How to Bring A Design Challenge to Life at The St. Louis Home & Garden Show

Bynataliedesigns

Design Challenge Accepted!

(Green Room for the WIN!)

Interior designers from the St. Louis Chapter of ASID teamed up with design students to create two eye-catching Designer Rooms at the Home Show. Each collaborative team brought today’s design trends to life through playful layers of color, textiles, and furnishings—giving homeowners plenty of inspiration to rethink their own spaces. Even better, show attendees got to join the fun by voting for their favorite room.

Both spaces embraced the theme Modern Cottage Retreat Bedroom, designed to feel warm, cozy, and just a little bit like an escape. Designers were also on hand throughout the show, chatting with visitors about their ideas, creative process, and the trends shaping interiors right now.

I was one of the lead designers involved in this challenge… follow along below for our inspiration moments – and the birth of A WINNING DESIGN.

ASSIGNMENT: A Modern Cottage Retreat Bedroom- 10×10 Room/2 Walls

My students and I bonded over a shared love of green, thrifting, antique malls, and that irresistible “thrill of the hunt.” That passion quickly shaped the direction of our design. I shared my vision: to create a layered, personal look that would stand out—even in the chaos of the Home Show!

With that idea in mind, we leaned into a green color drenching approach—scouting thrifted pieces and giving them fresh life with bold, vibrant paint. Paired with our inspiration fabric from CB2, it set us on a wonderfully colorful path.

So many colors to chose from with this bold, modern floral CB2 drapery panel
Room Mock-up & color drenching model

Next, we tackled the room layout—and quickly realized that a 10 × 10 space is pretty tight for a bedroom display. The solution? Keep the furniture minimal and let the design breathe. A few carefully chosen vintage accents ended up making the biggest statement.

To tie in our inspiration fabric, we pulled out its other colors through modern pillows and accents—like a cozy pink throw, fun floral pillow and peel-and-stick wallpaper. Bonus was finding our beloved bunny lamp- the embodiment of “modern cottage”! These playful touches helped echo the palette – and our theme – and bring the whole look together.

Installation day is always a treat! Adding in the final layer – a hint of a writer’s room – really brought our design home. Nothing is more rewarding than bringing a fun, colorful design to life—especially when people can step in and experience it firsthand, and students get to learn and grow through the process.

I love mentoring & helping guide young people (or young professionals) as they explore creative fields. My background is in art, design, display & events… please reach out if a budding designer in your life needs support or guidance. Connect with Natalie here!

Natalie Marie Pinson is the owner and author of Get Real! Interior Design. She is an expert in Interior Design, Space Planning, and Color Coaching, known for offering straight-up, practical advice with a creative twist. Whether it’s choosing the perfect paint color, rethinking a layout, or curating the right placement for art and décor, Natalie helps clients cut through the noise and focus on what truly works.
Her inspiration goes beyond showrooms and moodboards. Natalie draws on her travels to sharpen her designer’s eye and bring fresh, global perspective to real-life spaces. For her, great design isn’t about copying what you see—it’s about learning to see differently and creating homes that feel both beautiful and deeply personal.

Similar Posts