The bedroom of their dreams

Many suburban moms will identify with Kathy Gregg.

The master suite in the house she and her husband, Rich, just bought was bright blue with daisy borders top and bottom -- not at all her taste.

She wanted it to be warm, cozy and comfortable, a retreat for relaxing in with or without their three little ones.

But redecorating their own room was far down on the Greggs' list of projects in their 30-year-old Bartlett house.

Until Martha Stewart and Macy's entered the picture. The Martha Stewart Collection -- the largest brand rollout in Macy's history -- covers many categories for the home: bed and bath textiles, housewares, casual dinnerware, cookware and even holiday decorations.

To celebrate the introduction Macy's decided to show what a designer could do with a typical suburban bedroom like the Greggs'.

A friend volunteered to help Rich paint the 12-by-15-foot room before Sheri Carioto arrived from the Oak Brook Macy's store. The couple chose Sherwin-William's Totally Tan. Warm, cozy and comfortable, remember?

There was a slight glitch when the Greggs decided their favorite styles of Martha Stewart bedding were Greenhouse and Coral Spray, both in coffee tones. Carioto did not think the color would show off to best advantage against the Totally Tan walls.

Instead, she chose Trousseau, the Greggs' third choice. It's white with old-fashioned lace and touches of tan embroidery -- based on antique linens that Martha Stewart has collected. And a few hours later, she left a happy couple.

"It's beautiful," Kathy said. "We talked about it, but it's hard to imagine until you see it. It's hard to believe that's our bedroom."

Her husband, who designs exhibits for trade shows and events, said before the repainted room was "a blank canvas, and now it's a work of art."

The bottom line

Here's what it costs to make a suburban bedroom a showplace with the Martha Stewart Collection from Macy's.

Bed linens from the Trousseau Collection

King sheet set ($300)

King duvet cover ($420)

King bed skirt ($220)

Two standard shams ($85 each)

Two embroidered Euro shams ($100 each)

Two king shams ($100 each)

Three small accessory pillows ($85 each)

King quilted coverlet ($420) Basic bedding

Two standard pillows ($60/set)

Two king pillows ($70/set)

Two Euro pillows ($60/set)

Reversible king comforter ($200)

Note: These are list prices; a sale of the collection ends Oct. 8.

Decorating tips

Here are tips for decorating a bedroom from Sheri Carioto, who works with visual presentation at Macy's in Oak Brook.

• Use the tiny nails that come with pictures because they won't damage the wall.

• Pin the bedskirt to the box springs with straight pins. Not only do you get the skirt the right length -- just off the floor -- but this prevents the skirt from shifting when you put the mattress on.

The top sheet goes on with the finished side down so the decorative top can be folded over to show when the bed is made.

In a layered bed, the coverlet, such as the white matelesse from the Trousseau collection, goes over the sheet.

• Stuffing a king-size duvet cover can be a challenge. Carioto holds the cover in her left hand and one at a time stuffs two corners with her right.

Then she lays the duvet and the cover on the bed and continues working with it. The cover has a flap inside at the top, and this provides a guideline for the top of the duvet. After getting the duvet inside the cover and fastening the knots -- substitutes for buttons -- Carioto stands on a step-stool and shakes the duvet to get it straightened and flattened.

• Take your wood furniture into consideration when selecting paint colors. Most people don't," Carioto said.

Kathy and Rich Gregg did not, but the color they selected has gold tones and is perfect with the bedroom set Kathy's had all her adult life, said Sheri.

Updating the furniture with new hardware can make a huge difference, Carioto said.

• To use the coffee tones in Martha's collection, Carioto recommends painting walls green, perhaps in the celery or basil family.

Martha's signature light blue would work, too, she said. For a contemporary look, white and orange would mix with the coffee. And the traditional could choose a deep red like claret.

-- Deborah Donovan