French Country Master Bedroom Makeover: Part 3 - The Concept Board
Unlock the Power of Concept Boards for a Stunning Room Transformation
Redecorating your master bedroom can feel overwhelming, especially when aiming for a polished, Instagram-worthy aesthetic.
But let’s be real—most of what we see on social media is far from reality.
So, how do you create a beautiful, cohesive bedroom design? The secret lies in using mood and concept boards—tools professional interior designers swear by for a polished and harmonious look.
Before implementing a professionally designed French Country Master Bedroom concept board, it’s important to understand key details that will help bring your vision to life.
In this post, I’ll guide you through the essential steps to selecting a designer who will help you successfully bring your vision to life, as well as share a real-life example of my Master Bedroom Makeover.
I’ll use my own recent Master Bedroom refresh as an example, which makes this post Part Three in a series of the journey of our Master Bedroom Makeover.
Below you’ll find Part 1, Part 2 and the final reveal in Part 4.
Related Reading
PART ONE Blue French Country Bedroom Inspiration Ideas from Pinterest: Bedroom Makeover
PART TWO 2D Floor Plan for My Master Bedroom Makeover
PART THREE (YOU ARE HERE!) How A Concept Board by Julie Ann Rachelle Interior Design Can Help You Have a Romantic French Country Master Bedroom
PROFESSIONAL DESIGNER’S PROCESS
If you're looking for an online virtual interior designer, aka an edesigner, the best method to ensure you end up with someone that lets you capture your own vision and style, instead of what the designer prefers most, is by looking for these things:
An Educated Eye for Design
Make sure your designer has formal training in interior design, so you can feel confident you're working with a true professional—not just someone treating design as a hobby. When I graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s in Arts in Interior Design, it was one of the happiest days of my life.
Design Questionnaire
Make sure your designer lets you express or discover your own style through an intake that takes the form of a design questionnaire during edesign. If he/she doesn't, you'll have trouble when you receive a design that doesn’t express your personality, let alone your needs at all.
Inspiration
Any good designer should let you provide inspirational images, which can be gathered from magazines, books, or online sites, which is discussed here. This is important because this sets the stage for creating an overall concept.
My Master Bedroom Refresh inspirational images are found in my previous post: Blue French Country Bedroom Inspiration Ideas from Pinterest.
Floor Plan
After the design concept is given your approval, the next step is the floor plan.
During our recent master bedroom refresh, I reworked the entire floor plan to improve the flow and functionality of the space.
While not essential, a well-designed bedroom floor plan benefits from elements like symmetry, placing the headboard against a wall (or as close as possible, depending on baseboards), and positioning the bed in the darkest part of the room—ideally away from the door—based on feng shui principles.
BEDROOM CONCEPT
Here’s a look at the French Country-style concept board I created for my master bedroom refresh. I create my concept boards after my floor plans.
The chest of drawers was our first discovery, and the rest of the design played off this fun item.
My first priority was to tone down the colors of the walls to a more calming blue tone.
Master Bedroom (before)
Our Master Bedroom in the “Before” stage is a hodge podge with no clear design concept. The room was a mishmash of hand-me-downs, with the bed frame being the only piece we had purchased ourselves years ago.
My Inspiration
2. Inspiration: Bedding & Wall Color via Lory at designthusiasm.com.
Our Master Bedroom has a similar carpet color, and I considered layering an area rug for added texture, color, and pattern. However, you really don’t miss the absence of a rug in Lory’s beautifully designed space above.
1.Inspiration: Bedding & Wall Color via Shirley Stankus of Housepitality Designs. Inspired by:
Bold blue-patterned bedding, specifically in a chinoiserie design, takes center stage.
French Country style table lamp
Layered bedding
4. Inspiration: Dark wood bed frame via Erin at HouseOfTurquoise.com. Inspiration:
The dark wood bed frame (Initially, I considered painting ours white, but after seeing how beautifully dark wood frames can complement this style, I embraced it).
3. Inspiration: Hanging Linens via Michele at HelloLovelyStudio.com. Inspiration:
The linens hanging from the bed frame
Floor Plans
A master bedroom layout design labeled "Existing Furniture Layout," showing a bed with a dark comforter placed against the right wall, next to a round bedside table. A blue armchair with a footstool is positioned near the left side of the room, next to a closet. The room dimensions are labeled, with a barn door leading to the bathroom on the right. Designed by Julie Ann Rachelle Interior Design, dated October 2020.
Current Master Bedroom Floor Plan
As you can see from the furniture layout above, we had tried centering the bed with the wall in between the two doorways across from the bed.
However, this arrangement wasn’t practical, as it left little room to comfortably maneuver between the bed and the dresser under the window. Yet it stayed that way for many years because the furniture was too heavy to move in our opinion.
For the new furnishings plan (aka the design drawing shown below), the long dresser under the window was replaced by a tall dresser with less width, and the bed was centered on the wall that it is on.
Comparing the two layouts before and after, we also removed the rocking chair (no ottoman) from the bedroom, which allows a clean flow of movement around the bed and access to the closet.
Proposed master bedroom furniture layout showing a bed with dark bedding centered on the back wall, with two bedside tables, each featuring a lamp. A small accent table is near the bathroom door, and a closet is located on the left side. Designed by Julie Ann Rachelle Interior Design, October 2020.
Couple’s Decorating Dilemmas
Let’s be honest—every couple faces the challenge of balancing individual tastes and personalities in a shared space. While some decisions are made easily, others require compromise.
DILEMMA #1
Since our Master Bedroom is an addition that used to be a garage, we had to use carpet over the concrete floor for warmth, especially with New York State’s chilly winters.
As I mentioned, I did want to bring in an area rug because it helps anchor the room for me as a designer.
However, my husband was against the idea. (Check out my article on how to overcome decorating dilemmas with your spouse.)
Solution
My husband compromised by agreeing to add runners along each side of the bed.
My thought is to get something very soft and cozy to the feet, such as faux sheepskin.
We have yet to add these faux sheepskin runners, however, as you’ll see.
So far, the room works without them, as does Lory’s welcoming guest room above.
Solid Faux Sheepskin Area Rug or Runner
2’ x 6’
Want the full shopping list for My Master Bedroom Concept?
Concept Details
Concept Board ABOVE inspired by Designer Alisa Bovino
![Screenshot_2021-01-16 The Top 6 Articles in 2020 from the Blended Decor Blog Julie Ann Rachelle Interior Design — Online Vi[...].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d4d0610082420000108d911/1612400665128-B44W95MVINGJZ00R04KQ/Screenshot_2021-01-16+The+Top+6+Articles+in+2020+from+the+Blended+Decor+Blog+Julie+Ann+Rachelle+Interior+Design+%E2%80%94+Online+Vi%5B...%5D.png)
Design Rationale
The design goal was to cultivate a calm, soothing atmosphere through the use of color and decor, beginning with the paint selection.
One of the main challenges was finding new storage solutions to replace the outdated drawers.
By emphasizing the romance of the French Country style, the homeowners’ personal preferences were captured.
A Note About Mattresses
Every so often, I get contacted by sites asking me to mention them on their blog, such as a mattress review site.
Instead, I will share with you what mattress I just purchased recently, and the site that I rely on when comparing mattresses.
For years, I heard my friends talking about the Purple Mattress on Facebook, and I didn’t pay much attention to it.
Until my husband needed us to change our mattress, and he asked me if I ever heard of it.
I sent him to Sleeplikethedead.com for reviews with no advertiser input, no product endorsements, no commissions.
Unlike the latex mattress in our guest room that gets very warm from body heat, the Purple mattress is the most comfortable and cool mattress I’ve ever slept on, and my husband loves it too!
We highly recommend it.
Sources:
These Feng Shui Tips Might Help You Sleep Better, RealSimple.com, Amanda Lauren, Updated May 07, 2019
The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Feng Shui, Greatist.com, Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT, Written by Jordan Shakeshaft, Updated on May 28, 2020
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