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Room Redo: From Storage Room to Orientalist Retreat
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Many people have a drawer, a closet or perhaps even an entire room that becomes a catchall for all of those things that don’t have a designated storage space. If you have ever stayed at a friends home, where the only way to get to the guest-room bed was to navigate a narrow pass through a mountain of storage boxes. Then you can imagine my space.
After a rearrange of my home, it became clear that my dedicated storage room needed to also serve as a guest room. In addition, I needed to create a work space, where I can set up my drawing table and have a place to actually sit down and draw in a calm, cool and collected space.
Something had to change – and change it did! My storage room has become a comfortable space suitable for both work and relaxation.
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Budget – My budget follows that simple designers formula – ALAP – As Little As Possible. To get the most bang for the buck, I decided to create a theme room that would house many items I’ve collected. Over the years, I’ve purchased or given many items of Orientalist décor. From a fairly large collection of stuffed camels, to an array of tambourines, brass trays, rugs and candle holders, my house had little touches of the Middle and Far east scattered about my home. All of these elements were going to come together in this one room to create a unified and cohesive space.
Purchases – Having all of this stuff already allowed me to save a LOT of money. However, there were a few things that I had to pick up to make the space more functional.
4 Lack shelves Ikea - These shelves are inexpensive and yet, quite stylish.
Plastic Storage Boxes - I selected plastic bins that are easy to use, are see-through and fit onto the shelves.
The BIG restriction – No Paint – While I would love to just slather the walls with a rich red, accented with bands of gold, the reality is that I’m a renter and painting falls outside of the limitations of my lease. To work around this, I’ve covered the walls with lots of colorful textiles, instruments, artwork and other decorative objects.
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Two Spaces in One
To make this tiny pocket-sized room serve two purposes, I had to do quite a bit of planning on paper. I drew a proportional illustration of the space and began to insert the various parts and pieces. The bed, the largest piece of furniture, was also the absolute necessity. I placed the bed in the far corner of the room, tucking it into the corner. |
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Shelves Installed
To visually balance the two sides, the shelves were hung at the same height on both walls creating unified look to the space. Once the shelves from Ikea were installed on the walls, I knew we were getting close. The white storage boxes, however, were not that attractive, and it was difficult to know exactly what was inside. Plastic storage boxes were a must. |
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Lounge Space
To make the bed area more relaxing and inviting, I decided to hang a rug horizontally under the lowest shelf. A decorative bedspread with red hues to match the rug was placed over the bed. A pile of pillows clad in ornate fabrics provide a luxurious and comfortable place to lay.
On the shelves above, my camel collection collected into one location for the first time, and before the moment I put them all up there, I didn’t know exactly how vast my collection actually was! The other shelf became a ledge for displaying various decorative objects.
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Work Space
The opposite side of the room is devoted to work. A computer sits in front of the window, so I can see the sky as I write. The shelves above are used to house decorative trims that I use to help get the creative juices flowing. To the right of the pc, a dress forms stand waiting to be draped in fabrics and trim. A worktable under the shelves provides a space to set up my drawing equipment, sewing gear or even just about anything. This L shaped workspace packs a lot of organizational punch. |
Jewelry Board
The dark color of the velvet really sets off the metallic sheen of the jewelry pieces like the golden tones of this Hand of Fatima.
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Craft Project – Jewelry Display Board
One of the fun parts of this redo was coming up with a way to display my collection of tribal jewelry. I adore tribal jewelry, and have collected pieces throughout my dance career. Most of the time, these pieces are hidden in bags, tucked away in protective bags, only pulled out during performances.
Inspired by Artemis Imports display of jewelry, I decided to make my own board. Artemis uses foam core wrapped in black velvet as the base for her jewelry display. Sturdy T-pins and U-pins hold the jewelry to the boards. I decided to make my own to hang on the strange short-wall .
Materials:
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Cork Board
Velvet
Duct tape
T-Pins
Total Cost |
8.00
3.50
1.75
2.99
16.24 |
I purchased the bulletin board at a discount store in the office/school supplies aisle. The velvet was pulled from a remnant bin, and though I wanted black, I decided that deep teal would work well, looking almost black in that dark corner. The duct tape was in my tool box, and I used about a yard of tape. The cost was probably about a .25. T-pins can be found in hobby, craft and sewing stores.
Construction is easy! Simply lay the velvet out, place the board, cork-side down in the center and pull the fabric up and around and tape into place. It’s as easy as wrapping a package.
Hang the board, making sure it’s level and balanced on the wall. Pin your jewelry on in an artful arrangement.
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Toran hung ceremonially over the door marks the threshold between two spaces, the public and the private. |
Finshed Room? Never!
The finished room is a wonderful dual space to spend time in. The work zone is an efficient and comfortable place to work, while the bed is a luxurious expance to lay in. No matter if I am reading a book, researching a hot new topic, drawing images for my next article or book, or simply taking a nap, this is now my favorite room of the house.
While the project is "finished" I don't think rooms are every really done. Rather, they are organic projects that reflect a "moment" in a life. Your posessions of the moment frame the space, and create a special and unique energy, and resonating throughout the space.
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Rooms to Redo
Do you want to express your love of the Middle East and Oriental dance in your interior design, but haven't got an entire room to devote? Here are a few creative ideas:
Bathroom Retreats
Many of the decorative items imported from the Middle East make excellent decore for a powder room or guest bath. Palm tree motifs are quite popular and can be found in photo images, emblazoned on towels and integrated into the design of bath accessories.
Dance Corners and Studio Spaces
Every dancer can benefit from carving out a niche in their homes to practice their dance. Large mirrors, an elegant basket to hold hip wraps and veils and a box to place your zills. If you can find a chest or large box upon which to set your boom-box and perhaps a tv/vcr/dvd player to dance along with your favorite videos.
Casbah Themed Living Rooms
The large walls available in living rooms are excellent spaces for hanging beautiful textiles, brass trays, musical instruments or swords. Artwork, like orientalists prints, photos of yourself or other dancers, or even landscapes and posters from exotic locales can help personalize your space and express your love of the art.
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