Go with the Flow

Creating a cohesive style at home works best when you are able to incorporate key design elements into multiple spaces

In the past I’ve told you how important flow and transition are when you move from one space to the next. It’s especially important in your interior design when you want to make your bed and bath look like seamless elements of the same concept.

I’ve been sharing about how I transformed Hailey’s bedroom with the Brandy Melville look. I didn’t want it to end there, though. I wanted to create the same style in the adjoining bathroom. Did that mean I needed to take the same charcoal/black walls into the bath? Of course not. As you can see from the photo, that would have made the smaller space into a dark hole.

I transitioned the spaces first by flipping the bedroom’s proportion of lightness and darkness in the bathroom and throwing brightness on the walls. Some of the oil-rubbed bronze accessories in the bathroom bring in the depth of the dark walls in the bedroom, but the lightness of the room also mirrors the brightness of the bedroom.

Beachy, urban, vintage: All the signature Brandy styles from the bedroom go into the bathroom as well, in colors, finishes and accessories.

The colors do not have to completely remain the same — in fact, they shouldn’t. But degrees of the same colors will help pull spaces together. The creamy, sandy color present throughout the bedroom, from the ottoman and headboard to the side tables, is also present in the bathroom. The blue in the bed scarf and accent pillow is also in the bathmat.

Also helping the spaces transition are textures and styles. The reclaimed shelves above the desk are repeated above the toilet, and both are accessorized in the same feminine, vintage fashion, with pictures and accessories. The magnolias on the headboard are also in the bathroom. Throughout, girly touches like these tie both spaces together.

The bath mat looks just like the bed scarf. The beautiful mercury glass on a side table is repeated on the vanity. The whimsy of the seashells on display throughout the bedroom, including on the wall next to the bathroom, is picked up in the baby blue starfish cabinet pulls on the vanity.

And finally, in the customized canvas art that we made of a swimmer diving into a pool, we incorporated various shades of blue to mimic the blue accents in the bedroom.

So as you are transitioning from one room to another, keep these thoughts in mind. I hope you enjoyed this series on Hailey’s room as much as I enjoyed creating it. Although Brandy Melville may not be your style, you can still incorporate these tips in creating your own spaces. Remember Hailey’s room, and be inspired to transition correctly and go with the flow.

Cathy Lee is president and designer of Cathy Lee Style and Cathy’s Marketplace, a furniture and accessories showroom with design services at 1110 University Ave. She recently opened reStyle Hawaii, an affordable, style-conscious consignment warehouse with upholstering and repurposing services at 420 Keawe St. in Kakaako. Lee’s interior design work has been featured in local and national publications, on HGTV and in her DIY design workshops that teach homeowners the basics of style. To find out more, go to www.cathyleestyle.com.

Photos: Justin Dotson