Chic Basement Remodel

When Michelle Workman first moved into her Lafayette, Calif., home, she was determined to overhaul its dated game room into a sophisticated, serene, Hollywood-inspired design studio.

Determined to save costs and stick with a short timeline of three weeks, Michelle decided to keep the built-ins that were previously used as game room storage. By placing her writing desk in front of the wall, she can look out into the backyard while working. "I didn't want to sit at my desk all day and stare at the wall. It was important to be able to look outside from my chair," the designer explains. "Floating the desk in front of the storage wall was the perfect solution."

A fan of clean, graphic patterns, Michelle fell in love with a wool and sisal blend carpet with herringbone detail. In order to install the new carpet, the existing wall-to-wall cut pile and its padding first had to be torn out. "Something to consider when putting in wall-to-wall carpet: Before falling in love with a particular style, know what the total will come to, including padding," the designer advises. "Keep in mind that, in addition to the carpet and installation costs, padding runs about $2.50 per square foot."

Although Michelle is a fan of using bold color, she opted for a muted palette in her studio, a place meant for concentration and serenity. The graphic wallpaper in the design studio packs graphic punch, yet is in a subdued color palette of white and gold.