Alex Alonso of Mr Alex Tate Design unveils his recent bedroom design

Mr Alex Tate is a Miami-based collective led by design principal Alex Alonso. Cuban-born Alonso attended Northwestern University and initially worked in advertising in Chicago. All along, he perfected his craft in his true passion, design, and after years in media and entertainment on both coasts and travel across five continents, he launched a studio that embraces a global perspective and celebrates the power of storytelling through spaces.

 Q. Tell me a bit about the above designed bedroom. What were the clients’ requests and how did you bring their vision to life?

This room was one of the quest rooms in the house.  The clients wanted it to feel warm, cozy and for it to have a lot of personality without being too loud; enough so that it wouldn’t keep guests up at night. They liked the idea of layers and keeping the palette more organic. As such, the accessories and the layers played an important part in the design.

Q. Health and wellness are a big topic right now. Are you seeing health and wellness requests for the bedroom more frequently or incorporating them into your bedroom designs?

When it comes to bedroom designs, more and more clients are asking for amenities that keep the spaces more spa-like. For example: a beverage station for chilled water, scent machines to provide a relaxing scent in the evenings and multiple lighting options to be able to create a softer space for lounging. People are spending more time in their bedrooms beyond just sleeping.  So, we’re seeing clients ask for amenities that can extend the use of the rooms into more relaxing spaces.

Q. When sourcing for your design projects, what type of retailer keeps you loyal?

Great customer service always wins. We like developing a relationship with the trade team and knowing we have a physical person to reach out to with questions.  That said, we know everyone is super busy, so as much info as a retailer can provide about the product (specs, etc.) and making that easily accessible goes a long way.

Q. What manufacturers are your tried-and-true suppliers, and why?

We’re big fans of suppliers and retailers like Made Goods, Arteriors, Jamie Young, Visual Comfort and The Rug Company. From a trade perspective, we love our textile partners at Schumacher and Holland & Sherry. Over the years, they’ve come to learn so much about our business and how we source and design that it allows us to have shorthand with them.  Which makes the relationship enjoyable and allows it to run smoothly.

Q. What design trends are being requested for the bedroom lately?

Clients are always asking for additional seating areas in the rooms.  Places they can retreat from the rest of the family. Clients are also asking for ways to make the spaces quieter — visually and acoustically. Lots of textural elements that soften the room: comfortable materials for headboards, rugs, more pillows.

Q. Any other interesting facts about bedroom design lately?

We’re seeing clients really want larger bedrooms overall.  It was always nice to have, but lately clients have really been looking for ways to maximize square footage when it comes to bedrooms.