I know from experience it can be hard to carve out time and individual space in a house shared with significant others, roommates, kids, or pets. Unlike my room growing up, I find that my personal areas are no longer mine alone. Since Daphne’s master bedroom was a recent addition to her Noe Valley home, we had the opportunity to imagine her own private dressing room from the ground up. Clothes are a common way to show personal identity, and showcasing these self defining items with personal touches can create the perfect retreat.

The master bedroom, adjacent to the dressing room, was designed by architect Heidi Liebes to have a dramatically high pitched ceiling, while the hallway and closet were designed to have ceilings at the height of the old house. The framer mis-read the plans and brought this high ceiling design into the closet and the hallway. To avoid having to redo the ceiling, we brainstormed a clever solution and utilized the extra height by installing a drop pendant light and extra shelves, accessible with an old farm ladder from Rustic Garden attached to a brass pole from Brassworks (think: library ladder). With a crisis adverted and the structure in place, it was time to bring this dressing room to life.

Something I love about Daphne is how she’s drawn to weird, beautiful things – it reminds me of my parents who have science and nature specimens on display around their house. Her dressing room was a place separate from her kids and family spaces that her quirky aesthetic could be showcased. Together we sourced fabulous Abnormals Anonymous wallpaper named “Mr. Blow” after being inspired by local curiosity shop Paxton’s Gate, to speak to Daphne’s perchance for natural oddities. Then came the fun part – filling up the closet! We got to work showcasing her fabulous collection of boots, displayed jewelry on a salvaged dresser and mirror, installed a vintage crystal chandelier Daphne found on Ebay. A colorful area rug added texture with a bohemian touch.

From a simple design perspective, I like how the wallpaper colors tied in with the brass rod and the color scheme in the master bedroom. On a more personal level, I adore how the scientific sketch-inspired wallpaper pairs with the chandelier and rustic library-type ladder to create a Victorian space that seamlessly blends new architecture with a deep sense of history. It’s a quirky concept for a dressing room, but Daphne’s patience and ability to trust the design process left her with a personal retreat she absolutely treasures.