Rooms That Scream (or whisper, rather) Serene

This month at Apartment Therapy, we're focusing on bedrooms and healthy living, and when I picture good health and happy living, these images are exactly what comes to mind. All emphasize simplicity, peacefulness, and calm through natural textures and neutral hues. The hardest part about incorporating this laid back, subtle style into a normal home is working with the general lack of architectural detail that most homes post late forties exhibit. This style works best with wood floors, plaster walls, and high ceilings.







Homes with wall to wall carpet and low ceilings require a bit more creativity, but it's easy to accomplish a peacefulness even so. I've found that the best way to work around this is with neutral wall colors with gray and taupe undertones (like the second to last pic. warm beiges can look dingy unless you get a LOT if natural light and have a variety of light sources for night time) and lots of natural textures. Layering a sisal, jute, or seagrass rug over the carpet creates a focal point and a similar natural vibe as worn wooden floors.

(Images: 1 notebook mag, 2 Marie Claire Maison, 3: 11 bonita, 4: jim cooper, 5: jake curtis, 6: cecilia granath, 7: sharon cairyns)