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Posted: 2017-03-31T16:27:43Z | Updated: 2017-03-31T16:27:43Z How Designer Nate Berkus Once Saved The 'Ugliest Room In America' | HuffPost

How Designer Nate Berkus Once Saved The 'Ugliest Room In America'

Wow.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in the case of one very red basement, not even its homeowners, Molly Dunn and Eric Geislinger, could bring themselves to see the room as “beautiful.” So, when the couple submitted their lower level space to “The Oprah Winfrey Show” Ugliest Room in America contest, it’s no surprise that they won.

Voters couldn’t seem to get past the basement’s wall-to-wall carpet in a garish shade of red, and the walls weren’t any better: One half was the same color as the carpet, and the other half was paneled in dark brown wood. The room was relatively empty, except for two pea-green chairs, a black floor lamp and a tiny TV sitting on an old wood coffee table. Indeed, Molly and Eric’s lower level needed a lot of love.

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OWN

As the people with the 2003’s “Ugliest Room in America,” Molly and Eric won a total basement makeover led by designer Nate Berkus. They were banned from their home for one week while Berkus worked his magic.

To make his vision come to life, Berkus had all of the walls covered with handmade leather panels, introduced sophisticated couches and chairs, added a flat-screen TV with surround sound, hung silk embroidered draperies, created a dining area anchored by a chandelier, added a bar for serving drinks and even gave the couple their own popcorn machine.

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Molly and Eric were stunned upon seeing the transformation. “I never dreamed it could look like this,” said Eric. “Wow.”

“Nate, we love this room,” Molly added, hugging the designer. “It’s better than what we expected.”

Check out the clip above to see the full reveal.

Before You Go

10 Fresh, New Paint Combos for Your Home
Use Bold Colors(01 of10)
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Unpopular with Decorators
You always hear that white, pale gray, and cream-colored walls make a room look bigger and that they are colors you never tire of. So interior decorators neglect the more intense colors. This is a mistake. In the right amount, flashy colors can give a room character at no great expense. You dont need to move the walls, or invest in expensive furniture or works of art. All you need is a few cans of paint and some brushes and rollers, and you can change everything.

Black, The Decorators' Dark Horse
Black is a color that is often ignored. Yet black can provide warmth, set something off, or provide a wonderful backdrop for artworks, pictures, a view. . . . I use black to cover a wall, or put bands of black around a wall to form a frame, and sometimes around a window opening. I also like using black to transform parquet flooring.

White is Now!
White is purity. And its all the more luminous when set off against black or some other strong color, just the way lipstick sets off your skin color.
(credit:Francis Amiand)
Black + White + Yellow(02 of10)
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A magic trio that gives energy to a room! Especially when you choose a very saturated, sunny, warm yellow. Before actually applying paint to the walls, I always advise making a sketch using crayons on paper. Then paint the chosen colors onto 8.5 X 11-inch (30 X 20-cm) sheets of paper. Tack them to the walls and consider the effect before committing yourself. And never forget, its only paint! (credit:Chez Moi)
For Every Room, Its Own Color(03 of10)
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I like the idea of giving each room in the house a strong identity and a specific color. Blue I find particularly pleasing, because it strikes me as urbane, contemporary, and at the same time very restful and poetic, especially when set off by black. An important thing to know about color: The edges and finish need careful attention. If the effect is anything less than crisp, it can look like a mess. (credit:Francis Amiand)
(04 of10)
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(credit:Chez Moi)
I dream up color combinations that play off and enrich each other.(05 of10)
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A light pink, used as an accent color, brings freshness to deep emerald. (credit:Chez Moi)
(06 of10)
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Contrast dark plum with vibrant pink. (credit:Chez Moi)
(07 of10)
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A trio of colors that, while cool in tone, is ever so soothing. (credit:Chez Moi)
(08 of10)
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Make a large area of beige and structure it with a coppery green. (credit:Chez Moi)
(09 of10)
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Sarah blue is a deep color that adapts to its environment. Veering at times toward turquoise, at others toward green, this shade comes alive according to the light and colors that surround it. (credit:Chez Moi)
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Reprinted fromChez Moi: Decorating Your Home and Living Like a Parisienne by Sarah Lavoine. Copyright 2015 Abrams Image, New York. Published by Abrams Image.