Before
A couple wished to update the drab master bedroom of their otherwise refurbished Cape Cod-style house. They called in Andreas Charalambous, who transformed the space by combining sycamore-paneled walls and built-ins with a careful lighting plan. “If the lighting is wrong,” he says, “you can’t appreciate a beautiful design.”
| Then | Now |
| There was one light bulb above the bed, which made things difficult for the wife, who likes to read before going to sleep. | Recessed halogens are strategically placed above the bed and sconces to either side make reading in bed easy and convenient. |
| The room felt cold and uninviting, with no indirect lighting to impart warmth. | Layered halogen and LED lights create a sense of warmth and soften the mood in the room. All lights are on dimmers so the owners can control the level of light at all times. |
| The big, cluttered space was inconvenient and poorly defined. | Paneling and built-ins conceal clutter and task lighting illuminates such areas of the room as the glass display shelf and built-in desk. |
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN: ANDREAS CHARALAMBOUS, AIA, IIDA, and JUAN MARTIN GUTIERREZ, FORMA Design, Inc., Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: MCA Remodeling, Montgomery Village, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: GEOFFREY HODGDON.