Design Secrets to a Beautiful Room

This remodeled space offers clean lines, classic style, and plenty of storage space.

Shortcuts to This Great Style

* Keep the design spare and simple, and use only the essential pieces needed for furnishing the room. Focus on well-designed, contemporary items.

* Add elegance with a deep, neutral wall color. For contrast, accent the room with fabrics and artwork in ivory or cream. Paint wood trim a similar shade as the walls.

* Complete this look using a few key accessories. Include objects that have mirrored or metallic finishes.

"Though this cottage held plenty of informal 1940s charm, it presented some major challenges. Among them: how to create a comfortable bedroom from the jumble of choppy spaces produced by some earlier second-floor renovations.

The cottage's new owners, Atlanta landscape architects Ken Lemm and Alec Michaelides, frequently consult other designers to solve on-site dilemmas. Working with residential designers Frederick Spitzmiller and Robert Norris, they reconfigured the space into a handsome bedroom.

Creative Built-ins

A stretch of unused space under the sloping roofline offered potential for storage. There, Alec and Ken built six cedar-lined closets with mirrored doors that visually expand the room. Using wooden shelves, hanging rods, and tiers of drawers, they customized each storage area.

Sophisticated Style

Interior designers Zach Azpeitia and Stephen Pararo assisted in giving the room an updated, tranquil look. They selected a chocolate brown wall color that makes the large space seem cozy and inviting. Stephen says, "The room is meant to be a little edgy, but the colors are very restful."

Great Colors and Details

The custom bed features an espresso-colored wood frame that's upholstered in tufted vanilla suede. The interior designers chose an array of neutrals for the linens, pillows, and coverlet. Various fabrics and textures, such as wools, silks, and bouclés, add interest to the subtle details. Metallic touches in the framed prints and bedside lamps stand out against the walls. Zach says, "We like the silver as an accent because it gives the room a little bit of shimmer and sophistication without having to use color." -JULIA HAMILTON

For More Info

Sources: southernliving.com/november2006

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Nov 2006
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