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Get Cushy With Padded Surfaces
A little extra padding in the right places can deepen the beauty of walls, floors, headboards and more in the home
Houzz Contributor. After graduating from UC Berkeley, I found myself utterly unprepared for the real world and at a loss as to what I should do next. Luckily, one day I stumbled through the doors of Architectural Digest and was taken under the wing of legendary editor Paige Rense. She had the vision to look past my uninspiring sociology degree and my general lack of experience—an unlikely journalism career was born. After AD, with my magazine karma still intact, I was hired by yet another publishing legend, the food critic and writer Ruth Reichl. I currently ply my trade as a freelance writer and editor and live in stylish Mid-Century-Modern comfort with my dog, Mike.
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Padded surfaces can be used in an endless number of ways and inspire a multitude of design solutions — some practical, others purely aesthetic. Whether you want a calming and neutral backdrop, a dramatic effect that brings more height to a room, or simply something fun and colorful, there's an option here to suit your needs.
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"The inspiration for this dining room was an upscale hotel," says Tiffany Burgess of Tobi Fairley Interior Design. "The client travels often and has stayed in a number of venues that have a similar style. The tufting adds a bit of glamour."
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| The wall behind this bed was created by wrapping a Masonite board with padding and Donghia fabric. "It's not an expensive trick. Anyone could have something similar custom made by an upholstery shop," says designer Michael Abrams. "We wanted an extra layer of luxury. By upholstering the wall and placing a regular headboard up against it we've also added a sense of warmth and another layer to the room." |
Lazzari designs storage systems for pretty much every room in the house. (And you can design your own on the company's website.) The company says its products are painted with nontoxic, water-based paint and use environmentally friendly, natural materials. Perfect for a kid's colorful bedroom.
| This installation is similar to the one by Michael Abrams, but the entire wall has been upholstered. The use of a four-poster bed with columns that draw the eye up treats the panels as a feature wall — an effect that many people also achieve with paint — in contrast with the more layered effect achieved by Abrams. |
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"This home’s palette and design were inspired by the sea and its cool, calm colors," says Tiffany Burgess of Tobi Fairley Interior Design. "The padded wall seemed like a natural fit for comfort, and the fabric allowed us the opportunity to introduce a pattern into an otherwise neutral room."
| "My client wanted something luxurious yet still masculine, since he’s a bachelor," says Maika Winter of Wintercreative. "To achieve that, we used clean lines, contrast and a limited, neutral palette — all traits borrowed from the luxury hotel industry, which often take the same approach to project an air of sophistication while remaining gender neutral." A 7-foot-high crushed-velvet headboard accentuates the height of the room. Since she was working in a small loft space, Winter says she decided to "do the bed wall in a rich, dark wood-veneer wall covering to help achieve a greater sense of depth and set off the bed nicely." |
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| This seaside home takes casual to a new level, right down to the floor. Mix-and-match cushions can be moved around for multiple seating configurations, and the variety of patterns allows for an instant change in the room's decor. |
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| Home theaters require soundproofing. "This is accomplished through the use of specialized, noise-rated components for walls, floors, ceilings and windows," says San Francisco architect David Seidel. He also explains that many people confuse soundproofing and acoustics. "Soundproofing really only refers to all those materials and methods that will keep rooms isolated from one another. There is nothing inherently 'acoustic' about that. For rooms where homeowners want to have a pleasant acoustic experience — living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms or home offices — a lot can be accomplished through the strategic placement of rugs, drapes and plush furniture." |
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| This oversize tufted piece brings drama to a very neutral space and provides lots of additional seating for parties. It's also a good choice if you have children running around the house — no sharp edges here. Do you ever feel the need for a little padding? Share your photo below! More: Tuft Love: Classic Look With Contemporary Appeal The Chesterfield Sofa |
Comments
Jill Schafer As a mother of boys, I have often wanted a padded room. Not sure if it would be better for them or me! Thanks for the inspiration!
14 months ago · Like
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tschoppmw I am interested in knowing how the panels were "invisibly" mounted to the wall. I have been interested in doing this to a concrete wall.
14 months ago · Like
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Ideabook updated on April 3, 2012.
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