Divine intervention: Two rooms designed for two very different sisters

The problem

Two very different sisters were sharing a room. To give each girl her own space, the older sister moved next door to a former guest room. Designer Candice Olson strove to develop a design that suited both girls, and disguised the fact that the rooms weren't the same size.

The solution

Olson found inspiration in a fun, intricate polka-dot-medallion fabric pattern that was conveniently available in green and blue for the sports-minded older sister, as well as dreamy pinks and orange for the princess of the house. That fabric inspired the color palette in each bedroom, from area rugs to paint and from bedding to drapery material. Although Olson used some common patterns and fabrics in each room, she customized with color and accent pieces to come up with two very distinct designs.

Bedroom 1

• Olson's plan called for fresh and energetic greens, watery blues and soft yellows. A new bed with a full custom, tufted blue headboard is flanked by custom mirrored panels and sconce lighting, with the addition of white origami crane wall stickers. Across from the bed is a desk area with seating for two, and the room's small closet was expanded and reorganized much more efficiently with new customized closet systems. The walls are painted a lime sherbet color, with recessed lights providing overall illumination.

• One of this room's most striking features is the blue chandelier suspended over the bed. It's surrounded by a circular ceiling medallion outlined in soft cream and filled in with a soft blue that matches the headboard and bookcase backs. Bedding and drapery fabrics also pick up on the green-and-blue theme, and key accents throughout the room pack a punch of color — like the deeper velvet green chair under the window, or the vibrant blue-and-green floral area rug.

Bedroom 2

• The pink, purple and orange polka-dot-medallion fabric inspired the design of a curvy orange headboard and a plush floral area rug that is heavy on both shades of pink and purple. Custom drapes and valances (in the same fabric used in her sister's room, but in different colors) dress both of the windows in this large bedroom, and a study area is flanked by white shelving and storage units. The walls are painted a soft pinkish-purple hue. The headboard wall is papered in a dimensional off-white pearl-bead-patterned covering.

• The spacious closet also got the royal treatment with the installation of a new organizing unit. Fun and carefree artwork is displayed throughout the room to give it a lighthearted, girlish feeling. And once again, a fun hot-pink chandelier placed within a ceiling medallion adds a punch of drama and color over the bed.

Best trick

These two sisters have been inseparable, and so to create a common space, Olson added two comfy purple swivel chairs and a small round table in the bigger room. This created a "ladies' lounge" where the two of them can come together and catch up.

Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service. Interior decorator Candice Olson hosts "Candice Tells All," which appears on HGTV.