Room to Outfit: Whimsical and Elegant

Were so excited to bring back this popular reader series! We may be biased, but this one might be the best yet! Here’s Amy Rutherford from Red Barn Mercantile and Penny Post:

We are shaking things up a bit around here! In the past, I have asked Elizabeth for an outfit that she is loving that season and then turned that inspiration into a room. Here are a few of my favorite collaborations - one, two, three. This time we are turning the tables, and I’m supplying Elizabeth with a room, and she is going to design an outfit around it. I gave her options from a couple of my favorite local designers, and she chose this room from the extremely talented Shawna Underwood of Underwood Design.

This room was part of the Kaleidoscope Project, a designer showhouse in the Berkshires that spotlighted twenty-three leading designers of color. The showhouse is the 150-year-old Cornell Inn in Lennox, Massachusetts, and this is the Hudson Room, should you be planning a vacation soon. I love this project, and I LOVE this room so much. It is elegant, serene, and sophisticated all at the same time. The wallpaper packs a punch, but the tonality of it doesn’t overwhelm the senses. The dark trim and door are indicative of New England design, but Shawna used this color palette to update that tradition. My absolute favorite thing here is the surprising pop of color against the gray and white walls. That’s the juxtaposition I crave in every room, and this is sublime. The proportion of the bed is spot on, and the clean lines balance the organic floral wallpaper. The shaped pillows in matching fabric are so inspired. A novice designer might have just gone with greys and white, but a seasoned designer knows how to make a room interesting and ultimately very special. Shawna certainly has done that with this room. She shows restraint, but it still feels very bold. I simply love it.