Now and then rooms
There are few things the dream room of a 5-yearold and 15-year-old girl have in common. Enter Denise Kartsimas of dkDESIGN, the master of designing rooms that work for years.
“Growing room is what we tried to give Miss Olivia,” Kartsimas says.
When Jon and Kelli Woods wanted to create a room for their daughter Olivia, 5, they enlisted Kartsimas, who created a color palette of pink and neutral elements that can move from season to season with Olivia.
“Greige. A mix of tan and grey — it’s a word I use a lot these days — has now replaced the old tans and beiges. It’s more versatile and can be used with tons of accent colors,” the designer says.
The drapery color and upholstered headboard are an example of the neutral backdrop that will work with an otherwise changing room.
“The core pieces are those that will grow with her … I installed an actual drapery wall behind the bed to camouflage two dummy door windows — it made the perfect backdrop for the gorgeous bed,” Kartsimas says. “Mirrored nightstand and crystal chandelier can be used for years. For now we have a fun color on the wall and girly accessories that keep it fun and age appropriate. As Olivia grows those pops of color and details can change with her tastes.”
While Kartsimas was appointed for the project, the Woods were involved as well from DIY projects (painting the large chest of drawers) to Olivia’s touches (her artwork on the walls, her books for décor).
“Doing girls’ rooms are always a favorite of mine because I have two girly girls myself,” Kartsimas says. “Miss Olivia helped accessorize the room with a few of her masterpieces that we hung together to really make it her own.”
Having the input of Olivia was one of her favorite parts of the project, and it’s clear Olivia’s big brother Jonathan is ready for his room to be next after seeing the his sister’s room complete. It became a family affair.