Dear Meredith,

I’m going to answer your burning questions first:

Rugs.  I absolutely love yours.  In fact they could form the basis of a very interesting scheme……….

There are no hard and fast rules about carpet and rugs but I would use them to demarcate the separate areas of the bedroom.  The largest, placed under the window where you now have two mid-century chairs would designate that area as your ‘reading, lounging, cocktail drinking with the girls’ area, and I would place the two smaller rugs either side of the bed.

Curtains.  As a rule, you should keep the curtain height and length the same no matter what size the window.  The window by the bed is quite small and high on the wall, so I would ignore its size completely and treat both windows the same.  Hang the curtain pole about 30cms below the ceiling and let the curtains hang to the floor.  Measure the length from the curtain pole to the floor and add 3cms so that the curtains pool slightly.  Make the curtain poles wider than the windows so that when the curtains are pulled back they let in the maximum light.

I wouldn’t try to co-ordinate the curtains with the rugs, but go for a neutral coloured silky fabric, similar to the lampshades (which are fine by the way). Be generous with the amount of fabric.  They will look more opulent.  Lucite looking finials on chrome poles will coordinate with your lamps.

Walls.  You mentioned wallpaper on one wall.  Have you thought about stencils?  You could use the bamboo motive from the rugs.  Keep it simple as in the sketch.  Either make your own or The Stencil Library has a good range including several bamboo designs.  You could easily colour match to the rugs and it will be a lot less expensive than wallpaper.

not to scale

Bedding.  The headboard you have chosen is the right style.  Go for layers as in the bed below.  Top them all off with a silky quilted throw and some coordinating cushions.

Ideal Home Magazine

Sitting area.  A buttoned sofa would look great.  Use a similar colour to the headboard if possible.  I would move the bookcase to another room if only to keep the bedroom as a sanctuary and remove all practical things.  Keep the dresser though (the dark wood echo’s the dark wood of your bedside tables) but change the drawer handles (on all the furniture) for something pretty in glass and chrome.  Swap the retro lamp for something prettier too and put pretty glass and mirrored glass accessories on top to make it more feminine.  Your silhouettes could go on the wall above the dresser.

Dressing Table.  This area doesn’t need much attention.  It looks fab as it is.  I would maybe just glam it up a bit.  Maybe change the handles again. The stool could be painted silver and have a new buttoned cover to coordinate with the colours in the rest of the room.

I would stick to light colours for that Hollywood Glamour look.  Creams, oyster, and beige with just a few touches of blue (rugs, bamboo stencils and cushions) as accents.  For the same reason I would stick to silks (or silky fabrics) for cushions, curtains, lampshades and bed quilts.

I’ve put the source of the mood board material below but you don’t have to take it too literally.  It’s more of a guide to colour, texture and materials.  You may even be able to source similar items in your usual haunts.

I hope you like it!

Moodboard source:

Chatsworth sofa, curtains, clay cushion and patchwork cushion from John Lewis, ceiling light and table lamp from Haysom Lighting, curtain pole from Terry’s Fabrics, headboard and quilted throw from Sainsbury’s, mirror from B & Q, blue cushion from Biju Home, door handles from Handle World, photo frame from Marks and Spencer, and perfume bottle from Monsoon.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

If you would like design advice from Dear Designer, email deardesigner@hotmail.co.uk  sending photographs if possible, room dimensions and details of what you have, what you need to keep and what you desire.