Copy Cat Tactics

Do you remember when HGTV had design shows? Like, real design shows? There was a relatively popular show that I remember watching religiously where a high end room was copied, literally copied, on a much smaller budget. Designers were given a room and a picture of a room - and they had to make the space as similar as they possibly could. It was very fun to watch. Most of the time the designer of the high end space, was also the designer of the low end space - so it was interesting to see just how similar the two spaces could be.

Different magazines do a high/low comparison, or at least, they used to. Before the first 160 pages of a 190 page magazine were advertisements for things you and I will never buy.

 

The Canadian design magazine, Style at Home still does the high low room comparison in their magazine. Again - it's fun to see how so many things can be really be copied on a budget, and after all, no matter how many zeros are in your figure, we almost all are on a budget! So, with that said - I have a room that I've wanted to copy, on a smaller budget, for years. It would have NEVER worked at CDLV, and the first apartment I moved to just wasn't conducive either. But the new place, well, it might be just the ticket for a little copy cat design of my own.

 

What room do I want to copy? 

 

Mark D. Sikes

 

I have been in love with this bedroom in Mark's house since I first saw it a few years ago in House Beautiful. The room has changed a lot since his HB cover feature, but this room always stuck with me. That glorious canopy, the sharp black walls, the modern art and layers - it just screamed COPY ME ARTIE, COPY ME! So, I did what all good copy cats do - and I started to look for every possible inch of this room in photos so that I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. Are you ready? I found a lot! Here they are:

 

 

 Absolutely gorgeous, right? Now, here's my difficulties in copying this room:

• I don't have the same amount of space, likely not even 2/3 of the size of this room
• I have to use my existing headboard
• The room has wall-to-wall pile carpeting that I cannot change in favor of the seagrass
• I can not afford 1/2 of the stuff in these pictures ... let's just be clear!

However, I'm a firm believer that you can do anything you set your mind to - and since I've wanted a black bedroom since I first saw this room ... that I knew I could accomplish!

 

 

Just like in Mark's room, I didn't go to the ceiling. Mark's ceiling actually coves, mine does not. But I could create the look visually by opting to put a very inexpensive piece of lattice trim 1' from the actual ceiling line. I think that this helps to visually raise the height of the ceiling and the black has done wonders to visual extend the barriers of those corners!

 

In addition to his black walls, Mark had black doors in his room, and while I would love to copy this look too, and in fact did in my old apartment, these doors are 1960's metal - everyone gasp, or yawn, because yes - they're boring! They've been beaten up quite a bit over the last 55 years, and painting them back is likely just going to end up accentuating the damage, AND making more work for me, as they'd chip every time I closed the door.

 

This, unfortunately, is as far as I've gotten, but it's coming together. The canopy is in the process of being made, and the bed is in place. Some touch up paint is needed, but I've jumped this far in, I figure I might as well keep going, right? Wish me luck!