Excitement, eagerness, and anticipation has lived in my stomach for the past several weeks as I prepped, designed, staged and directed my master bedroom shoot. Yes, Directed because this shoot was literally a mini-production! My filmmaking skills from my film background
are more that of producing, writing and coordinating a project. However, for this shoot...Mama had to put on a different hat! Or, I should say add another hat to the many that I rock.
I've been blessed with building a great relationship with such an amazing photographer,
Stacy Marks, who totally understands my attention to detail, the look I'm aiming for, and my editorial approach to our shoots. Together we create magic! And, this was truly one of our biggest shoots and room reveals to date. Details and decorative accents galore! No stone, or rather no accent was left unturned or not photographed...which ultimately meant a mini-library of photos to comb through and edit. Again, the anticipation to deliver this reveal has been living inside of me for weeks!!
Some of you have been patiently awaiting to see all of the beautiful details of my master bedroom. While many, like me, have been extremely eager about this long-awaited reveal. It was just last month that I revealed my guest bedroom to you all, which was filled with rich and gorgeous pops of color in hues of purple and pink. Colors I never imagined I'd introduce into my home. But I stretched my palette, went outside of my comfort zone and really wanted to showcase just what I could do with such colors. If you didn't get a chance to see that reveal, now is the time to do so by clicking here.
Before we go any further...I need to warn you guys that the design, the colors and the overall theme for my master is worlds apart from the guest bedroom. Because this is me and my husband's sanctuary, our retreat away from the stresses of the world and day to day life...everything about this room needed to look and feel like that. And, I can't tell you all how thrilled both me and my husband are with the final look of everything. We love every single detail of this bedroom!! Lord only knows, I'm head over heels about it.
Well, now that you've all been warned, the wait is officially over. So let's jump right into the reveal, the inspiration behind it and all of the stunning details bit my bit...
"WELCOME TO HOUSE PIAZZA'S RUSTIC REGAL RETREAT"
Sources:
Interior Decorating & Styling By: Allured By Design
Photo Stills By: Stacy Marks Photography
Shooting Location: House Piazza
Makeup By: Javetta White
Hair By: Lashanda Taylor of Between The Shears
Wardrobe: Funnel Neck Tie-Belt Dress - GAP, Shoes - Nine West
No retreat is quite complete without a bedside tray filled with reading materials and a teapot accompanied with monogram teacups. So of course when I saw these accents, I knew they were perfect for our little piece of heaven. And, because it's still Fall Season, styling with a pumpkin was stylishly appropriate.
Sources:
Interior Decorating & Styling By: Allured By Design
Photo Stills By: Stacy Marks Photography
Shooting Location: House Piazza
Home Decor: Rustic Tray - Pottery Barn, Teapot - Home Goods, Monogram Teacups - Altar'd State,
Fleur De Lis - Niche Modern Home, TSG Volume 5 - The Scout Guide New Orleans
Now, let's really get into all of the deets...
COLOR SCHEME & OVERALL THEME:
Our master bedroom is a beautiful array of neutral tones which consists of greige (beige & gray), antiqued & distressed white, ivory, cream, pearl, chocolate, champagne, oyster, silver, and of course gold. Because of all of the lighter and brighter tones, I also wanted to create a mood in the room. A moody atmosphere where peace, serenity, calmness, and tranquility could be paired with romance, comfort, coziness and sensuality. While the brighter colors definitely lend to all of the peaceful and tranquil feelings...I knew a completely bright white room wouldn't evoke the more sensual mood I was aiming for, hence the reason chocolate walls came into play.
BEDDING & TOSS PILLOWS:
For our bedding, I knew I wanted something fairly simple, yet with beautiful detail and something bright. In addition, I also wanted something light in weight and not too heavy because my husband sweats like crazy at night. I found this stunning bedding collection from Bed, Bath and Beyond, which is unfortunately now sold out.
The bedding is called Mehandi from the Wamsutta line. I saw photos and a video of the bedding on Bed, Bath and Beyond's website and was floored with how beautiful it was. It was simple, yet detailed and very elegant...which is exactly what I was looking for. And, of course I was stoked about the gold trimming throughout the duvet cover.
Another reason I was aiming for bedding with simplicity regarding detail, is because of my obsessive love for toss pillows, which my husband hates. But oh well, he'll live! In keeping with my color scheme...I added an assortment of toss pillows all in beautiful tones of champagne, ivory, taupe, beige, silver and gold. I allowed my toss pillows to enhance all of the existing bedding features, as well as add additional ornate details.
As you can see from the photos above, (forming the letter P - representing #HousePiazza) I also included the original toss pillows that paired with the Mehandi collection because they were far too beautiful not to add. In doing this, mixing up the original toss pillows with others I selected from various stores, I created a more customized look.
ACCENT WALL:
Just as the title of this post reads, the theme for our master is indeed the Rustic Regal Retreat. For those of you who've been following me for some time, know that I'm a huge fan of vintage,
old-aged walls...faux plastered walls in particular. I work with an amazing artist, Kellie Hyatt Gironda, who's work has been featured in my home and on my blog once before. Kellie created the stunning faux plastered walls in my foyer, as well as on my mantle. See photos from her previous work in #HousePiazza by clicking here.
My husband and I are such huge fans of Kellie's work, we couldn't wait to get her back in our home to start yet another project. Also, because I desired for our master to have not only this look of regal elegance, but also this rustic charm to it...the opportunity to have Kellie come back and continue the flow of a european inspired, faux plastered accent wall for our master bedroom was perfect. And, OMG!!! She knocked it out of the park!
If I ever doubted this lady's talent before, (not that I did, because I'm fully aware of just how insanely talented she is) Kellie came to my house to let it be known...Ok you want what? Alright, step aside I got this! (LOL) Ok, I"m exaggerating, she's actually far more humble than that. But my goodness she put her everything into the execution of this accent wall.
It was a five day process, which I documented on my IG stories and shared as much of the details with you all as possible. To see those stories and videos please visit my Facebook page by clicking here, here and here. Oh, and be sure to like us on Facebook while you're there as well. Ya know, gotta get those plugs in at every opportunity that I can 😉
Moving on...Ya'll still with me right? Ok, just checking! Still have a good bit left to cover 😜
CURATED FURNITURE PIECES: (BED, DRESSER & ACCENT CHAIR)
When I first begin to shop and source bedroom furniture, I was torn between an upholstered bed or a tall wood-framed headboard. It was a very hard decision to make, especially after I fell in love with the St. James Panel Bed from Restoration Hardware in antiqued white.
Sources:
To see more of this beautiful collection, visit www.restorationhardware.com or simply click here.
Freakin' gorgeous right?!?! But after just having had a wood-framed headboard in our previous home, I desired something new, with a completely different look. As I settled on my decision to go with an ivory/cream upholstered bed...I knew immediately, that dark walls would be in my future. Also, because I loved the style and detail of the St. James Collection so much from RH Gallery, (popular nickname for Restoration Hardware) I decided that if I wasn't going to go with the bed...I'd at least incorporate the dresser in an antiqued white finish instead into our master bedroom.
Once both the bed and the dresser was delivered to our home, my love/hate relationship with
botany beige kicked in full steam. Oh, and hate was winning big time!!! For those who may not be familiar, botany beige is the bright neutral color on the walls throughout my home, with the exception to my guest bedroom which is now a beautiful gray. Again, catch up on that post by clicking here.
The cream tones of the bed and the antiqued white from the dresser sadly were all blending into the botany beige walls. I hated it! Immediately, I began searching for design inspiration on the Houzz app for master bedrooms with dark walls...in particular chocolate. I knew that tones of dark brown and deep chocolate paired really well with whites and ivories. But I must admit, I was scared as all hell to commit to going that dark on my walls!! So I needed to find inspiration for it and motivation to attempt execution. Finally, I stumbled upon this insanely gorgeous photo below by House Beautiful.
OH MY GOD! Talk about being rendered speechless. This photo spoke volumes of inspiration to me. It was exactly what I had in mind. Deep chocolate walls with hues and accents of creams, ivories and gold throughout the space in the bedding, curtain linens, and all decor. I didn't need to see another photo, because for me the above photo was THE INSPIRATION hands down!! I even committed to customizing a chair very similar to the one in my inspiration photo.
Sources:
To customize your own chair from Ballard Designs click here.
Isn't she a beauty? I just love her!!! I was soooooo excited when I found out Ballard Designs allowed customizing on this stunning Oval Back Louis XVI Armchair. I'm a huge fan of french, european style chairs in general. My formal dining chairs are all Louis XVI but from Restoration Hardware. Sadly, the upholstered print I wanted wasn't offered at RH Gallery. So I went with Ballard Designs and customized my chair in the Suzanne Kasler 13oz linen/flax blanc stripe print.
I also had the legs and arms of the chair finished in a distressed off-white finish. The biggest and obvious difference in my chair vs. the chair in my inspiration photo are the direction of the stripes. My stripes are vertical, whereas the stripes in the other chair are horizontal. Nonetheless, I am so pleased with this custom look and how it pairs so well with all of the other colors in the space.
There are over fifty different upholstery samples and prints to choose from, to customize this particular chair from Ballard Designs. It can take anywhere from six to eight weeks or longer for delivery, all contingent upon demand and which fabric you choose. The best part is no assembly is required and it comes packaged extremely well. I order from Ballard Designs quite often, as their service is amazing, their products are high in quality, and they always extend great savings and sales on their products.
HIS & HERS:
For our bedside nightstands, I opted to go with these beautiful ellery nightstands from Bernhardt Interiors, who also manufacturers our bed as well. Although you've already seen several photos above of both pieces...I'd also like to show you all photos below from Bernhardt's site to relay an even clearer picture of the craftsmanship of each piece.
Sources:
To see more stunning pieces from Bernhardt Interiors, visit www.bernhardt.com or simply click here.
I ordered both our bed and our nightstands through a local vendor here in New Orleans known as Georgian Furnishing, Bergerhome. To all of my local followers who've never shopped with Georgian Furnishing, but are looking for exquisite, unique and elegant pieces...definitely pay them a visit. They have two locations, one in the Harahan area and one on the Northshore near me in Mandeville.
But back to the nightstands...
My husband hates a lot of stuff in general on his side of the bed and can totally live without all of the fancy decor. Because of this, I opted to keep his side fairly simple, practical and masculine. While my nightstand definitely symbolizes more feminine accents.
Sources:
Interior Decorating & Styling By: Allured By Design
Photo Stills By: Stacy Marks Photography
Shooting Location: House Piazza
Home Decor / Charlie Piazza's Nightstand: Lamp & White Apothecary Vase - Niche Modern Home,
Cork Monogrammed Box - C Wonder, Acropolis Frame & Clock - ZGallerie, Dressing The Man - Home Goods
Home Decor / Tachic Hickman-Piazza's Nightstand: Mercury Frame - Forever New Orleans, Agate Tray - Pottery Barn, Florals & Gold Apothecary Vase - Home Goods, Candle - Pier 1 Imports,
In a master bedroom, shared between man and woman or between two partners...I think it's extremely important to make sure each person has things or accents in the room that represent them both mutually and individually. I love all things NOLA, I love interior design, I love candles, I love fashion and I love gold! So I chose accents to style my nightstand that represented some of the many things I love. My husband loves to collect watches, he loves simplicity, and he loves men's fashion. So it was very easy to style his side with just a few things that represented his likes.
ST. JAMES ARMOIRE:
Ok, the beauty that is our armoire deserved it's own special section. Hence the reason it's not included in the above paragraphs of curated furniture. This gorgeously crafted piece of wood is also from the St. James Collection from Restoration Hardware. My husband and I had been eyeing this armoire for quite some time. However, we were both a little unsure of how much our space would shrink by adding yet another large scale piece to the room. Anyone that shops at RH Gallery is well aware that their pieces tend to be very grand in size and scale.
Now, they do generally offer several sizes to accommodate smaller spaces. Sadly, the armoire we desired only came in one large size. So we waited, waited and waited until I knew for sure this would work.
Well the waiting paid off, because as we waited...RH Gallery debuted the armoire in a new color called antiqued grey oak. We originally planned on purchasing in antiqued white to compliment the dresser. But when that grey came out...Oh, it was a done deal. Game OVER! Take our money already!!! Weeeeell, I didn't exactly say that or feel that way. But, sometimes I just get so caught up you know. I can be so extra 😂😩😜
Nonetheless, adding the armoire to our master bedroom shockingly didn't shrink our space. Instead, it defined the space even more. And, going with the antiqued grey oak not only added more interest to the room, but also beautifully complimented all of the other tones.
TV CABINET & DRESSER STYLING:
One of the main things I wanted to do different in our master this time around, was not have a TV in the room. However, my husband was so NOT trying to hear that noise. So we came to a compromise. I didn't really care for the look of a big flat black screen above our dresser amongst sooooo many beautiful curated pieces, I'd chosen for our space. So I was ecstatic when I found this beautiful white-washed, rustic TV cabinet from Ballard Designs. Yep, another Ballard Designs find.
I highly recommend the purchase of a TV cabinet to anyone that's looking for something a bit more stylish and unique to add to their space. Especially, if you're like me and prefer to cover the appearance of a black screen on your wall.
Speaking of stylish...for added details to our room, here are some detailed photos of the way I styled our dresser.
If any of you can remember as far back as several weeks ago when I was finalizing the final pieces for the room, I went down to the French Quarters to purchase some NOLA inspired post cards. I really didn't care to have photographs all over our room with photos of us in it. I wanted something a bit more artistic. So the post cards were the perfect touch. In addition, it was another way for me to pay homage to my NOLA roots and culture.
Checking once more to make sure ya'll are still with me? You can't say I didn't warn you guys that it was loads of details for this particular reveal. But we're finally getting into the home stretch. So, let's get into this mirror shall we?
MANSION MIRROR:
In our previous home, we had a rather small, standard sized mirror in our bedroom in comparison to the one we have now. Definitely NOT the look I was going for this time around. I wanted something very large and wide with ample height. And, it was imperative for the mirror to be embedded inside of a gorgeous frame. Such large mirrors are generally called mansion-style mirrors because of how grand in size they are.
There were quite a few contenders that caught my eye, including several custom-framed mirrors from Ethan Allen. But I really fell in love with this beautiful champagne, silver-leaf framed mirror I found at Rooms-To-Go. YES, you heard that right! Who would've ever thought I'd find this stunning beauty there?
Apparently, I'd been sleeping on Rooms-To-Go. Well, ever since I scored our mansion mirror from there, (at a very reasonable cost I might add) I pop in every so often because they actually have really beautiful home decor accents spread throughout their entire showroom floor. In particular, their vases are jaw-dropping and stunning!! Pay your local store a visit and see for yourself.
In addition to the beautiful color of the frame, I really loved the unique shape of the mirror which has a tendency to make one appear smaller and a tad bit more slender. Oh, you don't believe me? Peep the photos below...
A sista looks GOOD in this mirror OK! I may be chunky when I step away from the mirror. But the gotta keep it right, gotta keep it tight reflection looking back at me in this mirror is quite Matthew McConaughey - alright, alright, alright! I mean, who am I to complain?!?! What's the saying...Mirror, Mirror on the wall. Who's looking the most nice and trim of them all?
You get the point. I'm loving this mirror ;)
Design Tip: Mansion Mirrors can be costly, but it is definitely worth the investment. When shopping for one, do consider a few key elements and determine which is the most important to you...
Overall Size
Height
Weight
Shape
Framing
Quality
Price
If you're looking for a really tall mirror, at least 6ft or taller, with a good quality sturdy frame, you may want to consider investing anywhere from $300 - $600 in one. More custom and elaborate framed mirrors are even more expensive and can easily cost up to $2500 or more. However, if you're really looking for a rather simple, yet stylish mirror and not interested in spending a lot of money...large mirrors from discount stores like Home Goods and Kirkland's offer really nice selections all under $200.00
SETTEE BENCH:
In addition to the chair I added to our space, I also desired to add even more seating to our master retreat. I found this gorgeous settee bench from one of my dear vendors on the Nothshore, Lesle Veca of Lesle Veca Designs at her booth in Redoux Home Market. It was the perfect addition to our room in color, size, scale and texture. The really great thing about this bench is its ability to be used in so many different rooms, as I've also seen many stage this settee in their dining rooms or foyers.
However, for me...having it as additional seating in our bedroom was perfect. Why you ask? You know I'm so happy you did, and the answer is simple. I'm a southern belle at heart, who was taught by my very southern Mom that it's considered disrespectful for guests to ever sit on the bed of the person or people they're visiting. My Mom has always been extremely adamant about teaching me and my siblings to always have adequate seating in our bedrooms, so no one would ever disrespect our linens by sitting on them. It's truly a lesson that's been with me since my teenage years. So I wanted to make my Mom proud and let her know that I still hold that lesson dear to my heart.
Also, it's very practical for both myself and my husband. Whenever we're not lying down in our bed, or choose not to...the additional seating in our bedroom works for us as well.
Sources:
Interior Decorating & Styling By: Allured By Design
Photo Stills By: Stacy Marks Photography
Shooting Location: House Piazza
Home Decor: Vintage Tray & Mermaid Pillow - Niche Modern Home, Candle and Linen Spray - West Elm, Gold Fortune Telling Book - ZGallerie, Dior, New Looks - Home Goods, Mongolian & Gold & White Toss Pillow - Lesla Veca Designs
ARTWORK:
The accent wall in our master bedroom provides soooooo much texture. But I'm someone who believes less is less, and MORE IS MORE! So for added texture, I added these gorgeous textured paintings I found at Home Goods right above our settee bench. The paintings were actually the inspiration for the colors we chose for the accent wall as well.
I can honestly say that I can't quite put my finger on what I love most about our master bedroom. As I mentioned much earlier in this post, I truly love it all! A lot of time, effort, skill, (and money) was put into carefully curating and designing this room. And, it even took me quite some time to settle on all of the details.
Of course there are some features that I do wish our master had like a bit more depth and dimension to the room, instead of one large box. But that's where great design comes in at and working with what you have. And, that's exactly what I did! I worked with the existing layout built by our developers, and designed and created a beautiful look for our space that's become our own little rustic regal retreat.
I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed this long and detailed reveal, and I hope design inspiration is flowing for each of you. Now to go sit back, unwind and enjoy this fabulous retreat.
With Love,
Tachic-