Kelly and Maureen Stone and their five children have lived in their Ankeny, Iowa, home for more than three years. During that time the house has been thoroughly lived in, and all the master suite had become a catchall. Children’s art was displayed on the doors, costumes and prom dresses hung in the closet, and when the family cleaned the home for guests, they often stashed items from other areas of the home in the tiny bedroom. Designer Jeni Hilpipre-Wright took the lead in creating and carrying out plans for the makeover, with editor Wanda Ventling, associate art director Becky Lau Ekstrand, and the homeowners all actively involved in working out the details.
“One of the reason’s we chose the stone home for a makeover is that we clearly recognized that a small room poses a design challenge,” Wanda says. “We wanted to share with our readers some of the interesting and fun ways a small cluttered space can become a beautiful and serene room.” The Stones’ vintage 1977 ranch home has just 1,236 square feet on the main level, and the master bedroom is only 12 x 12-1/2 feet.
Before the creative fun of the decorating makeover began, Wanda insisted on addressing comfort. “Both of the Stones admitted to back problems,” she says, “and since they had purchased their mattress before their oldest child — now 21 — was born, it was time for a new one.” The team opted for a mattress with dual firmness controls. “In addition,” Wanda says, “we knew we needed to consider privacy in the window treatments because the bedroom windows face the street, and also consider storage issues.”
Wright’s inspiration for the makeover began with a plaid taffeta that she framed and hung behind the bed as a headboard. “Maureen mentioned that she wanted a warm and cozy room, and when I found this fabric, I knew it could work as the focal point,” Wright says. From the bold hues in the plaid, the designer was able to gather the fabrics for the bedding and pillows, draperies, and bench cover, as well as the warm paint colors. She picked up lots of spicy, earthy, tones because the paprika, cocoa, saffron, and cardamom colors, she says are “colors that are both interesting and easy to live with.” The warm tones add richness to the room.
Textures also are an important design element in the suite. “Tactile is good,” Wright says. “The textures add interest and depth to the space.” Surfaces range from a silky bedspread to a furry bathroom rug to a bamboo blinds to a faux-suede bench cover.
In an effort to make the bedroom appear larger and also to save space, Wright employed several techniques. The headboard, for example, takes center stage, yet it occupies minimal space. Other space savers include shallow display shelves mounted on the wall, a closet unit that stands in for a dresser, and a small custom-made bench that provides necessary seating.
In addition, the room’s lines are clean and geometric, with no frill and flounces to clutter them. The new engineered-hardwood floor adds continuity with unbroken lines that extend from the bedroom, and the floor’s sheen visually expands the space. Painting the previously dark woodwork also helped the room appear larger; the pale, creamy color blends in with the walls and recedes into the background.
The room’s style, Wright says, is eclectic, with a mix of simple geometric shapes brought into the room in the plaid fabric, the pillows in assorted shapes, and the stripes in the curtains. The symmetry in the side tables and the pillow arrangement allows the many patterns to work well together. She introduced a fun retro look by displaying old neckties and hats. Both came from a local antiques mall; the ties were framed individually for maximum impact.
The room became luxurious with the addition of the hardwood-look floors and a new bed draped with a silk comforter. “We had hardwood floors in a previous home and loved them, but never thought we’d have the look in this home,” Maureen says. “The floors look beautiful, are wonderful to walk on, and they are so easy to keep clean.”
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