Transforming a Boring Bedroom Into a Stunning Eclectic Retreat

I believe the best design has got to have rhythm. Without it, a room is just a space with no personality. It's a huge space. This is huge. This is just weird. I'm Candice Olsen, and using the principle of design rhythm, I'm going to transform one couple's bland master bedroom into an exciting retreat. New bedroom. And a new bedroom. Yes, a new bedroom. That's the best. But the course of true design never runs smoothly, and this project gets into trouble when my contractor Rudy gets distracted by his upcoming marriage plans. You know what this is? Yeah, right. Look how easy it is. People always ask me, what's the secret to designing a beautiful room? For me, it's unexpected inspiration mixed with classic design principles. It's understanding the rules, but knowing when to break them. You want to know more? Come on, I'll tell you how it's done. This old train station, this beautiful neoclassical building, it's one of my favorites. It has these soaring windows, these grand columns, and it's the repetition set up with these columns that creates this visual rhythm. It's like a song where you hear the beat, and then it just grabs you, it hooks you, it pulls you in. That's what these columns do. They invite you to come into this space, and what a space. Hey! Hi, Candice. Good to see you. Stephen and Dale's situation is pretty typical of a lot of couples. You do the kitchen, you do the living room, and the last space you do is your bedroom. This must be all new carpet. And that's about the only thing new in here. Everything else is probably 25 years old. This bedroom right now, it is still not a reflection of what this couple is all about. They're vibrant, energetic, and you go upstairs to that big beige box and... You know, a lot of people still buy sets. You get five pieces, you get the sixth one free. Yes. What a deal. I know, I know. There's a rhythm set up by a five-piece matching bedroom suite, and that says, boring, boring, boring, boring. What do you like about the room? It's big. Where do you even start? Do you pick the furniture? Do you pick the colors? Do you pick a theme? I have no idea. TV. Yes. Okay. But right now, the way it is, it's in the corner, and I have to sort of look over Steve's feet. Fold your toes down. That's what I have to tell him. Put your toes down. That's so true. What do you do over here? Nothing. It just stores junk. So this isn't part of the set? No. It's a hand-me-down from another location. There's a lot of drawers. I have some of my t-shirts and shirts in here, and then I have... Now, Dale, you're saying your stuff. My stuff. My stuff doesn't matter. It's just... That's why you've been married forever. Yeah. Steve and Dale have lived with a matching bedroom suite for 25 years now. That is so far from where they want to go. What is 25 years? What's the tradition for gifts? Silver, isn't it? I think it's silver. New bedroom and a new bedroom. Yes, a new bedroom. That's the best. You got off easy. They really want something that reflects 25 years of living together, and that's a really eclectic room. Because there are going to be so many different elements in this space, it's the principle of rhythm that's going to link everything together. One person I know who is just a genius at using rhythm is clothing designer Sunny Fong. For inspiration, I'm going to see how he's used rhythm to unify some very different pieces into one exciting collection. Hey, Sunny. Hi. Hi, good to see you. Good to see you. Busy, busy? Yes, working away. Now, this is what collection? This is my spring-summer collection. We have from sequins to croc to leopard to sateens. You think, oh my goodness, this is so different. But there is this common rhythm. The way I incorporate rhythm into my collection is the way I present it. For instance, there's a weave technique that I use with leather. I introduce it in the beginning. I have a variation in the middle. And then at the end, I do a different variation in a different color with the same technique. Oh, wow. I love that it comes with the body shape built in. Just like my bras. There is this repetition of a beautiful surface detailing that's really a signature of his that he uses to pull this whole collection together. Then I see it with color. Yes. This pattern is really the bridge between your lighter neutrals here and then heading into these charcoals. And I introduce it where I hand-dye the bottom. You're hand-dyeing now? Yeah. Just to get that little touch of warmth. Yeah. It's been run through the mud. You know what? If you're going to run through the mud in any outfit, that's the one. Now, there's one thing I'm noticing. There's that touch of unexpected. Yes. This is the piece I would be like, hey, wake up. And then how do you reintroduce this later on in the show? And I introduce the fringe again in my finale pieces. Oh, beautiful. I did a leopard print in sequence. So even though these are seemingly so different, you can see it's that similar element that really pulls it all together. You look at it, you go, this is all over the map. But when you look at it closer, there is this visual rhythm that pulls together this exciting, eclectic collection into just one beautiful, cohesive collection. Inspired by Sunny's innovative, eclectic fashions, I meet my project manager, Steve at the house, ready to get started. OK, here it is. A lot of space. Yeah, it's huge space. This is bigger than my bedroom at home. Oh, wow. Biggest bedroom I've ever seen in my life. Remember, we walked in, you just went, oh, nice big space. We're not going to do that. We're going to walk in and go, look at that bed. OK. So that's going to be the big focal point, the big statement. Everything is going to have to really relate back. Right, that will ground the space. I'm thinking of these three-dimensional wall panels that we work into some kind of framing. We'll have bedside tables that mismatch, mismatch table lamps. OK. If they're new space, it's going to be very eclectic. So really, the key here is to create this focal point. But then that wow factor has to relate to other elements throughout this big space. There has to be this rhythm set up. Then this area here. Yes. Again, new lighting throughout, new window treatments. We've got a big loungy sectional here, a little bit of a library feeling. But it's mostly lighting. There's only one light here as well. It's awful. Minimal. It's not too construction heavy, but there's going to be a lot of electrical in this project. So Rudy has a guy who can do that. And a little bit of construction. So maybe Rudy could do that as well. Are we honestly going to do it? Yeah, he called me today. Says he wants to do this. Right now, Rudy is doing a basement. He's doing a kitchen. Then he's going to be doing this bedroom. Then he's getting married. One of those is going to change. I know which one's not going to change. No, we're the priority. Marriage, come on. Look how easy it is. Construction begins with the installation of the 3D panels for the new headboard. Next, Steve and Alan remove the ceiling fan. Things would have gone faster if our contractor, Rudy, had been around. But that was not the case. Holy mackie. Hey, Rudy. Hey, how you doing? Where have you been? I went to pick up my rings. This job is already really tight as it is. Rudy's got a whole bunch of things to do. He's getting married very soon. Oh, I see the rings. I'd love to see them. His rings are beautiful. He's going to make her a very happy woman. But back to work. Now what the f*** am I going to do? Where have you been? I can't get into this. There's no possible way. Steve. We assumed that the attic would be open all the way across the ceiling. See what I mean, Steve? Oh yeah, I see what you mean. But the roof configuration is actually stopping short and preventing anyone from getting further across the room. See the thing is, Candace, I know she's going to want to have some sort of light centered on that window. Yeah. There's no way that we can get over there. I'm injecting rhythm, repeating beats of shape, texture and color into Stephen and Dale's bedroom to create a space that reflects the couple's 25 years of married life. New bedroom. And a new bedroom. Where have you been? We'd hardly begun before Rudy and Steve discovered a big problem. See what I mean, Steve? Oh yeah, I see what you mean. I got a call saying that we couldn't do lighting in the ceiling. Keep your hands off my red patent Crocs. I'm going to hold the ladder for you. I've had this call before from Rudy. Sometimes he means it. Sometimes he doesn't. Oh, oh, okay. You understand? This time he means it. That's as far as I can get. So the roof comes down, it's all plywood. Yes, yes. And then they took off from there. Well, there's that much of a hole to get through. I'm not that skinny. You might be able to fit through there. Rudy couldn't do the pendant fixture that I wanted in front of the window because there is no attic. It's very bizarre. So we extend the track. We hang the inline voltage fixture off of the low voltage track. It sounds complicated. It is. And Rudy needs to send it out to be done, basically. We have a ton of stuff left to do. The fan's down and the panels are up. I know there's no electrical anywhere else. Why are you worried? A man's mind is distracted. I love marriage, but it should go love, business, finish business, then get married. People often ask me where I get the inspiration for my designs. The answer is simple, from everything around me. Today, I'm on my way to meet up with my design assistant, Alison. I pass by this men's shop and in the window, this beautiful vignette. White, charcoal, and red. That's the palette I'm going to use at Stephen and Dale's. It's always amazing how inspiring children can be. I brought my daughter to work a little while ago and she was playing that finger origami game. But you know what I love? The way the light hits all the different planes and that's where this comes into play. Oh, I love that. That's going to be the focal point, especially, I think, if we set it off against a really bold color. And this bedding you found, it is spectacular. Having that big king-size bed and that exaggerated sort of pattern, I think it's perfect. The beautiful charcoal bedding, I'll pick up that tone way over on the sectional, starting that rhythm, the repetition of color. Maybe a dark, mushroomy, chocolatey... Hold on, I have to... Chocolate, mushroom, chocolate, mushroom, chocolate. The secret is out. I'm going to have to use this tool all the time. Wait until you see this. Yeah. It's like you made it. Seriously, it could not be more perfect. Because you get this, which repeats that diamond shape, and then the circle. Oh, beautiful. And it's such an unconventional way of displaying books. Okay, so we've got the rhythm of pattern, color. Wait until you see this one. Wow, clear glass. Clear glass, blown glass. Looks like an icicle hanging in the window. We have to make it a track fixture. Yeah, so we'll have to send it out and have it retrofitted so that we can install it on the track. I love a light fixture hanging in front of a window because it looks beautiful when it's on, but also when it's off and the light shines through it. If anyone saw all these pictures, they would go, how on earth is all of this going to come together? Yeah. It is so eclectic. Rhythm is essentially repetition. Repetition of pattern, of texture, of color, of form. You'll see that repetition all throughout these eclectic elements in the space. Who do you love? I love the console, mirror, and the media cabinet. Me too. And Alison. Meanwhile, back at the house, Rudy and Alan are busy framing the new headboard. The room is now ready to be painted. We've chosen most of our key furniture pieces, but I still need to source out the bedside tables. I need a vanity table. The fact that this doubles as a desk is perfect. Hairbrush, hair dryer on that side. Desk accessories on that side. One bedside table is going to be a desk vanity. I'd like something lighter on the other side. I need a dresser or something that looks like a dresser. I'm using the rhythm of color, pattern, and shape to transform Stephen and Dale's boring bedroom into an eclectic retreat. Oh. To solve our lighting issue, Rudy installs a longer track fixture for the pendant light. Now, Steve and the team assemble the media cabinet and put up the window treatment. I go looking for some last minute accessories. Come on, come on. We're doing a real mix of traditional and contemporary in this space. So this is, it's kind of a stylized interpretation of a Baroque Rococo mirror. People are taking the really elaborate forms and shapes and simplifying it. So it's traditional, but still funky and modern. I just need it in black. Okay, I've got one side done. At the house, Steve brings in the remaining furniture, but my design team has a bit of a problem. This desk, it's so cream. Obviously, they've given the wrong thing. We need to get this one that she'd specced for us. They sent the desk, which is sort of creamy. Do you have one of the oak desks in stock? Okay, so the guys are coming right away. We're going to just pick up and we'll see which ones we use. Thanks, honey. Bye. So while we wait for the oak desk, I help Rudy with his last job before he leaves for his big day. Does that look crooked to you? I'm excited for Rudy. He's heading off to get married. I'm surprised he could keep it together this long. That's it. You know what this is? Yeah, rice. It's your bill. Have a good one. Now that we've given Rudy a proper send-off, it's time to finish dressing the space. Finally, a me-sized sofa. Okay. Oh, whoa, whoa. Okay, don't let it drop. Just take your time. Well, I think there's one big problem with this, and it's me. Sitting in the middle of the carpet. A big part of what links this room together is the rhythm that's created with pattern and texture and color. Okay, so there's that pattern. That's kind of the big statement. This is just a little bit of a visual reference. One of the boldest elements when it comes to pattern is the bedding here. It grabs your attention. It's a beautiful complement to the textured headboard above. And you see that repetition of elements in this pattern all throughout the space. If a console ever needed to have a date with a pillow, this would be L-O-V-E. It's a heavy one. Oh, Rudy. Stephen and Dale wanted a really eclectic room. So the big challenge with a space like this is to pull it all together so it doesn't look like a hodgepodge of furniture. Storing clothes is a little overrated. It's very contemporary armoire, and it's the colors that really speak back and forth. And way off in the seating area, we also have these high-contrast white elements. I'm loving all the photography, but this almost feels like it's a room separate from that room. There's nothing speaking back and forth. Right. I think it's that maroon color. We need to change up some of these images. So, I mean, do you want to go looking for red images? We could visit that paper store, see what they have. Either that, or we squish these pillows. Squeeze them in. A simple idea is just to take fabric or paper and incorporate that into simple frames. It looks like fine art, and it gives those visual beats that start to link those two spaces together. Finally, the oak desk arrived. It's that oak console that makes that want to stay. Every last piece here is planned. Oh, but now look, are we too woodsy here? Which is actually why we initially went with the clear glass one on that side. Clear on glass. So now we're switching it again. What is going to come into this room that will have something in common with another piece? And it's those relationships that link a very diverse collection like we have here. It's good. Oh, it's really good. My paper towel just got stuck. Well, then you'll always have something where you can clean it with. Turning this big boxy space into a master bedroom any couple would be proud of hasn't been without its problems. Now what the f*** am I going to do? Finally, it's all come together. It's time to show Stephen and Dale a new space they'll hopefully be in love with for the next 25 years. We're nervous. What we're hoping to see today is something fantastic. Something that I walk in and I say, I love this. I'm hoping. Hi, Candace. Welcome home. Happy birthday. You excited? Yes, we're very excited. Okay, let's head up. Oh, boy. Oh, this is incredible. Oh, boy. That is unbelievable. Oh, look at this. Can you believe it? It's the same room. This is stunning. I don't even recognize this room. Which is good. Yes. The sea of beige is gone. It really is a delicious looking room. It's got so much going on. It's almost like you want to eat it up as a meal. You notice you come right in and it's the bed that kind of pulls you in. It's the focal point. And then your eyes start to go elsewhere. You see little color cues and visual textures that pick up on the bed. This is incredible. For a room to have a really good rhythm, you have to be drawn to a focal point, this bed. But then it's the rhythm of all these visual connections that takes an eclectic look and pulls it all together. And you see it at its finest in Stephen and Dale's bedroom. And look at the room over here. Isn't it cool? This is so pretty. It's like a self-contained apartment. This whole area really had no purpose other than to store. To store junk. And now here, we've got the art as a focal point. We've got this whole seating, reading, guitar playing area. Even look at this console, the shape. Look how it speaks to the bedding, the pattern in the carpet. It's this little language back and forth. It's beautiful. You notice that lamp speaks to this fixture. Oh, that's beautiful. That lighting, that's amazing. The TV in front of the bed now, so we'll both be able to see it. Yes, when this is your view, when you have the toes in between. I know that. That's, yeah, I know that. And they're my own feet. I can barely see the TV because of my own feet. This room, to me, was just a huge space with not much going on in it. And it was suddenly filled up with all these amazing things. There's such unique individual pieces everywhere. But everything blends. And it's just beautiful. We did not want a matching suite. We had that for 25 years. And that was enough. It looks like it just kind of all happened like that. Yes, but it didn't. 18 years we've been living in this house and haven't been able to come up with some comprehensive room with some continuity to it. So that's one thing I've learned, is get someone like Candice to do this for you. If you make it to 25, you do deserve a nice bedroom, I think. I agree. All I know is 25th anniversary, new bedroom. We're going to write some traditions. So does that mean I get a new one at 50? Are you coming back in 25 years? If I'm still doing this in 25 years, I'll be horribly wrong.