Bedroom - From Theory to Concept

Having looked at the theories of High Modernism and Truth to Materials, I have used these theories to develop the following concepts for the bedroom.  These I have shown below.

Truth to Materials

This scheme uses natural woods and has a calming feel.  Other natural materials include 100% wool carpet and natural linen curtains.  Although this concept is ver soft and neutral, I feel that only using natural materials could make the room look quite bland.

High Modernism

This concept looks at bringing external elements in.  The bed frame, mirror, bench, lamp and curtain pole all reflect the structure of a tree.  The shape and form of a rose is imitated in the chair and painted onto the chest of drawers.  Continuing with the theory, I have chosen external wall lights for either side of the bed.  This is an unusual concept, and very much reflects the outdoor life.

Truth to Materials and High Modernism

This theme incorporates the two theories to produce what I think is a more balanced concept.  Truth to materials is represented in the bed head and furniture, and external structures take the form of the lamp, cushions and throw which will be made from the researched Lesley Richmond leaf fabric.  With this concept, I experimented with the idea of a wallpaper behind the bed, looking at possibly incorporating trees of plants.  However having used this sort of wallpaper in the bathroom, I wanted to keep the two rooms unique.  The second option was to conform with the truth to materials theory.  In doing this, I came up with the idea of using old timber to create a 'scrap-wood wall', a natural yet striking feature.  Another thing this design demonstrates is an un-gendered space, something the client was looking for.  

Furniture and fittings choices

Bed Head- This is a very classic shape fitting in with the period of the house, but also complies with the truth to materials concept.  It also softens the scrap-wood wall designed to go behind.

Chest of Drawers & Wardrobe - These conform to the truth to materials theory, and also have a rustic look about them which will work well with the scrap-wood wall.  They are simple yet elegant, and do not perfectly match, imitating natures force.

Chair - This was chosen because it looks comfy and is made from natural linen and wood.  The fabric behind it will make up cushions, with images of natural forms being incorporated here.

Bedside table - This does not match the rest of the furniture, but as it is to sit in-front of the scrap-wood wall,  I wanted something that will stand out.  Thenatural imagery painted on reflects the high modernist theory.

 Natural Linen Curtains - The Wooden wall is to be the main feature, and so natural linen curtains with a blind behind will be used to avoid distracting from this.

Table lamp - This imitates a tree structure (high modernism) and will link with the wood to be used in the room.

Mirror - The leaf frame is another demonstration of the use of the high modernist theory.  The frame imitates a climbing plant, and the rustic colour fits in with the throw

 Throw - This is to be made from the leaf blanket fabric designed by Lesley Richmond, and will be a bespoke piece.  The colours and shapes exactly imitate external leaves, and so demonstrates the high modernism theory.

Carpet - The carpet is made from 100% natural wool, and so is an example of the truth to materials theory.

Wall light - To further the idea of making the external internal, I have chosen an outdoor light, which will be fitted to the scrap-wood wall.  This will also fit in with the rustic look of this feature wall.

Final Floor Plans - Agreed by Client

These are the final floor plans that have been agreed by the client.  Under each one is a despcription of the alterations and areas of development.

Drawing Room

• Here I have extended the console table to fill the wall space.  This also means that two table lamps can be placed on the table, without obstructing the curtains
• I have made the armchair smaller, and so a small chair will need to be looked for
• I have also added a small round side table 
• The side table next to the sofa has been made larger.  A longer table was tried which did fill the space better but looked too cluttered

Kitchen

• I have chosen to include a breakfast table instead of an island for two reasons.  Firstly because it is more traditional, and secondly because I did not wan't anything obstructing the view out of the double doors.
• I have removed both the windows from the one wall, and centred double doors along the wall instead.
• The fridge has been moved out from under the stairs, and although it is not in an overly prominent position, it is not obstructing anything, and this seems to be the best place
• The external door opposite the stairs has been moved to allow the cupboard doors to open easily.
• The door at the bottom of the stairs is not new, but was not drawn into previous drawings as it should have been.

Bedroom and Bathroom

• The main change is that the client has now decided that they do not want a TV in the bedroom, as they feel it ruins the ambience of the space. 
• In place of the TV I have added two wall lights and a mirror to create a dressing table area.
• Nothing else has been changed in this room

From these drawings I can now construct a furniture list for each room and begin to choose furnishings.

Bedroom and Bathroom Floor Plan Options

Lastly, the bedroom and bathroom floor plans were presented to the client.  These were presented as one drawing to demonstrate the alterations to the bathroom stud wall.  These are as follows:

Drawing 1 - Client Feedback

Positives

• Plenty of wardrobe space, and a chest of drawers
• Moving the bathroom door allows a larger piece of furniture to be put along that wall

Drawbacks

• Bedroom looks crowded
• Bed not centred to chest of drawers which looks unblanaced
• End wardrobe door is obstructed by side table
• Bathroom has been turned into an 'L' shape making it look smaller
• Effectively have to walk down a corridor to get to toilet

Drawing 2 - Client Feedback

Positives

• Plenty of space in bedroom
• Large chest of drawers provides lots of storage
• Bathroom layout works well, moving the wall and door creates more space in bedroom, but layout of bathroom means it does not look any smaller
• Sink overlooks garden

Drawbacks

• Bed is in view of the doorway, making it feel exposed
• Bed not centred with window making it look unbalanced 

Drawing 3 - Client Feedback

Positives

• Lots of wardrobe space
• Like the area created for television
• Good space around the bed

Drawbacks

• Bathroom looks narrow, drawing 2 had a better arrangement
• Ceiling where built in wardrobes have been drawning is sloped so may not be able to get full height
• Dressing table looks a bit lost

Drawing 4 - Client Feedback

Positives

• Lots of wardrobe space
• Like the chest of drawers opposite the bed for the television
• Nice touch to have a bedroom chair
• Bed is fully integrated into the room, so does not feel exposed
• Good bathroom layout, maximising the space (same as drawing 2)
• Bedroom furniture layout makes the room look balanced

Drawbacks

• Sink does not have a mirror above it, however it does look out over the garden

Thumbnail sketches to give a rough idea of what each one might look like in 3D

Looking at the feedback from the client, there is a clear favourite.  drawing 4 seems to tick all the boxes, and only has one minor draw back, however the client does not seem to have too much of a problem with this.  The bathroom layout from drawing 2 and 4 works well, and maximises the space in the bedroom.
The aim of this presentation was to choose a drawing to develop, however the client seems perfectly happy to keep drawing 4 as it is.