Em here – You may remember Erik from his bold, luxe, and altogether fabulous living room reveal earlier this year. Many of you clamored for his bedroom reveal (I did, too), but… it wasn’t technically finished yet. So to kick off almost-2021 with a bang and a fun project – and to take a break from the hundreds of roundups I’m sure you’re inundated with today – we wanted to start his Makeover Takeover process with an Ask The Audience.
Every room needs a jumping-off point, and we decided to start this one by picking out the bedding. As I’ve written in many posts, Brooklinen makes my all-time favorite duvet insert (I also have their sheets on my own bed :)), and they graciously sent us a couple of pieces to play with. As an unexpected bonus, since it is a holiday weekend, everything here is 20% off. Great timing for a fun post. Win/win.
So today, we’re presenting three bedding options. We brought in Sara to shoot everything, Erik styled out the space a bit to fit each vibe, and we also had him outline a little future design plan for each iteration. In time you’ll see this room fully revealed, but today… let’s just have some fun and vote on some bedding for our dear friend. It’s time to get out 2021 MOTOs started. Take it away, Erik…
Hi gang! Remember me? I am back on the blog with another serving of my piping hot apartment. This time however, I am looking for a little guidance. I have lived in my 1931 apartment for 4 years and my bedroom hasn’t changed hardly at all. As a stylist who thrives on mixing things up, this room has felt the most stagnant.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love the design of the space but I think it could be redefined and tightened up. The best (and also affordable) way of dipping my toes into this redesign process was with bedding! I wanted to use Brooklinen for two big reasons. Their quality is undeniable, and as someone who walks on the wild side, they have wonderful options with color and print! (A bonus third reason would be that they are Emily’s favorite.)
I am letting the bedding that I, nay WE, decide on be the jumping-off point for a FULL BEDROOM MAKEOVER. So needless to say this is a life and death decision I am asking for your help with. Think of me as a design goldilocks. I’ve got to find one that is juuust right!
As you have seen in my living room and dining room posts, I LOVE color. Yet my bedroom has always been the exception. I like the idea of a place of slumber that isn’t too visually stimulating but compared to the rest of my home, my bedroom was leaning on drab.
Option 1: Thinking Pink
Terracotta Sheet Set | Rose Duvet Cover | Patchwork Quilt | White Diamond Quilted Shams | Extra Pillowcases in Rose
Enter look #1! I wanted to introduce some warmth to the space, so I brought in some pink and red tones. Starting with an organic pattern sheet set gave a more eclectic feel from the jump. This one is a limited edition print called ‘Topographic’ and it really does look like map lines. (For what it’s worth, I used the bundle set to order all of these because it knocks down the price, but things are also available a la carte.)
Terracotta Sheet Set | Rose Duvet Cover | Patchwork Quilt | White Diamond Quilted Shams | Extra Pillowcases in Rose
I layered with a truly chic geometric quilt, which brought in the black of the rug (a gift from Emily), and topped it all with some quilted linen shams. The white shams, contrasted with all the pattern and color, definitely took the whole look to a slightly calmer place.
Terracotta Sheet Set | Rose Duvet Cover | Patchwork Quilt | White Diamond Quilted Shams | Extra Pillowcases in Rose
I moved in some antique mismatched nightstands to give my signature granny look. Added a pair of 1920s deco art and BOOM! we were in a whole new lane. This is much more in line with the rest of my place but my concern is that I am straying away from a more minimal room, which is something I am looking for where I rest my head.
But since I love the pattern mixing and color palette here, I’ll probably paint the room the lightest shade of blush to warm it up, swap the rug for something sleeker and more contemporary, and get a pair of modern lamps to bridge the geometric quilt and my apartment’s natural Deco detailing. It’d be quiet, lightly colorful minimalism with hits of black and vintage accents, which would be pretty soothing.
Option 2: Sophisticated & Moody
Solid White Sheet Set | Graphite & Steel Oxford Stripe Duvet Cover | Charcoal Diamond Linen Quilt | Extra Pillowcases in Graphite
Next up in the group is my sophisticated moody option. Now I have always loved anything fancy and most definitely have a flair for the dramatic, making look #2 a real serious contender. High contrast is the name of the game and keeping things neat will always be easy on the eyes.
Solid White Sheet Set | Graphite & Steel Oxford Stripe Duvet Cover | Charcoal Diamond Linen Quilt | Extra Pillowcases in Graphite
I fell in love with this thin stripe duvet cover that feels super dapper. I then alternated from dark to light, adding crisp white sheets, then charcoal pillowcases, then white pillowcases. I really liked using these pillowcases in particular because they all come with an envelope closure, which keeps them looking really neat and full and tidy.
Honestly though, the best part of this ensemble is the black linen lightweight quilt folded at the foot. The quality is pure heaven. As I am writing this post I’m literally wrapped in it.
Solid White Sheet Set | Graphite & Steel Oxford Stripe Duvet Cover | Charcoal Diamond Linen Quilt | Extra Pillowcases in Graphite
Rounding out the rest of the room, I had a woodworking friend whip up some basic nightstands stained black. I dug through my vast collection of black and white sketches and voila! I had double-downed on the classy. This option really feels the most elevated, but I am wondering if the moodiness is too much with my current styling. I want to feel light as a feather when I wake up.
If we go this route, I would most definitely change the curtains to a vivid white gauzy linen to lighten the space, and switch the art to something more white and minimal, like a set of line drawings. It would make the bed the star. (Emily note: or should we go super dark??? Should we make Erik paint his room black??? Vote in the comments!!)
Option 3: Pattern Play
Graphite Grid Sheet Set | Window Pane Duvet Cover | Black Graham Lightweight Shams | Extra Pillowcases in Smoke Stripe
Last but certainly not least is our pattern play moment. I have always been an advocate for all white beds. It feels like a hotel, will never go out of style, and they are very easy to keep clean and bright (with a little help from bleach). A great way to keep neutral beds visually interesting is to mix in a little texture and a lot of pattern. Look #3 works so well because of how the patterns are layered in.
Graphite Grid Sheet Set | Window Pane Duvet Cover | Black Graham Lightweight Shams | Extra Pillowcases in Smoke Stripe
I started with the smallest pattern as my foundation, knowing that would be the busiest. This is a good rule of thumb for mixing patterns on bedding (it’s also what I did with look #1). I really liked how deep the fitted sheet is – it’s 15″ which means that it stays firmly in place (no snapping up in the middle of the night) and you can easily pull it taut which is great for patterns like this.
Then, I went for a medium scale on the pillows – simple horizontal lines for my pillowcases, and adding some texture with the ticking stitch shams. Finishing it off with the largest scale print on top is this fabulous grid stripe. They all play well together because they are all in the same color story, but are all different sizes. (Emily note: This is actually the sheet/duvet setup I have for my bed! Now eyeballing those shams, though…)
Graphite Grid Sheet Set | Window Pane Duvet Cover | Black Graham Lightweight Shams | Extra Pillowcases in Smoke Stripe
I painted some vintage nightstands a creme color to mix up the white and hung a vintage black and white poster to connect back to the black rug. Just like that, I had a room that was both tranquil and detailed. This look really has longevity and can easily grow with my evolving makeover…nevertheless I don’t want to play anything too safe. Design should be frisky!
Which is why if I went for this one, I would eliminate the majority of the black and warm tones – the rug, the curtains, the nightstands, the pedestal. I’d probably get a white shag rug, white curtains, white nightstands. And then I’d be bringing in pops of color in the accessories to keep it saucy. Multi-colored art, a pink throw, blue lamps, etc.
Henley | Half-Zip Sweatshirt | Tailored Sweatpant
So as I was pulling all these fabulous bedding options, I also decided to add some loungewear to my cart just for fun. This post is not supposed to be about my sweatsuit, buuuuuuut… insanely soft and cleanly tailored, I struck couch potato gold with these babies. I obviously had to wear them for my pics for the post because why NOT go all the way in Brooklinen head to toe (to bed)??
Henley | Half-Zip Sweatshirt | Tailored Sweatpant
I have worn them for the last 4 days to everything from my afternoon walks, to my marathon of Gilmore Girls, to my two martini happy hour before dinner. Nothing feels as wonderful as cocktails and an elastic waist. Run, don’t walk, to grab these staples for the upcoming colder months. They are THAT good that they deserved a section of the post. (Maybe a great gift? They also come in ladies’ sizes.)
ANYWAY. Back to business. My bedding dilemma. So with all that on the table I need your help! This decision will affect the rest of my new and improved bedroom. Are you obsessed with the color and collected feel of look #1? Are you freaking out over the dark and refined moment of look #2? Or is the luminous mixed prints of look #3 sending you over the edge?
Weigh in now so I can get to steppin’ on the rest of my boudoir! I have nothing but time on my hands these days and a stiff drink can only sustain me for so long. Cheers!
Emily here to close this out – I am very excited to see where this MOTO takes us. An all-blush tonal deco/modern mashup? A high-contrast black and white and graphic space? Or a light, bright, white space with pops of saturated and playful color? So many options. What say you???
As always, thank you to Brooklinen for sending us some bedding to play with and for indulging our crazy post ideas – remember, everything is 20% off this weekend (including my favorite duvet insert! I can’t talk this thing up enough!) – and thanks to YOU for joining us here today and for supporting the brands who support this blog. Have a happy and safe weekend. See you on Monday for a new holiday reveal! xx
*Design by Erik Kenneth Staalberg
**Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp
#2 for sure. And paint the walls dark also.
I painted mine dark gray (BM Deep Space) when I was working 3rd shift and needed to turn my west-facing bedroom into a cave. Recommended.
It’s going to be fun to see this unfold.
TWO!!! It’s calm and classic. You cannot go wrong. Plus the darker colors will hide dirt. I have a white duvet cover, and even the slightest speck of dirt has me stripping the bed to wash it.
I love how vintage and fun #1 is and I think a high contrast space (or a deep dark space!) for number #2 would be great, but I’m actually very sold on the description of #3. It sounds like an all white space without warm or black tones and instead filled with pops of color is RIGHT up your alley with the rest of the apartment! It’s a nice compromise for sure. This was a fun post, thank you for breaking up the sale monotony with some design to look forward to! You also have sold me on the striped duvet and the insert.
The way you summed up the benefits of #3 took the words right out of my mouth!
Definitely 1!!! I love the art and it does still feel soothing while being fun.
#2!!!! But no on a dark bedroom. Perhaps a light gray but I think the room is too small for black.
#2 for sure!
And hard pass on painting the room black – it’s beautiful the way it is.
Hi Erik,
Sophisticated and moody!
Ha! I don’t know you, but somehow, it seems to suit you. Really sophisticated and classic.
Looking forward to the reveal.
OMG! It’s nearly 2021! Bring. It. On!
Odd… I posted, but it never showed up.
I commented for number two coz you look sophisticated and classic., Erik.
It turned up… after a while.
Sumthin’ funny with the web??
#2 immediately jumped out at me as a definite but on second glance #1 is more interesting, certainly doesn’t feel too busy and is perhaps more you, especially with blush walls…and that side table is killer. And can I just say that books as bedskirt needs to be a thing!
I really would like to see a hybrid of all three options- pink sheets, white duvet, and black quilt. Looking forward to what you decide.
oooh I like this secret 4th option, all of the above!
Look No. 2 all the way. I want to be in that room the most out of all three of these.
Absolutely #2 — crisp and relaxing at the same time.
I love option #2! We love our Brooklinen sheets!
#2
2 🙂
#2!!!!! It was the most interesting….alt hat moodiness and contrast!
#2, and it isn’t even close!
Number 3 – but just as it is, no blue lamps, etc.
Speaking of lamps, where did you get that fabulous pair on your nightstands in #3?
Also — tell us about the wall behind your bed. Did you create that beautiful decoration, or did the apartment come that way?
#2! Love that look. I wouldn’t paint all the walls dark, just the bed wall to really emphasize the bed. Like the throne wall in a throne room. Suddenly Erik’s got massive style, chic and drama. Well, he had that already but now it’s in the bedroom too.
I’m sure I’ll like any direction Erik chooses.
Love #2! Looks very pulled together.
You mention that the check rug was a gift from Emily, but is there a source/link please?
I’ve been looking at B/W buffalo check rugs for bedroom use. I have Room & Board’s steel Jennings bed and some vintage MCM furniture.
#2. It’s so you even if I don’t know you😊
I have the duvet from #3 (and I love it) but I would go with #2. So gorgeous!!
#1 for sure!
#1 but with dark walls.
Love look #2!
Look 2 all the way!!
#2 – love it!
I don’t really think the sheets are the problem here, but if you’re keeping light walls I’d definitely choose #2. The room needs more oomph and the contrast with the dark sheets, art and lamps makes it so much more interesting. Number 1 looks like my grandma’s room and number 3 is uninspired. However, if you were to go with dark walls, I’d go with the bedding in #1.
#1 is the shit
3
2!!!
2!!
#2
Is the plaster looking design above your bed original to your place; or did you add this feature? I like it!
#1 seem to fit it’s the rest of the house the house the best. It has color, which Erik loves, but it isn’t stimulating. Perfect.
I love this! I would pick #2 but would add a warm terra cotta or rust accent throw pillow on top and add a grandma chic vintage rug with a mix of the warm colour from the pillow underneath. It would tie in the warmth from the sconces and break up all the navy to create a cozy and inviting space.
1. 1. 1. 1. 1.
1. Is one of the most beautifully designed and curated bedrooms I have seen.
At the same time being vastly interesting in a quiet way.
The hands down winner to me as a whole or if you break down the parts to compare.
Like that black nightstand is going to come close?… to that glorious wood nightstand, which has a more gracious proportion, useful marble top, plus storage.
Or that mini table light shade using valuable table space, and removing those gorgeous accordion sconces in the interim?
Don’t forget besides sleeping in the space, (peaceful) you will likely be walking past it, being in it during the day, so you want it to look great.
Good luck!
They’re all great. But I think #1 or #3 would be the softest and nicest to wake up to. Also, #1 is the most consistent with the dining and living rooms, I think. Whatever you decide, I know will be amazing.
I’d love to see where you go with #1 or #3!
#2 feels a bit stark and less eclectic.
#2! Love the calming contrast to the rest of your energizing space!
#1!! I love how you mixed the blush with the wood and pops of dark colors.
I second Andrea!
My picks – #1, then #3 and then #2. While I love the look of #2, the starkness of it doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of your space. #1 would play up the beautiful details in your bedroom – love that wall fresco! – while not feeling like you’re walking into an entirely different home. I’m sure it will look great whatever you do!
These are look great! I am torn between 1 and 2.
#1 for sure. So original, both cozy and edgy at once.
I love your description of look #2. The textured bright white makes a great canvas for continuously mixing up the styling too
#2 is the most put-together and therefore my instant vote, but I’d be curious about what #3 could look like if you did the things you suggested (switching out the rug, adding more color, etc.). Thanks for this great post!
#1! Inspired me to add the terra-cotta sheets to my wish list
Number 1! It’s the most unique and special feeling. And it gives you a base to play with other tones with accent pillows, throws, etc.
Number 1 is the least expected — like the rest of your house. I say lean into the calm fun. And the art deco, because Art Deco is THE BEST.
I want to know, after your two drink happy hour, which one do YOU like the best?
Number 3 is my favorite. The look is very calming, which is perfect for a bedroom. Since it’s so neutral, it will be easy to add your personal touch with some pops of color, items you can easily swap out to fit your personality and the rest of the apartment.
#1 is what I’m drawn to for myself, and stylistically, it flows from the other rooms you’ve shared. While I agree an all white bed is timeless, my second choice is definitely the graphic black and white design of #2 with dark walls. I’ve never had a black and white room, but I still have memories of a home done entirely in graphic black and white decades ago and it felt modern and classic and traditional and fresh all at once. There’s something about the look that makes it fit into any style. And I agree that pinstripe duvet is amazing!