Sarah Lyon, a design enthusiast and writer for House Beautiful, Architectural Digest and the New York Times, is known for her approachable take on interiors and her love of blending classic design with personal style. Sarah walks us through her latest bedroom transformation, featuring our Steel Sisal Grasscloth Wallpaper and Willow Amalfi curtains that make her New York City apartment feel like a true sanctuary.
As an interior design enthusiast, I view my New York City apartment as a blank canvas where I can experiment with the various looks that are calling my name. It’s important to me that my space truly feels like home, and over the past four years, I haven’t shied away from taking on a whole slew of updates to elevate every inch of the (very limited!) square footage I have to work with. For example, I’ve installed picture frame molding to my living room to bring more dimension into the space and then painted those walls a deep navy blue. I’ve sourced faux mantels to add a Parisian touch to my otherwise cookie cutter unit, and I’ve painted my kitchen cabinets in order to take them from a boring neutral laminate to a soft, soothing blue. But my latest update—a bedroom transformation featuring Pepper’s Steel Sisal Grasscloth Wallpaper and custom curtains—has completely redefined how I experience my space.
01. A Textured Foundation
Photography by Tori Sikkema
I’ve long admired the look of grasscloth, so when I felt like it was time to change things up in my sleep space, the aforementioned paper quickly moved to the top of my list. While I did explore a few peel-and-stick options at the very beginning of my search, I’ve found that real grasscloth is just so much more luxurious and compelling than the many (quite convincing!) faux options on the market. Pepper’s website made it easy to calculate exactly how many rolls I would need based on measurements I had taken of my bedroom. I ended up ordering eight and had a little bit left over at the end (I’m saving it for any future DIY projects!).
02. Customizing My Canopy Bed
Photography by Zoe Shields
Lately, traditional beds with curtains are having a major resurgence. There’s something so luxe and romantic about this look, which, of course, is centuries old—historically, curtains were added around beds to offer privacy and warmth. Today, bed curtains are a beautiful way to embrace traditional design while adding a pop of color and texture to any sleep space. After admiring this setup in many of my favorite designers’ and home influencers’ spaces for months, I decided over the summer that I may as well try it out for myself!
Since I already own a canopy bed that easily unscrews as needed, going about this project was much easier and more affordable than if I’d also needed to order a new bed for the job. First, I landed on the fabric that I wanted to use, which was a no-brainer (I quickly chose Willow Amalfi, as its blues and whites play perfectly with my bedroom colors. I then spoke with a good friend of mine, New York City designer Adnan Anwar, while I was in the process of planning out my custom order; he provided tons of useful insights pertaining to curtain measurements, construction, and more.
Picking A Panel Width
After I shared my queen bed frame’s measurements with Adnan, he recommended that I order curtain panels that are one and a half to two times the width of each 60 inch-long rod. As such, I opted for Pepper’s widest custom curtain width, which is 100 inches, or slightly over one and a half times the 60 inch length. This has ended up working out nicely, because when the curtains are closed on each side of the bed, there’s some extra overlap between panels, allowing for extra privacy and darkness.
Picking A Construction Type
Adnan and I spoke a bit about my preferred aesthetic and determined that either a ring top, tailored pleat or a pinch pleat would make the most sense for my space. Adnan told me that in his view, a tailored pleat skews more contemporary whereas a pinch pleat is seen as more timeless. I ultimately landed on the ring top construction because it came in at a lower price point than the other two while still conveying a similar look. For hanging, I ordered these classic black rings, and the curtains arrived equipped with the accompanying hooks, so I didn’t need to purchase those on my own.
I couldn’t be more thrilled with how these curtains look in my bedroom, they really work wonders in making it appear more elegant and textural, and I constantly get compliments from visitors on how chic they look.
03. A Space That Feels Entirely My Own
The combination of Pepper’s Steel Sisal Grasscloth Wallpaper and Willow Amalfi curtains has transformed my small NYC space into a true sanctuary. Every detail feels intentional, from the whispery blue tones of the wallpaper to the tailored drape of the canopy curtains. It’s proof that even in a compact apartment, thoughtful materials and a touch of customization can make everyday life feel a little more like a dream.
