Critical Analysis of Jimi Hendrix Bedroom

Yesterday, it was announced that Jimi Hendrix’s erstwhile London apartment had been restored into a permanent exhibition and physical homage to the late rocker.

Via High Snobiety:

[Hendrix’s] former residence at 23 Brook Street in swanky Mayfair has been reconstructed to an accurate representation of what it looked like while he lived there … With help from his ex-girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham, the apartment has been fitted with previously unseen photographs, a state-of-the-art interactive studio and artifacts such as his record collection and his much-adored Epiphone FT79 acoustic guitar.

While the tapestry-hung and rug-strewn boho studio was doubtlessly hip to the freewheeling times that birthed it, we wanted to know how much of the layout would fly in the here and now.

We asked two NYC interior design consultants — Will Sacks of Homepolish and Josh Greenspan — to make an assessment.

Here are seven things we learned.

Do: Layer area rugs on your floor

“I love the look and feel of layered rugs,” says Sacks. “It adds a nice dimension to the space and feels really Bohemian. A great trick that works well in almost every setting.”

Don’t: Layer mattresses on your floor

Minimalist bedframes, like a low platform: go for it. But don’t ditch the frame altogether. “It feels really heavy to me, like a big mass just plunked down into the room,” says Sacks. Adds Greenspan: “It’s a little too much like college, camp or jail.”

Do: Mix things up

Greenspan: “Experiment with different textures, objects, books and art to achieve a lived-in feel.” Sacks points to the “the mismatched rugs and the mashup of furniture styles,” as especially good examples of that. “I love the use of those two round-back side chairs. They are actually a very traditional design, but paired with the other elements in the space, they don’t feel that way.”

Don’t: Mix only dark things up

“The color palette is pretty intense,” opines Sacks. “I like beds to feel light and textural. Go for linen bedding in a white or light gray.” If it’s ambience you’re after, “install a dimmer switch.”

Do: Consider the tapestry

We asked Greenspan if tapestries are best left in your college yearbook. His answer: “You can still do it at 35, but it should be art rather than something you picked up in Costa Rica on your surf trip. Contemporary artist Sanford Biggers’s pieces are incredible.”

Don’t: Consider the tapestry seen here

“I am all for a good wallhanging, but not this one. If you want something soft and textural on your wall, look into macramé. They give off a beachy, 1970s California vibe. A great alternative to a tapestry and they have a very similar effect.”

Do: Be yourself

The most important thing to remember is that your home and its furnishings should be a reflection of the man who dwells there. Did the opium-den chic seen here work for a man best known free love and lighting guitars on fire? Absolutely. Will it work for you? “This is a hard look to pull off authentically,” says Greenspan. “Proceed with caution.”

Images via High Snobiety