GARAGE SALE GLAMOUR

A spatially challenged fashionista receives a wardrobe-inspired bedroom designed by the Decor Demon team

Produced, designed, written and styled by Brian Patrick Flynn and Tiffany J. Davis with photography by Sarah Dorio

Just another day at the office: Design a favorite-outfit-inspired bedroom on a shoestring budget, then install it on LIVE television. Um, okay. Publicist Jamie Annarino is a master with events, branding and media. When the PR savvy fashionista put her own guest bedroom together, let’s just say all press wasn’t necessarily good press. In fact, our red-headed power gal had referred to the space as “the garage” for so long that she’d truly forgotten it was meant for slumber.

I called upon fashion writer/stylist/DailyCandy editor, Tiffany J. Davis, to sum up Jamie’s personal style in a single outfit. After hours trying to cast Tiffany’s key players in my design feature, the inspiration set in. We’d pair white, green and orange with a gender neutral backdrop, throw in metallic sheens and organic textures, then finish it all off with touches of the 1960′s. To keep costs down, we’d furnish the room with garage sale items, flea market finds and smart IKEA pieces. Remaining funds would go to custom draperies, bedding and an architectural treatment to the ceiling. The design AND the live television coverage left all parties involved very pleased…except for the lawnmower and wheel barrel, who have been marooned to the front porch.

Closet case

After an hour, Tiffany and Jamie both agreed on the one getup most true to Jamie’s sense of fashion: a white and silver mod dress, green snakeskin clutch, grey-brown leather heels, bold orange scarf, pewter brooch and a natural/brown necklace. Not an easy combination to translate, but who the hell am I to judge?

All dressed up

Out with the old and in with the new! We started with operable floor-to-ceiling draperies cut from IKEA’s 100% cotton PATRICIA fabric [$7.99 per yard]. Once installed, we brought in the snowy white EDLAND four-poster bed [$299] flanked by a pair of grey two-drawer EDLAND chests [$199]. Atop the chests reigns the fairest lamp of them all, a ceramic queen bust scored at a flea market for $15. Two coats of orange spray paint later, the glossy lady became the space’s breakout star.

Points of interest

Accent pieces run the price-point gamut from used-and-abused to showroom showstoppers. Fresh flowers rest inside a 1970′s juice pitcher discovered at a flea market for two bucks. Throw pillows and bedding from the opposite end of the dollar sign spectrum were fabricated by Custom Slipcover & Upholstery from silver-toned Fabricut silk, pleated metallic Kravet fabric by Candice Olson and charcoal Fabricut linen. A zig-zag Dwell Studio pillow from Target completes the bedscape as DIY art boasting “Carmen: Blue & Brown” wallpaper from Graham & Brown graces an adjoining wall.

Cutting overhead

I’m horrified by machines that cut things and make lots of noise yet was determined not to leave Jamie’s snorefest of a ceiling high and dry. Good thing my carpenter, Chris McClellan, enjoys both saws AND nailguns. The handy fellow added architectural interest with Armstrong’s Woodhaven plank ceiling system in roughly six hours. Chris’s installation included: nailing furring strips to studs, cutting planks to size, staggering and attaching each tongue-and-groove component in place with metal clips and screws.

Cartridge in a pear tree

Jamie’s inspiration outfit included a dark olive clutch….so where the hell is the green? Well, it’s on the walls — duh? To keep the room open and airy, we chose a blue-green hue to complement the grey and orange tones in the furniture, accessories and the tree-like pattern in the fabric. My draper, Donna Dennis, brought the hanging beauties to the next level with cartridge pleats. Although we spent most of our budget dressing the windows, we opted for industrial conduit, flanges and simple pewter rings versus pricy designer hardware.

Seamingly sew

Not only did Donna meticulously sew seams and pleats to create our custom draperies, she showed up to make them perfect for our live TV installation. Notice how her outfit kinda matches the room. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Getting cornered

To put this dead space corner to good use, we deemed it laptop central. The entire setup cost a “whopping” $125. We scored the 1960′s desk for 25 bucks then added two coats of orange with an HVLP paint sprayer. Our 60′s-centric lamp set us back $25: the artwork was a thrift store score at only $10. Although our Asian scrollback chair cost only $25, we spent $40 on fabric and fabrication from my upholsterer, Miguel, for a new seat cushion. Now that it’s done, we’re all gaga over the project’s outcome. Let’s just hope Jamie doesn’t have a new favorite outfit anytime soon.

If you’ve got ten free minutes to watch the video clips from our live room installation on FOX 5, click this entire orange-tastic sentence.

This sentence is also click-able for brave souls interested in becoming fans of Decor Demon on Facebook.