Inside a Primary Suite Transformed by Soft, Elegant Design

A designer and homeowner create a luxurious, dreamy space.

January 5, 2026

Joseph Starr,

Bathroom A starburst chandelier, agate wallpaper, oblong mirrors and teardrop pendant brighten the bathroom. A mix of elemental materials complements the sinuous shapes. The lush plum ottoman evokes the bedroom’s palette. | Photo: Eric Lucero

As a reflection of the homeowner, the finished suite in this Cherry Creek home is richly layered in both the actual and metaphorical senses. “I’m a female neurosurgeon,” she says. “There’s a lot of boss and a little femininity in that role. I wanted to reverse the roles and have more femininity expressed.”

The homeowner collaborated with Gina Bauerle of D’Amore Interiors to create a decadent bedroom-and-bathroom suite. Bauerle employed color and texture, surprising details and happy happenstance in an homage to the homeowner—a waking dream of a space that is both sultry and sheltering.

Bedroom An interplay of earthy colors and organic textures characterizes the luxurious bedroom. The rich palette includes tones of plum, sage and taupe. Cowhide nightstands add contrast and interest. | Photo: Eric Lucero

Bauerle and the homeowner proved to be auspicious collaborators, a refreshing change for the designer as she says that many homeowners treat the bedroom as little more than an afterthought. “This is where you start and end every day,” Bauerle stresses. “This space has the biggest influence over your mental health, your feeling of peace … Shouldn’t everybody’s primary bedroom feel like a luxurious hotel suite?”

Their vision coalesced when they encountered a custom art piece—and translated it to wallpaper. “You select the art,” says Bauerle, “and they print the image on wallpaper panels to fit the scale of the wall.” The piece—an abstract mélange of organic, evocative shapes—not only contained the desired color palette of plum and green tones but also established the deep dimensionality that characterizes the space.

Bedroom Vignette Mysterious details including a dressmaker’s mannequin, amber bottle with feather, and velvet-adorned chest provoke curiosity and suggest intimacy. | Photo: Eric Lucero

Other elements embody the homeowner’s ideas about intimacy. The upholstered headboard extends past the sides of the bed in what Bauerle describes as “a spanning gesture that feels enveloping and luxurious.” A richly textured carpet and lush green drapes continue the soft, embracing feel. Its main effect is to establish a mood—mercurial and dark, yet lush and welcoming.

The homeowner’s favorite element is found not in the bedroom but rather in the bath: “For the shower, I wanted something that was sexy, something to open the room. The frameless glass shower makes the eye feel like nothing is there. I wanted a natural appearance and color, hence the cement-like tile and green walls.”

Bathtub Dark cladding grounds the vanity while hiding unsightly plumbing. Translucent drapes strike a balance between privacy and introducing light. | Photo: Eric Lucero

In addition to creating the idea of transparency, the bathroom uses the same color palette as the bedroom yet doubles down on the green with a deep, sea-dark iteration just a few shades shy of storm gray. Also linking the bedroom to the bath is agate-pattern wallpaper in the recessed ceiling—a “natural stone look,” Bauerle says, “that echoes the bedroom wall art.

” Oblong mirrors, curved sinks and teardrop pendants continue the organic design. “The hand-etched crystal globes have a very raw, earthy kind of feel to them,” Bauerle notes. “Raw” and “earthy” are apropos. The design uses natural colors and terrestrial textures to achieve an abstract concept: representing the homeowner’s femininity. “The bedroom should be a place where you feel comfortable to be in your own skin,” she says.

Shower The frameless glass shower is subtly tinted, adding another layer of intrigue to this sultry suite. | Photo: Eric Lucero

Makeup Table The designer retrofitted a vintage desk to create this alluring dressing niche. The walnut cladding helps unify the space. | Photo: Eric Lucero