Steven Gambrel Unpacks His Design For a Chicago Dressing Room
“A dressing room isn’t the place to experiment with color.” So says AD100 interior designer Steven Gambrel, a maestro of sensational polychrome decorating schemes who understands that when it comes to storage, the clothing shouldn’t have to compete for attention. Thus, pallor is key in the 330-square-foot dressing room he created in collaboration with Liederbach & Graham Architects for an apartment in Chicago’s 1929 Palmolive Building. The dominant material is walnut that has been “bleached and bleached and bleached, followed by some other treatments because it’s typically dark brown and doesn’t want to be light,” Gambrel explains, adding that the wood has a tight, straight grain. “Cherry is tacky, and maple looks cheap. Oak is delightful because it’s a light wood but has a really open grain, so it feels casual. I wanted a wood that was more refined.” Cabinets with elegant grilles keep wardrobes in view for quick decision-making. (The space is shared by a married couple.) A window seat makes a perfect perch for putting on shoes, and at center is a leather-topped, double-sided chest of drawers. Striéd carpeting, purposefully pale, pulls the walnut’s grain across the floor. Notes Gambrel, “You try to find like-minded materials that don’t have too much contrast.”
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Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
