The client: A McLean couple who had a clean slate in their master bedroom—and wanted an interior designer who could create a sophisticated space from scratch.
The project: The family had moved into a new home with barely any furniture and weren’t sure where to start. In general, they lean toward earth tones, but wanted to try something a little more glam in their bedroom. “I loved [designing] the master bedroom because I was really able to build it from scratch,” says Johnson. “There was absolutely nothing in the room and they were very adventurous.”
The requirements: The bedroom needed to offer both form and function. With two little boys, ages 7 and 10, the family wanted the bedroom to be a place they could all feel welcome. Sleek design elements had to mingle with furniture that could accommodate young children.
Highlights: Look up. The large chandelier created a centerpiece for the room. Johnson accentuated it by painting the tray ceiling above the bed a deep navy and topped the king-size bed with a white duvet to allow the chandelier to be the first thing you see. “The bed is always the focal point of a master bedroom of course, but the chandelier was the wow moment of the room,” says Johnson. “But it’s not going to show if we don’t have a dark ceiling.” A comfortable king-size bed that could fit all four family members, plus a gray chaise lounge that offers a place for the kids to sleep during middle-of-the-night visits, gave the room the requested function.
Challenges: Looking at it from the glass-half-full perspective, Johnson doesn’t necessarily count it as a challenge, but the room was completely bare. She had endless options instead of having to design around an inspiration piece of furniture or fabric.
The final reveal: Johnson created a sophisticated space that featured a number of striking pieces, custom elements and, perhaps most importantly, a space that the client could call their own. Three colors of complementary paint gave the room an even larger feel, while a mix of gray and blue fabrics offset the bright white nightstands and silver bookshelf.
Designer Bio
Top Interior Designer Kim Johnson, founder of Kim Johnson Designs
Kim Johnson has been an interior designer for 20 years, getting her start when she and her husband were flipping houses. With that venture, she learned the industry from the ground up and works with clients to make their design visions come to life.
McLean; 703-220-7456; [email protected]
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