StyleCarrot

If you read my blog post about gray sofas earlier this month, then you know I have sashayed into the realm of decorator. To recap: A friend asked me to decorate her new four bedroom apartment in New York City. There’s no construction, kitchens or baths involved; it’s the paint and wallpaper, furniture, rugs, lighting, and accessories. There are a few pieces making the move that I’ll need to integrate, and the toddler’s room is pretty much set, leaving the master bedroom, nursery, guest bedroom/office, playroom, living room, and dining room.

The master bedroom seemed like the easiest place to start. Meredith is really drawn to this bedroom, particularly the jade color, designed by New York City designer Fawn Galli.

I’m a huge fan of Fawn’s work. In this room, I love the dramatic green headboard and wallpaper with surreal tree forms. However, the bedroom that really spoke to me for this project was the one I wrote about for TradHome, by San Francisco designer (of whom I am equally enamored), Palmer Weiss.

Some of the differences between the two rooms reflect how my tastes and Meredith’s can differ. She tends to favor curvier, more feminine styles, while I really like more spare, hard-edged lines. Luckily, blue and green are both of our go-to colors.

She knew she wanted an upholstered headboard. After sifting through styles and swatches from Jonathan Adler, Dwell Studio, Serena & Lily, West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Ballard, Williams-Sonoma, Oly, Cisco, Vanguard, and Lee Industries, we chose the Serena & Lily Pondicherry trimmed with nickel nailheads. We haven’t confirmed an exact fabric yet, but it will be white.

For wallpaper on the bed wall, we ordered samples from Walnut Wallpaper, Graham & Brown, Burke Decor,and indie designers’ sites. I didn’t find a jade green—most were sea foam or pale sky blue. She liked several, and we narrowed it to two choices: Grow House Grow! ‘Mme. Jeanne’ and the new Timorous Beasties ‘Butterflies,’ which we have yet to see IRL (in real life).

Master bedroom floor plan

Which decorating scheme do you prefer?
Feel free to leave feedback. Remember, I’m new at this.

Scheme #1

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Scheme #2

S H O P P I N G

Scheme #1
Wallpaper:
Grow House Grow! Mme. Jeanne, Grow House Grow!

Bed:
Serena & Lily Pondicherry Bed with Nailheads, Serena & Lily.

Nightstands:
Malibu Loft by Somerset Bay Concave Side Chest, Zinc Door.
Bungalow 5 Jacqui Side Table, Clayton Gray Home.
Jonathan Adler Preston Side Table, Jonathan Adler.

Rugs:
Suzanne Kasler Oria Flower rug, Safavieh.
Jill Rosenwald ‘Fallon’ flat weave wool rug, Hayneedle.
Surya Spectrum wool rug, RugStudio.
Suzanne Kasler Athene wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Martha Stewart Ikat Marsh wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Frontier Moroccan flat weave wool rug, Zinc Door.
Bowron vintage shearling rug, Burke Decor.

Chandeliers:
Arteriors Caviar Staggered Pendant, Candelabra.
Calais Glass Chandelier in Aquamarine, Z Gallerie.

Dressers:
World’s Away Studly Lacquer Dresser, The Well Appointed House.
Jonathan Adler Channing 6-Drawer Dresser, Jonathan Adler.

Scheme #2
Wallpaper:
Timorous Beasties Butterflies, Timorous Beasties.

Bed:
Serena & Lily Pondicherry Bed with Nailheads, Serena & Lily.

Nightstands:
Bungalow 5 Jacqui Side Table, Clayton Gray Home.
Malibu Loft by Somerset Bay Concave Side Chest, Zinc Door.

Rugs:
David Easton Paro Grid wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Shabati Paxi wool & acrylic rug, Zinc Door.
Surya Spectrum ivory rug, Hayneedle.
Thomas O’Brien Deco Garden wool & silk rug, Zinc Door.
Surya Thom Filicia Griffith Park wool & viscose rug, Buy.com.

Chandeliers:
(Existing) Five-Light Coral Branch Chandelier, Ballard Designs.
Arteriors Caviar Chandelier, The Well Appointed House.

Dressers:
Bennett Lowboy Dresser, Zinc Door.
Malibu Loft by Somerset Bay 12-Drawer Dresser, Zinc Door.
Vanguard Mirrored Chest, Horchow.

You’ve probably seen Caitlin McGauley’s work without even realizing it. She’s done sassy watercolors for Lonny and limited edition prints of luscious interiors for Kate Spade, and even portraits on the spot for chichi style events in New York. Her work is as appealing as her own visage—pretty, spirited, and stylish. She captures the likenesses of strangers on the street, well-known fashion icons, elephants in India, tasseled necklaces, charming foodstuffs, and rooms galore, which are my definite favorites.

While most of her limited edition prints are sold out, you can get an almost daily dose of her cheerful renditions of everyday life on her blog, Caitlin’s Sketchbook.