Operation Suite Dreams

Lord, clients should know better than to call me for a simple thing. 
You know like, "Hey Nicole, can you help me expand my closet?"
Because for me, that means, hmmm lemme see what's really wrong with this entire floorplan and get it all the way together, including your closet. 
And that's kinda what happened with this project, home of our dear client/friend Heidi. We remodeled Heidi's master bathroom two years ago and gave new meaning to how to use an old sewing machine.  
This time around she called in desperate need of a closet expansion as her bedroom and guest room were bursting at the seams with her clothing and shoes collection.

Emphasis on bursting. 

We needed to tackle her real problem: making better use of all the rooms she had. 

The front guest bedroom was just being used as extra storage. So we decided to convert that to her office which would then allow us to expand her bedroom by taking over the adjacent office.

Standing outside the old office and my face saying, umm you know I'm about to rip this all apart and make it so much better right?

The old entry to the master bedroom was closed off and is now where the new closet is located. 

When two rooms become one! 

And the demolition begins. 

Heidi is a pretty eclectic client so our designs often take shape over many many months as we curate just the right item that suits her whimsical taste. 
And without further ado, here's how things are looking these days. 

A spacious closet, the reason for this entire project, is now sitting pretty behind this barn door. 

  

That chandelier. That wallpaper. That bed. That nightstand. Those pink curtains.  Love. Them. All. 

 There was lots of swooning over this wallpaper on installation day. 

 This headboard too is a curvaceous hot mama!

This nightstand has loads of storage for Heidi's personal items and enough room for her books and other special mementos.

We did not want a matching nightstand, so this end table with an extra shelf, was perfect for her expansive book collection. 

Heidi scored this makeup vanity from a dealer in Virginia who drove it on down to Florida where she now sits pretty by a window overlooking the pool. 

Heidi's three dogs are her trusted companions and kinda stake their claim to various areas of the new suite.

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The Well Traveled Home - The Master Bedroom Reveal

When you have the luxury of a large master bedroom, then best believe you should make it as luxurious as possible. This was our mission for our clients Shakia and Michael, whose home renovation project we’ve been chronicling here and here. We also revealed their adjoining master bathroom here.
We needed a bedroom retreat that was high on both style and function so we got to work.
This is where we began: 
 

Gotta love a blank slate. 



We would need to keep the laminate floors to stay in budget but would change everything else including paint, lighting, and the mirrored closet door. It is a space large enough for three distinct zones: a space to rest, read/work, and a must have makeup space for Shakia to get all dolled up. Here's how things are looking these days.

The first thing we all fell in love with was the wallpaper. We wanted something with a distinct yet subtle pattern and texture and this navy wallpaper on a grid was the perfect find.

Shakia and Michael work overseas and shipped us several rugs to use throughout their home. They chose this stunner from the markets in Afghanistan since it pulled in the blues from the wallpaper and has one of their favorite colors, red.

We wanted dramatic lighting over the bed, with very modern lines and we think this one fit the bill perfectly.

 

Oh these nightstands. I fell in love with them on my visit to High Point Furniture Market this Spring and swooned at the wood/chrome legs with Lucite handles juxtaposition. It fit right in with the goal for this space - a mix of textures, colors, patterns with modern and timeless flair. 

 

 

 

 

These nightstands were also insanely practical as they're able to fit lamps, storage boxes and my favorite accessories, books!

 

 

Shakia is a girly girl, and needed a designated spot for her makeup and accessory needs. We added this mirrored console, and mirror to give her just that.

 

 

 

And last but not least, they needed a small work zone with a chill vibe to lounge and read as well.

 

 

My heart! My heart. I think it's safe to say this is my favorite spot in this master suite.

 

Our original desk/console was stolen in transit! Yes! Stolen. WTH right? Madness, I know. But this replacement was just the simple/sleek balance for these stunning chairs.

I'm all about this corner right here. A book, some good wine and all is well with the world.

Details. Details. And more details. 

 

 

And there you have it. One of the swankiest yet functional master suites we've ever designed. See below on how to score some or similar items and let us know if your favorite area in this space.

 

 

~ Get the Look ~

(1)Wallpaper (2)Nightstand (3)Chandelier (4)Throw Pillow (5)Bed (6)Rug (7)Stool (8)Lamp (9)vanity table  (10)Throw Pillow (11) vanity mirror (12)vanity ghost chair 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Luxe Master Bedroom Retreat

This uber luxurious master bedroom retreat belongs to one of our favorite clients of all time. A young couple who called us for help to rescue them from their design woes. Brace yourself. It was a doozy.

With a professional athlete as half of this duo, their home was already a thing of beauty to behold. Expansive rooms, with soaring detailed ceilings and rich hardwood floors it had great bones. But the master bedroom, like the entire home, was overwhelming for the couple to tackle on their own and they needed a major design rescue to bring it to life. 

Our first order of business was to make this a sexy master retreat that reflected their love of modern glam yet. I knew right away that a padded headboard wall would be a great focal feature to make a bold statement. We went back and forth about the various design possibilities and technical details to make the headboard, and finally settled on this design using multiple squares from floor to ceiling. 

This gold leaf light fixture was our second major decision and it caused us soooo much anxiety as it went into back order status for months. Alas, good things come to those who wait. It kinda made us sing when it was finally installed. 

I'm a firm believer in having chairs or a sofa in a bedroom if space allows. The bed is for sleeping and other shenanigans. Plus folks will always wanna see your master bedroom and they should never have to sit on your bed. Ever. This sofa therefore was insanely practical for seating those random visitors, watching television (not shown) and for sitting to pack for travel, which is often the case for this couple.

We used chests, instead of traditional nightstands, which would have been too small and out of scale for this large space. It's a great alternative that offers loads of storage. We loved the fun detail of these rings/handles that suggests twelve small drawers but alas, there are only three drawers. The squares and color of the chest also mimic our headboard. Details, details. We design with intention around here. 


Since I'm also a fan of mixed metals, we suggested gold lighting and accessories to play off the many shades of grey throughout the design. A small tray holds jewelry and other knickknacks. Since they are a couple of a faith, a bible is also a mainstay on their nightstand. 

The adjoining room was an empty and lonely space when I first visited. 

There are glass doors leading to a balcony so the challenge was to create a seating space with enough room to access that balcony. A cozy seating area to chat and catch up on the days events, or read a book while sipping a glass of wine made sense.

We mimicked the window treatments from the other side of the bedroom to connect the two spaces and continued with greys, gold and off whites.

We mixed high and low throughout the project as well. Custom window treatments were balanced with budget-friendly finds like the rug, mirrors and these gold end tables.

All photos by Sublime Photos.

 We took several months to work on this project and that's what made it such a treat. Good design takes time. Our clients had an exhaustive travel schedule, and a newborn to boot, but were patient, understanding of shipping and other unforeseen delays, and allowed us a lot of autonomy. Once we settled on our overall design plan, selected  fabrics and the design for the headboard, we were left to own devices i.e. we did not need approval for anything else. 

I cannot stress how important it is to trust your design team once you've agreed to hire them, to see your vision through. It will always, always lead to better results. Trust me on this.

In a rare moment, I was also on site for their reveal and this was after an exhaustive and grueling two days of installing the master bedroom, playroom, living and family room and powder room, the majority of which was completed a week before Christmas. I was near comatose when they arrived that night, and my feet were about to stage a major revolt, but it was well worth it to see their shock turn into tears of joy when they stepped inside. The shell of a home they'd purchased months before, had finally become their home. And that my friends, was a happy sight to see.

Whew. That's all folks. We'll reveal the living, dining and family rooms next week.

P.S. Thanks for putting up with our slacker of a blog schedule these days. As you know, I'm at writer at heart and by training and I truly enjoy sharing what's cooking with us. But since our schedule has gotten insane, it's just easier to post quick updates over on Instagram - like hello, we have a new intern and Xavier is almost 10 feet tall - and save the detailed reveals for here. 

Wherever, and however you stay in touch, just know we are grateful for your unending love and support.

   

Want the look? Here are some similar items:

Source Guide
Custom Headboard - Similar here; here 
Nightstands - Similar here; here or here
Lamps - Similar here; here or here
Chandelier - Similar here; here or here
Rug - Similar here; here; here or here
Loveseat - Similar here; here or here
Art - Similar here; here or here

Seating Area
Rug - Similar here; here or here
Chandelier - Similar here; here; here or here (in chrome)
Arm Chairs - Similar here; here or here
Stools - Similar here; here or here
Mirrors - Similar here; here or here 
Custom Curtains - Similar here; here or here