Flaws can add character to a space, but often those charming non-traditional elements also present the biggest obstacles when it comes to planning a cohesive design. That’s what interior designer Marina Colella was faced with when clients hired her to bring some serenity and additional storage to their sunny, high-ceilinged bedroom.
The project, located in Westchester County, New York, is a case study in finding flexible solutions. “Most projects have one or two challenges—this one had a few,” shared Colella, whose eponymous studio is part of Decorating Den Interiors, a network of individually owned and operated interior design franchises throughout the U.S.
During a recent tour of the finished project, Colella shared that the first step was creating a sense of order for the windows, which include a stacked transom with a larger window below, and a horizontal cutout placed oddly on an adjoining wall.
After taking detailed measurements—a must before starting any home improvement project—Colella devised a plan with creamy drapes to camouflage one of the windows, sacrificing a small amount of light for a much-needed sense of equilibrium: “Nobody wants to cover the window, but in this case, it was really throwing the balance of the room off.” The neutral curtains restore symmetry to the space, and in the case of the smaller window, act like a floor-to-ceiling headboard.
Colella also got creative with the transom, installing a decorative grille that’s mirrored above the bed, a pattern that’s “a little bit transitional—not too contemporary, not too traditional.”
Next up was a soothing coat of warm beige paint to camouflage the unexpected angles of the high ceilings, otherwise one of the room’s best features. “The paint in this room was a little chaotic because a lot of painters see ceilings and think, ‘It must be painted white’,” said Colella. “In this room there are a lot of angles and soffits, and it really doesn’t unify the space.” A monochromatic coat, on the other hand, blurs the lines between wall and ceiling for visual harmony.
Functionality was another must on her client’s punch list for the project. “Even though it’s a bedroom and it has vaulted ceilings, it’s not huge,” Colella explained.
Her clever workarounds included a plush storage ottoman that does triple duty as a spot for hiding extra blankets, a soft seating area, and a pop of complementary floral upholstery, while a stylish wood wardrobe hides an entertaining secret. “The room does not lend itself to mounting the TV on the wall, so we have it in the armoire,” she revealed. The doors can be closed to disguise the electronics completely, and a cozy swivel chair offers the option to stream without staying under the covers.
To see the final reveal and get more of Colella’s practical tips, watch the video above.
