Ever wish drinking wine with your besties could be your day job? Us too. (Sadly, nobody pays us to do it.) But for former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe, that dream job is actually a reality. Bristowe’s podcast Off the Vinefeatures friends and celebs talking over their favorite bottle du jour, but until recently, she didn’t have a space befitting the glamorous nature of her workdays. Decorist Creative Director Jessica McCarthy stepped in to transform Bristowe’s podcast nook into an inspiring and luxe environment where it’s all about the wine… and she did it on a budget.
“Kaitlyn uses her office for recording her hilarious podcast, and thus a dramatic, feminine, ‘wine-inspired’ space was what I set out to achieve,” says McCarthy. She struck an instantly statement-making note with the large-scale floral wallpaper, which really kicked off the design process. “When designing a room it’s important to have an anchor that will inspire the rest of the look. It could be a vintage find, a swoon-worthy piece of art, a dramatic light fixture or, in the instance of Kaitlyn’s podcast room, a bold wallpaper,” she says.
Believe it or not, one of McCarthy’s best sources for creating this rich, textural room was actually a big box store. “Bed Bath & Beyond has a huge variety of chic furniture pieces at great prices, so it was super easy to make the room look stylish and elevated,” she says. McCarthy was thoughtful about incorporating some design elements that Bristowe already had, which also helped keep the project thrifty. “Kaitlyn had a built-in shelving system which we painted in a high-gloss black finish, and changed out the hardware. With just a few easy changes and some great new pieces, we were able to design a fun and inspiring room on a budget,” she says.
Even though Bristowe’s days look a little different from our normal 9-to-5, McCarthy still wanted to make sure the room was functional as a workspace. But that didn’t mean sacrificing Bristowe’s personal style. “The worst thing you can do is to feel like you have to restrict yourself because it’s an office space,” advises McCarthy. “Working environments have become more relaxed and inspiring. Consider a dining table as a desk, or add a comfy seating area for meetings or as an alternative place to sit and work,” she suggests. Bristowe’s office made use of the TOV Furniture Majesty Desk ($550) to help set the Hollywood-glam mood.
McCarthy was mindful of keeping the room from feeling too dark, so she employed a few tricks. “We covered two walls in wallpaper instead of the whole room, which is a great way to introduce a pattern without it feeling overbearing. We used lighter tones in the rug, ceiling paint, and upholstered furniture to bring lightness to the space, once again creating a beautiful contrast with the darker tones of the wallpaper and built-ins,” she says. We’re loving how this oversized mirror helps bring in a feeling of airiness.
This balance of light and dark ended up being one of McCarthy’s favorite qualities of the project. “I love the contrast of the floral wallpaper with the lush pink velvet drapes,” she says. “The combo of the two is gorgeous, luxe, and feminine.” Rosé-pink accents echo this throughout the room, acting as a stylish nod to Bristowe’s favorite topic.
The result may just be one of Bristowe’s favorite spaces. “Jessica made my interior design dreams come true with my podcast room,” Bristowe tells us. “I feel like I’m on an episode of HGTV when I sit in this room!”
Which design tips are you stealing from this space? Let us know on Twitter @BritandCo!
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(Images via Alyssa Rosenheck)
