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PrintInside SCV Magazine's Kid's Room Makeover Team
Creates a Log Cabin Escape
June, 2007 - Issue #32
How do you turn a 9-foot by 11-foot bedroom into a space as limitless as the great outdoors? For a transformation this grand, you have to be inspired.
"Here's a great kid who has been happy with every simple thing he's been given in life. To think about the joy he would experience with his new room was the real payout," says Dream Themes owner Michael Albert of Matthew McMaster, the room makeover recipient.
The addition of a custom tree house bed, mural, themed lighting, rustic teak desk, kid-friendly carpet, shutters, wardrobe door and accessories were not lost on Lori McMaster, Matthew's mom. "This has been an amazing experience. We feel so very lucky. He loves the room. The whole experience was better than we could have ever expected. It was phenomenal."
Tree House Bed
Matthew's tree house loft bed is definitely the focal point of the room. The two-tier space is divided into a sleeping area and a lounge area complete with bookshelves. "Other versions of the bed use the bottom space for a second bed or a desk, but because the room is so small, I wanted to maximize the space he had to play," says Albert of Dream Themes. "The tree house bed has little spaces perfect for hiding and getting away," he continues.
What Lori McMaster can get away from is worry. "The bed is incredibly sturdy. It has been engineered so that the branches are like trusses on a bridge. They help support the piece," informs Albert.
The handpainted piece was finished by Dee Dee Cooper of Cooper Designs. "We like to work with the muralist who has completed other things in the room to keep the look consistent," says Albert. "If it's just the bed that's painted in the room, we will use one of our painters," states the designer, who has done beds for rooms as large as 20-feet by 25-feet.
The company's goal is to create a space inspired by dreams and make those fantasies a reality. "The joy on his face is what we did this for," says Albert.
Flooring
"We selected a textured nylon carpet for the room," recalls Brent Griffins of Brent's Carpet One. Available in an extensive amount of colors, the high-quality flooring allowed for Griffins to achieve the exact shade he was looking for, but what was even more important was durability. "It's a boy's room, so you know it's going to go through a lot of wear and tear, but this carpet will outlast him, even if he eats and plays hard in his room all the time. They'll get tired of it before it wears out. The texture is intentionally a little rough, and that will also help hide any stains," says Griffins.
Mural
Dee Dee Cooper of Cooper Designs is a decorative painter with over 14 years experience. Responsible for the painting on the bed, as well as the log cabin walls and nature mural, Cooper thinks that the result is "a very 'boy' room." "Because the painting is realistic, not cartoonish, he'll still like the work even when he's a lot older. Plus, I incorporated elements I knew he was fond of, like the wolf, to make it even more personal to him," she says. "When he moves out, Mom can put a couch in there and use it as a living space," she continues. "The look is timeless." The McMaster household isn't alone in enjoying a mural-scape indoors. "The trend is moving towards murals," says Cooper. "I've done more in the last year than in the previous five years. It used to be more faux finishing, but it has now flip-flopped."
Ceiling Fan
The rustic light kit was the inspiration for Matthew's new ceiling fan, says Lindsay Barbarino of Valley Breeze. "We mixed and matched different elements, like we can do for all our clients, to create a unique look that totally fits the space," she continues. Barbarino selected small 44-inch cheery wood fan blades so that the piece was proportional with the size of the room. Together with the oil-rubbed bronze motor, the result is both beautiful and efficient. Ceiling fans can effectively cool a room at a tiny fraction of the cost of air conditioning.
Lantern Light
The rustic look continued with the contribution from SC Lighting. The company donated a classic-looking outdoor lantern that both brightens the space and adds authenticity. "We have over 20 years of electrical experience," says owner Cheryl Vaknin. "We have indoor/outdoor and landscape light, recessed lights, lights for bathrooms and vanities, chandeliers, hard-to-find bulbs, catalogs full of lamps, energy-efficient lights and so much more. The trick was selecting something that would be perfect for his room, and I think the lantern really captured the whimsy of the place."
Wardrobe Door
Even though Great Outlook Window & Door's lovely showroom boasts an extensive amount of wardrobe options, selecting the California Oak Mirrored By-pass door was easy with the help of the company's dedicated team. "We are a small, family-owned company with a big heart," says Nick Lavallee of Great Outlook. "We've been in Santa Clarita for 14 years. Our owner, Lee Borden, has lived here for 55 years. We are so happy to support our community in this way," he continues. The company's expertise includes retro fit and new construction vinyl windows, entry doors, custom or standard interior doors and commercial supply.
Teak Desk and Bean Bag
The warm feel of the recycled teak desk donated by Interior Home seems to come deep from within the rich hardwood. The surprisingly affordable desk fits beautifully with the cabin-like interior in young Matthew's room, but would look just as good in an adult's Spanish study.
It's the flexibility of the piece that convinced Interior Home owner Deno Antonini to include it in the room. "He'll be able to use this forever," says Antonini. "It's finished with wax, not a stain, so it could even be sanded down a bit after an extensive amount of use and look brand new again," he continues.
The camouflage bean bag was also donated by Interior Home. "It offers several different seating options," informs Antonini. The piece can be opened up for use as a comfortable rest area for two. The highly-durable fabric is incredibly easy to care for; it can be cleaned by spraying it down with a hose.
Shutters
Plantation shutters don't have to be white. In fact, the trend is moving towards darker wood shades. "Deep-toned finishes are gaining in popularity, especially in Santa Clarita," says Paul Gatlin of Alpine Shutters. Gatlin attributes the movement to homeowners embracing the Spanish style architecture of their houses. "It's an adobe look. Dark wood furniture, stone floors and shutters all work together for an authentic feel," he continues.
"The shutters selected for this room do a good job of paying homage to nature and really contribute to the outdoor atmosphere of the room," he says.
Accessories
The room's finishing touch was provided by Rooms to Roam owner Julie Maer. A stick-encased votive was converted to a pencil holder; a wooden frame now adds texture and height to the desktop; the crowning touch, however, is the lantern that hangs from a tree branch. "These accents add a real feel of nature to the space," says Maer.
Room Makeover Team
Alpine Shutters
A A A A A A A A 661-799-8013
Brent's Carpet One
A A A A A A A A 661-255-3337
Cooper Designs
A A A A A A A A 818-831-8960
Dream Themes
A A A A A A A A 661-250-8400
Great Outlook Windows & Doors
A A A A A A A A 661-222-9195
Interior Home
A A A A A A A A 661-294-9940
Rooms to Roam
A A A A A A A A 661-259-7890
SC Lighting
A A A A A A A A 661-799-5852
Valley Breeze
A A A A A A A A 661-255-5015
"Here's a great kid who has been happy with every simple thing he's been given in life. To think about the joy he would experience with his new room was the real payout," says Dream Themes owner Michael Albert of Matthew McMaster, the room makeover recipient.
The addition of a custom tree house bed, mural, themed lighting, rustic teak desk, kid-friendly carpet, shutters, wardrobe door and accessories were not lost on Lori McMaster, Matthew's mom. "This has been an amazing experience. We feel so very lucky. He loves the room. The whole experience was better than we could have ever expected. It was phenomenal."
|
|
Tree House Bed
Matthew's tree house loft bed is definitely the focal point of the room. The two-tier space is divided into a sleeping area and a lounge area complete with bookshelves. "Other versions of the bed use the bottom space for a second bed or a desk, but because the room is so small, I wanted to maximize the space he had to play," says Albert of Dream Themes. "The tree house bed has little spaces perfect for hiding and getting away," he continues.
What Lori McMaster can get away from is worry. "The bed is incredibly sturdy. It has been engineered so that the branches are like trusses on a bridge. They help support the piece," informs Albert.
The handpainted piece was finished by Dee Dee Cooper of Cooper Designs. "We like to work with the muralist who has completed other things in the room to keep the look consistent," says Albert. "If it's just the bed that's painted in the room, we will use one of our painters," states the designer, who has done beds for rooms as large as 20-feet by 25-feet.
The company's goal is to create a space inspired by dreams and make those fantasies a reality. "The joy on his face is what we did this for," says Albert.
|
|
Flooring
"We selected a textured nylon carpet for the room," recalls Brent Griffins of Brent's Carpet One. Available in an extensive amount of colors, the high-quality flooring allowed for Griffins to achieve the exact shade he was looking for, but what was even more important was durability. "It's a boy's room, so you know it's going to go through a lot of wear and tear, but this carpet will outlast him, even if he eats and plays hard in his room all the time. They'll get tired of it before it wears out. The texture is intentionally a little rough, and that will also help hide any stains," says Griffins.
Mural
Dee Dee Cooper of Cooper Designs is a decorative painter with over 14 years experience. Responsible for the painting on the bed, as well as the log cabin walls and nature mural, Cooper thinks that the result is "a very 'boy' room." "Because the painting is realistic, not cartoonish, he'll still like the work even when he's a lot older. Plus, I incorporated elements I knew he was fond of, like the wolf, to make it even more personal to him," she says. "When he moves out, Mom can put a couch in there and use it as a living space," she continues. "The look is timeless." The McMaster household isn't alone in enjoying a mural-scape indoors. "The trend is moving towards murals," says Cooper. "I've done more in the last year than in the previous five years. It used to be more faux finishing, but it has now flip-flopped."
|
|
Ceiling Fan
The rustic light kit was the inspiration for Matthew's new ceiling fan, says Lindsay Barbarino of Valley Breeze. "We mixed and matched different elements, like we can do for all our clients, to create a unique look that totally fits the space," she continues. Barbarino selected small 44-inch cheery wood fan blades so that the piece was proportional with the size of the room. Together with the oil-rubbed bronze motor, the result is both beautiful and efficient. Ceiling fans can effectively cool a room at a tiny fraction of the cost of air conditioning.
Lantern Light
The rustic look continued with the contribution from SC Lighting. The company donated a classic-looking outdoor lantern that both brightens the space and adds authenticity. "We have over 20 years of electrical experience," says owner Cheryl Vaknin. "We have indoor/outdoor and landscape light, recessed lights, lights for bathrooms and vanities, chandeliers, hard-to-find bulbs, catalogs full of lamps, energy-efficient lights and so much more. The trick was selecting something that would be perfect for his room, and I think the lantern really captured the whimsy of the place."
|
Wardrobe Door
Even though Great Outlook Window & Door's lovely showroom boasts an extensive amount of wardrobe options, selecting the California Oak Mirrored By-pass door was easy with the help of the company's dedicated team. "We are a small, family-owned company with a big heart," says Nick Lavallee of Great Outlook. "We've been in Santa Clarita for 14 years. Our owner, Lee Borden, has lived here for 55 years. We are so happy to support our community in this way," he continues. The company's expertise includes retro fit and new construction vinyl windows, entry doors, custom or standard interior doors and commercial supply.
|
Teak Desk and Bean Bag
The warm feel of the recycled teak desk donated by Interior Home seems to come deep from within the rich hardwood. The surprisingly affordable desk fits beautifully with the cabin-like interior in young Matthew's room, but would look just as good in an adult's Spanish study.
It's the flexibility of the piece that convinced Interior Home owner Deno Antonini to include it in the room. "He'll be able to use this forever," says Antonini. "It's finished with wax, not a stain, so it could even be sanded down a bit after an extensive amount of use and look brand new again," he continues.
|
|
The camouflage bean bag was also donated by Interior Home. "It offers several different seating options," informs Antonini. The piece can be opened up for use as a comfortable rest area for two. The highly-durable fabric is incredibly easy to care for; it can be cleaned by spraying it down with a hose.
Shutters
Plantation shutters don't have to be white. In fact, the trend is moving towards darker wood shades. "Deep-toned finishes are gaining in popularity, especially in Santa Clarita," says Paul Gatlin of Alpine Shutters. Gatlin attributes the movement to homeowners embracing the Spanish style architecture of their houses. "It's an adobe look. Dark wood furniture, stone floors and shutters all work together for an authentic feel," he continues.
"The shutters selected for this room do a good job of paying homage to nature and really contribute to the outdoor atmosphere of the room," he says.
|
|
Accessories
The room's finishing touch was provided by Rooms to Roam owner Julie Maer. A stick-encased votive was converted to a pencil holder; a wooden frame now adds texture and height to the desktop; the crowning touch, however, is the lantern that hangs from a tree branch. "These accents add a real feel of nature to the space," says Maer.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Room Makeover Team
Alpine Shutters
A A A A A A A A 661-799-8013
Brent's Carpet One
A A A A A A A A 661-255-3337
Cooper Designs
A A A A A A A A 818-831-8960
Dream Themes
A A A A A A A A 661-250-8400
Great Outlook Windows & Doors
A A A A A A A A 661-222-9195
Interior Home
A A A A A A A A 661-294-9940
Rooms to Roam
A A A A A A A A 661-259-7890
SC Lighting
A A A A A A A A 661-799-5852
Valley Breeze
A A A A A A A A 661-255-5015
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