Why a Custom Weighted Blanket may be the Secret to Your Best Sleep Ever
PHOTO: STEVEN DEWALL
Weighted blankets were the must-have holiday gift of 2018. You couldn't scroll through Instagram without being bombarded with ads for these sensory aids. But weighted blankets aren't exactly new, in fact, home designer Sarah Barnard has been creating custom versions for years.
As a child, she came across a roll of peacock blue mohair fabric in her family's garage that she used to complete a patchwork quilt she was sewing. Little did she know that her father intended to use the luxurious fabric as the upholstery for a 1949 Chevrolet he was restoring.
Although her father was furious, she was ultimately allowed to keep the blanket, which weighed close to 20 pounds. "I found the tremendous weight and enveloping warmth encouraged my body to sleep more peacefully and longer," explains Barnard.
PHOTOS: SCOTT VAN DYKE
These days, she's still creating natural, custom bedding for her clients using designer textiles and stitching techniques taught to her by her father. This expertise allows Barnard to deliver better-designed therapeutic blankets with endless customization options in terms of fullness and weight.
A custom design allows the client to choose the fabric, color, interlining material, and weight. Barnard's team of trusted artisans, handmakes each calm blanket locally and sustainably. Recently, Barnard designed a biophilic primary bedroom suite for a couple who prefer blankets in different weights. Her solution? One large duvet cover with two blanket inserts tucked inside, providing a seamless look that caters to individual needs.
PHOTO: CHAS METIVIER
One of Barnard's clients explained that she had been having trouble sleeping for some time and tried sleep aids, teas, and melatonin. She never felt fully rested using these remedies, but when used together with a customized weighted blanket, she experienced notable improvement.
PHOTO: CHARLIE DANIELS
Children especially may benefit from the use of a sensory blanket. A study from 2011 published in the Nordic Journal of Psychiatry found that children with ADHD fell asleep faster and awoke fewer times during the night when covered with a weighted blanket. Barnard enjoys designing colorful, custom blankets for the children of her clients. "Involving the child in the selection of the textiles allows them to personalize their environment and surround themselves with things that comfort them the most," she notes.
Barnard's weighted blanket, which she made herself, is fabricated of two heavyweight Schumacher fabrics sewn together sans lining. Even without a traditional interlining, it weighs in at 13 pounds. When the blanket is not in use, it adds contrast and texture to the room — quite unlike the characterless models one can purchase online.
The textiles Barnard used were prewashed and preshrunk to remove any allergens or dust. She chooses to wash her weighted blanket regularly in the washing machine despite the fabric's dry clean only warning. "I accept a rough and tumbled appearance in trade for the ease of maintaining my everyday life," she says. Barnard points out that this is a common request among her clients. "Families want to be able to launder their weighted blankets, so we test each sample to see how it survives the washing machine," she adds.
As mass-produced weighted blankets have risen in popularity, their quality has suffered immensely. Most ready-made options are filled with plastic poly pellets or glass beads. Custom made blankets are most often filled with organic cotton interlining or organic cotton batting in varying lofts to reach the desired weight. Organic wool and organic hemp interlinings are also available. For homeowners who want organic textiles and a natural lifestyle, being able to identify where the materials come from, and how they are made help us to sleep easier at night.
A wellness-minded interior designer can help create a custom weighted blanket that suits your health needs, and personal style to ensure an even better night's sleep.
Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art. With a contemporary approach that employs traditional vocabulary, Barnard’s range of style is innovative yet time-honored. The ideas most essential to her practice and design process are wellness, historic preservation, and the infinite ways in which design can enhance life.
Styling your Bookshelves
Bookcases and shelving can display more than just a personal library; well-styled cabinets and shelves add effortless style and interest to any room. Seasonal decorations such as a vase of spring flowers bring life into your home by adding visual interest and texture.
Bookends help create space on a shelf and can be as beautiful and exciting as they are functional. Framed photos or artwork are an instant way to personalize your shelving.
Create height and dimension by placing books in different directions. By adding beautiful and personal items, shelving transforms from utilitarian to an impressive display of your personality.
Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.
To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.
Home Design Tips for Small Spaces
Designing small functional spaces is always a challenge, but when done right, they create a cozy environment. Learn how to maximize your space with these tips! For kitchens, utilize built-ins to help organize storage. Use the built-ins to generate height and open up your room vertically.
Lighter colors help to make the area appear more spacious, while blues recede into the background.
Glass shower doors help this bathroom feel open and unrestricted.
Mirrors can give the illusion that the room is bigger than it appears.
Decorating with furniture that fits the scale of the room will also help make the room feel less cramped. Feel free to add pops of color with accessories, but avoid clutter to maintain openness.
Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.
To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.
Award Show Glamour at Home
Award show season is in full swing! Take a peek behind the scenes, and tour this backstage VIP lounge for the Academy of Country Music Awards. In the style of glamour and grandeur for A-list celebrity guests, this lounge conveys the traditional spirit of the event complete with organic decor. Sarah Barnard had the honor of designing this tasteful lounge for the Academy of Country Music Awards and their guests. This stylish yet classic lounge features natural linens and vintage furniture- a perfect example of how sound design and sustainably sourced materials can make a space inviting and enriching.
Sarah chose a palette of warm neutrals garnished with bright colors via plants and luxurious fabrics. This lounge has elegant decor which can inform design and decor in your home.
Bring nature inside. Potted succulents, freshly cut ranunculus stems, and a bold brass pheasant adds interest to this space. Plants and art inspired by nature make areas feel comfortable and natural.
A sofa outfitted in menswear woolens pairs elegantly with the "Dressmaker" lamp from Baker and an antique wooden horse.
These gorgeous vintage art deco chairs and an ebonized oak vintage coffee table by Galerie Sommerlath add the air of refinement and lushness. A brass bar cart demonstrates how recycling can be chic.
A burlwood sculpture and ceramic urchins' physical beauty is forever captivating. The glass lamp by Baker echoes the ocean and subtly provides the natural element.
Natural silk, linen, and wool toss pillows complement the organic linen on this beautiful couch. Choosing a creamy, light fabric like this one is an excellent way to highlight the elegant design of the sofa and make the sitting area more inviting.
We hope you found inspiration in this luxurious lounge outfitted in natural materials and organic decor.
Galerie Sommerlath and Baker generously provided Furniture, art, and lighting for this backstage lounge. silk, linen and wool toss pillows complement the organic linen on this gorgeous sofa. Choosing a creamy, light fabric like this one is an excellent way to highlight the elegant design of the sofa and make the sitting area more inviting.
Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.
To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.
Colors From the Garden
Choosing colors for your home can be difficult when there are so many from which to choose. Sometimes the answer can be as simple as looking for inspiration in your garden. Nature's color palette provides the perfect balance of neutral tones, vibrant greens, and lively colors.
Elements from your garden can serve as decor. Not only do they tie your interior and exterior design together, but they bring freshness, life, and color into a room.
Potted succulents serve as great centerpieces, and are easy to take care of for they need little water to thrive. Pair them with interesting found objects such as rocks and found wood to add organic shapes to a room.
Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.
To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.
Interior Design Focus: Roman Shades
Window coverings are the perfect finishing touch to any room, but sometimes long draperies can end up looking too fussy. Roman shades are the ideal alternative window covering that helps create a classic yet practical home design solution to blocking out the sun.
Adding neutral linen roman shades to these french doors are a subtle way to block out sunlight.
Here you have subtle roman blinds blending in with a well-designed room.
In this dining room, Roman blinds are used to add texture and contrast.
Natural woven shades mimic the textures and materials seen in this family room
These wood woven shades are a great way to diffuse natural light.
Sarah Barnard designs healthy, happy, personalized spaces that are deeply connected to nature and art.
To learn more about Sarah Barnard Design, please visit www.SarahBarnard.com.