This Thousand Oaks client, with a modest sized master bedroom, asked us for an interior design that would give her a soothing, updated look that would still speak to her Traditional roots. For our major pieces we turned to several collections from Harden, a company who has built fine wood furniture in the United States for well over a hundred years. Despite a long history of Traditional design, they have recently embraced more modern looks as well, which you see in the bed shown here. Its padded leather headboard looks great, and has the added option of angling so it becomes extra supportive to those who like to read or watch TV in bed. We complemented the new bed with classic style chests topped by Transitional lamps. Our client got a timeless look, which will remain stylish for many many years.

Designing the soothing interior our client wanted involved several elements. To maximize the feelings of spaciousness and calm, we selected a monochromatic palette of neutrals, then added the client's favorite shade of blue as accents. These blue tones appear on many of the decorative bed pillows, on some of the accessories, and most prominently in the beautiful painting above the bed. White and cream, either alone or combined with other neutrals, also play an important role in the room, appearing on drapes, lamps, and upholstery. These understated hues in paint, carpet, and fabrics make the perfect foil for the rich deep stains of the wood pieces. Our recipe for a bedroom perfect for relaxing.

Breakfast is served in a cozy corner of this North Ranch master bedroom. The table and chairs provide a great place to enjoy a snack, as well as the perfect spot to enjoy a game of cards in the calm of the master retreat..

Because our client had green marble in her master bath, she wanted to feature this hue in the design of her large master bedroom. In a room of this size, we chose to use a variety of related green tones, as well as complementary rich browns. Our task was to create enough variations on the color theme to make the room interesting while still keeping the monochromatic feeling. Walls and ceilings were painted in three different shades, a light green on the walls, a much deeper green on the ceiling, and finally a medium green in the spacious raised area in the center of the ceiling. In the recess behind the bed, we used a silk taffeta, that also serves as the main bedding fabric. Amazingly, the same fabric looks quite different when it is vertical in the drape and horizontal on the bed. This attribute of the silk enabled the bed nook to look cohesive without appearing too "matchy".

Here is another view of the bedroom seen in the prior photo. The two arched recesses had previously housed unattractive cabinets that we removed. Instead, we installed two beautiful armoires, with arched tops that echo the architecture and hand painted designs that enhance the space. This photo angle also enables us to see the extraordinary hand carving on the bed posts. Off to the left is the comfortable chair and ottoman which provides space for reading or just relaxing by the fire.

This charming vignette is from a master bedroom in Thousand Oaks. Its sophisticated look combines furnishings from a variety of styles. There are some straight contemporary, some Asian inspired pieces, and a desk and chair with a French feeling. The unusual multi-toned bedspread fabric is a symphony of neutrals, knit with a wavy ribbed texture. Deep red on pillows and lacquered bench fabric spices up the palette. Although the combination of grays, taupe, cream and red is more common today, it was far less so when I selected it for this project. Colors and furniture combine to yield a room with timeless appeal.

This warm Traditional master bedroom features a handmade four-poster bed and two generous Italianate bedside chests. Soothing sage and gold hued fabrics are sensuous and inviting.