Before and After Bedroom: From Bland to Glam

What do you get when you send a bunch of designers into an old, empty mansion? A designer's challenge, of course.

La Selva, a mansion located in the exclusive incorporated Village of Upper Brookville, in Long Island, New York, was picked as the site for this year's Designers' Showcase® '09, a Mansions & Millionaires® event, which brings interior designers into a space to freshen it up. Think: Old sad space is transformed into grand dame.

It's easy to see why they chose to redesign La Selva -- It's a home fit for the Great Gatsby (and it's located on the Gold Coast, where the novel was set). It's a 1915 Italianate Mediterranean-style mansion overrun with stone and marble, gargoyles and other ornate carvings, beautiful ironwork and carved paneling. Outside, garden sculptures and artifacts populate the exterior, some from the 1st Century AD.

The design challenge was simple: How can you bring today's lifestyle into yesterday's architecture? It seemed easy for Marlaina Teich, who transformed a neglected bright green bedroom and attached bath into a glam retreat.


In the bedroom, the fireplace wasn't much of a focal point. Plus, it had an awkward room layout, which made it difficult to arrange the bed. Peeling wallpaper and an unloved light fixture made the room feel even more depressing. The two-tone greens would certainly not have been my first choice for paint...but Marlaina took this as a call to action and whipped this room into shape.

Here's how she did it. First, Marlaina highlighted the grand architecture and high ceilings with an elaborate Mother of Pearl fireplace wall. She added bold unique furniture, such as an embossed armoire and sitting chair made of sheets of pressed silver. The platinum and crystal chandelier has delicate silver silk shades and throws light onto the show-stopping fireplace wall, which was created using 12"x24" tiles of capiz shells.

The luminescence and drama of the room extends to the custom bed, which was upholstered in a shimmering pearlized "leather" and layered with custom Italian linens. The silk drapes, red-orange wall, and platinum and gray furniture palette play up the drama created by the reflective surfaces and furnishings. By choosing shimmery fabrics and materials, Marlaina was able to balance the furniture with the dramatic interior architecture. This room is all about drama and luxury. When can I move in?

The biggest design challenge – the bathroom. It had been completely neglected so she gave it a much-needed overhaul. The original tiles were left but dramatic trellis wallpaper in a charcoal gray was introduced to draw the eye upward. A custom wood surround was built to enclose the tub, and white paint brings a fresh and new feel to this old room. Marlaina has brought about a happy marriage of old and new by using the existing architecture and original features to play off of her modern furnishings.

But don't believe me. See for yourself. It is open to the public through November 15, 2009. Proceeds from tours will benefit the Mentoring Partnership of Long Island. This estate is currently in private hands and is offered for sale by representatives of Daniel Gale and Sotheby's. Um, I'll take it!