In an ingenious play to bring social media to life, furniture and home decor retailer CB2 partnered with Pinterest, tapping five interior designers to put their social media networks to work, helping them design a room in a SoHo loft. The designers offered pinners various CB2 furniture choices, leaving the final selections in their hands. The kicker? The installation had to be completed in just one day, captured and broadcast in real time for all the world to see. Designer and blogger Athena Calderone tackled the bedroom, working with pinners to realize their design choices—with a generous dose of her own personal style. Click here to see more images from Calderone's finished room!
How did you prepare for the installation?
Before the room came together, I did a lot of work to make sure that my palette was expressed so that the pinners would understand my vision. I chose a combination of pieces I knew would feel cohesive no matter what. You want to make sure that things are well appointed within the room, and that the scale works out—there were a lot of variables to consider. Different wood tones, different palettes, different heights.
This process was not so dissimilar from working with a client...[the pinners were] the ones in control.
–ATHENA CALDERONE
Were there any pieces you loved that didn’t end up getting chosen?
I had originally wanted the hanging rope lights. In my comments on Pinterest, I had kind of [nudged] people, saying “I really hope these are chosen!” and I even put them in two categories. In the end, I actually feel like the marble pendants that were chosen work better in the space—the rope would have been too rustic. The pinners led the way, and they were right!
When given the choice between glossy pieces and wood-based ones, pinners tended to choose wood. Did you find this interesting?
When everything came together, it was wood, wood, wood, and I was unsure of whether it would all play nicely. But it does! What I came to realize is, as an interior designer, this whole process is not so dissimilar to working with a client. You pre-select numerous things, but they’re the ones in control. It wasn’t so scary once it all started happenin
What’s your design strategy?
I am such a fan of high and low, and even middle. Both in my home in the city and my home by the beach, I have super simple, clean-lined furnishings that aren’t crazy expensive. And then you spend your money on beautiful art or accessories—that’s where luxury comes in for me. In bedding, in layers, in textures, that’s what adds depth and personality. It’s all about the eclectic mix, and it’s also about collecting. Every little piece in my home, and also in this room, tells a bit of a story.
