The Vintage Look with a Contemporary Spin:
By combining, dramatic-color, retro-style fabrics with graphic motifs, clean-lined furniture and shelving, and a few vintage items such as old hats and neckties, this suite gains much-needed personality.
Foundational Needs:
Several goals were set to counteract the disjointed appearance of the three-room suite made up of a small bedroom, closet, and bathroom. Small spaces such as the bedroom beg to be cluttered especially when they lack storage.
First, the dark carpet and bathroom tile were replaced with a midtone hardwood floor by Liz Claiborne (available from Carpet One) that extends into the closet and bathroom. The bedroom walls were painted in a clay color, also a midtone hue. Keeping the walls and floors the same color intensity softens the room’s boundaries and makes it feel bigger.
Only four pieces of furniture were needed to fulfill the functions of the bedroom: a sleek bench; two side tables with good-size drawers; and a new, very comfortable bed. The bench, custom-sized for the space, can be made in about four hours; the cherry-framed headboard, also a custom project, is a little more complicated but well worth the effort. The tables were a thrift-store find that we painted and finished with new hardware. The queen-sized bed, a Select Comfort model that features dual mattress controls, was chosen for its good looks and comfort.
The window treatment came in two parts: the drapery panels, which we made, and a Roman shade from Smith+Noble that has an attractive street appearance and also provides additional privacy.
The bathroom was easily transformed by painting the vanity a rich brick color, exchanging the dated mirror for a new round one, and installing a new lighting. The shower curtain, shag rug, and vintage hats add needed personality to the small space.
Finally, to ensure that this room gets and stays organized, the closet needed to be extra hardworking, especially with the elimination of the dresser in the bedroom. Closits Modular Storage System created by Sauder and Lynette Jennings provides great storage, including drawers, cubes, and shoe racks for the Stones’ in-season clothing. Other items, such as the kids’ costumes and prom dresses, were moved to long-term storage in the basement.
Designer Details:
Custom-look sewing projects played an important role in this room’s designer look. Linen was used throughout the space in larger items such as the tab-top window draperies, bed skirt, and shower curtain. Most of these items can be sewn without a pattern by an experienced seamstress or by adjusting patterns to suit your design goals. To alter a pattern by adding a border, such as the striped top for the drapery panels or the solid bottom of the shower curtain, simply draw a line on the pattern where the two fabrics will meet and cut along the line. When cutting the two parts from the selected fabrics, be sure to add seam allowances where the two fabrics will be sewn together.
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