Is there any real estate in our homes more valuable than that little slice next to our beds? See how this designer styles her nightstand (and surrounding area) in good taste.
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Tali Roth is no stranger to big-impact design statements. The New York-based, Melbourne-born interior designer been known to install ombre wallpaper, a gallery wall of dog-inspired art (in a bathroom, no less), and pink painted trompe l’oeil floors. So you might think that Roth, one of Homepolish’s standout talents, who’s landed features on The Cut and ELLEDECOR.com, might be up for anything.
Not exactly. Do not try to interest her in patterned sheets.
“For me, for the last 15 years at least, I’ve had an unwavering commitment to crisp white or grey sheets,” she explains. “Patterned sheets feel immature and distracting. Even my toddler has simple bedding.”
It’s a philosophy she puts into practice in her sleek yet cozy Manhattan bedscape as well as in her clients’ spaces. “New York apartments lend themselves especially well to neutrals,” she explains. “When you’re dealing with a small space, you can make a much bigger impact with monochrome than going crazy with color.” To wit? She recently, finally, convinced a client to swap their mustard-toned floral sheets for textured white cotton ones, topped with a gray mohair throw. “I can’t tell you how much better the entire room looked as a result.”
We asked Roth to give us a peek into what her morning routine looks like from her always neutral, hyper-cozy bed (here, outfitted in SNOWE’s Sateen sheets). From under the glow of her Apparatus Cloud pendant, she spills on some of the more unfortunate things she’s seen at client bedsides, why you should always choose affordable storage (so genius), and more.
The first thing I reach for in the morning is….
I hate to admit this: my phone. I start with email, move to Instagram for maybe seven scrolls, then to texts, then Whatsapp, and then I’m awake.
My favorite part of my bedroom is….
My bedside lamp, the Gatto lamp by Flos. It’s like a crazy octopus. A crazy, moody, sculptural octopus. Plus, it gives off a really pretty light.
A nightstand is no place for…
A dirty tissue, a mouthguard, a waxy ear plug, wrappers of any kind, and more than one water glass or a water bottles. I’ve spotted all of these in client homes.
Meanwhile, my nightstand isn’t complete without…
Lip gloss, La Croix, a small bowl of for my daily jewelry and hair ties, plus a handful of coins for no reason at all.
Every bedroom needs the right balance of…
Texture. I’m a big fan of velvet, mohair, and chunky wool especially – those soft warm textures instantly relax you. Meanwhile, I’ve gone through pom-poms (too itchy) and thick knits (too pilly).
My best tip for the bedroom is…
Storage! The worst thing for a bedroom is clutter, so get creative to keep your belongings out of site! I lean more toward affordable storage, something you can buy a few of and line up against a wall so it looks like a built-in.
A stylish home can never have too many…
Books and Plants. I love fiddle leaf fig tree, but that won’t survive in my bedroom with no natural light so I go with rubber tree plants.
Family photographs v. art:
Art. But I’m not anti-family photographs in the bedroom either.
Coffee table book v. novel v. notebook:
Novel. I’m a workaholic with a toddler so I don’t read as much as I used to. Putting a novel on my nightstand increases the chance that I might read it at some point.
Alarm clock v. cell phone v. sunshine:
Let’s say in an ideal world it’s sunshine.
Plants v. flowers:
Both. Always.
Ironed bedding v. natural look:
Natural Look. I’m never going to iron my bedding but I do smooth it out with my hand every morning, and fold back my duvet a bit for a neater touch.
Stay up late & sleep in v. early to bed & early to rise:
My natural state is to stay up late and want to sleep in, but that’s not cool with my alarm clock, aka my two year old.
