I recently attended a lecture by uber-fab Interior Designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, he of Million Dollar Decorator fame.
He counts amongst his illustrious clients such luminaries as Cher, Elton John & Tamara Mellon, creating houses that are both comfortable and elegant.
Luxurious sanctuaries.
On a grand scale.
I love, love, love his work, and although the style of his projects can vary considerably, all share a common thread of opulence through texture, and feature sumptuous fabrics, employing one of my favourite concepts: a textile on a wall.
He especially loves it above a bed.
As do I.
Decoration above the bed draws the eye upward, adding height to a section of wall that can often feel low if there is only a bedhead, or nothing at all. It can balance the other high pieces in the room such as curtains or wardrobes. It's the perfect place to add colour and texture, or repeat those appearing elsewhere. And nothing does all of that quite like a textile.
But I must admit its appeal for me is also safety-driven: a large framed painting or photograph over my head inspires little more than nightmares of death by artwork.
And as for a mirror over the bed, I find this pointless.
Now don't misunderstand me, I do love a mirror.
It's one of the oldest (and best) decorating tricks in the book, creating an illusion of extra space and bringing more light into a room.
I love it in all the usual places, and especially love an entire mirrored wall.
But not, I repeat, NOT over the bed.
This is something I have often seen on real estate websites, in panoramic landscape form. This shape not only serves to stretch the room out where it's unnecessary, it creates a sense of low ceiling, which is something you don't want, no matter how cosy the space. And to die in your sleep covered in a thousand shards of your own fragmented refection would be truly tragic.
So for a truly stellar bedroom experience, with texture, colour, drama and warmth (and putting safety first), remember: rug up.
