IN CONVERSATION WITH IRIA DEGEN
An ode to bedrooms
Iria Degen has transformed some of the smartest interiors, outfitting luxury hotels, offices and prestigious homes. The internationally-renowned Swiss interior architect and member of the Elite Design Awards jury was recently in Lausanne, where she took time out to tell us about her simple recipes for the successful design of a bedroom. She sees bedrooms as the most intimate room in the whole house, and the most important; and of course the bed takes centre stage.
I
f you had to list a home’s rooms in order of priority, where would the bedroom be on that list?
What are these key components that make such a difference ? As I said, the bed itself is the heart of the matter. After all, we all spend eight hours a day there (or at least we should!). Managers bouncing between time zones whilst remaining operational are well aware of the fact that a good bed is a good investment. Luxury cars often stay in the garage and are changed quite often; beds on the other hand have a direct impact on our comfort and quality of life. We need to be aware of this and realise that we may hold onto the same bed for fifteen or twenty years; beds need to be seen in terms of value rather than price. There are two main aspects to pay attention to: the mattress and the structure, in other words the bed base and the headboard with all its possible features such as bedside tables, electrical controls and reading lights, as well as the mechanical components that stay out of sight but What creates the value of a good bed ?
make a huge difference… it’s all rather complex actually, so a good quality bed is quite a major investment, but one that’s well worthwhile, since it really does change your life. What about design aspects ? Comfort has to come first. Once that’s assured, I recommend a timeless, neutral design. Way-out, multicoloured and unusual models might be tempting as an impulse buy but you may well tire of them, whereas a bed should be a long-term investment. Colour and originality can come from other sources like ornaments, furniture and artworks. There’s only one valid trend as far as beds are concerned: timelessness. What should the priorities for the rest of the bedroom be ? The bed serves as an anchor around which the rest of the decor is built; creating a good bedroom involves paying attention to light and intimacy, too. As I always say, you can never have too many fabrics in a bedroom: lined curtains, carpets and
The bedroom is a unique, highly personal room, one that’s different from any other room in the house. Most living spaces are designed with everyone in mind, whereas the bedroom is the most private place of all. In some ways, this therefore makes it the most important – and the bed is the star of the room. In Louis XIV’s day, guests could be received in the bedroom. Today, however, it’s simply a place to sleep away from outside eyes, isn’t it14 ? Indeed, but it’s also where we go to get away and recover; we can feel vulnerable there if it’s not comfortable. I always emphasise how important it is to make it a place where we can really do ourselves good. Achieving that calls for very special attention, involving key components whose apparent simplicity belies their importance.
14
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software