A bedroom transformed

The bed is just the beginning.

Here is how Sheri Carioto of Macy's transformed Kathy and Rich Gregg's bedroom, in addition to layering the bed with luxurious linens from Martha Stewart's Trousseau pattern.

Artwork: Carioto selected two photos from Macy's art gallery and hung them a few inches above the European pillows perched at the head of the bed. The bed does not have a headboard.

Each photo is a lily printed in sepia, an aged-looking brown. They are double matted in white and framed with thick, chocolate frames.

"The room is clean, airy. The pictures match the windows, the nature outside the windows. They fit the feel of the room, soft and green," Carioto said. "You can't really clutter up this room, it would be overdone. The two of them together make an impact in the room without being messy. We need some type of element to go 'wow!' when you come in the room."

However, the $1,020 price tag on each photo fit neither the Greggs' nor Macy's budget for this project. Therefore, Kathy will have to go shopping for something with a similar look.

The scale is really important, Carioto said. Each artwork is 29½ by 33 inches, and Carioto suggested Kathy could get one large picture the size of those two if she preferred.

Window treatments: Kathy has not selected window coverings for the room, and Carioto doesn't think she should. "I love open windows," Carioto said. "They're great in this room, really pretty. The sky, the light, the trees. They're a big accessory."

Kathy said she needs shades for privacy, so Carioto suggested fabric shades. "Keep it clean, not a lot of detail," she said. "Martha's inspiration is nature."

Accessories: Carioto added sparkle to the room with a pair of small shiny pewter lamps with metal shades on the dresser and a larger, trophy-shaped one with a white shade on the nightstand.

"It's cozy, but (the room) can't be all dark," Carioto said.

The metal sunburst for the wall opposite the bed is just 2 feet in diameter, and she put two white vases under it, rejecting the white roses she had considered.

Bathroom: In the bathroom, Carioto chose the Egyptian cotton towels, and mixed white towels with others with a taupe faux bois, or false wood, design.

Carioto recommended two other items for the room. She would like to see a small chair upholstered in a complementary color like a soft blue or a floral floated away from the wall near the nightstand. She also suggested a soft brown textured rug under the bed over the gray and brown wall-to-wall carpet. This would enhance the layered look on the bed.

"Keep everything really soft, keep it all neutral and not intrusive. That's what's going on because of the scale of the room," she said.

-- Deborah Donovan