We gave interior designers Darren Jett, Noz Nozawa, and Xavier Donnelly a photo of the same empty bedroom for a young professional—and then asked each of them to renovate it in their particular style. Three artists, one canvas, each bringing something different to the space. Which designer's renovation could you see yourself moving into?Renders by Duke RendersWe help interior designers streamline approvals with photorealistic renderings—allowing clients to instantly see the vision, reduce revisions, and ensure designs get the quick ‘yes’ they deserve. Visit www.dukerenders.com/ADoffer.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00These three interior designers have been given a photograph of a young professional's bedroom.
00:04They have free reign to design it in any way they please.
00:07My name is Darren Jett, and my design style is cinematic, seductive, and narrative-driven.
00:12I'm Naz, and my design style is eclectic, colorful, and joyful.
00:16My name's Xavier, and my design style is narrative, layered, and artful.
00:20My first impressions of the space are that we have a lot to work with.
00:30The ceilings are incredibly high.
00:32I can see that there are actually even visible architectural beams, which makes me very happy.
00:37Pretty nice room, actually.
00:38It's big for a bedroom, but it's a little bit plain.
00:42It just needs a little bit of charm added in.
00:46This room feels kind of special in an old-world kind of way, and so I think I'm going to lean
00:55into that and really try to make it feel like this very special old-world space.
01:00My vision for the space overall is I want to take full advantage of how large this room
01:05is to create a separate sleeping area and a separate living or lounge area.
01:11What I wanted to achieve was a space that was completely calming, absolutely serene.
01:17I'm a young professional myself.
01:19Whenever I have a long, tiring day, I just want to go home and just sort of disconnect.
01:28So I actually love the hardwood floors here, and I don't want to lose them completely,
01:33but I do want there to be some cozy stuff underfoot.
01:36I would love to install a whole platform across the entire length of the room where there
01:41the bed is going to go.
01:43That will get warm hardwood floor, and then down in the lounge area, we'll do carpet.
01:48It's a checkerboard that actually waves almost like a checker flag, and that's just enough
01:53subtle weirdoness that it makes it not exactly repetitive.
01:58What I want to do here is actually carpet the room.
02:01I think it's perfect for a bedroom.
02:03It's very soft.
02:04It's very luxurious.
02:05I love this sort of green color right here.
02:08So what I want to do is create a raised platform made out of the same carpet in the middle
02:12of the room as a feature.
02:13So the floors in this room are actually pretty nice, but I want to make a space that feels
02:19really soft, really luxurious.
02:21So I'm going to replace it with carpeting.
02:23I'm going to do this really beautiful, plush, creamy, off-white carpeting, which is from
02:28Nordic Knots.
02:29No shoes, please.
02:30I'm going to layer on a nice vintage Afghan rug, which brings in a little bit more pattern,
02:35but doesn't overwhelm the space.
02:41Right now, the walls are just a plain painted white.
02:44That is not going to get us the effect of this serene environment.
02:49We're going to paint the room a little bit of a moodier color.
02:51But instead of just doing regular paint, I want to do a Roman clay, and it just gives
02:56an overall aged effect that I think is very satisfying when you are decompressing after
03:02a long day.
03:03Additionally, the wall on the left is slanted.
03:06I think that's a very cool feature.
03:08And what I want to do is to make sense of why it stops at sort of waist height and create
03:13a datum line that wraps the entire room.
03:16I would love to have this wainscoting down here be actually a high polished metal, maybe
03:22more of like a mirror polish, something just to give some reflection and some interest
03:28to this room.
03:29For the walls, I want to make something really beautiful that feels a little transportive.
03:34It feels to me like we're up at the top of a building, like that window is looking out
03:38onto some vista.
03:40I'm thinking of doing a beautiful mural in here that basically depicts in a very illustrative,
03:46painterly way, the treetops of some surrounding parkland.
03:49Now the walls.
03:51This is the largest surface in the room.
03:54I want to do a graph paper grid, and I'm going to do it all over.
03:57I'm going to put it in the dormer window.
04:04What I want to start to do is think about the closet.
04:07That's incredibly important for a bedroom.
04:08We have this alcove over here that I would love to take advantage of.
04:12And I think the best thing here would be to do some sort of closet system from Ikea.
04:18I actually have this closet in my own apartment right now.
04:20And the beauty is that over time, if you have more hanging or more drawers, you can easily
04:28just pop them off and add something else in its place.
04:30This room doesn't have any storage, so we really need to add that in.
04:34On the wall on the right side, I'm going to use that nook to create a built-in wardrobe
04:39system.
04:40And then I'm going to continue the wood paneling across that wall so that it feels a little
04:44bit more like an entire millwork piece.
04:47It kind of ties it all together architecturally.
04:49And then around the perimeter of the room, I'm going to do a built-in bookshelf.
04:54So there's going to be two shelves of bookshelves and a row of drawers on top.
04:58Storage is a big, big part of my focus here.
05:01And in the recess, I'm going to put closets.
05:05Actually, Ikea has great units that come in lots of different widths, so you can sort
05:10of tailor to the best size, how wide or how many units.
05:14And then any space left over, I want to do little shelves.
05:18My plan for the bed is also to orient it this way.
05:22So your head is here and your feet are over here.
05:25And that does mean, of course, that there's the issue of, am I going to sit up from a
05:30nightmare and bonk my head on the ceiling?
05:33So the way that I'm planning on resolving that is actually pushing the bed into the
05:37loft a little bit more and then filling that whole space in with a big, squishy headboard.
05:43I love foam headboards.
05:45And now that I have the bed up on a raised platform, well, I certainly don't want anyone
05:49to roll off and flop into the sofa.
05:52So we should have some kind of a barrier here.
05:54I actually think that a very open wood trellis would be incredible.
05:58In front of the window, I thought it'd be really nice to do a little built-in day bed.
06:03And then one of my favorite pieces, which is the Eileen Gray side table.
06:08For the bed, I found this lovely upholstered bed from Ikea.
06:11It's really soft, kind of neutral.
06:13I think it fits into this space really perfectly because I've got that wood behind it.
06:17And I wanted something a little bit lighter in color and softer to go in front of that.
06:21Love these two little very utilitarian USM hauler bedside tables.
06:26They're chrome and enameled metal.
06:28So at the end of the bed, I put this classic campaign style bench.
06:32These were used in military campaigns in the 18th, 19th century.
06:36They always have a nice patina.
06:38Down in the loft area, I want to continue the built-in energy that we have in the closet.
06:44So that same lovely wood finish from the closet doors, I'm going to have also on the stairs.
06:50And because the stairs are already custom built, I love the idea of drafting off of
06:54that with a big built-in media console that has drawers in it.
06:58And then that's a perfect place for you to have your TV on this wall right here.
07:02Over by the window, I would love to do a desk.
07:06Whenever we have a room with a slanted window, you can't walk under the space.
07:10So it's the perfect place to have something like a desk with a space this big.
07:15Let each element be large and unapologetic.
07:18It could be the entire length of that wall.
07:20So now that I know where my TV is going, the perfect and most logical place for seating
07:25to go is across from it.
07:27I found these wild sofas from Ikea that actually start as almost like short little sofas and
07:34then pull out and extend into a really unusual shape that you can actually use as like an
07:40extra bed.
07:42There's even an option to have storage inside of the sofa.
07:45So for the coffee tables, there's an artist named Kelsey Rudolph, whose work I absolutely
07:50adore.
07:51And she made these two side tables that have a very interesting, almost Minecraft sort
07:55of geometry about it.
07:56And this is where I'm going to go vintage.
07:58Vintage was a really cool way for me to find collectible, unique pieces that I wasn't going
08:03to see in all of my friends' apartments.
08:05So this is a beautiful Dutch mid-century little wooden table.
08:08I'm going to use these two lovely like Ikea display cabinets, which are very simple, almost
08:13utilitarian glass cabinet.
08:15But I also think these display cases are really nice because it feels a little more contemporary,
08:19a little newer, a little cleaner.
08:21And then against that wood, which feels a little bit more antique, a little bit more,
08:25you know, vintage, and then a Corbusier chair on the right side, which kind of frames out
08:31the rest of this room.
08:32So the focal point of the bedroom will be the bed, and we're going to have it on the
08:36raised plinth.
08:37We could do some really cool side tables from Ikea.
08:40I wanted to design a headboard that had multi-function.
08:44Around the bed area, it acts as a headboard.
08:46On the other side, though, by the closet, it also acts as a screening area.
08:51It really takes the idea of this larger bedroom, but it starts to subdivide the spaces in a
08:56very intelligent way.
08:58I've recently been into chandeliers that you can kind of drape all over the place.
09:07So there's actually a beautiful collaboration of lighting that is a combination of like
09:13woven rope and beautiful hand-blown glass from Brightbound with artist Wendy Chen.
09:20It's time for the lighting, and I want the idea of indirect lighting to be paramount.
09:25The first thing we're going to do is within that wainscoting, what I want to do is to
09:30have an LED embedded within that that goes across the space.
09:33It would be on its own dimming switch.
09:36It could also be one of these LEDs that actually can change color temperatures and colors even
09:40if you want for a completely different look.
09:43For a bedroom lighting scheme, I like to keep the lighting mostly kind of on the lower side
09:48at eye level, something really kind of moody and atmospheric.
09:52I used matching set of sconces and floor lamps, both in a polished nickel finish with
10:00a really nice green glass lampshade, which I actually found on a nautical supply store.
10:05But I think it's a very classic thing, and I think it brings in the perfect little pop
10:08of color to this room.
10:09For the overhead lighting, I love this IKEA piece that actually sort of looks like I took
10:15a silk scarf and then pinched it up from the middle.
10:18So I like that it has a very sort of organic flowing shape and looks very sort of milky
10:23and soft when it's turned on.
10:24I love the idea of there also being like little table lamps in the lounge area and in the
10:30bed area.
10:31I actually found these from IKEA, and I think they're so cute.
10:36They're these perfect battery operated little units.
10:39I think they are so sweet.
10:41I love also that the shade tips by the closet, we're definitely going to want to have a light
10:45right by that area.
10:48And there's the IKEA light right here off to the right.
10:51I think every desk needs a lamp.
10:54And this lamp is actually more of an art piece by this company called Casa Alfrera, based
10:59in Santo Domingo in the DR.
11:01Additionally, I want to have two floor lamps that flank the bed.
11:04They would be tucked right behind the side tables.
11:06They're these IKEA lamps that are actually sort of 1970s inspired.
11:16So now let's decorate.
11:17As for bedding, I love the idea of continuing to repeat this gridded situation.
11:22So I'm choosing this gingham linen bedding from Piglet in Bed.
11:26And then for pillows, the little blue pillow is just like a chic, fun, cozy.
11:30And then the other two pillows are actually by CH Herrero, these incredible interior designers
11:34who I admire so much.
11:36And this wild, spiky pillow, I love her.
11:42It is vintage Japanese kimono material.
11:45I love the idea of doing a beautiful vase, quite simple, but still has some playful elements,
11:50such as the Sophie Lou Jacobson vase that's on the bedside table.
11:54Place some poppies in there, add a little bit of color.
11:57And I love the idea of a sort of bonsai tree.
11:59I think that's very cool, something that has been trained and formed, but still retains
12:04its natural element.
12:05To sort of finish the space off with some decoration, we have some nice antiquities,
12:10some statues, some busts here and there, some other textures.
12:14And then I've hung a painting of a tennis court by a friend of mine, Andy Dinkin.
12:18And I think that that also brings in this beautiful kind of green, mysterious energy
12:22to the space.
12:23I've always loved this wild planter.
12:26It's like inspired by ancient aqueducts in Rome, I think, by Virginia Synn.
12:31Both those are so easy to grow, and because you've only got this one window, why don't
12:35we put both those vines over here?
12:37And then I'm just going to sneak a couple of pieces of beautiful vintage ceramics over
12:42here on the media console.
12:43A little blue horse is always welcome.
12:46This one in particular is a vintage mid-century Italian piece from Betosi.
12:51As young professionals should be doing, get involved in the art scene.
12:55If you love design and you love decorating your home, it's such a natural thing to just
12:59go to local art galleries, local art fairs, anywhere that someone is displaying art.
13:05Other young artists are also starting their careers, which means that you can buy art
13:10at most prices.
13:11So these pieces that I have in mind are by an artist named Maya Fuji.
13:16I adore what she does.
13:18And one of the things that's wild is that how she depicts shiny hair in her girls in
13:22her artwork almost feels like a wavy checkerboard.
13:26What would a project that I do be without drapes?
13:29It's quite actually difficult to do drapery on a slanted wall.
13:33But my favorite thing to do is to have a very simple rod at the top and have a little
13:38rod at the bottom and then just let a beautiful linen drape hang very, very softly, very elegantly.
13:45I think because we have a dormer window, that window treatment inside of that dormer window
13:50could actually be blinds or something that comes down and blacks out the room if you
13:53want.
13:54But this right here would be something that would be more linen, more transparent.
13:59What I want to do is to also take that same drapery and hang it above the bed.
14:04I love the idea of heightening your sense of drama and your sense of space.
14:14Think if I were a young professional in this bedroom, I would feel inspired.
14:18I feel like this is a room that would feel really relaxing and restful to me.
14:22It's a place that I'd want to spend time reading in and that would be really functional for me.
14:27I'm really excited by the final result here.
14:30I think that it achieves all of the things that I was trying to do from the beginning,
14:34which is to essentially create a retreat for this young professional, someone who is working
14:40a lot, who needs to recharge their batteries, who needs to have a space that is a bit still
14:45and a bit more quiet.
14:47My final thoughts on this space are I love it.
14:50I did put a little bit of baby early 20s me into this, well, aspirational me.
14:55I wanted this to be a space that would feel like such a great, restorative and generative
15:02place for a young person to be.
15:04Feels like something that perhaps a younger version of someone like me would look at and
15:09be like, oh, great.
15:11This is home.
15:18Wow.
15:19Okay.
15:20Oh my God.
15:21Oh my God.
15:22Did we all carpet?
15:23I think so.
15:24Yeah, we did.
15:25Oh my God.
15:26Seems like it.
15:27Hey, Xavier, I really love these murals.
15:29I mean, I kind of assumed based on the shape of the room, it was an attic space or the
15:33top of a building, but it only had that one little window.
15:36So I thought, let me bring in the outside world a little bit.
15:39Yeah.
15:40I love it.
15:41Now I need to know how it is.
15:42Oh, yes.
15:43Well, so I love tape.
15:44It is a friend.
15:45I mean, it is.
15:46And so if you have, you can rent a laser that lets you shoot the beams all over the room.
15:53You trace those over with tape and then you can just paint a mural or a wallpaper finish
15:57onto your walls.
15:58My God.
15:59Fabulous.
16:00And I really actually like the grid structure, like completely also transforms the geometry
16:04of this space, I think.
16:05Yeah.
16:07Wait, the bed is incredible.
16:08I love that it's floating.
16:09I just really thought the room was huge and I thought, you know, it'd be really cool to
16:14have a bed that was central to the room.
16:17So raising that up on a platform, like a rounded platform, maybe.
16:21I think that your bedroom is inhabited by actress of the stage.
16:25Oh, I love that.
16:26No, I agree.
16:27Especially, I see the vanity right at the window, so you get the perfect natural light
16:32right on your face while you're in your bedroom.
16:33And there's like a dressing room behind that bed, I think.
16:36Yes.
16:37There is.
16:38You're raised up on a platform, you know.
16:39Totally.