Before and After: 6 Bedrooms That Offer Function and Style
Designers find a place for the pooch, a solution for reading in bed and a creative way to nix the need for a headboard
Erin Carlyle
October 2, 2018
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes to remodel. Former Forbes real estate reporter. Fascinated by cool homes, watching the bottom line.
Former Houzz Editorial Staff. Writing about the cost of renovation and what it takes... More
Bedrooms are private spaces, which sometimes means they get ignored while renovating efforts focus on the common areas. But these six sanctuaries reflect how designers and homeowners can personalize a room to fit specific preferences, including a smart solution for reading in bed. Which makeover sparks an idea for your own bedroom?
Before Photo
1. Basic to Beautiful in Los Angeles
Before: The upstairs master bedroom in this Spanish Revival home had light peach walls and light wood flooring.
Before: The upstairs master bedroom in this Spanish Revival home had light peach walls and light wood flooring.
After: The homeowners refinished the floors with a dark stain, painted the walls a neutral tan and added tall window treatments that bring elegance to the room. The canopy bed enhances the room’s sophisticated feel.
Personalized touch: The toddler bed at the bed’s foot is the designated sleeping spot for Bowie, the homeowners’ dog.
Find stylish dog beds
Personalized touch: The toddler bed at the bed’s foot is the designated sleeping spot for Bowie, the homeowners’ dog.
Find stylish dog beds
Before Photo
2. Dark to Light in Mission Hills, Kansas
Size: 314 square feet (29 square meters)
Designer: Christopher Fein of Forward Design | Architecture
Before: The owners of this master bedroom like to read in bed. But because their room was painted dark and their bed backed up to a window, they chose not to have a headboard, which would have blocked the natural light. Therefore, there was nothing to lean against while reading.
Size: 314 square feet (29 square meters)
Designer: Christopher Fein of Forward Design | Architecture
Before: The owners of this master bedroom like to read in bed. But because their room was painted dark and their bed backed up to a window, they chose not to have a headboard, which would have blocked the natural light. Therefore, there was nothing to lean against while reading.
After: Light paint eliminated the room’s previous cavelike feel. Adjustable sconces on both sides of the bed replaced the nightstand reading lamps, while built-in bookcases double as nightstands.
Personal touch: To solve the couple’s reading comfort issues, designer Christopher Fein came up with an adjustable headboard. When they want to read, the pair can lift up the 6-inch-deep headboard to create a backrest, which blocks the window. When they are done reading, they can flip the headboard back down.
Custom bed frame, nightstands and bookcases: Bootlace Design & Build; paint: Mascarpone, Benjamin Moore
Personal touch: To solve the couple’s reading comfort issues, designer Christopher Fein came up with an adjustable headboard. When they want to read, the pair can lift up the 6-inch-deep headboard to create a backrest, which blocks the window. When they are done reading, they can flip the headboard back down.
Custom bed frame, nightstands and bookcases: Bootlace Design & Build; paint: Mascarpone, Benjamin Moore
Before Photo
Before: The wall across from the bed had a pair of closet doors plus a separate door that led to the bathroom. This wasn’t the most pleasant view to look at from the bed.
After: Fein added six panel doors to unify the wall. The fourth door from the left opens to a bathroom. The other five panels open to the closets.
Read more about this master suite
Read more about this master suite
Before Photo
3. Reclaimed Warmth in Portland, Oregon
Designer: Guggenheim Architecture + Design Studio
Before: This upstairs master bedroom was actually too big for the homeowners, who wanted to reconfigure the space on their second floor to make room for a baby nursery.
Designer: Guggenheim Architecture + Design Studio
Before: This upstairs master bedroom was actually too big for the homeowners, who wanted to reconfigure the space on their second floor to make room for a baby nursery.
After: Architect Jenny Guggenheim reduced the size of the master bedroom to make it feel cozier and to carve out space for a nursery. Wall paneling made from reclaimed redwood fencing warms up the room and doubles as a headboard. The wood was cut to fit the wall.
New custom maple nightstands are mounted on the wall on both sides of the bed. Guggenheim had light switches conveniently placed and wired to control the bedside pendant lights.
Read more about this home
Read more about this home
Before Photo
4. Bursting With Color in Manhattan Beach, California
Designer: Kelly Mack
Before: The master bedroom in this beach home had a simple light blue-and-white color scheme.
Designer: Kelly Mack
Before: The master bedroom in this beach home had a simple light blue-and-white color scheme.
After: Homeowner and designer Kelly Mack made over the room in her signature colorful style, with an antique Chinese Coromandel screen as the showpiece behind the bed.
Personal touch: A patchwork of warm-hued fabrics makes for a sumptuous, one-of-a-kind bed covering.
Personal touch: A patchwork of warm-hued fabrics makes for a sumptuous, one-of-a-kind bed covering.
Two panels of the screen flank the bedroom door.
Before Photo
5. Brown to Bold in Manhattan Beach, California
Designer: Kelly Mack
Before: The second bedroom in the same home as No. 4 had a simple brown color scheme, with windows and French doors that brought in lots of light but also exposed the room to the neighboring home.
Designer: Kelly Mack
Before: The second bedroom in the same home as No. 4 had a simple brown color scheme, with windows and French doors that brought in lots of light but also exposed the room to the neighboring home.
Kelly Mack infused the room with a tropical-inspired palette of vivid greens, oranges and fuchsia. The window valance, curtains, pillows and wall panels are made from the same quilting fabric.
Translucent film sheaths the windows, ensuring privacy while allowing light to enter the room.
Mack re-covered an old sofa bed in orange quilting fabric and painted portions of the Indian chest in green. The colors echo the reproduction of a Van Gogh painting above the sofa.
Personal touch: Mack backed the two smaller pieces of art with leopard-print wallpaper samples to give them more verve.
Read more about this home
Find accent chests and cabinets
Personal touch: Mack backed the two smaller pieces of art with leopard-print wallpaper samples to give them more verve.
Read more about this home
Find accent chests and cabinets
6. Institutional to Elegant in London
Architect: Russell Taylor Architects
Before: This 1798 property was originally an aristocratic home, but after World War II, it was acquired by the government and became a hospital. When the current owners purchased it, the home was full of medical equipment and had linoleum on the floors. This top-floor room was still outfitted as a messy office from the building’s hospital days.
Architect: Russell Taylor Architects
Before: This 1798 property was originally an aristocratic home, but after World War II, it was acquired by the government and became a hospital. When the current owners purchased it, the home was full of medical equipment and had linoleum on the floors. This top-floor room was still outfitted as a messy office from the building’s hospital days.
After: In this photo, you can see the fireplace, windows and archway from the previous photo, but otherwise the room is hardly recognizable. The homeowners exposed pine floors that date likely from the Victorian period (1837 to 1901). The architect believes that this room was probably always intended as a bedroom for its owners. Simple furnishings and understated decor emphasize the space’s elegant architectural features.
Read more about this home
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I last did my bedroom in 1986. To say it could use some of these ideas is an understatement.
For some reason it always seems like our bedroom is the last space people spend time and money on when we are thinking about redesigning our homes. Our bedrooms should be a place that we love to spend time and be a relaxing retreat from the busy pace of the day. There are so many simple things we can do to spice up the room -like changing the layout of the room-it is so cost effective-it is actually "free". With a little time and energy -you can give your space a whole new look just by changing around the location of your furniture. Remember just changing the direction that your bed faces can make all the difference in creating a new orientation for your bedroom. Next change your throw pillows and bedding-plus add a cozy wool blanket in the winter and lighter boho inspired pillows in the summer. Plus add so exciting lighting-lighting is a key element in any room-but it is especially important when you are thinking of creating an inviting and relaxing atmosphere. Have fun with your bedroom.