Swoonworthy Rooms: Blissing Out in a Nantucket Bedroom

With views of water on three sides and a milky palette that makes you feel like you’re floating on a cloud, this Nantucket, Massachusetts, bedroom is my idea of island bliss.

While the room owes a debt to that old real estate adage "location, location, location," it's what the design team did with that location that really makes the room sing.

A bedroom always feels cozier when you tuck it under the eaves, as architect Joe Paul of BPC Architecture did here. The sloped roofline holds you in its embrace, while French doors open the interior to astounding views of the Atlantic.

Interior designer Donna Elle of Donna Elle Seaside Living covered the walls in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove and treated the new rough-hewn timber ceiling to a hand-rubbed pickled finish. Diluted stain was applied to the wood, then rubbed off, giving the surface a weathered appearance that emphasizes the texture and instills a sense of age.


To soften the space and add a more feminine touch, Elle installed a vintage English chandelier and framed the windows with airy, crystal-blue curtains fashioned from fadeproof Perennials outdoor fabric. Pendant lamps hang on either side of the old-fashioned iron bed; each light is individually controlled for bedtime reading.


Living at the beach means sandy toes and bare feet, so the clients asked that no rugs be used in the house. Elle obliged, applying a rich, custom-mixed espresso stain to the reclaimed-oak floors. The dark color helps ground the room, while the high-gloss finish offsets the rough-hewn ceiling and lends the space a sophisticated sheen. (“It would have looked too New Hampshire without it,” Elle quips.)


Mindful of avoiding beach cottage clichés, Elle selected a pair of English wing chairs, which she upholstered in a classic white linen to match the frames. As a surprise for the owners, she added a monogram to the back of each chair. An oversize mirror reflects the view of crashing waves and endless skies — a treat for man and beast alike.

Your turn: What room makes you swoon? Show us your candidates!

More: So Your Style Is: Coastal

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