Creating a Master Bedroom that feels like a luxurious retreat

Our Master Bedroom is my sanctuary, it’s where I go to wind down and recharge. It’s a place I can go to escape the chaos, watch sunsets, read a book, and sleep in on the weekends (if I’m lucky). When we designed this home I wanted to create the feel of a luxurious retreat that is beautiful, but comfortable and welcoming. I have made many changes in the 3 years that we’ve lived here (you can see what it looked like before HERE ,  HERE, and HERE) I have never loved my room more than I do right now, or been more grateful to have this sanctuary.

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If you’ve followed me for a while, then you may know that we listed our home last fall with the intention of building a new home. You can read about the announcement and see the tour HERE. With my experience as a real estate agent I knew that our home could take some time to sell due to our price range and the area we are in. We were prepared to have it on the market for up to a year. We had some showings, however due to scheduling conflicts I also turned away many showings. The timing just didn’t seem right.  Although I had the land picked out, and I was gathering inspiration for the next build, things didn’t seem to be falling in place. After many discussions we felt like maybe we needed to wait and spend another year or two in this home before building another one. Once we decided to stay, a series of events unfolded that left me feeling grateful that we weren’t in the process of building and that where we are is where we are meant to be right now.

Before I move on to my tips on creating a luxurious and relaxing space I want to share a bit of what we’ve been through recently. About a month ago I opted to have a surgery that I felt was necessary for my future health. I knew I’d have a few weeks of recovery then I’d be back to my normal routine. My husband has been so supportive despite the fact that his construction company is having a hard time keeping up with the demand. My surgery went well but I have a hard time with anesthesia and pain meds so my recovery was rough for the first few days. My husband took such good care of me and the kids while juggling a huge workload. About a week after my surgery I started to feel a little better but my husband didn’t seem like himself. He was experiencing severe pains in his side and had no appetite. He had been losing weight all summer and complaining about stomach aches. He visited the Dr and had some tests run earlier this summer but everything came back normal. That weekend his pains were much more severe. By monday morning he called me and told me that he was going to urgent care. If you know my husband he doesn’t leave a jobsite unless it’s an emergency. Thinking it might be appendicitis, they ordered a CT scan, which showed some abnormalities around his appendix and large intestine. They sent him straight to the ER thinking his appendix had burst. He called me when he got there to make sure I knew what time the boys needed to be to football practice (no mention of being in the ER) once he told me where he was I rushed down there. He was there all day before we finally saw the surgeon, he told us he wasn’t so sure it was a burst appendix and that if he opened him up there was a good chance he’d take a large portion of his intestine. He wanted to consult with a GI Dr about a colonoscopy before opening him up. We left (against the recommendation of the ER dr who wanted to admit him) and he came home to prep. The next day the procedure went well, the Dr came out to talk to us afterwords and showed us the photos. The inside of his intestine definitely didn’t look normal, the Dr mentioned it didn’t look like “Colon cancer” but it did look like lymphoma. Which the Dr said is fine “because it’s super treatable”. I was a mess, I tried so hard to be strong but I broke down as soon as we got in the car. My husband lost his mother to cancer at a very early age, I felt like it was a cruel joke for him to be facing the possibility of fighting cancer. Suddenly our plans and dreams for the immediate future were reevaluated. We had recently submitted a permit to the city to start a pool. The trackhoe was already sitting in front of our house ready to dig. Suddenly that didn’t matter, it wasn’t important anymore. What was important was making sure my husband was healthy, and getting a diagnosis so we could move forward with treatment.

After an agonizing week waiting for results, we got the news that he doesn’t have cancer! I wanted to celebrate, I felt like a party was in order. Our prayers and the prayers of our friends and family had been answered. My husband didn’t have the same celebratory feelings. He is still in pain. He still doesn’t want to eat. He doesn’t sleep well and weighs the same as he did in High school. We don’t have any answers, they ran several tests and told us to come back in a few weeks. It’s still possible he could lose a portion of his intestine which is major surgery. I’m praying nothing drastic will happen, but I want him to get some relief. So here we are, one of the toughest summers I can remember. I’m hoping that as summer fades into autumn, we will be able to heal and move on. We have decided to move forward with the pool, it won’t be finished until next spring. I didn’t want to do anything that would add more stress to my husband, but he wants to do it. Maybe having a place where we can hang out and play with our kids is the best thing we can do right now. I also have other plans for projects inside our home so stay tuned for updates!

We’ve spent way more time in our room than I would have liked to this summer, but it’s not a bad place to be cooped up.  It helps to have a place you can sit down and take your shoes off, kick up your feet, and relax, without laying on the bed. If there’s no space at the foot of your bed, try creating a cozy nook in the corner by adding a small chair and ottoman or pouf.

Getting a good nights sleep is key to staying healthy.  When I first climbed into my bed made up with  Jennifer Adams Home  Lux sheets I knew I wouldn’t want to get up in the morning. Nothing beats the luxury hotel quality of these sheets. Not only are the amazingly soft, but they are wrinkle free!  Prior to owning these, I spent way too much money on sheets from one of my favorite stores, only to have to iron them before I put them on my bed because they came out of the wash in a big ball. Not to mention the fact that my crisp clean sheets didn’t look so great after one night sleep on them. These sheets have improved our comfort as well as my sanity!

Honestly though, one of the biggest game changers to my sleep was receiving the new Eternal mattress from Jennifer Adams Home. My husband and I both have back issues, he has to sleep on his back, I can’t sleep on my back, but sleeping on my side leaves me tossing and turning due to pressure point pain. I always go to bed later than my husband and it takes me forever to get comfortable, I worry my restlessness will wake him up (he already doesn’t sleep well and needs all the sleep he can get). When we started using this mattress I noticed I was waking up in the morning in the same position that I fell asleep in. Seriously, memory foam is Life. Changing! I feel like I’m sleeping on a cloud every night!

Layers are great for changing temps, I used a down comforter with this duvet cover. The blush pink throw at the foot of the bed adds texture and color.

When I can, I use fresh flowers in my room, changing out colors according to mood/seasons. If you aren’t keen on purchasing fresh flowers for your room weekly, one way to go, is to purchase a bundle of Eucalyptus, either silver dollar or seeded. It smells amazing and it’s a little more forgiving if you forget to change the water, it looks close to the same once it dries  ?. 

Neutral paint colors provide a soothing backdrop in the bedroom, if you prefer to have a little more color try a light blue (examples) for a calming effect. (Paint shown, Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray)

When choosing a rug for your space look for materials that will be welcoming to your bare feet. I like to use rugs that are made with viscose, I would avoid anything wool unless it’s a high end rug. The rug shown in this room has been discontinued but I have linked a few that are similar. (Make sure you read the comments to see whether people like it, or if it looks the same as shown in photos.)

Click on slider below to shop the look

When considering what type of drapes to use, black out drapes are much better for the bedroom than sheers, unless you have shutters that can block out unwanted light. If custom drapes are not in your budget, there are many sources that have great options, I like West Elm drapes and often start my search there when shopping for clients. (Drapes shown are custom, you can find a similar option HERE)

Shop the look

In this space I splurged on my bed and bedding (sheets, duvet cover), then saved on other items such as the chairs (similar) and nightstands (similar HERE ). Using a neutral palette and lots of layers, you can create a luxurious space that you can easily update by making small changes with your accents. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions and make sure you Pin your favorites!

XO

Jen