and Artic Winter wear.

Obviously, we can have a wardrobe clear out ensuring we only keep things worn in the last year, but there is still usually plenty to cram into our wardrobes, so what are the options?

 

Before you start, the interior is vital to consider. Review how much full and half height hanging space you really need. Interior flexibility is often the preserve of fitted wardrobes, but Ikea sells the Komplement range that features everything from trouser hangers to sock boxes which fit inside some of its wardrobe ranges to give you ultimate choice (http://www.ikea.com/).

If you want a piece of furniture to keep wherever you move a free standing wardrobe is your only option. Consider build quality and bear in mind that there is usually a financial price to be paid for longevity. Be aware that even a lot of the solid looking pieces come flat packed – the ruin of many a good marriage! Many retailers and some enterprising locals offer handy man make-up services, it is unlikely to cost a fortune and if put together properly your wardrobe will last a lot longer.


These days antique furniture represents a very good buy having generally plummeted in value in recent years. Check for quality and woodworm, but good pieces were built to last and speckled mirrors can usually be replaced. Look at the interior depth as some older wardrobes are not full width so give you less storage as clothes have to hang at a slight angle (my tip: take a coat hanger with you and hang it on the rail to confirm if this will be an issue).

If your home will not suit darker wood, customise a period piece by painting in a colour that suits your room scheme using a satinwood or eggshell finish (either oil or acrylic based). For those who are really adventurous add panel detail with inserts of fabric or wallpaper for a look that is absolutely on trend. If you like this idea, but lack the practical skills check out vintage revival companies such as The Old Cinema, who feature pieces such as the wonderful Union Jack wardrobe for £775 (www.theoldcinema.co.uk – 0208 995 4166).


Before signing on the dotted line for a free-standing wardrobe take vital measurements of the access route (including staircase ceiling heights & widths) and ensure you can navigate your piece comfortably throughout the house, before it reaches its resting place. Also, if usable space around your wardrobe is tight, then consider a design incorporating sliding doors to minimise inconvenience.

If you want to maximise storage then a fitted or bespoke option is likely to be your best choice. Again you can find solutions in the High St which can be tailor made to your requirements. However, I would also advise making enquiries with local carpenters and craftsman who frequently love the chance to shine and can create beautiful one off pieces that reflect your individual requirements. Leather panel inlays and bespoke handles add wonderful finish touches which raise the game of even a standard piece. The price point may be a little more, but mixing in painted MDF with wood should help with that and the pleasure you get each time you use it is likely to be intense.

Jamie Hempsall is a member of the British Institute of Interior Design. If you have any queries contact him on 01777 248463 or at www.jamiehempsall.com.

Your Interior Design questions answered!

Yorkshire Post Mid-Week Life & Style Section 17th March 2010

Interiors

Interior Design Expert Jamie Hempsall answers readers questions

HOW SHOULD WE PAINT A CEILING?



We have a Victorian House with a tall narrow hallway which we are looking to repaint. We know what colour we want on the walls, but are unsure about what tone and finish to paint the ceilings and woodwork? AC, Easingwold


When decorating any room, I always recommend continuing the wall colour on to the ceiling; regardless of the pigment you are using. This ensures that your sight lines are not artificially halted by a change of colour. It helps to standardise proportions of the room lowering the effect of overly high ceilings, but counter intuitively adding a feeling of height to low ceilings. It also helps with painting as there is no difficult cutting off to contend with.



In a hallway, the normally narrow proportions are best served by painting the woodwork in a lighter tone than you use for the walls. Avoid brilliant white, as this can be very harsh. If you do need a really light, neutral colour opt for something such as Zoffany Architect’s White, which has subtle hints of grey (www.zoffany.com; 0844 543 4748).
 Use Flat Emulsion for ceilings and walls and Eggshell for woodwork; this has a slight sheen which gives a softer finished than Gloss, but is still durable.

IS SILK SUITABLE FOR BEDROOM UPHOLSTERY?



I am upholstering an occasional chair for use in a bedroom. I would like to use silk, but am worried about it being easily damaged. Can you recommend a fabric that I could use? TF, Bedale



Silk creates a beautiful look in a bedroom, but can be difficult to maintain. If this is not a piece that will be sat on regularly you do not have too much to worry about, but you will need to be careful about fading and weakening of the fabric if it is regularly exposed to sunlight.
 There are a couple of options open to you that are more specifically suitable for domestic upholstery. Kediri Silk by Osborne & Little is a Silk/Cotton blend which comes in a great range of contemporary shades (£61.10/m – www.osborneandlittle.com; 0207 352 1456). Alternatively, the Sateen Range from Casamance is actually a Cotton/Polyester blend, but you would be hard pressed to tell it from silk (from £35/m - www.casamance.com; 0844 369 0104).


IDEAL DUVET SET FOR A YOUNGSTER?

We are re-decorating the bedroom for our five year old son, who wants something a bit more grown up. His is mad about robots - can you suggest a suitable duvet set? LG, Driffield
 Aspace are a terrific company who specialise in good quality, hard wearing products for Child friendly areas. As well as a comprehensive range of furniture, they also have some extremely nice bedding accessories with duvets, throws and pillows that feature classic, contemporary designs and which are finished to a high standard.
 They have a great cotton duvet set featuring an applique robot design (a single duvet and pillow is £50). They also sell a range of matching accessories including curtains, a rug, pin board and cushions. (www.aspace.co.uk; 0845 872 2400).

WHERE CAN WE GET THE FISH WALLPAPER?

We really loved the wallpaper that was pictured behind a mirror and chest of drawers in your article on March 3rd. It featured stylised gold/ silver fish on a grey background. Could you tell me who it is by? TK, Wakefield



So glad that you like wallpaper, it is one of my personal favourites: it works particularly well in bathrooms. The design in question is from Osborne & Little and is called Derwent. It actually comes in 6 different colours, so can suit a variety of interiors schemes. The wallpaper is £49.35 per roll (inc VAT); the rolls are 10m long and 52cm wide, with a 61cm pattern repeat.
 To find your local stockists either visit www.osborneandlittle.com or call their London showroom 0207 352 1456).



Jamie Hempsall is a member of the British Interior Design Association. Send your queries to him at studio@jamiehempsall.com or contact him on 01777 248463.

Marrying Ancient and Modern to Create the Perfect Bedroom

Yorkshire Post - 30th December 2009 - Life & Style Section : Homes



Interiors

ONE of our latest projects was for a client who had purchased a period home. They loved the dimensions of the master bedroom, but wanted a scheme both sympathetic to the architecture and reflecting their enjoyment of contemporary design.

Before we got to work

The trick in ensuring a modern design works well in a period environment is to play to the strengths of the building. In a property with high ceilings and large room dimensions go bold – big patterns and large, dramatic pieces with a slightly distressed appearance, rather than shiny finishes are the key to creating a look that does not feel over-engineered.

In a large room people often play safe keeping walls neutral, however that can lead to a vast bland look, emphasising the space, but not using it to best advantage. Period homes cry out for the use of wallpaper which softens and enriches the feel of the rooms.

We started by replacing beige paint with a feature wall of Villiers Blue wallpaper from the Zoffany Nureyev Collection (about £49 per roll). The tremendous combination of deep blue and gold with an antique faded look enhances the richness of the room and feels like it has always been there.

The rest of the walls were finished in contrasting Ham House Plain (from Zoffany's National Trust Collection, about £46 per roll). This paper has a slight sheen, softening the overall feel of the room. The woodwork was finished in Architect's White Eggshell and the ceiling was painted in Polar Bear emulsion (both from the Zoffany paint range). The fireplace was taken back to its original black to emphasis it as a feature.

The blue tones of the walls were reflected in the glass of the existing over mantle mirror and an antique chandelier was dressed in reclaimed aqua blue crystal droppers to add a dramatic feature light.

Luscious purple and light blue/green was introduced in the warm chenille used for part of the bedspread and the valance (the Prestigious Splendid range, about £23.50 per metre). Additional texture was introduced in the Astrakhan-inspired main fabric of the bed cover and cushions (Blomfield Opal by Andrew Martin, about £107 per metre).

Using an expensive accent fabric in a panel and combining it with a cheaper fabric for volume is a great interior design trick that allows you to get maximum visual impact without breaking the bank – it works well on bedspreads, curtains and cushions.

Thick velvet carpet in Rich Brown (Westend Prestige Velvet from Westex, about £54 per square metre) added warmth and comfort underfoot, as well as hiding some very average-looking stripped floorboards and quelling drafts and dust.


The addition of a bespoke oversized headboard covered in shimmering Teal Arkona Velvet Teal from Harlequin (about £39 per meter) brought the look right on trend.

The Temple Eglomise mirrored beside tables from Julian Chichester (£905) helped to take advantage of the large windows to bounce light into the room, without creating too many reflections. These were complemented by a pair of Burnt Gold Lerat Leaf Lamps with Prune Silk Shades (both from Porta Romana, about £770 each). A large Anna Cabinet in Dark Wood and Mirror from Julian Chichester (£2,675) added storage and impact.

Attention to detail is the key to period design and we completed the look by replacing white wall switches with retro-style toggle switches in brushed brass (about £19).

The end result was a room that the client said gave them joy to wake up in and made them want to stay in bed all day. The perfect response and an antidote to a chilly British winter.

Jamie Hempsall is a BIDA member and one of the region's leading interior designers. See more of his work at www.jamiehempsall. com or contact him on 01777 248463