A life well lived requires a space for proper rest and luxe renewal. The Timber & Tulip team has recommendations for creating the ideal sanctuary. Photos: Made Goods
A Wayzata furniture designer explores bedroom designs that promote rest and wellness.
When embarking on a home design (or redesign) project, it’s easy to neglect private spaces, including the primary bedroom in favor of “guest-friendly” areas of the house.
But bedrooms “are such personal sanctuaries,” Brianne Rasmussen says. “The way they’re designed can impact how restful and rejuvenating they feel.” Rasmussen owns Timber & Tulip, a home furnishings shop in Wayzata that offers custom-built wood furniture for bedrooms and beyond. “Since the bedroom is where we start and end each day, a thoughtful design can support mental relaxation and help improve sleep quality,” she says.
Rasmussen has a few key dos and don’ts when it comes to bedroom design. “Avoid bright and bold paint colors, which can interrupt that feeling of restfulness,” she says. Consider warmer hues, like taupes and beiges, instead of once-trendy minimalist grays. Likewise, nix harsh overhead lighting. “Consider sconce-style lighting that’s built into the wall instead of nightstand lamps,” Rasmussen says, especially if you’re tight on surface space. “If you do have overhead lighting, make sure it’s dimmable. A floor lamp can be a great option, too.” Timber & Tulip offers custom rugs from brands like Fibreworks in a variety of sizes and materials, including cozy 100 percent wool. “Soft rugs are a must-have instead of cold flooring like tile or stone in a bedroom,” Rasmussen says.
And while previous generations have venerated matchy-matchy bedroom sets, Rasmussen says a better approach is to choose pieces that are functional and complementary—not necessarily perfectly matched. “You can have different pieces in a room that have their own personalities but maybe share a wood element,” she says. “Maybe you have a walnut nightstand with a dove-painted face and a black handle. That handle ties into a black floor lamp you have in the corner.” Enlisting the help of experts like Rasmussen and her design team can help make the process—the “art” of selecting furniture pieces—seem less overwhelming; they offer complimentary design consultations to get clients started on the right foot.
To minimize clutter, look to the nightstand, Rasmussen says. Timber & Tulip’s Nori and Kennedy nightstands are fully custom, from the size to the drawer fronts to the paint color. Add a woven basket for odds and ends on an open shelf, and don’t overlook the storage possibilities in the drawer. “Made Goods has an excellent variety of nightstands available at Timber & Tulip as well,” she says.
Timber & Tulip also offers custom headboards. Rasmussen walks clients through each step, from measuring the bedroom and sizing the headboard to selecting wood and upholstery materials. The headboards (like Timber & Tulip’s other house brand furniture) are built by carpenters in nearby Hastings. “The process ensures that a headboard complements the room’s aesthetic, and we handle the craftsmanship to bring that vision to life,” she says.
For finishing touches, look to a custom-made bench for the foot of the bed and a few pieces from local artists and photographers, many of whom are featured in Timber & Tulip’s showroom.
Hands-on Design
Brianne Rasmussen. Photo: Timber & Tulip
After leaving her career in accounting and finance in 2016, Brianne Rasmussen wanted to design high-end furniture that would offer customers something unique and long-lasting amid a deluge of cookie-cutter pieces from big box stores. Flash forward and Timber & Tulip opened in Wayzata last fall. “We have a lot of people coming in to get inspiration from the floor,” she says. Once customers identify what décor and furniture elements they are drawn to, “Then we can talk about the specific options,” Rasmussen says. “I help with the design process in a very hands-on way.”
Timber & Tulip
714 Lake St. E., Wayzata; 612.916.7465
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