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10 Divine Primary Bedrooms by Candice Olson

November 25, 2014

If you've been dreaming of a beautiful bedroom, take inspiration and tips from these top 10 retreats.

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Before: Dated, Wasted Space

Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better. Laura hasn't decorated her bedroom for decades, and it shows. This huge, neglected space has potential but needs help.

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After: Timeless and Tasteful

Candice creates a floor plan that includes a sitting area and desk. She makes the fireplace a focal point, adding custom cabinetry. Wheat-colored carpet throughout, accent rugs and a mix of soothing fabrics help create a calm, warm space. Trimwork on the vaulted ceiling offers drama; a chandelier adds luxury and romance. This homeowner is thrilled. "This is the most beautiful room I've ever been in," she says.

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Before: Floral Overload

Poppy has a massive primary bedroom, but when pink is the predominant color, ample square footage goes by the wayside. She desperately wants a Caribbean-inspired retreat that reminds her of the tropical place she used to call home.

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After: Caribbean Nights

Candice creates a luxury spa feel by removing a wall between the bedroom and bathroom and opting for motorized draperies, allowing an open and airy feel. The addition of a high-end bathtub makes the room feel like an exclusive spa. The result is exactly what the homeowner wanted and more, and it's Candice's all-time favorite bedroom makeover.

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Before: A Bland Room

This uninspired bedroom/home office belongs to Earl, a high-school teacher who wants a stylish, eco-friendly space that he'll be proud to show to guests.

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After: Eco-Friendly Cool

Candice chooses a low-VOC paint in a warm blue color, a mix of organic fabrics and recyclable carpet tiles as some of the environmentally friendly elements in this bedroom. "Now it's easy on the eyes and easy on the Earth," she says. And the homeowner happily agrees.

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Before: Furniture Challenged

This is the bedroom of two busy parents; they are finally ready to devote time and energy to turning this space into a true adult sanctuary. Good thing they have Candice to help them.

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After: Third-Floor Luxury

This bedroom is all about the shimmer: Candice chooses fabrics that pick up light and shine. A custom headboard features chenille fabric with a metallic thread. Mirrors, brought in to bounce the room's light, are etched to coordinate with the bed's luxurious damask bedding. Built-in cabinetry adds storage.

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After: Sleek and Chic Suite

Candice creates an adult sanctuary. The first thing to go: the wallpaper. She replaces it with neutral paint and rich, shimmery draperies. A sitting area highlights the bay window and invites, among other things, breakfast in the bedroom.

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Before: A Clean Slate

Veronique likes the color beige, and it shows in her cavernous, neutral bedroom. She dreams of a fireplace and a bedroom that reminds her of home.

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After: French-Inspired Main

Candice, inspired by her client's French heritage, creates a bedroom that could have been plucked from Europe. Hand-carved wood floors, engineered limestone, a plethora of moldings and a fireplace reminiscent of a French chateau help create the Old World look. Panels featuring an original painting of one of Veronique's favorite French sites disguise the television.

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After: Organic and Bold

Candice brings one of her favorite color palettes into this space: fabrics and bedding in "spicy" tones. She creates a feature wall/headboard with prefinished flooring, adds a new platform bed and updates mirrored closet doors with privacy film. Candice dubs the design "kid-free and parent perfect." I think the homeowners will agree.

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Before: Space Overload

This bedroom belongs to a couple who spent many years living in a small Japanese apartment. Since coming to the States and upsizing, they've not been able to furnish and design their dream bedroom. That's where Candice comes in.

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After: Intimate Meets Interactive

Candice creates the romantic feel the couple wants with a king-sized bed and an elegant new fireplace. She adds panels with wallpaper insets to a long, empty wall and divides the room into zones for sleeping and lounging. She adds a TV for him and hides it for her in a motorized footboard that raises and lowers the screen. The woman of the house loves the solution. "This is beyond my dreams," she says.

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Before: Identity Crisis

Brian and Heather have combined households, but this new husband is still hanging on to his masculine, nonfunctioning bedroom. The room has some interesting features, including quirky architectural details and a brick wall.

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After: His-and-Hers Chalet Suite

Candice is determined to create a bedroom that speaks to both of her clients. She goes for "chalet chic," bringing in greens and neutral fabrics and jazzing up the drapes with dressmaker details. She adds leather and a stove that makes Brian happy. "The space is a perfect reflection of both of our styles," Heather says. "Everything I imagined and more."

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Before: White Attic

Tatiana and her husband are a cosmopolitan, chic couple; their bedroom, however, is anything but. It features several doors, one small window, old furniture and little style.

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After: Sultry Sophistication

Candice brings in color, texture and light to the top floor space. She adds mirror accents to the doors and pops of artwork. She tricks the eye to think that the one lone window is much bigger than it is. "It all turned into a chocolate heaven," Tatiana says.