It's ready! Introducing our Mid Century meets Art Deco bedroom
What better time for a design refresh than a new year. I’ve been working on furnishing our main bedroom in our New York City apartment, and am excited to reveal the (nearly) finished result.
This one was quite the feat to pull off, considering that we pieced together a matching vintage bedroom set sourced between different sellers Pennsylvania and Ohio. Trial and error revealed both tenacity and marital commitment as my very patient husband agreed to drive — twice! — across the Poconos to pick up dressers after one piece didn’t work out. I found my true match in more ways than one.
Come in for a tour.
The bedroom design centers around solid walnut dressers and nightstands by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, a 20th Century designer whose classically inspired styles were retailed by the Widdicomb Furniture Company. They’re Mid Century in style but give a nod to Art Deco through their curved facades, ideal for our 1930s apartment.
I had the curved Robsjohn-Gibbings set in mind when I spotted a shapely Art Deco armchair at my favorite antique emporium in Maryland. Naturally, it had to come home with me. It’s in a groovy upholstery that looks a lot like a Jack Lenor Larsen original.
The vintage pieces are balanced with a simple modern platform bed by Thuma. (You’ve probably gotten their ads.) Its low toxicity foam insert and recycled plastics slats are a nice eco design choice.
The bedroom’s lighting is vintage. (You know me well by now.) A Brutalist table lamp picked up in a Hudson Valley antique store takes center stage, and petite 1950s Atomic lamps sit on the nightstands. I found the print at an antique shop outside of Charlottesville: it’s by Camille Bryen, a prominent 20th Century French artist.
For bedroom textiles, I went for muted colors and neutrals for a relaxing feel. The throw pillows are Peruvian alpaca and the vintage rug is a Moroccan Zemmour tribal carpet.
Designing a new room opened opportunities for some fun shopping. We found an Art Deco marble clock at an antique mall. We haven’t gotten around to having it tuned, but it’s so good looking even as decor. The Murano glass mushrooms are a find from Upstate New York, in just the kind of Hudson Valley town you’d expect would have an old general-store-turned-antique-shop.
Hardware is jewelry for the home, so I had to have these French 1940s knobs for the bifold closet doors. Thank you, architectural salvage!
UPDATE: For the bedroom’s hallway, I found a slim Persian runner rug at my favorite vintage boutique in Vienna, Virginia. It’s a Gabbeh style, characterized by whimsical designs and long pile, making it extra soft under the feet.
What’s your design goal for the new year?
We’d love to help you achieve your dream space this year. Check out the link below to see ways we can work together on updating your home.
