The service of the design staff at Pottery Barn helped me create the bedroom of my dreams

Being someone who spends more time on the flight than I do in my bed, time to rest and relax is few and far between. So when it came time to remodel my apartment, and more specifically my bedroom, I knew I wanted to create a space that would give me a quiet respite from the rest of the world. I also knew I would have to call in professional outside forces to help make this happen. See, with fashion month on my plate, I was guaranteed to travel an entire month with very little time devoted to designing my bedroom interior. As a result of the timing, I was somewhat at a standstill. Rather than spend hours upon hours scrolling through different sites and visiting endless stores in real life (do people still enjoy that?), I decided instead to call a friend, aka the Pottery Barn team, who connected me directly with an expert from their design. Crew, a program that pairs clients with an interior professional to help guide their home’s vision. I had very specific instructions for the team: “Please help bring to life my dream minimalist bedroom before I get back from my travels.”

As Senior Vice President of Fashion at BDG, my priority is creating beautiful visuals in my work, so needless to say, I’m a huge visual enthusiast (not to mention someone with a very particular taste). An hour was allotted for the consultation, where I took the time to explain what I was looking for – a very Minimal update. Specifically, I wanted to avoid bold electric colors. Bright colors tend to give me energy and I really wanted my bedroom to be a relaxing place. While I can appreciate maximalism in fashion and in the home, I really wanted to create an environment that brings a sense of true serenity without feeling physically empty or like a blank canvas.

Another priority was storage as a way to avoid any clutter. I have an obscene amount of clothes and shoes and I don’t want any of them to spill or show at all. Other little details on my wish list included a large mirror to open up the room and soft, luxurious bedding so I could melt into my bed at night. The goal here was to create a space that is as serene and clean as possible.

My design goals

In that initial consultation, everything was discussed, from my favorite color palette and textures to the overall atmosphere I wanted to create in the physical space. Truthfully, I was nervous that the simple approach could be so barren and boring. To add some interest, I decided to include some of my favorite art pieces from my travels and incorporate them as inspiration for the color story and mood of the room itself.

The design staff took note of the way my space was set up in order to recommend everything from furniture to window treatments. I sent them pictures from my free space, had a few follow-up Zoom calls and we went back and forth a few times on the overall creative direction of the project. As I mentioned earlier, being the visual person that I am, the mood boards, color swatches, and room plans shared during our consultations helped me see my vision come true, even before anyone stepped into my bedroom.

Bringing my vision to life

Using artwork I picked up from Egypt during a girls’ trip as a point of reference, the Pottery Barn team and I focused on a more neutral color palette with earthy touches of greens, rich browns, and golds.

One of the most difficult remodeling decisions I made was choosing the right bed. I went a little out of the box here, choosing a canopy frame that for a New Yorker might feel like an impractical choice (since New York City bedrooms are pretty small). However, the large steel frame of the bed helped break up the room a bit without making it seem smaller. It also reminded me of a similar frame I loved when I was on a long road trip with my boyfriend in Tulum – I’m dying to get back there.

To decorate the bed, we chose Pottery Barn’s classic white cotton sheet set and linen bed sheets, both of which are Fair Trade Certified and meet strict social and environmental standards. These sustainable aspects of the mattress sold me instantly. The contrast between the sturdy steel frame panels and the soft texture of the bedding added some dimension to the room. I also sprinkled in some much needed texture with extra throw blankets all over the entire room.

The next big question I had was storage: How am I going to store all these damn shoes, jewels, and bags? I chose the brand’s Linwood nightstands in an elegant dark wood finish. I love that it complements the dark colors of the steel bed frame and the accent colors found in the artwork throughout the room. The pieces were placed on opposite sides of the bed, and I added velvet trays inside the drawers to store extra jewelry. For my suitcases, I chose a mango-birch armoire from Pottery Barn’s Cayman Collection and double closets for my loves and essentials (shirts, thin sweaters, etc.). The furniture’s light-colored wood contrasts with the metal side panels, creating a clean, upscale look. As one might assume, I dedicated a great deal of space and storage to my clothes, and I wanted to make sure I had easily accessible pieces in my closets. The Cayman Collection’s adjustable features helped me organize my favorite bags in a way that helped me quickly find what I needed on even the busiest of days.

Aside from my bed and the Egyptian artwork in my bedroom, my favorite pick by Pottery Barn was the Gideon Upholstered Swivel Chair. Since I have quite a hectic schedule, it is imperative that I start each day and end each day with meditation to help focus on myself. The chair is where I sit to focus on my meditations as part of my daily spiritual routine. I also added a cream Louis Vuitton pillow to the chair because I love the hint of luxury and a nod to my career. Like a true fashion girl, I have books about luxury homes and travel scattered around the room to add more interesting elements to the mix.

Takeaway

The best part of this collaboration with Pottery Barn Design Crew was working with a trustworthy team that took my needs and expectations and translated them perfectly into the final product. I would recommend this service to those who don’t have the time to get samples or mood boards, focus on the overall design of rooms, or perhaps don’t have an eye for design but know what the aesthetic is about personally. If you’re going this route, keep in mind some general ideas about your overall aesthetic and what are the non-negotiables for the room’s design and functionality. Also, release control is important. I know it can be hard to let someone else take over (at least for someone like me) but the end result is worth it.