Hi Friends. If you’ve been following along with my Instagram stories, you know that most of my focus has been on a big client project and on the front yard at Crhacienda. But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been making progress on the inside of the house. Today I’m giving you a peak into the guest bedroom.
Let’s do a quick recap, this is what the room looked like when we moved in:
From a layout perspective, this room is really good. In fact, the two main bedrooms in Crhacienda are good. It’s just the third bedroom/office which is weird, but more on that later. The guest bedroom had access to one of the Jack and Jill bathrooms. You’ll remember from the Master Bathroom Plan post that that doorway was being closed off. As soon as that door was gone the guest bedroom felt more secluded and private (in a good way) and the layout just made sense. I die for the symmetry of the windows in this room because they let in such great light and make it feel so peaceful. The view outside the windows isn’t great, but we’ve planted some climbing fig vine on the wall so in a few years it will be more pleasant.
We took out the sliding closet doors and put in French doors with a shaker panel to match the other doors in the house. The sliding closet doors were a tell-tale sign of a cheap flip, and didn’t jive with the rest of the house’s historic character. This closet is much easier to use without the sliding doors in your way since it’s about 3-1/2 feet deep. It’s deeper than a normal reach-in closet, but not quite as deep as a walk-in closet. I’m not trying to knock those of you who have sliding closet doors, some of them can look great, but what the flippers installed were less than $100, and they looked like it. In an 88-year old house they just didn’t make sense and stood out like a sore thumb.
Aside from addressing the bathroom and closet doors, we didn’t have to do much to this room. If you’ll remember, we moved into Crhacienda with multiple house’s worth of furniture. Ultimately, we decided to start from scratch because we felt like nothing was working well in the room. We want the house to feel effortless and calm, but still polished without becoming fussy. If that makes any sense. The guest bedroom needed character without feeling serious. So many old homes go so far in the historic direction, filled with antiques and heavy furniture, that it becomes more like a museum than a home. We’re trying to keep enough vintage and antique in Crhacienda that it gives some credibility to it as an old home, but not so much to make it feel stuck in the past. I like to think of the house as a cool older lady, like Yazemeenah Rossi. Crhacienda wants to be respected for her age, but she’s not too out of touch to enjoy artists who play at Coachella.
Also, I’ve been made aware that I am assuming the house’s gender identity. I’m not sure why I refer to the house as a “she”, that’s just the feeling I get. Anyway, I think I can create the right balance in the design of the guest room for it to feel fresh without feeling too new. This first bedroom below, by Erin King Interiors, captures that relaxed retreat feeling that makes a guest bedroom feel so wonderful. I love a four-poster bed, first of all, but I also love the contrast between the warmth of the wood door and tile floor compared to the cool white walls and soft textiles.
Then there’s the room below by DISC Interiors. They can do no wrong in my book. They took the poster bed idea and made it the warm center of the room with that great oak finish. The sofa is just begging you to flop down and read a magazine. Or stare at your phone. Whatever. It feels edgier with the faceted pendant lights and the metal legs on blue velvet sofa. This feels like a younger space than the first room without becoming immature.
Now don’t laugh at the next room by Michael Ladisic. I’m not delusional. I know I don’t have a barreled ceiling, or an arched window. But what I love about this room is how the light enters, how the room feels like it’s part of a suite. The chaise is a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the view of the yard. The bed looks like a perfect place for guests to rest after a flight. I know some of you are thinking “I don’t want the bed to be so comfortable that guests overstay their welcome.” But let’s be real, how often do you have guests staying over that don’t already have a planned departure date? I’m not running an Airbnb, my guests know when to leave, and I want them to have a nice environment to stay in when they visit.
The mood board below captures where I want to go. I scaled down the bed because the room can’t handle a full-height four-poster bed and a statement light fixture. The bed brings in the character of an antique style metal bed without feeling old. To contrast the bed, the pendant light is more modern but with a classic influence. It’s all about balance in this room, sure the crown top mirrors feel a little more glam, but then you have the aged bench at the end of the bed. Lots of cool black and metal gets warmed up by the wood nightstands and upholstered headboard. I think a pair of open based nightstands help keep the room from feeling too heavy. Paired with the ceramic lamps they bring in a casual energy. You’re going to see a lot of Dunn Edwards’ Whisper White paint in Crhacienda, it’s one of my go-to white paints because it’s warm without feeling dirty.
Finally, I’m on the hunt for a French blue linen drapery because this room gets Eastern exposure in the morning. Sometimes, a guest just wants to sleep in. I’ve already scoped out the most beautiful vintage Turkish rug and it’s going to be fantastic. The rug and the linen will bring in an old world influence that brings cohesion with the rest the house.
I can’t wait to finish this room and reveal it to you in the coming weeks. I know the guest bedroom is not usually a priority for most of you. It’s hard enough to finish your own bedroom and living spaces, so it makes sense that guest rooms move to the bottom of the list. I’m spending some time this Memorial Day weekend getting the house organized. Are any of you tackling home makeovers during the holiday weekend?
