If you’ve spent any time on Pinterest, you’re most likely familiar with Alexandra Evjen. The Phoenix, AZ tastemaker has nearly a million followers and, to say the least, an impeccable eye for style and great design.
When it came to the look of her master bedroom, she had a vision and list of must-haves, but felt a little overwhelmed with bringing it all together. She connected with Decorist designer Jessica McCarthy for a virtual consultation, and the end result is nothing short of perfect. We’re chatting with Jessica to learn more about the process — including how the room came together with 750 miles between them — and snagging a few design tips of our own along the way.
What were Alexandra’s goals when reaching out to Decorist? Did she have any must-haves for the room?
Alex wanted a really gender neutral space that both her and her husband could connect with. Her main goals were to create a serene, comfortable and bohemian vibe while trying to make the space unique. She wanted me to source nightstands with storage, a king bed, a seating area and window treatments. The bedroom was a big blank canvas, white walls, beige flooring with no architectural elements, so she wanted me to create something really unique out of essentially a big blank box.
How does the “virtual” bedroom design work? What was the design process?
Alex first filled out a Decorist questionnaire discussing her goals for the space, budget, preferred retailers, inspiration as well as photos of her existing space and a hand drawn floor plan with dimensions. Once I received all her information, Alex and I began communicating online and I was able to gather even more specifics such as the size bed she preferred and if she liked the idea of layering rugs. I created two distinct design concepts that were different from one another so she could see the different possibilities for her space. One included a canopy bed; the other included really fun cactus wallpaper. Alex provided me with feedback and direction on my concepts. At that point I was able to create a final design which was a mix of the two original concepts plus some additional items. We then worked together to execute the design.
The process was so much fun because I am in California and Alex is in Arizona. We did everything virtually from design to execution to styling all through our Decorist online messaging platform. Obviously, this is very different from traditional design as I never stepped foot in the space and was still able to create an incredible design. I think that is most exciting part of this project!
Were there any challenges along the way?
The biggest challenge was creating more of a masculine bohemian space. We wanted this space to be gender neutral for Alex’s husband, but also have a boho flair. Most boho designs tend to be on the feminine side with lots of pinks, pattern, florals etc. We tackled this challenge by taking inspiration from the Arizona Desert to create our own modern and neutral bohemian flair.
The paint color is a bold choice. How did you pick it?
Alex and I worked together to choose a color we felt would make the most impact. We wanted to pull color from the throw rug and loved the idea of a peacock blue/green. We wanted something trendy but with more longevity than a crazy boho patterned wallpaper, which is why we decided a deep wall color would be the perfect backdrop for all her new furniture. We ultimately chose Nocturnal Sea by Dunn-Edwards.
As you mentioned, the room doesn’t have a ton of architectural elements to it. How did you bring visual interest to the space?
We ended up sourcing really unique items that had a lot of texture and height to add as much visual interest as we could. The rattan bed from Anthropologie is really the showstopper of the space; it has a curved headboard as well as a unique texture creating somewhat of a canopy effect. Above the bed we put an oversized juju hat adding even more texture. We also drew the eye up with a glam brass chandelier. We added more visual interest by hanging drapes high on the wall above the window and having the drapes completely hit the floor, really making the most impact on that big blank wall. The hanging chair in the corner was a unique way to also draw the eye up and elevate that blank corner rather than a typical seating area. Little details also made a huge difference, like switching out the knobs of the nightstands, adding furry ottomans, brass accents, a really textural Moroccan wedding blanket, lots of pillows on the bed and an array of plants sourced at different heights. Finally, we layered two rugs on top of her existing wall to wall carpet, a really easy way to add a lot of visual interest without a lot of effort!
For Jessica’s shopping list, click here. To learn more about Decorist, or to hire Jessica for your own project, click here!
