Design Eye Training : 109

Design Eye Training : 109 - roomfortuesday.com
design : andrew brown

Happy Friday, friends! I figured we’d close out the work week with a fun post. Today’s Design Eye Training is definitely a maximalist space and there is a LOT to discover in this small room. This space was designed by Andrew Brown Interiors and there are so many patterns, finishes, colors, and textures to discuss and admire. It’s a bedroom that definitely skews a bit eclectic and grandmillenial with some traditional and classical elements! I also think it lends quite a bit of inspiration if you’re into vintage decor & furniture. This little space is packed with unique, curated, and antique items that feel surprisingly cohesive (without looking like a discombobulated thrift store). Are you intrigued? It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it will certainly make for an excellent design conversation. Click through!

To quickly recap… in our Design Eye series, we observe and admire design fundamentals like scale, texture, pattern, material use, lighting plans, color, floor plan & layout, and a variety of intentional styling & interior moments pulled together by the pros. It’s an exercise I used to practice often in design school, and one I still enjoy today. By discussing and breaking down well designed spaces in greater detail, you’ll begin to train your “design eye”, build upon the design fundamentals, and can apply some of these things to your own home, if they appeal to you. I also feel like this series can really help you hone in your personal aesthetic, determining what you like and dislike… and most importantly, why. Ready to give it a try?

Design Eye Training : 109 - roomfortuesday.com
design : andrew brown

The first thing I noticed in this room was the doors. I could be wrong, but I believe those doors have been faux painted to take on a tortoise or almost burl-like finish. I actually really dig them! The warm tones complement the use of green throughout this space very well. You’re also going to notice a lot of styling and decor items packed into this bedroom. From busts and vases to obelisks, art, and trinkets, the smaller styling items are fun to discover. Does the neutral sisal rug look familiar? It looks nearly identical to the one I installed in my home office. I think it was a smart move to go with something neutral and textural on the floor, given the amount of pattern and color packed into this space elsewhere. It provides some much needed negative space for your eye to rest and relax… it’s grounding and inserts balance.

Design Eye Training : 109 - roomfortuesday.com
design : andrew brown

The beautiful pillows really help to give us insight about the size of this room. If I had to guess, the bed is either a full or queen size- meaning this space really isn’t very large. It just goes to show that you can pack a LOT of style and personality into a small room. I really admire the pattern play happening in this bedroom… from the bedding and textiles to the wallpaper, there is a lot going on, but it all works pretty well together. Geometric patterns are paired with organic shapes and the change in scale really helps these busy patterns feel more cohesive. I absolutely adore the pleated bed canopy and sconces installed against the bed rails. It feels very luxe and cozy.

Design Eye Training : 109 - roomfortuesday.com
design : andrew brown

The Schumacher Octavia wallpaper is one I’ve actually dreamed of installing in our own home. I love the green, the subtle sheen, and the geometric pattern that feels like it could have lived on a fashion runway in a past life. I also noted the use of antiques throughout this bedroom… the chest of drawers, the busts, the bed, a French armchair, an octagonal mirror, the bamboo side table, etc. There are so many beautifully curated items.

Design Eye Training : 109 - roomfortuesday.com
design : andrew brown

I also love the way modern elements (like the floor lamps and the mirror) add a nice contrast & juxtaposition to all of the traditional antiques. For such a small room, this space feels very cozy, intimate, interesting, totally unique, and like a fun space to discover plenty of design treasures.

Design Eye Training : 109 - roomfortuesday.com
design : andrew brown

You know I’m excited to hear your thoughts on this one! Do you like it? Dislike it? What stood out most to you? Your favorite element in the room? Are you still enjoying this series? Cheers to a lovely weekend ahead! We’re celebrating Emmett’s birthday (a week early) with friends & skiing this weekend… we’re looking forward to stepping away from work and projects for a couple of days. I hope you have a fun and relaxing weekend, too!

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10 Comments

  1. Good morning! And hello, sumptuous feast for the senses! The first thing I notice is the incredible textures and patterns! The way the feathery, almost faux bois print on the canopy lining flows across the heavily gathered surface is genius. The embroidery on the bedcover, the tiny airy baby’s breath bouquet, the acres of luscious green velvet, the bamboo bench, the dragon scale pedestal (?!), and is that headboard marble??? But it’s the “call-me-an-ambulance” wallpaper that knocked me out. How have I never seen this before? This shimmery, dimensional, verdant magic? And, hold the phone, I just noticed the pelmet is covered in it. (or its fabric counterpart.) Heavenly. While there’s obviously a lot happening in this room, I note a fairly tight color palette-greens, a broad range of browns/gold, and hits of black. To me that helps it feel calm, restful. I adore the modern brass moments of the hexagon mirror and the floor lamps. In fact, that dresser vignette might be my favorite! I love the layered mirror, art, bust and obelisks. And that dresser. Swoon. Maybe what I appreciate most is how all of this is flawlessly accomplished in a very modest-sized space. I will never have a large home, so seeing designer rooms of this scale feels refreshing. Now, I need to figure out how some of these traditional and classical elements translate to my more casual style. Thoughts to ponder! And a new portfolio to peruse! (And if you use that magical wallpaper, I am SO inviting myself over to your house!) Thank you for a stupendous start to my Friday! Birthday cake is on my agenda today. Have yourselves the most relaxing and fun-filled weekend celebrating Emmett! At our house, we definitely believe in birthday week, so let the festivities commence!🎁🎂🎉🎈🍕🍷❄️💜

    1. Isn’t that a fun room?! I love the faux bois fabric. There is so much to admire in this space. That wallpaper is incredible! The first time I got a glimpse of it in person, I knew I wanted to put it somewhere. It’s pretty pricey, but maybe I can find some remnants for a small nook, the powder room, or at the very least- to line some drawers with. I just love it! Jordan & I scored a handful of marble obelisks at an estate sale last week, so I had those on my mind as well. I love the faux painted doors- that is so creative! I definitely feel like this small space feels super high-end and designedly, yet attainable. Between the thrifted items and decor, I love how they mixed high & low!

  2. What a stunning jewel box of a room! While it’s not my style, I sure wouldn’t mind being a guest for a couple of days. I’m with you, those doors really make the space. And a marble headboard? Wow! It’s giving me Gilded Age vibes. Have you watched? I have enjoyed it for the fashions and interiors as much as the story. (I think my website problem is fixed- thanks!)

    1. Isn’t it beautiful, Melissa? I would definitely love to be a guest and stay here. We’ve been loving watching the Gilded Age! I also have been loving the set design and fashion design. I didn’t realize that the lady who plays Marian was Meryl Streep’s daughter until recently.

  3. Happy Pizza Friday!! (Finally). This room is a feast for the eyes, and for those of us who can appreciate an acquired, eclectic look, it’s an absolute treasure trove. Immediately I noticed the juxtaposition of organic shapes and patterns, with the perfectly done geometric prints. The Schumacher wallpaper is stunning! I love the depth and texture it injects into the room. My second note was the breaks for the eye on the highest and lowest visual planes in the space: the perfectly neutral sweeping canopy in the uppermost visual field, paired with the neutral sisal rug on the floor. In maximally decorated spaces like this one, that’s an important feature for me to feel cozy instead of anxious. My third note are the nods to animal print throughout the space: the tiger print bolster pillow on the bed; the way the burlwood finish almost mimics leopard print; the pattern on the canopy mimicking zebra print; the tone and dimension offered by the bench and Roman shades seem to nod to cheetah; and the rich brown velvet reads camel hide. I love the bold choices in this regard and in my opinion it pairs beautifully with the punchy green. It surprises me how much I love these shades of green against the tiger print. Stunning duo! There is a juxtaposition of this animal trend with the artwork in the room that I also can’t ignore. From the sculptural busts scattered throughout, to the nude artwork on the chest of drawers, the theme here seems to be blurring the lines between basic animal instinct and basic human instinct. I love this play in the room. The pyramid obelisks on the chest of drawers stood out, and offer a subtle cue that ties all of these elements together for me. Did anyone else notice the headboard? It looks like the most gorgeous piece of marble I’ve ever seen. If that’s done with fabric or paint, I’m impressed! It would fool anyone. I absolutely love this space-though if it were my bedroom I certainly would knock over almost everything in my morning stupor, haha. My favorite element of the entire space is the green drapery, with the gorgeous trim detail, and the tiger print pillow. Such bold inspiration this morning! Happy early birthday Emmett, and cheers to a relaxing weekend ahead friends!

    1. Hi Lauren! I hope you had an amazing weekend and some delicious pizza on Friday. We spent the weekend in Park City, which was a fun little staycation. I loved admiring and analyzing this room! Your points and the things you noticed are also favorites- awesome job! I’m with you on maximalist spaces needing to feel cozy instead of cluttered or overwhelming and I think this space does a nice job of that. I could be wrong, but I think the bed is wrapped in marble looking laminate? Definitely a cool idea though! I would definitely be the one to knock things over in this space. Lol! I love the way it looks and would happily vacation here, but at home- I have to have a bit less because I’m clumsy and the dogs are always running around acting bonkers. I could envision lots of broken items. Ha! I passed along the birthday wishes and Emmett says thank you! Have an awesome day :)

  4. Wow! That is quite a bedroom, or should I say boudoir? So fancy and so many details. It feels very French to me. Like it could be a guest room in a beautiful boutique hotel in Paris or a high-end Bed & Breakfast in England. The colors are magnificent, and the patterns/textures are really curated so perfectly. It takes a very skilled person to create a design like this. I’m not a maximalist but I really appreciate this space. I would love to vacation and have a room that looks like this, I’d feel like a princess. But I couldn’t live with it everyday, that gorgeous bust on the pedestal would be shattered into a million pieces. I’m a tad clumsy. Ha! The wallpaper looks like fabric to me, so beautiful, and I love the matching cornice/valance. All the fabrics are amazing, and I especially like the exotic almost tribal touches to the design. From the bolster on the bed, the bamboo bench, side table, blind, tortoise shell box, exotic flowers, small head bust etc. It all ties together so perfectly and adds some real pizzazz to a very traditional space. There is definitely a faux finish on the doors, and the bed too, I think. The poster bed looks like marble. I can’t imagine its real marble 😲 That vase on the end table is stunning! So much to admire here. The wallpaper would be so lovely in a powder room Sarah? Or a library/music room with an antique piano? Ooh la la! Anyway thanks for the fancy inspiration today, so fun. Happy early birthday to Emmett, have a super terrific celebration, sounds like a blast! Cheers 🥂🎂🎈🥳

    1. Right?! I thought it had a French or European boutique hotel feel, too. I feel like this space was probably done on a bit of a budget or at least mixed high & low- given all of the antiques and faux painting. The designer is definitely super talented! I’m with you on maximalism and being clumsy- that is me, too. Schumacher actually does make that wallpaper in fabric as well! It’s gorgeous! I think the bed posts was maybe wrapped in marble laminate or something? I doubt it’s real. I love the idea of using that wallpaper in a powder room! I could definitely see it paired with some vintage equestrian art I have. I hope you had a lovely weekend, Colleen! :) xox

  5. I feel like every time I come to your blog I am getting an education, it’s not just a fluffy mindless read. I always have to give myself time to slow down and study the pictures, because you share with us the details and mindset that goes into design and the images. Thanks for bringing mindfulness to the internet this day in age. There was a lot to study in these photos, though it was initially not my style, I stopped to find things that I did like – like the neutral carpet, and the fabric on the underside of the canopy bed. A breath of fresh internet air when I come here – thank you!

    1. Your comment made my day, Julie! I absolutely love to hear that. I always hope to share valuable information, so I’m glad that mindfulness translates some of the time :) I hope you’re having a great week!