Often when we meet a “cool and clean” space we feel bored and uninspired.

But not always….and not this time. This minimal sleek space is filled…but not too filled…with character. WON-derful combinations of contemporary and ethnic! Just the right amount of color and contrast to give it a heartbeat, yet keeping it calm and peaceful at the same time. This is exactly what the owner wanted. ?The owner is Hollywood jewelry designer Loree Rodkin and she, her inciteful eye and her ability to travel, pulled this place together with truly a magic touch. Notice the polished limestone floors and macasser ebony bookcase displaying petrified wood pieces.

Neutrals can be so fascinating. How so? This is not simply gray, white and black. This room contains atleast twenty different grays and blacks. And white for contrast. In one glance our eye takes in gold at least four times…the Thai temple fragment leaning against the wall, the distinctly asian mudra hand on the coffee table, warm color elements in the framed photo images and the hanging basket lamps. A good designer will always plan a composition as if looking through a camera lens. ?The repetition of gold and the balance of black, white and gray give this room a tranquil sense of balance.

Isn’t this room beautiful? All pieces are good, but the combination is exquisite. And that’s the key. The carving of the 17th century Chinese daybed brings pattern to the space. The silver silk pillow reflects light. The woven rope stool and large teak Buddha are further reminders of an “artist’s hand.” All floating in a sea of neutral… as the Edward Lentsch contemporary artwork creates continuity by tying all of these colors together.

This is a simple master bedroom. A calm place to wind down. In keeping with the rest of the home, there is nothing too flashy here except for more luscious silver silk pillows set against a luxurious and tactile gray suede headboard. ?The walls are wrapped in striated raw silk. Another fabulous large scale Buddha sits against a pair of inlaid bone Indian mirrors. The huge variety of scale from e-NOR-mous to very very small brings drama to the space and that wow! factor that makes an indelible impression on our minds.

Photos from Elle Decor October 2007