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Room of the Week: A Master Bedroom Gets a Dark and Dramatic Makeover
Bold dark paint and statement antiques mix with fresh, soft bedlinen to create an eclectic room that combines this couple's tastes
When interior designer Lindsay Pennington moved into husband Tim Mosher’s cottage in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles, ‘the whole house was a man cave,’ she says. Together the couple renovated all of the living spaces, the kitchens, the bathrooms and the kids’ rooms; combining their belongings, buying new things and compromising.
By the time they were done with all of that, Mosher was suffering from design fatigue. So Pennington waited until the professional musician and composer left for a Super Bowl concert in New Orleans to redecorate their bedroom with pieces they already had. She changed the layout, had the walls and ceilings painted and upcycled their furniture before Mosher came home, completing the makeover in just four days.
By the time they were done with all of that, Mosher was suffering from design fatigue. So Pennington waited until the professional musician and composer left for a Super Bowl concert in New Orleans to redecorate their bedroom with pieces they already had. She changed the layout, had the walls and ceilings painted and upcycled their furniture before Mosher came home, completing the makeover in just four days.
Now this chinoiserie cabinet on a dresser is across the room from the bed; it conceals the TV and media equipment. Pennington’s grandmother passed down the artwork to her. A pair of these antique French provincial chairs are upholstered in a light fabric similar to the bed’s upholstery.
Before Pennington started the makeover, the walls were a dingy white. ‘The paint colour was the inspiration for the room,’ she says. The dark colour works well with the room’s many angles, including the vaulted ceiling and dormer windows.
As you can see from the light coming in from the Juliet balcony doors, the paint colour she chose is very complex. ‘It’s called Crisp Romaine, and I love the name and the colour,’ she says. ‘It’s moody and ambiguously blue, green and grey, and it changes depending upon the lighting and what you place next to it.’ The finish is a basic eggshell, which has a subtle sheen to it.
Discover just how well dark colours can work in a space
Wall paint: Crisp Romaine, Benjamin Moore
Before Pennington started the makeover, the walls were a dingy white. ‘The paint colour was the inspiration for the room,’ she says. The dark colour works well with the room’s many angles, including the vaulted ceiling and dormer windows.
As you can see from the light coming in from the Juliet balcony doors, the paint colour she chose is very complex. ‘It’s called Crisp Romaine, and I love the name and the colour,’ she says. ‘It’s moody and ambiguously blue, green and grey, and it changes depending upon the lighting and what you place next to it.’ The finish is a basic eggshell, which has a subtle sheen to it.
Discover just how well dark colours can work in a space
Wall paint: Crisp Romaine, Benjamin Moore
‘It’s great to mix metals; I do it every chance I can,’ Pennington says. ‘These little details are like the jewellery of the room, and they reflect the light.’ Her mix includes polished nickel nailhead trim on the bed, antiqued brass on the frame, matte brass on the table lamp and steel on the vintage reading lamps. ‘The mix gives you more room for spontaneity when adding new things, family hand-me-downs and vintage finds,’ she says.
Check out other great ways to mix and match styles
Check out other great ways to mix and match styles
Small vintage finds are the final touches. She picked up the tall vase in Palm Springs. Its brass lip and base add to the room’s spontaneous mix of metals.
When Mosher arrived home, he was thrilled with the surprise reveal and the way she’d blended things they had each brought into the marriage and the things they had bought together. He was especially surprised and pleased by the new furniture arrangement. Also, they did leave an area Moscher could call his own in the home - they turned their garage into a music studio.
Take a tour of the converted garage space
What did you think of this personality-filled room? Let us know what you liked about it in the comments section below.
When Mosher arrived home, he was thrilled with the surprise reveal and the way she’d blended things they had each brought into the marriage and the things they had bought together. He was especially surprised and pleased by the new furniture arrangement. Also, they did leave an area Moscher could call his own in the home - they turned their garage into a music studio.
Take a tour of the converted garage space
What did you think of this personality-filled room? Let us know what you liked about it in the comments section below.
To change the layout, she placed the bed in front of a fireplace they never used. This is the view from the bedroom door; previously, the bed was across the room and the unused fireplace just kind of served as a hole. ‘Don’t be afraid to cover up a fireplace you’re not using,’ the designer says.
Table lamps: Ralph Lauren, Harbinger