An Asbury Park couple task a design pro with creating a tranquil sleeping—and relaxing—arrangement.
Written by Rita Guarna | Design by B&G Home Interiors | Photography by Frank A. Zrinsky
Designer Jon Martinez selected master bedroom pieces by Stanley Furniture in calming shades of blue and cream.
You wouldn’t think it’d be that difficult to create a hushed, soothing room that leaves you feeling refreshed and energized at the start of each day. But when the space is an oddly configured jumble inside a rambling 150-year-old Georgian-style home, well, therein lies the challenge. Luckily, Jon Martinez, principal of B&G Home Interiors in Asbury Park, summoned his inner Zen to answer the call of a Florida couple who make this seaside city home during summer months.
The first order of business was to unify the chopped up smaller spaces to create a flowing—yet separate—floor plan that consists of an area to sleep, bathe, dress, and sit and dream. Martinez chose a calming palette of blue, cream and green, echoing the nearby beach. “My clients wanted to feel as if ensconced in a cozy country inn—but a super luxurious one,” he says, “a place where they can unwind with a glass of cognac and read a good book—even if the house were filled with overnight guests.” (And filled it is: With six bedrooms, there’s a constant stream of visitors.)
The designer interspersed special touches to achieve what the clients wanted: a gas fireplace in the sitting room, radiant heating beneath the marble floor in the master bath, a massive walk-in closet. Fabrics, lighting and accessories were all kept subdued to add to the soothing mood of the suite. Can you say “serenity now”?
Though the sitting room receives plenty of natural light, the space is also illuminated by sconces and a floor lamp by Visual Comfort Lighting. To add to the coziness, walls are papered in an iridescent grass-cloth by Thibaut Wallcovering. The ceilings are painted in Benjamin Moore’s opal essence #680. A gas fireplace—an item from the homeowners’ wishlist—ceiling fans and pendants by Rejuvenation Lighting further the mood.
A dual vanity, heated marble floor and walls by JFF Wallcovering lend to the elegant look of the master bath.