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A request to have a room completed in just four and one half days can make any designer shudder. The phrase, “This only happens on TV” comes to mind. And typically, such a request could mean turned away business. However, when this particular call came in, there was a caveat… When a husband contacted us in early September to request our services in order to surprise his wife for their 25th anniversary, how could we refuse? The challenge, however, was that she was going to be out of town for four days, and his hopes were to have their master bedroom completely finished, from start to finish, while she was gone! Both spouses work full time and volunteer in the community. The couple has three wonderful children and a big friendly dog. The wife spends hours each week cajoling and coaching the kids through their homework. The husband feels that his wife never takes any time for herself; she doesn’t pamper herself, and her priority has always been the needs of her family and community. The couple moved into the thirty year old home twenty years ago and their master bedroom had not been updated since. Also, as part of an addition three years ago, they added a closet and sitting area off the master bedroom. The sitting area was supposed to be a place for the wife to get away from it all, to relax watching television, or reading, or napping.
Since the addition was completed three years ago, she has attempted to complete the bedroom and sitting area. The room was very tired and was in serious need of an update; however, a decision could not be made and therefore the project never went forward. There was so much anxiety over the decisions to be made when completing their kitchen, that the bedroom became more than he knew she could handle. The only item existing in this space was a new chandelier, which the wife loves, hanging in the unfinished sitting area. So, our client decided to surprise his wife with a newly designed master bedroom, to be installed while she was out of town with her mother, sister, and other female family members. His hope was that he would save her the angst she goes through over these types of decisions and in turn allow her to enjoy the beauty of a completed bedroom. We presented the husband with our recommendations for color palettes, including bedding, furniture, and carpeting. We decided to use the paint color which his wife had picked three years previous. He involved his sister-in-law to aid in getting the process going and to validate his decisions. Together we selected all the components for their master bedroom, including a chaise lounge that he knew his wife had desired for her sitting area. A custom upholstered headboard, chair, side tables, armoire, window treatments and bedding were all selected and ordered. We met with contractors at our client’s home while the wife was at work. All of our vendors promised to meet our deadline. A tight time table was presented. The wife was scheduled to leave on a Friday morning. Shortly thereafter, the staff at Collaborate Design Studio descended upon the home, and completely emptied the room of all its contents. The painters began with the removal of existing wallpaper, and then continued to repair walls and ceilings, install crown moldings, and painted. This process took the better part of the total time frame. On Monday morning the carpet installers installed the new carpeting. Installation of window treatments followed, as did the delivery and placement of furniture and bedding. By the time she arrived home the following Tuesday evening, a beautifully appointed master bedroom with a warm mix of browns, golds and blues emerged. A collaborate effort between the client, our trusted vendors and our studio enabled us to tackle this challenge with gusto and confidence. Who says surprises like this are only made for TV?
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