Sweet spots: add charm in the smallest of spaces with whimsical groupings and colorful collections

Sunset, Feb, 2008 by Jessica Battilana

THE TINY FOOTPRINT of Cynthia Warren's Oakland bungalow, a modest 926 square feet, doesn't bother her one bit. "I didn't want a bigger space," she says. "This house feels cozy, and it had everything on my list--wood floors, a fireplace, and a gas stove."

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For Warren, a graphic designer whose work ranges from elaborate party invitations to special-event menus for restaurants like Chez Panisse in Berkeley, making beautiful things by hand holds endless appeal. Each corner of her house displays evidence of her talent for creating an ambience both fanciful and romantic. The intimate dining nook (with benches and a table of salvaged Douglas fir built by Warren's boyfriend, Marc Duncan) pays homage to Frida Kahlo, replete with photos of the Mexican artist, pressed-tin ceilings, and eye-popping hot pink paint. "This was the beginning of real color in the house," Warren says--a trend she continued from room to room.

Simple collections, thoughtfully displayed, become art installations and focal points throughout the home. Industrial items are juxtaposed with the unabashedly feminine, travel souvenirs are grouped together for the feel of a far-flung bazaar, and even rusty old tools become a stylized collage. As Warren says, "Arranging objects is my way of making something beautiful just for myself."

PHOTOGRAPHS BY THOMAS J. STORY

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1 SALVAGE CHIC Originally a pocket door, this headboard got a dreamy update with bright white paint, decorative molding, and delicate sconces that cast a soft light.

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2 PERFECT CHEMISTRY A rack of 24 test tubes is repurposed as a centerpiece. The glass vials contain elegant lisianthus blooms and fragrant rose geranium leaves plucked from Cynthia Warren's garden.

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3 EVERYDAY ART In the kitchen, citrus walls and white cabinetry add a nostalgic feel to neat groupings of colorful, useful items. Salvaged metal drawers keep small wares accessible but out of view.

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4 GLOBAL TREASURES Souvenirs and found art--including an Indian mirrored shirt, a Thai horse puppet, a Oaxacan rattle, and framed moths--share space on a persimmon-colored wall.

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5 VISUAL AIDS Like a clothesline of ideas, three 18-foot cables on the wall of Warren's studio hold previous designs and bits of inspiration to spur the creative process.

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6 TOOL TIME "Girly macho" is how Marc Duncan refers to Warren's graphic and playful juxtaposition of rusted vintage tools mounted on pink pegboard in her garage turned workshop.

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