When the only person who lives here was making a new beginning, he had a bed, a cabinet and a great deal of beige walls. He had been attracted to Asian and color style but did not know where to go from there. “He needed an area that would be soothing and Zen-like yet still masculine,” states Lisa Konjicek-Segundo of Olive Juice Designs, who transformed his beige and bare bedroom into a relaxing retreat. Here’s the way she layered in texture, polished light, made it feel bigger than it really is and dressed it in a way that is inviting and comfortable.
Bedroom in a Glance
Location: Jack London Square, Oakland, California
Size: 11 by 12 ft
Budget: Approximately $5,400 (not including design fees)
Before Photo
Olive Juice Designs
The residence is located on the 15th floor at a high rise, with expansive views of San Francisco Bay and the industrial neighborhood. The view inside was not so spectacular.
Olive Juice Designs
AFTER: The designer’s first move was to soften the space, painting the ceiling and walls a golden tan in addition to adding lots of texture. “I wanted to play up the elevation of the space because of its tiny footprint,” she states.
She included black and brown grass cloth wallpaper behind the bed to create a textured accent wall that accentuates the ceiling’s height. For colour she included a sumptuous Asian fabric on the Euro shams along with the cut the lace chartreuse throw.
“I usually wouldn’t choose sheers to get a guy, but those diffuse the light and offer it such a pleasant, warm glow,” Konjicek-Segundo states. A basket-weave Duralee fabric adds additional texture. “My customer loves to leave his windows open, along with also the sheers cascade at the snap; it really adds a sense of serenity to the space,” she states. A deep brown cowhide “creates a wonderful form on the floor, and it provides yet another layer of texture,” she states.
Wall Street: Élitis; ceiling paint: Twilight Gold #1069, Benjamin Moore; flowery fabric: Schumacher
Olive Juice Designs
Konjicek-Segundo wanted nightstands that would work with the client’s existing low platform bed and also the less than 20 inches of space between the bed and the walls on either side. These hammered brass and dark silver drums add more texture and glow.
To conserve the nightstand’s surface space, she chose brass twig wall-mounted sconces with dark bronze sunglasses. A dimmer switch behind the headboard controls each sconce separately.
Sconces: Global Views; wall covering: Élitis; drapery sheers: Duralee fabric, created and set up by The Roman Shade Company
Before Photo
Olive Juice Designs
The customer had bought an Asian torso that seemed lost against the beige wall.
Olive Juice Designs
Konjicek-Segundo added a mirror, a large floor vase and tall bamboo sticks to stand until the scale of the wall and create more texture. Now the cabinet is just the ideal size for the room.
Wall paint: Twilight Gold Number1069, Benjamin Moore; trimming and door paint: Mojave Desert, Benjamin Moore; mirror: Home Decorators (no more available)
Artful objects add a personal touch. The area has gone from looking like a blank and somewhat depressing canvas into a warm haven that suits your homeowner’s personality and lifestyle.
We’d really like to understand your room transformation. Please note your before and after photos below!