Guest Bedroom Reveal
I wanted to kick off 2021 the best way I know how… with a room reveal! I know that is everyone’s favorite type of blog post and our guest bedroom has been a long time coming. We started this project last summer and took our time, as it wasn’t a huge priority on our renovation list. It took the back burner to more pressing projects, but I’m so happy to have finally finished this space. Click through for a big tour, before & after images, and of course all of the sources. Enjoy!!
*Some Annie Selke items were previously gifted for this makeover, but not all. Thank you for allowing me to support the brands & products we actually use & enjoy, and vice versa!
I know the most-asked question I’ll receive will be in regards to paint color, so I’ll go ahead and chat about that right off the bat. I used Halcyon Green by Sherwin-Williams in a couple different finishes: flat and semi gloss. This space was SO difficult to photograph because this is totally a chameleon color… it changes throughout the day with the light, and absorbs & reflects the colors around it. Depending on the weather, it could look totally different tomorrow. I honestly struggled to get evenly lit photos with an accurate depiction of the color. In this space, the color works really well though- and I actually landed on this paint because I wanted to color match my beautiful grasscloth wallpaper, for a monochromatic paneled look. Did you spy the grasscloth texture inside the paneling? Anyway, this is a gorgeous paint color- not too saturated, definitely not boring, and it has a nice elegant depth to it. I’d definitely recommend giving it a try with a swatch!
Before we deep dive into the tour, I wanted to share what this space looked like before we renovated. Unfortunately, I did a terrible job taking before images of this particular room, but it was pretty basic. It had a ceiling fan, dated builder grade doors & hardware, and weird corner shelving with plantation shutter window treatments when we moved in. All of the bedrooms in our house have this same aesthetic…
My plan was to replace the doors, hardware, light fixture, and upgrade the millwork. You can catch our panel moulding tutorial here. I photographed detailed instructions while we were working on the installation in this space.
By updating the millwork and removing the dated finishes (and odd corner shelves), we were able to accentuate the ceiling height in this room and make it feel more architecturally interesting. I’m dropping one of the real estate listing photos below, so you can get another before visual…
Swapping the window treatments made a huge difference, allowing more light to flood into the room. Not only do the woven shades and drapery panels look more inviting, but they’re also more functional. When closed, the light is totally blacked out, which is optimal for friends & family who will stay in this space.
We have multiple guest bedrooms in our home… this is actually the first of four(!) that we have renovated (plenty more bedroom makeovers to come!). I knew I wanted to have some fun with this space, in terms of design and creativity. Emmett and I always brainstorm how our home will look as it evolves, and we both envisioned our guest bedrooms taking on a comfortable boutique hotel aesthetic. I wanted to create a space that was a bit more eclectic and interesting, but still fit the architecture of our home, all while providing our guests with a beautiful escape.
There are so many “modern meets traditional” moments that make me happy in this bedroom, and I think it’s working really well from a visual point-of-view.
The vintage mohair Henredon bench I scored last year from FBMP is definitely one of my personal favorites! Since moving into our current home, it has been fun to have enough square footage to incorporate additional furniture in the bedrooms… a bench or ottomans at the foot of a bed, console tables, etc. It’s nice to have the space to play with a more elaborate floor plan. I’m finally getting used to having more room to design- our house feels large compared to our previous homes.
Speaking of design (I know this next statement could be controversial), in my opinion…. designing bright, neutral spaces is easy. I wanted to challenge myself to use a more complex color palette in this bedroom- especially since it’s a guest space. I’m so glad I did! It’s sophisticated, unique, designerly, and bold. I’m really happy with how things came together. I’m guessing we’ll begin to see a bigger use of color in the coming year. I’m actually really excited for 2021 and the different aesthetics, design plans, colors, and floor plans we’ll begin to see as a result of last year. Onto better and bolder things, I hope!
Texture also played a huge part in this bedroom renovation. The grasscloth wallpaper was really my jumping off point for the entire design of the space. Photos really don’t do it justice. I wish I could show you the finishes in person, and the way they capture the light.
Texture can be found on every surface in the room… obviously the layered bed, the window treatments, the walls, the accessories (like the embossed book and crystal water glass), and even the nightstands. It all feels very layered and tactile, which was a big part of my design plan.
Don’t you just want to hop onto that bed?! I do. This might be my favorite bed I’ve ever styled. I kept it simple, comfortable, and functional. I always opt for white bedding in a guest space. When traveling, I appreciate being able to SEE clean sheets, and I know my guests are the same. Most of the bedding came from Annie Selke– the duvet, sheets, waffled throw, and matelasse. The two decorative pillows came from my shop, Tuesday Made.
I’m all about easy bed making and tried to keep our future house guests in mind. I included a couple decorative pillows (two was my max in here), and two different sleeping pillows to choose from (four total). Our extra long lumbar is the easiest pillow for bed styling, if you have a queen or king-sized bed.
I design all of our pillows and my grandmother is our shop seamstress. I knew my merlot pillow would be perfect in here, since I was using that color as an accent throughout this room. It’s super soft and I like how it visually spans from one side of the bed to the other, making a perfect divider between the headboard and decorative pillow.
I thought about buying new art, but pulled these vintage (circa 1960’s) bird prints out of my prop closet and really liked them installed centered within the wall panels. They’re beautifully and professionally framed! An older lady gifted them to me while I was purchasing something else from her… dishes, I think. It was so thoughtful, we had the best conversation, and this set always makes me smile. It’s nice to finally see them grace the walls of our home.
On the other side of the room, I went with an abstract piece that incorporates all of the colors found within the room… aka- it was a fast DIY, I painted myself. Speaking of “modern meets traditional” moments, I thought a classical bust would be perfect paired alongside the modern art. This console table used to live in my previous home office. I stole it from our hallway and used it to anchor this vignette. Now I’m on the hunt for a new hall table. Funny how that happens! I’m constantly scouring our house for things I need.
I’ll admit, this room isn’t 100% finished (gasp!). Eventually, we’ll be replacing all of our carpet on the upper level of our home. This room is no exception and eventually, when the upstairs gets new carpet, the floor covering in this space will also get swapped. In the meantime, I think the area rug does a wonderful job disguising our carpet- which is in good shape, but doesn’t fit our aesthetic very well. Recognize the rug from our basement makeover? It came upstairs after we swapped rugs downstairs. Yeah, yeah… I’m constantly pulling switcharoos. Haha!
Would you believe me if I told you, the bed in this space is the SAME exact bed in this room?! It is. It’s also kind of fun to see the guest room renovation in our previous home. My style has certainly evolved these past few years. I think a lot of that has to do with the architecture of each home. Anyway, we gave the bed quite the upholstery makeover. You can catch that tutorial here, and I also have it saved in video format here.
As promised, I have sources for you! Use the numbered links below the collage to shop this space…
01: ceiling medallion + ceiling medallion installation tutorial // 02: bubbles chandelier // 03: grasscloth wallpaper // 04: brass curtain rod // 05: drapery panels // 06: duvet cover // 07: trio sheet set // 08: wicker roller shade // 09: windowpane DIY upholstered bed // 10: merlot lumbar pillow // 11: female torso bust // 12: bud vase hydrangea // 13: noir giorgio pillow // 14: door hardware // 15: bubble throw // 16: pineapple finials // 17: marble ogee pedestal // 18: numa area rug // 19: conrad nightstand // paint color: halcyon green by sherwin-williams // not pictured: modern table lamp DIY // white matelassé cover
If something isn’t linked, there is a good chance it’s either vintage or one-of-a-kind, but please let me know if you have questions about other sources and I can point you in the right direction.
While I know this look probably isn’t for everyone, I hope you appreciate or find some inspiration in the details, the finishes, and the work we put into this space. Regardless of your personal aesthetic, I think there are many vignettes and architectural details here that can easily translate to a multitude of styles and color palettes…. the millwork, the hardware, the lighting, the layered bed, etc. I’m excited to hear your thoughts and chat about this one! I’m also looking forward to sharing our 2021 renovation to-do list. We’ve already gotten started on our first project and I’m itching to share. I know I said it would be the dining room, but we’ve changed our course. Details coming soon. Have an amazing first work week of the new year, my friends! I hope it’s going swimmingly so far and you’re feeling good about getting back into a nice routine. I sure am!