While we are able to work on any interior space, we specialize & have a passion for BEDROOM DESIGN. The bedroom is the most important room of your home for many reasons:
We spend 1/3 of our lives in this space. From sleeping to getting ready for the day, to decompressing & relaxing...our bedrooms serve as a vital space for us.
For adults, this room serves 2 specific functions: REST & ROMANCE
For teens, this is a multi-function space whice serves as an entertainment space, a place to study, sleep & dream
For newborns/babies, this is a room to provide support & nurturing
***Read SHAPE magazine for DeAnna's advice on giving you bedroom a makeover for a healthy night's sleep here.***
Times to think about a re-design of a bedroom are:
A new family member about to arrive (baby/adoption)
A tween ready for their "teen" room
A first home set-up
A merging of a couple's stuff
Feng Shui for the Bedroom Tips for a Better Night's Sleep here...
...for Couples or Singles...
Whether you are currently living in your "couples" home, have found a place & a moving date is scheduled OR you're single & loving it, your BEDROOM is your ultimate sanctuary. The BEDROOM corresponds to the RELATIONSHIP Life Area (Feng Shui) & can help to "activate" the romance vibe with color, accessory choice, space-plan & artwork. The BEDROOM represents the state of all your relationships: social, business & romantic.
...for the Nursery...
This nursery was done with the objective of keeping it similar to the older son's room (green vertical stripes) & animal theme. This by accomplished through the use of horizontal stripes & a color scheme symbolizing nature: earth tone on the bottom to represent the EARTH, a green stripe to represent grass & blue on the upper portion of the wall and ceiling to represent the SKY. Animal soft sculptures were hung in an organic, free-flowing pattern along the green stripe to help break up the "linear" feel to the room. When the mother walked into the space the first thing she said was "how relaxing and comforting" being in the room felt to her.
***Did you know that a nursery can be the most toxic space in the home? With painting, new carpeting and furniture...all of this adds to the off-gassing of chemicals into the air. This can cause havoc on a newborn's developing immune system.***
...for a Little Girl...
This room was for a little 6yr old girl who gave us the parameters of: Dora the Explorer, Jack and the Beanstalk, Flower Fairies and her Jessica Albright All American Girl Doll as the themes we were to incorporate in her "big girl" room. A historic color scheme of 1950s pastels with the "pop" of brighter colors was created to create a "sophisticated girly color scheme" that she will be able to grow into. A crystal chandelier & sconces help put the feminine finishing touches on this 7x9 room.
***Proper space-planning can be invaluable to those with mental/physical handicaps as the room becomes more "efficient" for them to navigate!***
...for a Tween...
This room was designed for a 10yr old boy who loves the Old West, his arrowheads and his money collection. He is also very involved with the Boy Scouts and suffers from allergies/asthma. Here, we chose a historic color scheme taken from the turn of the 19th century & adobes of the SW w/an Art Deco influence. Adobes are painted with blue and/or white along the doors and windows so they stand out against the color of the sand/brick. We painted the windows/doors in 2 colors of blue, did a faux leather treatment on the walls, put a leather shag rug on the floor and made shadow boxes with his arrowheads and money to place around the room. No VOC paint was used and bamboo bedding was purchased for the bed.
***When designing a child/tween's bedroom, one of the things we strive to create is a room that the child can grow into. Whether it's incorporating a more sophisticated color scheme to choosing furniture that can be used as the child grows.***
Eco-Shui Healthy Home Tip if you HAVE to HAVE or just love down.... From the Textile Exchange Council, here is a link choosing "Responsible Down" (which is a VERY cruel industry!!!) & companies to look for when you are ready to purchase new bedding. Responsible DOWN manufacturers...READ your labels!! Click here.
"I LOVE my room!..."
-Johnny N, 11 yrs old & recipient of the "Art Deco-SW-inspired" room complete w/gaming area
Feng Shui for Teens...the book & workshops...
"Feng Shui for Teensis the perfect book for tuning up your bedroom, or any other rooms. It’s simple, easy, and it works. I would definitely use this to help me design a room.- Kate B, 13. Student from the "Designing the Bedroom of Your Dreams-Teen" in Milwaukee WI class
Read here for some tips on picking out a color scheme for tween/teen's bedroom...
...for a Teen w/a love of film...
This "movie theme" room was done for a 17yr old boy who wants a career in the movie industry (he has the biggest movie collection I've ever seen!). We had to create a space that represented his goals/dreams, while taking into consideration some of his mental and physical challenges. The room was space-planned in zones for him to better able organize his things (i.e. sleeping area, getting dressed area, study area, entertainment area), chose a "cool" color scheme taken from the existing star ceiling, while using pops of red color (color of SUCCESS in Feng Shui) throughout the room & in the custom "Red Carpet" we had made (from a company that actually makes red carpets for events!). A director's chairs was customized w/the "client's" chosen company name & a sign painted for him, which hangs above the bed, to help encourage his movie career dreams. Shadow boxes were made with some of the special effects items he has gotten as movie collectibles.
***Teens use their bedrooms to help define their personalities & show off their likes & dislikes. Incorporating these into the "theme" of the room, whether through display of accessories to color scheme, we can help create a bedroom that is unique to them!***
"...I even got a custom director's chair w/my red carpet!..."
-Geoffrey N, 17 yrs old who is the proud occupant of his Red Carpet Room