Architectural Digest: October 2016

A Parisian-Inspired Bachelor Pad with
Warmth and Style

Written by Tisha Leung | Photography Alyssa Rosenheck | View Article

When one bachelor moved into a 100-year-old bungalow in East Memphis, Tennessee, he imagined his master bedroom as a personal refuge resembling a moody Parisian pied-à-terre. But the 150-square-foot room was outdated and nothing like the atmospheric space he envisioned. “We set out to give it a major face-lift,” says local designer Sean Anderson. “The client’s other criterion was to be surrounded in a dark environment so he could sleep in on lazy mornings without disruption—”an apt notion for a massage therapist. To craft a handsome, masculine space with several layers, the designer covered all the surfaces in a rich gray hue, hunted for vintage accessories and light fixtures, and incorporated modern finishes to offset the instances of patina. A menswear motif on the walls and textiles runs throughout the bachelor pad and continues into the en suite bath, a functional 60-square-foot space that integrated an existing closet. Love the cocooning feel of this room? Read on for tips on how to get the look.

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Ralph Lauren’s Surrey paint covers the ceiling and walls for an enveloping effect. Opting for true vintage pieces rather than modern interpretations, the designer scoured antique shops and outdoor markets to create a timeworn feel. Among his finds: a black-leather trunk used as a bedside table and a collection of antique mirrors and antlers. “My client was very patient in biding our time for just the right items,” Anderson says. “We waited months for those perfect pieces.”

“The bedroom was structurally sound,” Anderson says. “All the changes were cosmetic, and the client’s desire for a dark room opened up a lot of doors to be creative.” Contrasting white accents—on the moldings and as a pattern on the headboard wall—makes a big impact.

Renovating the existing 40-square-foot bath allowed for a larger, storage-friendly vanity with a Cambria countertop and Brizo faucet. The shower tile lies in a vertical-stack pattern, echoing the pinstripe detail on the bedroom wall. “It also takes the eye up, making the ceiling feel taller,” the designer says. A window was added to increase natural light; another light source comes from a pair of sconces from Schoolhouse Electric. For contrast, the Surrey paint color was applied in a matte finish on the walls but as a gloss on the vanity.

“It was important to maintain similar styling to keep the two spaces cohesive,” Anderson says. After long searches, he gathered a mix of wall art, from an old paddle and a vintage first aid kit to old photographs and an arrow encased in acrylic.