From House To Home

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Bedroom sets are a lot like fast food value meals. They are a quick solution to filling an empty space. For a room with more personality and better function, design experts are pulling pieces from several collections rather than simply selecting sets.

Direction for furniture selection, according to Rosi Smith, project manager for Ethan Allen Global Inc. in Omaha, comes from determining how people want to live in that room. This isn’t the same as how they currently live there, she adds.

“We ask them how they want to feel in that room. One couple said they wanted their room to feel like a vacation they took in the Bahamas. Another said they wanted it to feel like a spa,” she explains.

She also asks who else will be using the room and how. Knowing this helps determine how many beds, dressers, and nightstands are necessary. Knowing if the inhabitants will be reading, working on a computer, or simply sleeping suggests the furniture’s function.

“We have had customers who wanted access to their computer in the bedroom. The computer armoire works well for those who have smaller square-footage or live in a loft,” says Smith. “We’ve used a drop-leaf, gateleg table in a master bedroom because it’s perfect for bringing the children in to do homework. When the leaves are down, it looks like a sofa table.”

She has placed a coat tree in a boy’s bedroom to help keep clothes off the floor. Armoires and dressing chests give storage options with their drawer and shelf combinations. Chair-side chests that double as nightstands and lingerie chests are also popular choices.

“We are doing smaller chests with a couple of drawers instead of nightstands because you get more storage out of it,” says Smith.

Other important considerations for choosing bedroom furniture are style and budget.

“We don’t ask, ‘Do you want something contemporary or traditional?’” says Smith, “because it means something different to each person.”

Instead, she and her designers work to learn about their customers’ personal preferences. Clients are asked to gather photos or books with examples of rooms they like.

“If we don’t have the answers to those questions, you can’t talk to them about product,” she says. “It helps us help them create the room they will love.” 

Matching Not Required

Rosi Smith, project manager for Ethan Allen Global Inc. in Omaha tells clients to refrain from buying the bed with matching nightstands, dressers, and mirrors. Instead, she encourages people to pair pieces of different woods, handles, and legs, and mix straight lines with bows to create more interest.

"Most people are visual and need to see a picture of ways these combinations work," says Smith. "Once they see it, then they understand it and like it."

Design professionals can suggest combinations, but Smith recommends doing more by reviewing magazines and idea books. "People need to find a few pictures of rooms that appeal to them," she says.

FHTH Tip

Answering the following questions helps determine which functions the furniture most needs to fill.

1. Who will use it?
2. What is the primary use of the room--sleep or study?
3. What else will go on in the room--home office, retreat haven, television viewing, visiting with the children, reading, etc.?