TRAVIS COLUMN: Rich texture, neutral tones add grace

This is a vision of my new dream bedroom. It floats, it's fluid and sensual, and it makes me breathe easily. Discovering a vignette that lights up my imagination is a thrill. Different scenarios click with me according to where I am and what's going on in my life.

Decorating has a lot to do with where we are in life physically and personally. The location and architecture of the building in which we live will suggest a certain style, be it urban or rural, small or large. Even more compelling is the combination of our age and stage. How and with whom we fill our days and what's important at this time in life will drive how we relate to home space and what we expect to get out of it. Search for a color mix that speaks to your spirit, and look for furnishings that have their own style.

Fashion and decorating trends offer guidelines that can be helpful when it's time to set up house. What's in store can spark off a beginning point for pulling together the best look, one you anticipate with pleasure upon arriving home.

Ranges of gray have been and continue to be a decorating color mainstay. It is the modern neutral, replacing white and off-white on walls, floors, fabrics and furnishing. Grays range from the palest dove gray to saturated tones of charcoal. These colors have a sophisticated aura about them on their own, and mixed with other neutrals, they add a rich dimension to modern and traditional decor. Gray that has a slight brown tinge is serene. Pairing soft taupes and grays is a sure method of setting up a tranquil mood fitting for relaxation and sleep.

One bedroom is a masterpiece in graceful design elements that signify modern elegance and spatial balance. The sensuous flowing arc of the bed frame is first to catch your eye, outlined crisply with the white linen. The source for the 11 South Urbana bed is through Tolie Designer Club, www.toliedesignerclub.com.

Large headboards are very on trend, and here we have an interesting take on that — there are, in effect, two headboards. Blocks of tile have been installed onto wood construction and attached to the wall like a grand piece of art. The oversize block of tiles acts as a magnificent frame for the bed and the whole room, including lights and nightstands, and brings the room down to human scale. It's a clever device in a space with such lofty ceilings.

Introducing a metallic element increases the sophistication quotient. You see it here with the shimmery pendant lighting. And there are plenty of other options you can use, such as choosing a drapery fabric with metallic threads or a few accent pillows in silver or bronze.

Sheen plays a part in the overall aspect of any room. Here, the bed frame and glossy floor glow in day and night light; smooth, seamless surfaces, both flat and curvy, catch the light. Walls and fabrics with low sheen absorb light, and the space around them feels larger. There's an interesting contrast between the lush pile gray carpet and painted concrete floor. Tactile surfaces and rich neutral tones are oh-so easy to live with, and never grow old.

Debbie Travis' House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. You can follow Travis on Twitter at www.twitter.com/debbie_travis and visit her website, www.debbietravis.com.