An unfinished lower level was converted into a sleek apartment for Cadogan’s 21-year-old daughter, Gianni Beer. The price tag to transform the space from cement and studs to bedroom, bathroom, living/dining room and full kitchen, including all the furnishings, was only $15,000. The cool colors and whimsical touches, like a 5-foot metal fork on the dining area wall, are a combination of Beer’s and Cadogan’s sensibilities. While Beer’s apartment leans a tad in the traditional direction, in Cadogan’s own space upstairs, her affection for the modern is evident. White leather Le Corbusier-style couch and chairs are surrounded by red and black accents in streamlined shapes and bold patterns. Bathroom vessel sinks have a modern flair, as do the stained-glass cabinet inserts (that Cadogan designed) in the kitchen. Light fixtures, such as two squatty, spherical floor lamps in the dining area and a colorful, clean-lined glass sconce (from IKEA, Cadogan’s favorite bang-
for-the-buck shopping spot) add texture and a little funk. Walking into Cadogan’s bedroom from the brightness of the public space is almost culture shock. The room is dark, almost womblike, with rich, saturated colors, hundreds of books, dark wood and luxe fabrics. “I wanted my bedroom to feel entirely different. I feel like I’m on a little mini vacation when I go to bed.” Cadogan says clients are often mystified by her seemingly unrelated background in anthropology, but to her, it’s a
natural precursor to working in design. “We are symbolproducing creatures, creating symbols everywhere we go. Studying the symbols people choose and how people put together their object lives” makes the design process easier, she says. “I can walk into someone’s space and within minutes, have a really good idea of who they are and what makes them tick. I can find colors and objects that help them relax or nurture sleep or be productive or feel happy.”
Top left: Cadogan designed this music room for a newly-built Victorian-style home. Top right: Her daughter’s dining room wall sports a giant fork that Cadogan imagined having been hurled from the kitchen in a fit of pique. Above: A wall-mounted, self-contained “fireplace” adds a luxurious touch to Beer’s lower-level apartment. Left: Cadogan’s kitchen features several stained-glass cupboard door inserts she designed herself. Adding the inserts was an inexpensive way to customize some of the stock cabinets.
February 2012 Des Moines HOMESTYLE
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