Serenity Now: A No-Drama Bedroom in Berkeley, CA - Remodelista
Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon, Berkeley’s first couple of letters, took us on a tour of their recently spruced-up craftsman’s cottage not long ago. Photos of Ayelet and Michael’s bedroom by Aya Brackett. Here’s how to triumph: Tell us in the comments section whether you agree with Ayelet or with Michael on the matter of bookshelf organization. “Blue is totally my jam right now,” Ayelet says. Lots of late-night reading goes on in the Waldman/Chabon house, so bedtime illumination is important. Ayelet and Michael spec’ed custom-built two-tiered bookshelves with risers to allow for an accessible back row. A giant fan from Big Ass keeps the room cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Walls are painted in an off-white shade from Benjamin Moore called Cotton Balls. The rubbed iron Industrial Pipe Adjustable Rod from West Elm is a good choice if you’re going for the white bedroom/black hardware look; prices start at $69 for the 28-to-48-inch size (Gunmetal Curtain Rings are $14 for a set of seven). The Dutch Industrial Bed (without footboard) is $850 from Restoration Hardware. Charles P. Rogers also offers a couple of facsimiles: The queen-sized Cottage Headboard is $599 and the queen-sized Leighton Headboard is $699. “I’m insane for my European Sleep Works mattress,” Ayelet says (prices start at $1,600 for a Queen Latex Classic). The Princeton Senior Sconce from Schoolhouse Electric is $209 (Ayelet and Michael’s are from Belgian company Chehoma but they’re no longer available). “I have a sheet fetish,” Ayelet says. They are horrifically expensive. The custom-sewn curtains (with blackout linings) by Teal Major of Slips in Berkeley are made from Fabricut’s Visitor linen blend in Opal; go to Fabricut for ordering information. The queen-sized, organic cotton Swiss Dot Quilt by Coyuchi is $390. The gray 100 percent wool Tourne Blanket with Natural Stripe is $245 from Brook Farm General Store. Ayelet’s one-of-a-kind overdyed rug is from ABC Carpet’s Color Reform Collection; see a selection here.