Romantic red

Crimson red accents and luxurious detail transform a builder's-box-powder-room into a romantic retreat for homeowners and guests.

A client turned me onto a great read recently; actually it was three great reads, an historic fiction trilogy written by Sandra Gulland chronicling the life of Josephine Bonaparte. Raised in modest means on the island of Martinique, young Marie-Rose de Tascher de la Pagerie, as she was born, settled into an unhappy marriage that ended with the execution of her husband, Viscomte Beauharnais during the French Revolution. Napoleon fell for the widow Rose Beauharnais on his way up the power ladder, renamed her Josephine, and the rest as they say is history. So, what does this have to do with decorating? Well, this same client jetted off to Paris during the initial phase of our design project, a 1,200 sq. foot downtown condominium. Upon her return she called me over to share some exciting photos she'd taken of a painting at the Louvre (is that legal?). The Jacques Louis David painting in question is titled The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Josephine. Pointing with pride, she exclaimed, "This is the exact shade of red, see here in Josephine's robe, that I want for my powder room. Regal, dramatic, romantic and drop-dead red! Can you do it?"

What a question. What a concept. An entire room created out of romantic inspiration. Of course we could do it. With photo in hand I visited Designer's Walk and targeted the perfect red velvet from Robert Allen Fine Fabrics (Pattern: Briarwood, Colour: Persimmon). A rich red, like this one, is such a powerful, seductive colour; it declares itself and demands attention, but it also conveys a feeling of comfort, the ideal combination for this project.

Descending with fervor into the tiny space, I vowed that if an Italian could become the Emperor of France then I could at least eliminate (visually) the ubiquitous corner shower. I'm willing to go on the record and say that corner showers are almost always ugly (never hire a designer without an opinion!) and usually difficult to work with. Since the shower is rarely, if ever, going to be used we decided to drape it in velvet and convert the room's eyesore into a dramatic focal point. Draping the velvet on either side and capping it off with a generous valance, the shower literally disappeared from sight. To emphasize its shape and richness, I accentuated the lines with a luxurious gimp and tassels trim, also from Robert Allen Fine Fabrics. Center shears offer a luminous glow from within when the shower light is turned on.

The next challenge involved a second doorway that led from the home office into the powder room. Although it was convenient, the main door was only 18" away, rendering this second doorway rather unnecessary. I had the extra doorway permanently shut and ordered a full-length mirror in gilded frame from Custom Art Concepts to reside in front of the door, totally blocking its presence. The mirror now reflects the lavish drapery treatment as well as a charming antique table from Five 0 Seven Home and Garden Antiques. On the table is a collection of perfume bottles that the client and her boyfriend purchased at Caron in Paris. Talk about romantic! And above the table, the photographs that served as inspiration for the project, depicting Josephine kneeling to receive her crown from Napoleon.

Since the walls had been previously painted with Benjamin Moore's CC-50 and the colour worked just fine in contrast to our red and gold accents, we determined to keep it rather than repaint.

White cabinetry, another standard issue in new condos, was easily enlivened with the addition of a pair of red, wrought iron rose pulls I found on an antiquing trip to New Orleans. Above the cabinet, a frameless builder's mirror was dramatically improved by hanging artwork directly onto the face of it. This can be done a couple of ways. One, by using a strong Velcro adhered to the mirror and the artwork, or two, by hanging the artwork from a chain attached to the ceiling. In this case, my client had purchased several Moulin Rouge prints and she was keen to find a home for them. In addition to the one print placed on the mirror, the other two hang adjacent to the mirror, a position that allows the images to be fully reflected when the door is closed. Finally, a feather-rimmed lamp from Bell'Occhio in Milton resides over the scene.

I applaud my client's willingness to make a personal statement in her home, given the current enthusiasm for "playing it safe with neutrals". Though her initial impulse was a bit outrageous, her conviction carried the design process through and the results are both wildly creative and fetchingly romantic.