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Design on a Dime : Episode DOD-706 -- More Projects »
Allyson Dorf lives in a large studio apartment with absolutely no separation of space or any sense of style.
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Before, living room
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Before, bedroom
The Dilemma

Host Lee Snijders meets with Dorf to discuss a possible plan of action. She would like the room to have designated living and sleeping areas, while maintaining a cohesive design throughout. The hope is to transform the studio into an urban, industrial loft with warmth and color. Several issues need to be addressed such as additional furniture and storage, better lighting, new bedding and window treatments, as well as accessories to transition the room from a stark space into a residential retreat.

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After, living room
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After, bedroom
The Solution

Graphic art and a cool color scheme give this open space a cohesive look. Here's how the design team creates a new look on the $1,000 budget:

  • Two of the walls are painted a pale gray-blue.
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 Media
Video: Snijders shares how to make your own art.
  • Snijders gets creative with two large-scale art pieces he makes out of RhinoBoard, a strong foam-core posterboard. He cuts geometric shapes with a utility knife and paints the pieces with blue, black, silver and gray spray paint. He then layers the shapes to determine the composition, then disassembles them in order to hot-glue wood block spacers in between the boards to make the entire piece three-dimensional.

  • New furniture includes an industrial-style metal desk and blond-wood dresser and coffee table.
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  • Design coordinator Charles Burbridge divides the open space with a fabric screen held to the ceiling with a wire cabling system. The 1/8th-inch steel cable wire has a plastic coating that makes it easier for the grommeted panels to slide back and forth.
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    If you like this lamp, check out these candleholders made from the same materials.
  • Design coordinator Summer Baltzer creates two lamps out of basic pipefitting parts. She assembles the pieces, threads the light kit through to the top and attaches a lampshade with hex nuts.

    The Cost

    Accessories and fabrics - $358

    • silver and black fabric: Tex City
    • mirror: IKEA - Vistdal, 700.732.67
    • pillows: IKEA - Vinde Vag, 16455
    • rug: IKEA - Petra Wilton, 12465
    • duvet cover: IKEA - Tupplur, Navy Blue 19426
    • alarm clock: IKEA - Dekad, Black 18102
    • vase: IKEA - Mustig, Blue 18431
    • tea light holders: IKEA - Hej, 18510
    • blue glass bowl: IKEA - Stril
    • clear glass finials: IKEA - Lyster, 16039

    Furniture - $302

    • desk: IKEA - Krister, 18557
    • dresser: IKEA - Haddal
    • side tables: IKEA - Vitebro, Black 11690
    • coffee table: IKEA - Lack, 10973

    Lighting - $161

    • overhead light: IKEA - Flygge, 17907
    • lamp supplies: N. Hollywood Hardware

    Artwork - $150

    Paint supplies - $24

    • paint: Benjamin Moore - Sweet Innocence

    Project Total - $995

    • Resources
    decorative project materials
    Ikea North America
    Website: www.ikea.com

    paint
    Benjamin Moore Paints
    Website: www.benjaminmoore.com

    lamp supplies
    N. Hollywood Hardware
    11847 Ventura Blvd.
    Studio City CA 91604
    Phone: 818-980-2453
    E-mail: info@northhollywoodhardware.com
    Website: www.northhollywoodhardware.com
    Also in this Episode
    Design on a Dime : Episode DOD-706
    •Hip Urban Loft