Room of the Day: Bright and Cool Colors Make a Vibrant Mix
A designer pairs a bold coral and soft gray shades to make a room come to life
When interior designer Christine Sheldon was planning this guest room, her inspiration was a camellia plant covered with pink blossoms growing just outside the window. It made for a very pretty view, and she wanted to pull the look in through the window.
Sheldon put in wall-to-wall carpet for a peaceful and enveloping effect. “I felt like a rug would just chop the room up,” she says. “Wall-to-wall carpeting in this bedroom makes it feel spacious.”
Carpet: Bay Area Floors & Design
Carpet: Bay Area Floors & Design
Sheldon took the coral color from the curtains and carried it around the room for a unified look. The color shows up on the bed in the velvet headboard.
The layout of the room necessitated the bed’s location against this wall (Sheldon didn’t want to cover up any windows). There were sconces here previously, and the designer replaced them with pieces fitting the new decor and added a sunburst mirror between them.
Headboard and bedding: custom; sconces: Circa Lighting
The layout of the room necessitated the bed’s location against this wall (Sheldon didn’t want to cover up any windows). There were sconces here previously, and the designer replaced them with pieces fitting the new decor and added a sunburst mirror between them.
Headboard and bedding: custom; sconces: Circa Lighting
A modern painting over a more staid gray armchair makes a big statement. “I wanted something bright to make the room fun,” says Sheldon. “With floral draperies and a trellis pattern on the carpet, it would be easy for this room to go traditional. The art and other modern accessories keep it contemporary.”
In other words, this room may (hypothetically) be for a grandmother, but it has a hipster mind-set.
Artwork: The Studio Shop
Browse more Rooms of the Day
In other words, this room may (hypothetically) be for a grandmother, but it has a hipster mind-set.
Artwork: The Studio Shop
Browse more Rooms of the Day
Who is the room for: This is a guest room in a decorator show house staged by the Peninsula Volunteers.
Location: Woodside, California (south of San Francisco)
Size: 256 square feet (23 square meters)
Tip: When using a bold color, carry it around the room, even if it’s just in small touches. “If you use a strong color in just one spot, it can be jarring,” says Sheldon.
Sheldon was invited by Peninsula Volunteers to participate in their most recent decorator showcase in Woodside. The charity event has several designers completing rooms before the doors are open to the public for tours.
Sheldon chose this guest bedroom because of the great natural light (there are windows on three sides of the space). The event managers called it a mother-in-law suite, so Sheldon outfitted the room as if it would be most often used by a mythical grandmother (assuming there are hypothetical children in this scenario). No matter what the faux family dynamics were, Sheldon set out to create a feminine room for guests.
The pink blossoms outside were perfectly replicated in the fabric she chose for the draperies. It features striking pink and coral flowers on a quieter gray background.
Most hotel rooms have a desk, and this guest room does as well. “I think guests appreciate a landing space,” Sheldon says. “It doesn’t have to be used as a desk; it can be a dressing table as well.”
The acrylic chair is a modern note in a classic room. “Contemporary accents in a traditional room not only add something unexpected, they increase the longevity of the interior,” says Sheldon. She adds that the see-through chair doesn’t take up as much visual space as a regular chair would have, which is great for a small space.
Fabric: Harlequin; desk: Made Goods; lamp: Arteriors; chair: Plantation; artwork: The Studio Shop; carpet: Bay Area Floors & Design