Done In A Day

Done In A Day

The Problem: An attic bedroom with angled walls, little light, less charm.

The Goal: To make it a chic retreat, with areas for watching TV, reading a good book and getting dressed.

The Remaining Work, Step by Step:

1. Working off Lorberg's table runner, the designers started brainstorming about color, style and furni- ture layout. Lorberg wanted a sitting area, the ability to watch TV from her bed and a place to get ready in the morning.

2. The team started researching a variety of items to show Lorberg.

3. Lorberg came to the office and reviewed the furniture plan and color for the walls. Specifically, the Sherwin- Williams paints picked were Ivoire (creamy white) and Raindrop (blue).

4. For furniture, the Breckenridge team instructed Lorberg to buy a new ceiling fan (her old one lacked a light), a console with a shelf of baskets from Pottery Barn, two nightstands from Ashley Furniture, a camel-colored suede cloth loveseat from World Market, drapery rods and panels from Linens-N-Things (that the Breckenridge workroom reworked) and a custom-made pillow for her window seat. "We wanted to be sure she got the big pieces," Ertl says, adding that Lorberg could add the accessories (which added up to considerably more money) as she was able.

5. Lorberg lobbed over ideas of her own. "Sarah sent us a lot of e-mails of pictures saying, 'Hey, I like this. What do you think?'" Nelson says. "We'd approve it and she would buy it. We kept track of the budget."

6. At the last meeting, all orders were finalized and the pillows, picture frames, lighting and accessories were presented for approval.

7. The big day of installation morphed into several hours of accessorizing. Drapes were hung, lamps added, bedding changed, pillows placed, three ottomans set at the foot of the bed, tabletops spruced up with new frames for old pictures.

"It is pretty amazing what you can do with accessories and a little paint," Ertl says.

Ten Tips For Designing A Bedroom In A Remodeled Attic Space

-from the design team at Diane Breckenridge Interiors Inc.

1. Measure your stairwell to make sure the furniture you select will make it up to the bedroom.

2. Measure the space in order to lay out your furni- ture. Angled walls and win- dow dormers create natural spaces for separate sleeping and sitting areas.

3. Painting the room-- including the ceiling--a lighter neutral color helps to unify the space and make the angled walls disappear.

4. Add color with an accent wall and accessories. This way the space never feels crowded or too heavy. Another plus is that you can change pillows and repaint the accent wall when you are ready for a change.

5. Create a cozy sitting area and additional storage by building in a bench in a window dormer.

6. Add light. More often than not, an attic will have only a central light fixture so you will have many dark areas. Place lamps around the room to give soft light to the entire space.

7. To add height to a shorter ceiling, hang the draperies as high above the window frame as space allows and use panels for a vertical line.

8. If you have short walls that angle up to your ceiling, don't be afraid to hang artwork lower on the wall. It aids in adding your accent colors to the room and warms up the space.

9. Do the unexpected. Instead of a single bench at the foot of your bed, use three footstools. Be creative.

10. Make the space reflect your own personality and style.

BOTTOM LINE: What Would It Cost?

BED

Chocolate duvet cover LINENS-N-THINGS $100

Chocolate pillow shams LINENS-N-THINGS, 2 @ $35 $70

King sham stuffer LINENS-N-THINGS, 2 @ $10 $20

Egyptian cotton queen sheet set LINENS-N-THINGS $60

Nightstands ASHLEY FURNITURE, 2 @ $136 $272

Chocolate lamps LINENS-N-THINGS, 2 @ $60 $120

20-inch chocolate-stripe pillows Z GALLERIE, 2 @ $40 $80

Blue-and-chocolate diamond pillow HOMEGOODS $17

Suede circular ottomans BED BATH & BEYOND, 3 @ $30 $90

Black-and-white frame TARGET $10

Small Kiva sphere CRATE & BARREL $7

Blue-and-ivory frame CRATE & BARREL $11

Ceiling fan LOWE’S $88

Headboard and bed frame HOMEOWNER’S

Glass vase HOMEOWNER’S

Total: $945

WINDOW TREATMENTS

Antique brown adjustable drapery rods

LINENS-N-THINGS, WITH INSTALLATION $165

Drapery panels

LINENS-N-THINGS, ALTERED BY BRECKENRIDGE WORKROOM $255

Total: $420

DRESSING AREA

Console POTTERY BARN $399

Freestanding mirror Z GALLERIE $169

Floral tone-on-tone pillows HOMEGOODS, 2 @ $20 $40

Chocolate beaded pillow HOMEGOODS $17

Aqua calypso tealights CRATE & BARREL, 5 @ $4 $20

Small hat box Z GALLERIE $20

Medium hat box Z GALLERIE $30

Large hat box Z GALLERIE $40

Aegean vase Z GALLERIE $20

Photo storage box CRATE & BARREL $18

Rug RUG DÉCOR $600

Cityscape picture HOMEOWNER’S

Total: $1,373

WINDOW SEAT AREA

Pinwhale corduroy pillows LINENS-N-THINGS, 4 @ $8 $32

Spring Frost pillows BED BATH & BEYOND $35

Blue decorative pillow TARGET, 2 @ $40 $80

Custom-made window seat cushions $210

Copper quilted pillows HOMEGOODS, 2 @ $20 $40

Paris plaque HOMEOWNER’S

Total: $397

TV ARMOIRE AREA

Chocolate and black 4x6 frame Z GALLERIE $16

Black glass frame BED BATH & BEYOND $15

Karma vase CRATE & BARREL $17

Totally Twiggy painting Z GALLERIE $109

Nickel-and-shell turtle Z GALLERIE $25

Nickel-and-shell frog Z GALLERIE, 2 @ $17 $34

French mosaic vase Z GALLERIE $60

17-inch spotted vase BOMBAY COMPANY $47

20-inch spotted vase BOMBAY COMPANY $57

TV armoire HOMEOWNER’S

Total: $380

SOFA SITTING AREA

Loveseat WORLD MARKET $499

Floor lamp BOMBAY COMPANY $225

Black-and-white lily photos BED BATH & BEYOND, 2 @ $50 $100

Ribbons pillow CRATE & BARREL $16

Chocolate-and-black 3x3 frame Z GALLERIE $13

Floating 4x6 frame TARGET $10

18-inch coral pillows Z GALLERIE, 2 @ $40 $80

Aqua leather vase CRATE & BARREL $19

City rhythm toss pillows BED BATH & BEYOND, 2 @ $40 $80

Side table BRODY’S LAMPS AND LAMP SHADES $280

Total: $1,322

Grand Total: $4,837