Interior designer Rita Koenig injected a sense of life and freshness into this spare bedroom. She explained the process to Arabella Youns.
Located in the leafy neighborhood of Riverdale, just north of Manhattan, this home is home to designer and editor Dara Caponigro and her family. The building she bought 10 years ago was a wreck with no plumbing, electricity or internal doors, and only half of the original windows remained.
The room was previously occupied by the couple’s daughter, but was transformed into a guest room with the help of London-based decorator Rita Koenig. “I’ve known Dara since we worked together on Domino magazine, but this is the first time I’ve done a decorating project for her,” says Koenig. The starting point was the wallpaper “Olive”, part of Schumacher’s (020–4532 0960; www.schumacher.com) debut collection. It has a small multi-directional leaf motif. “Dara doesn’t make a lot of noise and likes things calm so this was perfect.” The small text wallpaper is like a hug. It gives the room a more intimate feel than a room with painted walls. ”
The tester bed is lined with Margot linen, a delicate polka dot pattern and a sheer fabric that sways, also from the new collection. The leaf green border gives it a lively finish. This is a small double made as a single. “I really love doing things like this for my guests. It’s such a luxurious feeling to be able to jump into bed and have it all to myself. Being inside a four-poster poster instantly calms me and calms me down. .”
Other furniture in the room belonged to the family, including framed photographs of fashion illustrations.
The yellow blanket above the bed is by Peter Dunham (001 310 432 0944; www.peterdunhamtextiles.com). The checkered pattern on the floor was painted in Farrow & Ball’s white and stone tones.
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Rita Koenig — 020–3735 7280; www.ritakonig.com
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