Luxury may live in the details, but true elegance commands balance. For a primary suite in a new build, Audrée Kemp Bélanger, founder and lead designer of AKB Design, elevated the lived-in charm of traditional country style with clean, contemporary sophistication to achieve a modern farmhouse style that calls to mind hotel grandeur. Rather than designing three separate rooms, she envisioned a retreat where bedroom, bathroom, and dressing room would speak the same language.

“The three rooms talk to each other. I love to go from the bedroom to the bathroom and to feel the same vibe, the same color tone, the same palette,” says Kemp Bélanger. “It’s just one big room with three little rooms in it.”

High ceilings, broad windows, and spacious rooms provide a blueprint for the grandeur, while folds of soft creams, gentle wood tones, and grounding brown and greige whisper throughout the space, guided by a sense of warmth and comfort. “We wanted to have something warm, comfy, because it was so big,” Kemp Bélanger recalls.

In the bedroom, the designer highlighted the mountain view by placing the bed across from the window and adding two slipcovered chairs in front. The vintage telescope—a piece from the homeowners existing collection—offers more detailed views of the night sky. While a wooden nightstand, dresser, and side table ground the design, long linen curtains, a neutral wool and sisal rug, and layered bedding bring intimacy into the large space. “We love to play with texture motifs,” she says, noting the rich brown quilt tucked below neat piles of pillows and a knit throw, “And we always love a white linen duvet on the bed.” Nearby, bedside table lamps complement reading sconces to create more interesting evening lighting, a quiet detail that Kemp Bélanger particularly loves.

From there, she eases into the next room, carefully extending the bedroom’s beadboard ceiling onto the bathroom walls and repeating the paint color, wood tones, and curtain rods. The double sink vanity and exposed wood beam recall a traditional farmhouse, as marble, a deep soaking tub, makeup vanity, and heated towel rack bring luxury. The shower, enveloped in zellige tiles, “an imperfect tile with a lot of variation, giving a handmade effect,” she describes, marries both concepts. A vintage rug, linen curtains, and bouclé chair balance the cool, hard materials, while a potted olive tree and floral arrangements breathe life into the generous space.

The elegance moves into the chic dressing room, where a dual layout maximizes function and flow. Kemp Bélanger preserved the natural light by placing storage beneath the window, this one dressed still in linen, though styled into a more practical Roman shade to allow for a decorative lamp, books, and flowers. A woven bench, requested by the homeowners, centers the room, while dedicated zones for shoes, bags, hats, and hanging garments create a place for every item. The designer added hooks along the edges to thoughtfully lay out key pieces, and topped the room with a practical pendant light.

Together, these three spaces narrate a singular primary suite, balancing spaciousness and opulence with the warmth that turns a house into a home. By thoughtfully weaving farmhouse charm with clean, modern sophistication throughout, Kemp Bélanger achieved something rare: a dreamy retreat that feels both grandly elegant and intimately personal, where seamless transitions feel like a natural conversation between rooms.

WRITTEN BY ALISSA SCHULMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHOTOGRAPHIE INTÉRIEURE CO. As Seen in Our Magazine — https://article.homebydesign.com/HBD_OCT_NOV_2025_8/SUB-2899/index.htm#