From the very first episode way back in 2004, I was hooked. I was a Desperate Housewives’ addict from the word go. I would LOVE to live on Wisteria Lane in one of those gorgeous homes, with picket fence and nosy (yet highly entertaining) neighbours to boot. But alas, I am not that lucky. My home doesn’t cut the mustard I’m afraid. It doesn’t have a porch, it isn’t painted lemon yellow and it does not have a front door which you could drive a bus through. But I’m fairly certain that some of the Desperate Housewives bedrooms could work nicely into any home – even mine. So here is my “how to” on achieving a Desperate Housewife bedroom á la Susan Delfino, née Mayer.
As a brief Character Bio, Susan is the artsy one – an illustrator by trade originally and later a primary school art teacher. She’s a dab hand with a paint brush and makes reference to being able to appreciate that art is subjective. Her home, however, is not adorned in designer wares like that of Lee and Bob – there is not an Eames chair in sight – but rather is more homely. The palette is feminine and fresh and she has a definite affiliation with Wicker. She likes natural materials and seems to have furniture which she has collected along the way, rather than redoing a whole room in one swoop with coordinated pieces. It meshes well without being over themed.
Looking on the web, I’ve found a few pieces which I think conform to the Susan style. Pottery Barn is a firm favourite and I’m fairly certain that the green/blue Paisley bedding seen when Susan is dating Jackson the housepainter is from there (in the episode “Marry me a Little” Season 5). Oh, and they ship to the UK now too. They also have a wicker headboard which is super important in achieving the Susan look, though a similar one is also available from Ikea. Laura Ashley have some cute country furniture which could certainly work and wicker drawer units are available from several online shops.
Add architectural detailing with low level tong and groove panelling to complete the look, wood flooring with an understated area rug and an eclectic range of framed prints to embellish.
And there you go: the effortless Susan Mayer/Delfino bedroom yours for the taking. I can't guarantee that recreating this look in your home will lead instantly to a Mike or Jackson lookalike appearing half naked in your room, but it can't hurt to try, right?
