Delray Beach Archives

Scheming: Master Bedroom In Florida Condo

I haven’t posted many photos of our little Delray Beach condo, mainly because until this summer it had white wall-to-wall carpeting, tan walls with navy blue and hunter green trim, a plethora of pink tiles, and dingy blinds. This summer, we had the whole place done with cork flooring and all the walls painted bright white. Yesterday I spiffied up the master bedroom and took some photographs. Given the limited accessories at my disposal (not to mention the small budget) and my ineptitude with a camera, they’re hardly print ready, but you can get a sense of how it’s coming along. Here’s our beach bedroom makeover, unveiled.

BeddingStyle.com sent me a beautiful bright white Puckered Diamond Matelasse Coverlet and Shams by Vera Wang for the bed. I layered the coverlet with our existing grey fleece blanket for a mix of cozy and crisp. I love the result. (The simple white bed frame from West Elm we got when we first moved in.)

The artwork is an original painting by Lulu de Kwiatkowski. I’ve interviewed Lulu a couple of times for my work with Matouk (she designs a line of bedding for Matouk, and I co-write the Matouk blog). She is tons of fun, so I was psyched to buy a painting I love on the LuluDK website she launched last year with her products, prints, and original artwork.

The rug is new too. I ordered it from Wayfair thinking it might work in the boys’ room, but it seemed too earthy. Luckily it looks perfect in the master bedroom; the watery color imbues a calmness. It’s a rough wool dhurrie, so I have to use a yoga mat when I stretch out before bed (itchy!), but it covers a lot of the room without being overpowering.

Thanks to the folks at Rug Pad USA, the rug feels quite cushy, as it sits atop 3/8-inch thick felt pad. A co-founder offered to send me a rug pad when he saw my recent post on rugs. Rug Pad USA, which launched a couple of years ago, manufactures higher end, eco-friendly rug pads that are made in the USA. I went with the Eco-Fiber Felt Pad. It’s made from 100 percent recycled felt materials and is resistant to mold, moisture, and mildew. It’s thick and doesn’t shed or smell, and the rug stays put. (The cheap rug pad I bought somewhere else had to be banished outdoors until the toxic odor was gone.) I’m thinking eco-fiber rug pads are the way to go. Now I need one for Flokati rug I just purchased for the living room.

I think that’s about everything. The rug and the matelasse bedding from BeddingStyle.com are the centerpieces., but let me know if you have any questions (or suggestions for that matter, as it’s still a work in progress). Yes, we travel with the cat. He sits in his carrier under the seat in front of me. No, he doesn’t meow.

S W A T C H I N G

S H O P P I N G

1 Blue-Green Sea Painting by Lulu DK.

2 Samtid Floor Reading Lamp, $39.99 at Ikea.

3 Simple White King Bed Frame, $399 at West Elm.

4 Jaipur Maroc Geometric Area Rug $951.50 at Wayfair.

5 Vera Wang Matelasse Coverlet & Shams, $249.99 & $79.99 at BeddingStyle.

6 Slice Wall Mounted Storage Shelf, $149 at CB2.

7 Lack Side Table, $9.99 at Ikea.

Design Diary: Kids Room Spruce Up

It’s spring break again (I get three), so I’m in Florida. I’ve had little luck finding a contractor (we want to swap the wall-to-wall carpet for a plywood floor, paint everything white, and a few other fixes), so yesterday I decided to do some freshening up to tide us over, at least in the boys’ room. Between the blah walls and carpet, it was getting a tad depressing.

Spending a lot of money wasn’t an option, so I ran into Marshalls and T.J. Maxx (luckily they both happen to be in the same complex). I found great on-trend, brightly, patterned bedding. The aqua and turquoise cotton quilt looks like John Robshaw, with its Indienne pattern. Plus, its really soft. Considering the very reasonable price, I was thrilled with the high quality. The charcoal grey and white trellis pattern sheets are amazing smooth; they’re all cotton but really satin-y. The “smile” pillow is done in an almost nautical canvas, very cheerful and preppy.

I also found a durable little area rug with a Moroccan-inspired pattern. For a toy storage solution, I got a cute charcoal gray nylon fiber basket that’s large enough for the balls, books, and other random toys that seem to magically materialize. (I may steal it to hold towels in the entry though.) Lastly, I got him a glass water bottle with a silicone cap and grip to leave by the bedside.

Plucking from other parts of the condo, I finally framed and hung the artwork. All three are prints by Cathy McMurray that I had purchased last year. I also moved in a better lamp and a stalk of bamboo. HUGE improvement, I think.

I might not keep the bed dressed like this ultimately, (I’m thinking it would also be perfect out on the Cape), but I love the look right now. What do you think? Scroll down for the “before” photos too.

B E F O R E

Thanks to Marshalls & T.J. Maxx for the $150 gift card!

Get the Look: 34 Linear Suspension Lights

In addition to wall-to-wall carpet, pink bathroom tile, and misplaced doorways, the Delray Beach condo doesn’t really have overhead lighting—except for one oddly placed linear suspension lighting fixture. If you can get your eyes to focus beyond the nautical fanfare, you’ll see the fixture above the former owner’s dining table. We are changing the layout, so that spot will function as an entry area, probably with a console table and/or bench. (The entry door is to the right of the table.) As I mentioned yesterday, the carpet and fake wood floor will be ripped out, and a plywood floor will run throughout. So, for the purposes of this post, the question is: What to do about replacing that light fixture?

I perused the usual suspects to figure out my options—Lumens, Ylighting, Lightology, Lamps Plus, etc., and found more ceiling lights, including an interesting option I didn’t see on the US ones (#6) on the British site Argos. (And I learned a new term in all this: linear suspension lighting.) I would love to know what kind of light you think would work best. Remember, it will be an entry space, not a dining area. Ideas please!

S H O P P I N G

1 Pinto 1 Linear Suspension by Eglo, $372 at Lumens.

2 White Birch Plywood Lamp byArtek, $995 at Hive.

3 Logico Triple Linear Suspension by Artemide, $3,115 at Lumens.

4 Hola Suspension Light by LZF, $1043 at Ylighting.

5 Prisms 3 Light Suspension by ET2, $178 at Lightology.

6 Arteriors Home Caviar Staggered Pendant, $2,760 at All Modern.

7 LED Over Light, £120 at Argos.

8 Classique Slender Rectangle by Stonegate, $1,008 at Lightology.

9 Jamaica Suspension by Foscarini, $2,738 at Switch Modern.

10 Lyra 48 Linear Suspension, $1,040 at Lightology.

11 Larmes Linear Suspension by ET2, from $318 at Lumens.

12 Silhouette Linear Suspension by Besa Lighting, $1,000 at Lightology.

13 Noto Suspension Lamp by Artemide, $2,940 at Hive.

14 Titanium Linear Suspension Light by Access, $359 at Lightology.

15 Odyssey Linear Multi-Light by Access, $333 at Lumens.

16 Sioux Suspension Lamp by LZF, $1,732 at 2Modern.

17 Zen Linear by Fredrick Ramond, $1,399 at Ylighting.

18 Mouille Style Bent Arm, $6,800 at Urban Archaeology.

19 Sonneman Puri Four Light Pendant, $990 at All Modern.

20 Cellula Swarovski Crystal Chandelier, $2,730 at DWR.

21 Helix LED Linear Suspension by ET2, $1,328 at Lumens.

22 Flexxxibile Long Suspension, $2,009 at Lightology.

23 Long & Hard Suspension by Philippe Starck for Flos, $1,895 at Hive.

24 Long Light by Marcel Wanders for Moooi, $814 at Hive.

25 I-Club Small Suspension Light by LZF, $1,713.60 at Ylighting.

26 Troag Suspension Lamp by Luca Nichetto for Foscarini, $1,488 at Hive.

27 Cirrus Linear Suspension by Hinkley Lighting, $599 at Ylighting.

28 T-2205 Series Island Light by Estiluz, $1,008.80 at All Modern.

29 Tolomeo Double Suspension by Artemide, $720 at Hive.

30 Revel Linear Suspension by Tech Lighting, $1,200 at Lightology.

31 Artcraft On the Spot 3-Light, $342.91 at Lamps Plus.

32 Forecast Alexis Nickel 3-Light Rectangle, $665.91 at Lamps Plus.

33 Scandia Three Light Oval by Artcraft, $347.43 at All Modern.

34 Louvre Suspension Light by Established & Sons, $3,020 at Unica.

When choosing a light, be sure to note what kind of bulbs it requires, and if the wattage is bright enough to light your space. A guide to choosing the right GU10 LED or other similar guides light might provide helpful information.

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