From Den to Zen: How Sacha Strebe Created the Bedroom of Our Dreams

The queen of cool shares the method and inspiration behind her rigorous renovation process.

If there’s one person who knows how to completely transform a space, it’s EyeSwoon Editorial Director/icon Sacha Strebe. We were lucky enough to tour her stunning LA home through The Makers series where impeccable taste is executed flawlessly.

Fast forward four years and Sacha and her family said goodbye to their stylish rental in Silver Lake and embarked on a new journey as homeowners. Documenting her renovation journey on Instagram, Sacha has been keeping her loyal following in the loop with countless makeover updates on her new home. There’s one room in particular Sacha has recently completed renovating, and to no one’s surprise it’s our favourite room in any home: the bedroom.

“We really wanted to create a cocoon of cosy, a stylish retreat from the chaos of outside, a space that really was dedicated to rest and sleep,” Sacha told us, and she’s done exactly that. After many laborious hours of hard work and numerous layers of primer and paint, Sacha has completely transformed the master bedroom into the ultimate sleep sanctuary.

What we see before us now is the product of Sacha’s hard work and stunning vision. We caught up with Sacha to chat all things renovation, inspiration, and how she found the perfect balance of beauty and function along the way.

What inspired you to start this bedroom makeover?

We bought our first home last year and the master bedroom was in dire need of some love (see my before & after photos for visual proof!). There was also a thick dark green stripe that went around the middle of the entire bedroom and it was also an odd long and skinny shape at 21’2” x 9’9.” It was really lacking in personality and that zen factor I crave in a boudoir.

So before we even moved in, we sanded off the green stripe (this took many laborious hours) and painted numerous layers of primer over the top (I think we did at least five coats), before finally limewashing the walls and the ceiling in a warm serene hue. We really wanted to create a cocoon of cosy, a stylish retreat from the chaos of outside, a space that really was dedicated to rest and sleep.

Did you face any challenges during the makeover process?

There was zero storage! The closet (if you can even call it that) was basically a tiny nook with a single bar for hanging clothes. I think it used to be the children’s bedroom for the former owners. There were no built-ins either. Since the bedroom was so long, we decided to section off the end to create a walk-in closet.

We hired a local contractor to create a curved wall with an arched entry and then I sought out the talented team at California Closets to create a custom closet with ample hanging space, storage, and shelved cupboards. This made the actual bedroom part smaller, but it didn’t bother us because it suited our goal of creating a space designed for sleep and sleep only.

What is your favourite part of your newly renovated bedroom?

Coquille – the custom light I designed with ceramicist Dana Castle of Crosland + Emmonds. Since the ceilings are fairly low, I knew I wanted a flush mount but after months of searching I couldn’t find anything I liked. Eventually, I reached out to Dana to collaborate on a custom piece. She designed the beautiful ceiling pendant in our dining room so I knew she could bring my vision to life. I was drawn to shell-like fluted shapes for the lamp design in a warm hue to unify the limewash on the ceiling. So I sent over my inspiration and Dana got to work creating samples. After a few iterations, she finally sent me the final prototype. I love her organic textures and the soft glow she omits onto the ceiling above.

I also really love our custom bed frame! My husband and I designed it and our friend brought it to life. It is huge (fits a California King mattress and takes up most of the room) and is made from solid birch wood so it is also incredibly heavy. Thankfully we don’t move that often! I highly recommend collaborating with artisans to create custom designs for your home. You can really feel the love and energy.

Did you purchase new furniture, or did you repurpose existing pieces?

I repurposed as much existing as I could (the bed frame, the wall mirror, decorative accents, and black wall sconce) but my vision for this space was a little different from our last so it did warrant a few new purchases with a lot of vintage and some custom pieces. With no built-ins, we had to buy a chest of drawers and this one from EQ3 complemented our white oak flooring. The runner is my friend Arvin Orlano for Rugs USA. The truffle tone really helps to anchor the room of neutrals. The pedestal is a fun vintage find on Facebook Marketplace; the brass candle holder slash sconce is also vintage from a late-night Etsy scroll; and the Turkish floor vessel and stone sculpture are both from my friends at Olive Atelier.

How did you balance aesthetics and functionality in your décor choices?

There really isn’t much separation between beauty and form. For me, the two go hand in hand. That is most likely a result of working with Athena Calderone at EyeSwoon. She never compromises. When there’s a will, you’ll find a way to ensure the most mundane is beautiful and meaningful.