A MOTHER`S CHILDHOOD FANTASY WAS translated into a magical retreat in a bedroom fashioned of whimsy and beautiful imagery for two little girls.
With the artistry of Rita Miller and her husband, Bill Wagenaar, designers Elise Schreiber and Bill Olafsen created a woodland lush with willow trees, animals in the grass and bluebirds, with ribbons in their mouths, flying across blue skies in the bedroom of a Lincoln Park brownstone.
”Above the beds,” Schreiber says, ”is a trompe l`oeil midnight sky, with angels peeking down to say goodnight. The floors are carpeted in a green and white lattice-patterned wool, to give the impression of grass. We covered a radiator with lattice work and set a shelf behind it so we could put flower pots in it. Some grass was painted over the lattice, and there are friendly insects-butterflies, bumblebees and ladybugs-flying about and crawling all over the place.”
Cabinetry was custom designed to relate to the woodland effect. ”We wanted to keep it light, not ponderous, for the children, as the ceilings are about 10 feet. So we chose a pine with a whitewashed finish. The shelves are used for books and toy storage.”
A desk and nightstand came from an unfinished-furniture store, then sponge-painted and glazed in pinks, greens and blues. A skirted table holds a dollhouse. The draperies were made up in a bold stripe, with a thin stripe for the valance. One fabric is printed with huge yellow sunflowers.
”There`s a little humor in this room,” Schreiber says. ”It`s meant to be fun.”
Mom was thrilled with the results. As for her daughters? ”They adore it.”
WHERE TO BUY
Decorative painting-Miller-Wagenaar Studios Ltd.; custom cabinetry-Agati Inc.; bedding-Rosemark Designs; bed fabric-Hines & Co.; carpeting-Stark.
