PRINCIPLE SUITE – THE PLAN
Last weekend we came to the point in our principle suite renovation where the wall between the two bedrooms we’re joining together needed to come down! So down it came!
With the major portion of the bedroom renovation set to begin this weekend, I thought I would share the plan for this room! I did plenty of space plan exploration for our suite, and ended up with 2 options to consider. These layouts worked with the functional needs, and some of the aesthetic ideas I had early in the design concept (ie. a long low headboard).
The most challenging part of the design for this room is the closet situation. We need more storage space, but with the window locations, and the space being so narrow, it really limits where I can incorporate closets. I played around with a lot of options, including doing cabinetry closets, but ultimately abandoned that idea in favour of a walk-in closet.
This is the final plan that we are going with:
The main requirements we have for updating this space are:
- Adding a bathroom – with tub and shower separate
- More storage for clothing
- A cozy, moody aesthetic to further enhance that feeling of getting away and relaxing
THE BATHROOM
The main vision I have for this space is a spa like bathroom with a separate tub and shower. I really want a dedicated soaking tub. I’m willing to give up quite a bit to get it too! From a design perspective I could have created a lot more with the space if I had decided to let the tub go, but it’s a main driving force behind the entire renovation and I would 100% regret not having it. Keeping the separate tub meant giving up a bigger closet, and a seating area in the bedroom, but its a fair trade in my opinion.
I will get further into the bathroom design once we start construction on that space, but for now we’re focusing on finishing the bedroom. With lockdowns, and lack of supplies we didn’t want to hold up the entire space by renovating the bathroom at the same time. It’s a pandemic. We’re making it work!
STORAGE
Storage in a space addresses so many needs. Of course, its somewhere to put all your stuff, but storage space also addresses other requirements. Things like making daily tasks easier, cutting down on time needed for household chores, and helping to keep clutter down so you can really get the most out of how the aesthetics of your home make you feel.
We need a space that will relax and recharge us. That means getting rid of “visual to-do lists”. This is a term I’ve started using that refers to the household things that lay around waiting for our attention. Things like; clothing to fold or wash, dishes, bills, kids schoolwork, maybe even your work. Basically anything that doesn’t have a home, or isn’t in its home, and is just sitting as a visual reminder of something you have yet to do. Just kind of nagging at you…
Ultimately, the walk-in closet solves all these concerns. Yes, it’s a place for all our clothes, especially because the windows (again) don’t leave much room for dressers, but it will also create a space for all the things to go. Any laundry baskets can be popped in there (clean or dirty clothes), there will be hooks for robes, and hoodies, room for off season shoes, bags, linens…. The closet’s job is to keep that “visual to-do” list OUT of this bedroom, and a walk-in sized one will be the best at doing this.
In addition to the closet we also created some cabinetry storage, as well as a BOOKSHELF. The closed cabinets can hold folded clothes, off season clothes, and just other stuff. I am also excited about having a bookshelf, that will be for actual books, no matter how tempted I am to just style them into something pretty. I have a decent collection of books and most of them are in boxes. I can’t wait to get them all out and displayed in a proper shelving unit.
COZY AND COCOONED
The third design requirement is to create a space that feels like a secluded getaway. I’ve used color, textures, and layout to help achieve this. The layout in particular will really play an important part in getting that cocooned feeling.
One of the first priorities from the design concept was to have the head of the bed in a spot that would allow me to span a headboard the entire width of the wall. The idea was to have a soft, textured headboard with a black wall above it. This combination is meant to create a feeling of protection when sinking into bed with a soft, dark cradle at your back.
The layout, while accommodating the must have tub and walk-in closet, also needs to stay as open as possible to allow for yoga practise, and some additional furniture as we need it. At the moment I have space for a dresser, or dressing table, near the bathroom, but the open area could also accommodate two chairs, or one lounge chair with a side table for reading. I’m not sure exactly how that part of the room will change, but having the space for a yoga mat is exactly what I need right now.
Which is why the second layout option didn’t make the cut:
In plan view it looks like you could still fit a yoga mat in…and you can, but that area feels and functions more like a hallway in this layout. It looks a little bigger in plan view, but the 4′-0″ span is not as ideal at the 6′-0″ + span in the first layout.
The idea behind this layout option was to create a space to mount a TV. Now, I have loooong been opposed to having TV in a bedroom, I don’t think its conducive to a good nights sleep and I stress the importance of getting enough sleep. BUT, to be honest? During this past year where NO ONE LEAVES THE HOUSE, I’d love to have a space to watch my Law and Order alone and in peace. So, we explored what it might look like if we had a TV near the bed.
A plus to this layout is that it makes the bedroom feel a little more secluded, with the door away from the bed, but does it make it just a little too small? Maybe. The closet space is also sacrificed to make way for a hallway, which in a bedroom, isn’t a priority.
Ultimately the larger closet and the more open space in the bedroom won out over having a TV in there. I think its likely for the best, plus….I’ve always got the ipad. Law and Order here I come.
