Tag Archives: bedroom
Superheroes at Home
Iron Man 3 is out right now, and Man of Steel and the Wolverine later this year. Sequels to Thor and Captain America are coming up, too — and I’m looking forward to see them all. I am far from being a die-hard comic book fan, but I do love those superhero movies!
My very first superhero crush was Superman. That a man could be so strong amazed me. He could lift huge and heavy objects with ease. And bullets? Not a problem. And best of all, he could fly! Christopher Reeve, to my little girl self, was the perfect male specimen. He was ridiculously handsome and charming, muscular too, but not in that scary, bulky, I-spend-too-much-time-in-the-gym way. And I totally fell for that bumbling shy guy Clark Kent alter-ego. All in all, he was dreamy.
Via The Justice Bulletin
Later on, there was a whole slew of superhero movies to feast on, starting with Michael Keaton as Batman, Tobey Maguire as Spiderman, and (swoon!) Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and the list goes on. M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable remains one of my favorite films of all time, which gave incredible insights into superhero and villain archetypes and their psyches.
Superheroes are larger-than-life characters that embody the best (and in certain moments, the worst) of very human qualities. They serve as some sort or role models for us normal mortals. Some of them, like the X-men mutants, invite us to discover and embrace our uniqueness. Others, like Spiderman, inspire us to move our focus beyond ourselves and use our gifts for the good of others. And still some, like Batman, give us hope that we can survive our traumas and tragedies, and be all the stronger for them. We see our dilemmas in theirs, and our journeys in their stories.
So, although I don’t think I’ll be collecting any action figures, or buying any life-size models, I get how profoundly some people identify themselves with a particular hero or other, and how much they want these characters represented in their homes. If it comes to that, there are ways that it could actually work, as these images show.
Via Pianeta Mamma
Via Muralsdirect
I think one insight into making it work is to resist the urge to cram the superheroes into every single nook and cranny. Restraint is the word. Confining the characters to murals, for example, is a wonderful way to bring in the the big guys and gals and still have a lot of decorating leeway for the rest of the room. Appropriating the color palette of the mural helps pull in the rest of the room so everything is a cohesive whole.
Hanging some comic book art or wall decals works too. I especially like the simplified graphics in this bedroom below.
Via La Maisonette
Via BS2H
Via Inthralld
But if you must go all out, then go for it. But keep the actual logos and figures to a minimum, and go for atmospheric elements that enhance the theme — play with textures and other elements that are related to the hero’s universe. Check out that awesome chest in the image above.
Via Pitut
The Batcave above will be a wonderful hideout for wannabe Bruce Waynes out there. And the brick walls below are just the kind that Peter Parkers would love to climb.
Via Inthralld
Excellent Reasons to Sleep-in this Weekend
Photograph by Kim Jeffery via House and Home
Sleeping-in is one of life’s little pleasures that can make your whole day better, unless of course it’s a work day and you’ve missed your alarm. As life gets busier late mornings spent in bed get harder to come by but this weekend I am giving you full license to get a little extra rest, and if you need some good excuses to do so here are some that will make you happy to spend the morning under the covers.
Wool Dot Throw from Lief
Reason #1 A Beautiful Throw for Your Bed
Help winterize your bedroom with this pretty wool throw from lief. The modern dot design is just right for throwing on the bed or over a chair. The pattern is reversible too, and this throw is made from one hundred percent soft merino wool.
pajamas from J.Crew
Reason #2 Cozy Pajamas
A new pair of cozy pajamas is reason enough to catch a few extra z’s. I may be alone here, but I think there is still a lot of sex appeal in flannel when the temperature dips below zero (though that may just be wishful thinking.) I’m also a believer in flannel for both men and women; everyone should be allowed to cozy up at this time of the year.
Kiss Goodnight Pillowcase by ColetteBream
Reason #3 Extra Pillows
It’s my opinion that a bed can never have too many pillows. Heaping a bed with cushions and pillows in different prints and shapes is a designer trick that always makes a bed look more inviting. How do you like this sweet pillowcase that comes with a kiss goodnight?
Weekend Waffles from Herriott & Grace
Reason #4 Someone Else is Making Breakfast
One of the absolute best feelings is waking up well rested to the smell of a delicious breakfast. If I could put in a request it would be for these scrumptious looking waffles cooked up by Harriet and Grace. I just discovered their site and am now in love with their handmade wooden goods, like hand turned spoons and artisanal cutting boards.
Summer Bedroom Suite from Greentea Design
Reason #5 New Bedroom Furniture
An absolutely excellent reason to take a little more time waking up in the morning is that you took advantage of Greentea Designs bedroom sale and you now have a newly decorated bedroom, perfect for sleeping and relaxing in.
Reason # 6 You’re a Pampered Pet
Housecats know all about sleeping in, and they have no problem sleeping just about anywhere. For the very fortunate feline this lux cat bed will be the new favourite place for catnaps, and it’s a beautiful piece of furniture too.
Happy Friday and Sweet Dreams Everyone!
Four-Poster Flair
Via Doerr Furniture
The practice of placing a post on a bed’s four corners were initially intended to provide a frame for canopies to hang on, back when people generally needed additional fortification against the elements, or an extra layer of privacy. Posts were just posts — they had a utilitarian purpose to fulfill.
Then the bedposts became more like design statements, marks status and taste, as they became a decorative feature. Upon them the excess and grandiosity of the Baroque and Victorian eras were unleashed with impunity. The posts were carved, painted, and embellished with all kinds of ornate details and hung with heavy brocades and other rich fabrics.
The idea of four poster beds may seem so old-fashioned, but one wouldn’t think it with these ones here. The design aesthetics of the past century have evolved the look and feel of four-poster beds. In some instances, they have been whittled down to become bedroom bastions of geometric simplicity. And some takes on it integrate elements from different cultures in different corners of the world.
But no matter how modern four-poster beds get, they’ll always retain the air of decadence and luxury that their predecessors were steeped in.
Kenneth Cobonpue's Hagia Bed. Image via Kezu.
Louis Four-Poster Bed by John Reeves. Via Heal's.
Four Poster Bed by David Trubridge
By Indigo Furniture
By Swedish architecture and design firm Claesson Koivesto Rune
Via Dwellers Without Decorators
IKEA's Hemnes Bed, via Apartment Therapy
Via Mix and Chic
By Agnieszka
Via Cultural China
If Walls Could Talk: Historic Bedrooms
In her book If Walls Could Talk, Lucy Worsely, chief curator at few palatial locations in London including Kensington palace, chronicles the history of the bedroom and what purpose it served in times past. Bedrooms are like a still life portrait of their inhabitant, and can give insight into the kind of life they led. Here are a few interesting bedroom ‘portraits’ of popular historical figures.
Queen Victoria
Image from Laura Casey Interiors
One of the world’s most famous monarchs, Queen Victoria shaped the course of modern history during her reign, ushering in the industrial revolution. Before she became queen, Victoria spent her sheltered, stringent childhood years until she was 18 in this bedroom in Kensington Palace. She spent her last night here, in this densely decorated room before she was deemed queen.
Mahatma Ghandi’s bedroom
Mahatma Ghandi was a beacon of peace, enlgihtenment, and. His peaceful struggle led India to independence from Britain, and inspired civil rights movements across the world. This bedroom is a recreation of his attic bedroom in the Satyagraha House, his residence in South Africa. The house is now a museum as well as a guest house. The house maintains the same feeling as the bedroom, and is beautiful in its simplicity while echoing a sense of peace.
Image from An Indian Summer
The Satyagraha House. Image from An Indian Summer.
Marie Antoinette
Image from Habitually Chic
On the extreme side of Ghandi is Marie Antoinette – who was known for her extravagance in, well, almost everything. She had multiple bedrooms in the palace of Versaille, decorated in the high splendour of the time. Although she had a flamboyant personality, she was definitely a tragic historical figure. This darker, somber side of her characted is seen in the rooms not usually open to the public, which project her unique sense of style but have a haunting atmosphere.
Image from The Martins
Mao Zedong
Chairman Mao, as he is known to the world, was a leading figure in the the chinese communist revolution. He is commonly thought of as the father of the People’s Republic of China, and was the country’s leader until his death in 1976.
Image from China.org.cn
His bedroom, where he established the china’s first revolutionary base in 1927, reflects his conservatism and anti-capitalist principles in its frugality and simplicity.
How does your bedroom portray your identity?
Learn more about If Walls Could Talk.
Fall Back In Style
I must be the only archaeologist on the planet who isn’t a morning person. While others are wide awake, trowels in hand at well before dawn, I am likely to sleep ‘til noon without some assistance.
Image: Greentea Design
An alarm is a necessity for me. Since my clock radio died a while back, I have been relying on my iPhone but this is a less than optimal solution, since I have a tendency to either knock it off my nightstand in the morning or leave it tucked under a pillow when I go to school.
Images: YLiving
Since I hate the jarring sound of an alarm, I would love the Bird Alarm Clock from Japanese-based IDEA International, which wakes one up with birdsong. The settings buttons and digital display are hidden on the back, so it looks more like a sculpture next to the bed.
Image: Nanda Home
I often turn off my alarm and go right back to sleep; apparently designer Gauri Nanda had the same problem when she was a graduate student at MIT. Her award-winning solution was to design Clocky, the über-cute little alarm that jumps off the table and rolls away to ensure that sleepy-heads are up and at ‘em when they should be.
Image: Nanda Home
Not content to rest on her laurels, Nanda introduced Tocky in 2010. This version waddles away and has the added ability to record personalized wake-up messages or up to two hours of MP3s. Both models come in super-cute colours; I just hope they don’t make me go this far in the morning to turn off my alarm:
Image: Marieke Staps
I am always on the lookout for green products, so I love this Soil Clock by Dutch designer Marieke Staps. In a display of science that goes beyond my comprehension, a chemical reaction creates enough electricity to run the clock. You don’t even need the plants, though they certainly add to the aesthetic appeal and, as the designer points out, they remind you that the soil must be wet for the clock to work. Sadly, I’m not sure my thumb is green enough to keep this one running.
Image: Design Public
Many of the alarm clocks that I found online are actually still in the design stage. My favourite of these is the Wake n’ Bacon, which cooks up pieces of everyone’s favourite pork product when it is time to wake up. Seriously, who doesn’t love the smell of bacon in the morning? I’m shocked that the business-savvy entrepreneurs on Shark Tank didn’t back this obvious winner.
Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before going to bed this Saturday for Daylight Savings Time and enjoy that extra hour of sleep!
