ShareThisKelly and Mike live in a magnificent family home with their adorable 1-year-old son, Jacob. Life is chaotic at their place: Mom and Dad are incredibly busy in their medical practices, and their little tyke is equally busy creating clutter and disarray everywhere he goes.
While they don't mind stepping over the toys, diaper bags and other kid stuff that litters their home, Kelly and Mike would love a space to call their own: a room that is stylish, relaxing and -- best of all -- grown-up. The couple hoped their master bedroom could be such a place. So, with my designer's bag in hand, I made a special house call to the couple's home.
My diagnosis? The bedroom was suffering from "boring-itis": blah carpeting, outdated mirrored closets, mismatched furniture and painfully glaring lighting.
My prescription? An injection of style to heal the room's design woes and turn it into an "adult sanctuary" with the least amount of pain and bother possible.
The couple wanted a modern update, but they didn't want the room to have a cold or sterile feel. I recommended a traditional look, while incorporating a few nontraditional elements.
I started the unconventional update by putting the floor on the wall. Or rather, I created an exciting focal point by putting a new platform bed along a feature wall, which I covered from floor to ceiling in a "headboard" made of roughhewn, walnut-stained wood flooring.
Next came some rather unusual window treatments. The room had one whole wall of windows and doors, which I turned into a continuously flowing fabric extravaganza with 15 feet of linen sheers along one rod.
I then got to work on the 1980s-style mirrored closet doors. Rather than ripping them out, I removed the brass valance and replaced it with wood, removed the brass trim and painted it silver, and installed a privacy film in horizontal stripes for a sultry look.
After addressing these high-maintenance areas, I had some fun with paint, fabrics and finishes. I chose a color scheme of neutral tones and painted the walls, trim and doors a soft putty color that worked to unify the different surfaces. Keeping to the same unifying theme for the rest of the room, I went with a new truffle-colored carpet, neutral sheers on the windows and a light-colored silk chenille coverlet on the bed. I then kicked things up with spicy accent colors in vivacious reds and vibrant oranges for throws, pillows and other accessories.
To help emphasize all of this beauty, I ripped out the existing lighting and replaced it with small, low-voltage halogen lights that can be positioned to shine their crisp, white light on specific places. I also added two modern sconces over the bedside tables.
Lastly, I added a few choice pieces of furniture, including a vanity table, chair and dressing table, organized into a cozy dressing nook in a corner. I suspended a translucent dividing shade that will allow for a little privacy or slide behind a new sexy chaise lounge when not in use.
After undergoing several weeks of elective surgery, it was time to remove the bandages. Using luxurious fabrics and furnishings, and warm colors and textures, this previously style-starved master bedroom had become the relaxing and stylish adult sanctuary Kelly and Mike so desperately desired. How divine!
(Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV's "Divine Design." For more ideas, information and show times, visit www.HGTV.com or www.divinedesign.tv. Or visit scrippsnews.com.)
Must credit Home and Garden TelevisionDIVINE DESIGN
