Wayzata Dressing Room

Mr. Big might as well have taken cues from this luxurious dressing room for Carrie Bradshaw’s knockout closet in Sex and the City—The Movie. After all, designer clothes and dozens of pairs of shoes (including Manolos, yes!) are on dramatic display here, at one end of a spacious Wayzata master suite. While the effect is elegant, it’s also “practical,” says interior designer Marie Meko: “Closets are such a problem for most people—you put everything away and then you can’t even see things or they’re hard to reach,” she says. “We wanted [the owner] to be able to see everything.”

A mix of storage features ensures efficiency. Jackets, shirts, and pants hang from open racks; purses stow away in cubbies; and shoes practically shimmer on glass shelves. Although some items, particularly folded shirts and lingerie, are stored behind closed doors, most stay within view and become a part of the design.

The room’s French style provides the perfect foundation for the fashionable display. Meko found inspiration for the architectural embellishments at Versailles and other French chateâux. “I travel to France a lot, and I’m the tourist who comes back with a camera loaded with pictures of doors and windows and other details,” she says.

Mouldings from California–based JP Weaver Company, applied to wood paneling, create the appearance of French boiserie, or intricately carved panels. The surfaces are all brushed with a vanilla-color paint, then treated with a glaze. “We did a little heavier glaze in places to play up the shadows of the mouldings,” Meko says. “When it’s darker in the deeper crevices of the carving, it creates a warmth that glows at night.” Beveled-edge Crema Marfil marble countertops and champagne-color wool carpet blend with the painted finishes.

The glowing, monochromatic scheme not only adheres to French style, it reflects light and keeps the space bright. “We have a lot of dark days with Minnesota winters, so it’s dark when you’re getting ready in the morning and it’s dark when you’re getting ready for dinner,” Meko says. “Regardless, this space is always light and cheerful.”