Whimsical Oasis for a Jet-Setting Mom
This Momcave makeover turned an undefined guest room into a functional retreat that feels more like a vacation getaway than your basic bedroom and is one of my favorite projects to date!
We’re going to share a bit of a look into our Design Process with you on this post so keep reading to find out where we took our inspiration for this project, how we communicate our vision to the clients, plus the reasons behind a few of the design selections. Enjoy!
Our clients came to us wanting to overhaul a guest bedroom to create a space she could stow away to from her frequent travels back and forth between home and work. As a busy professional with growing children, finding a dedicated space to work when home in-between mom duties was becoming increasingly difficult for the demands of this family. We'll take a closer look at the Momcave space in just a minute, but first, let's have a look at the guest room itself.
After getting to know our clients, I discovered she her husband had recently moved to the area to be close to family. Being close to their support system is very important considering they both travel frequently for work. Since he already has a home office, she wanted to create a space she could also call her own.
One of her favorite trips she took when studying abroad was during her visit to China. Thinking of the beautiful cherry blossoms, the stunning architecture and the culture we took inspiration from a gift she purchased while there, a beautiful Asian scroll. I remember the responses from her client questionnaire (which I offer as a major starting part to the design process for any client) and noticing the same variety of colors in the scroll.
The purple hues along with the splash of orange and hints of pink on a vintage rolled scroll was all the color inspiration I needed to draw from for this space.
At this stage, we typically discuss any feature design elements that we want the clients to consider incorporating. In this case, one of the elements I pitched to the clients was adding some wall mounted sconces. It would take a bit of electrical work and some elbow grease to install, but would add additional lighting to this space makes such an impact while aiding to fill up the expansive wall height. When she decided to go for it, she forwarded me an image of some dainty flower sconces she fell in love with. And since I take pride in active listening and providing my clients what they want, I drew it up in an elevation so it made it super easy for their contractor to install (not shown). We absolutely love what it did for the room and our clients do too - it really helps to illuminate this space nicely and will add additional ambiance in the evening hours when the chandelier is not in use.
We also knew that we wanted this space to serve a trifecta of purposes. It would be a personal space for mom, a workspace when working from home and a relaxing retreat for the important women in her life. So this space still needed to function as a bedroom as well. Once we had a general creative direction in mind for the space, we created the Design Board below as a visual for the clients to envision how the space could come together in terms of the design details, furniture, and lighting.
When discussing furniture for the space, we test fit different layouts in floor plan. This is key component in the design process to ensure proper fit before we purchase the item. We thought of a wall mounted murphy bed to allow ample room for mediation and also considered a storage murphy bed; which is similar to how you pull out a sleeper sofa, instead it serves as a console table when put away. After considering cost and functionality, the client decided against both and went with my suggestion of a sleeper sofa. The sofa will provide enough versatility that you can style the space and use it as a den, provide room for yoga when you push aside the stools, and can still function as a full bedroom suite for when guests arrive. No worrying about lighting clearances and unusable furniture with the murphy bed. Given that the sleeper sofa was custom made, we had to double and triple check that it would be the perfect fit, not just in the room, but meeting door clearance to go inside the room as well. Plus, given the width of the new sleeper sofa, we opted out of the narrow night stands and instead implemented potted orchids that will tower as they grow in height.
The clients had mentioned they felt their bedroom was a bit too tall, so we also addressed the lighting. The feature light fixture (available through our in-studio shop) is one of the statement elements of the room and lends that elegant, luxe vibe we were going for while also filling in room height. Adding two wall mounted sconces keeps the space beside the sofa free and allows for a higher light location - perfect for nighttime reading.
In thinking about adding an additional layer of elegance, the client was excited to see the possibility of wallpaper in the room. We recommended this metallic textured vinyl wallpaper and specified a paint color to match - it really takes the look up a notch and goes a long way in creating an elegant, restful bedroom space for this project.
Let’s have a look at the desk area…
The wishlist for the new bedroom was short: a place to sleep and a place to store clothes. This bedroom includes a large closet, which may incorporate a storage system at a later date. However, after seeing how the client used the space primarily, I found it more feasible that this double as a quiet space to work when needed. Instead of storage, we opted for a desk that was sleek, functional and appealing. A much better replacement over the existing gray desk that was there initially.
My team and I styled this desk with gorgeous acrylic and gold desk accessories to pair with the acrylic and gold drawer pulls on the desk. It served as the perfect compliment while adding upscale functionality to an otherwise dull appearing office tools. By keeping the finishes consistent throughout, from the legs on the stools, to the accessories and furniture, it helped to identify two separate areas within the room while still maintaining cohesiveness. That art work is gorgeous, right?
You'll notice that we also incorporated our inspiration into the space near the desk. With just a simple head turn to the right, our client will be reminded of her travels to China, providing a short mental escape with thoughts of serenity and peace. To keep the room feeling as open and as possible, we recommended Taking the drapery rod up to the ceiling. It aids in tricking the eye to believing the window is much taller than it actually is, but also helping to bring the eye down by creating a line across this wall to visually shorten the extended height ceiling. This way, we maintain the height of the space, but add balance and ground the expansive walls with breaking points. Painting the walls and leaving the ceiling white as it originally was is an added element to this idea.
Because the scrolls had been stored away for over a decade, aging of the paper and stains from traveling needed to be hidden. I tried to restore the scroll by going to my local vendor who specializes in Asian art. Our dilemma? The paper was too dated and damaged for repair. The prints would have to be remounted on new scrolls which would cost significantly more than having them framed. So we opted for framing the scrolls in a custom sized brass gilded wood frame. I think they came out great!
Here is another dilemma we came across with the scrolls. Initially we intended to vertically mount the two scrolls centered above the sofa, then we discovered that the print on one of the scrolls reads horizontal. My solution was to source additional Asian-inspired art that was similar in style to the scrolls to have framed and mounted to create the beautiful grouping you see above.
The last space we focused on was the entrance of the room. There was additional wall space right when entering that initially had no function. We like to think of ways to fill a space without cluttering it, but also providing purpose. When we design, we’re always thinking about function - how a space lives on a day-to-day basis and how our homes can serve our needs most effectively.
Our thought was to create a feeling of entering a hotel or the foyer of the home, but rather the foyer of this Momcave. I suggested a console table to be placed upon entering that could serve as a place to sit down a purse or even as a beverage nook when guests come to visit. The possibilities are endless and there is ample space on the console to switch the decor up as needed. We installed our client's existing mirror above and nicely decorated with storage books and zen decorative elements to drive home the theme of this space. See below for a video walk through of this space.
According to our clients, their new bedroom is beautiful. This mom told us how her daughters "love sitting in the room" and they come to sit in it often. The client herself also loves the room and believes it suits her needs + tastes perfectly. As a designer, I love to see people making an investment in the personal spaces in their home - in this case it was a guest room - because this is a space she will use everyday when she is home. Adding the personal touches like her scroll and other art passed down from family, while making the space feel current, warm and inviting is a pleasure and an honor for me. I feel so fortunate we got to be a part of helping them bring it all together.
I hope you enjoyed our latest Project Reveal and getting a look inside our design process, what we do as designers, and why it’s impactful. The reasons behind the material selections we make almost always serve as more than just a pretty facade, rather, we aim to make smart, functional selections that will accomplish the purposes our clients express to us and look great in the process.
Photography by Cornelius Bacot of A. Bacot Company Productions - Thanks Cornelius!