Regal English Elegance

For a '30s Tudor home situated alongside Turtle Creek in Dallas, architect Ralph Duesing, designer Cathy Kincaid, and designer/stylist Charles Birdsong created an elegant Georgian bedroom that pays homage to the heritage of the house as well as to the owners' stellar collection of English antiques.

WHAT MAKES THIS ROOM WORK

•  Mahogany walls and bookshelves. The coffered paneling and carved-acanthus frieze of the crown molding echoes the coffered ceiling and makes the room feel more intimate.

•  English antiques, such as the Georgian mantel and early 19th-century gilt-wood chandelier.

•  A generous, sheltering bed. The domed canopy and bed curtains lend a softness that counteracts all the wood. The bed's lacquered chinoiserie finish with painted detail provides additional polish.

•  Modern-day amenities. An intercom system is disguised as an old-fashioned bell system, like those used in old English houses, and a sound system is hidden inside the walls, so you never see a speaker grille. The most charming touch: dog beds concealed inside the paneling.

BEDROOM BASICS: Most designers agree that sisal is too rough to feel comfortable on bare feet. For neutral texture, braided sea grass is much softer. While Donovan likes wall-to-wall carpet ("it makes a bedroom look bigger and expands the space, and you don't have the dilemma of furniture half-on and half-off the rug"), Kincaid often has carpeting bound and installed as an area rug.

RESOURCES: Cathy Kincaid Interiors, 214/522-0856, www.cathykincaid.com; Charles Birdsong, 214/521-4764, charliebirdsong@sbcglobal.net; Ralph L. Deusing, 214/528-6750; linens by Porthault, 212/688-1660, www.dporthault.fr; embroidered fabrics from Chelsea Editions (to the trade), 212/758-0005, www.chelseaeditions.com, with custom trim by Claremont (to the trade), 212/486-1252, www.claremontfurnishing.com.

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