Ok fine! You’ve waited so patiently. Probably fasting or holding your breath. You’re so dedicated and I appreciate it, so here are the pics of the completed Winchester Showhouse and Gardens Master Bedroom.

I’m not one for heavy contrast, especially in a bedroom. With these rich furnishings white walls would have created too much energy for a bedroom. Pale artichoke green paint serves the purpose of closing the gap and calming things down. This is more color than I generally use but the relative tonality of the palate helps create a more homogeneous final product than might be expected when such a variety is present.

Vertical stripes, floor to ceiling drapery and absent crown molding help to elongate the walls. With low ceilings the trick is to do everything you can to draw your eye up the wall as far as possible. Had there been crown or had I chosen to install it I might have painted it the same color as the walls just in a different finish. It might seem counterintuitive to call out the chair rail, but in this case it was integrated into the deep-set window sills and I needed them to stand out as display boxes. I did choose a linen white which is much softer than true white to again minimize contrast.

The Rug is placed at an angle which serves three purposes – 1) it further highlights the fireplace as a focal point, 2) it is angled away from the door as you enter the room which visually draws you into the space, and 3) it allowed me to show off the largest amount of the rug possible.

One of the things that I love the most about the decoration of this room is the use of naturally historic elements. Turtle shells, porcupine quills, pressed leaves, a discarded glass fragment from a factory… I find this type of accessory much more interesting than something mass-produced and off the shelf and it can even be more cost-effective. I’ll admit there is a decorative vase here and there, but even those are handmade and in some cases signed by the artist. I’m interested in people living with things that matter to them and that tell a story.

A European tour of antiques and reproductions ground this Master Bedroom in authenticity and add a collected feel evoking a sense of the imaginary inhabitants personal history. But come out to the showhouse and see it in person. I shot these images with my phone and the quality is barely worth the thousand (actually 526) words I just gave you.

Above:
Turkish Kilim Rug from The Rug Company – NY, NY
Bedding from Legacy Linens – Chantilly, VA (Available through David & Daniel Design, Hume, VA)
Gilded French Étagère from Ashby House Antiques – Upperville, VA
Chinoiserie Tilt Top Table from Baileywyck Shoppes – Middleburg, VA

Above:
Gold Framed Mirror and Hand Painted Tray from The Village Green – Orlean, VA
Ceramic Lamp from Currey & Company – Available through David & Daniel Design, Hume, VA
Flemish Chest from Red Schoolhouse Antiques – Millwood, VA

Above:
Louis XV Style Settee – Available through David & Daniel Design, Hume, VA
Italian Floor Lamp from Baileywyck Shoppes – Middleburg, VA