HOME INTERIOR DESIGN-LIVING ROOM DESIGN

Poor master bedroom. So often, so neglected.

And yet, it's important, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be our sanctuary. I have yet to have a client say to me, "Y'know, my bedroom's a little dead. Could we maybe take it up a notch? Make it a little more, I don't know, energizing?"

These clients had the sanctuary part down. Lovely wall color, neutral palette, nice comfy chair.


But they needed help on the practical side. Their window treatments just were not cutting it.


Too flimsy, too insubstantial, not enough privacy...you can't quite see it here, but too short...and the gromits were ill-advised.

They knew all of that. Which is why they called me :)

Here's where we ended up:


Oh-ho! Subtle, isn't it? We installed linen sheers underneath a heavier textured linen-y fabric. Both are from Robert Allen. The panels are Audrite in Ivory...


...and the sheers are Curtain Call in Pearl. They have a very faint, occasional, vertical stripe, which adds a bit of interest.

The new window treatments give them three degrees of light and privacy:
- Light but privacy (sheers only)
- Maximum privacy, no light (sheers and curtains)
- Maximum light and view, no privacy (everything open)

We looked at some edgier fabrics, including Stoney Path, at right. But there is a LOT of window action in this room, and ultimately, subtlety won out over potential seasickness. The clients also thought the solid linen would age better; less chance of them tiring of it. I thought that was a great point.

The hardware helps keep the overall look clean and contemporary. It's called Tribeca, also from Robert Allen.


When you're using a double rod, minimal, clean-lined hardware will make the overall effect modern, not stodgy. We took the modern one step further by using elbows to connect the rods in those soft bay corners. Now there's a sense of continuity rather than: curtain, wall, curtain, wall, etc.

The client had expressed concern about the number of rings involved in FOUR windows' worth of double-layered drapery. Totally valid.

But it doesn't look messy, in part because the rods are lined up one behind the other, at the same height. Often, the rod for the sheers is hung below the rod for the drapes.


From a practical standpoint, Tribeca rings slide really easily, so you're not dragging the drapes across the rods and putting pressure on the brackets. Old plaster walls don't take kindly to that kind of abuse.

The clients are delighted, and so am I. Score one for the sanctuary.

The challenge: update a tired kitchen without breaking the bank.


The solution: paint - rather than replace - the cabinetry and enliven the space with a bold countertop.


Let's hear it for Formica Microdot! It has a tiny pattern of dots that gives the material a contemporary, almost tech-y feel. This is #6903 Cassis.

I've found that countertops generally fall into two price groups: there's laminate and butcherblock at the low end of the scale (around $40/sf), and then there's everything else - granite Caesarstone, Silestone - at double the price. Lucky for me I didn't have to talk the client into Formica; she's as much a fan as I am.

My client also knew that replacing her cabinets would be prohibitively expensive - and even though they were old, they were in great shape. So we painted them Benjamin Moore's AF-405 Thicket in a semi-gloss finish - that's from their new Affinity Series, which I've been using more and more.

To make the small space feel larger, we used a similar, lighter shade on the walls and ceiling: Benjamin Moore's HC-99 Abington Putty.

We wanted to use Marmoleum on the floor, but for some reason we had a devil of a time finding it in the color we wanted. In the end, we went with regular vinyl tile.

Because my client was ready to buy new appliances, we had an issue over the refrigerator. The new one was taller than the old, so the cabinet had to come out. I've encountered this problem before...my solution is to have the contractor build in some deep, open shelves for platters and low dishes. They're painted the same color as the cabinetry.


In my old condo, we did the same thing when we jammed the fridge into the closet where the washer and dryer used to be. It was really handy, actually.


The client's happy, I'm happy...the kitchen seems pretty happy, too.