musings, mutterings, and creative muddle. . .





Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Guest Room Do-Over. . . Vintage Beach Style

There once was this virtually unused bedroom on the third of a certain house that was just begging for a do-over.  It had been piled with clutter and pretty much forgotten as an actual room to be loved and used.  This bedroom knew that a do-over was quite necessary to be loved once again. And so did I. . .

My inspiration:



Peaceful colors: blues, greens, whites, and tans. Peaceful reminder of the beach. . . any ol' beach'll do, of course. The minute I saw this wreath in the LL Bean catalogue, I knew that I had to have it!  And from there - I was off and running. . .


Mixing a little old (such as the big sea-blue tool box), some hand-me-downs (like the comforter and sham from my daughter's old bed), with a bit of new (the lamp and curtains) -and keeping it all within the color and theme of the beachy-wreath - kept the do-over of this space not only within budget, but from being too 'over the top' and formal.


As the large furniture was already in place - dressing the wall of windows was the first order of business.  Some natural-hued muslin cotton for inside each window and topped with a whispy white sheer scarf leaves the room bright, makes the window ledge a focal point and keeps the entire mood subdued. Of course, the inspiring wreath is top and center as majestic as can be with its dried grasses and seashells.

And the rest of the room follows the same mood.


Of course, most importantly in a guest bedroom, is the bed.  As the actual 'footprint' of this attic room is rather small - we didn't have much choice but to go with a twin size bed. To keep things versatile, we opted for a day bed - one from Paula Deene's furniture collection, to be precise.


An old painted baby-bassinet-basket found at an auction fits beautifully under the bed and holds extra blankets.  Even with the basket put away, there's plenty of room for a guest's suitcase to be stored underneath as well.

Do you love that row of prints above the bed? I can't wait to tell you about the creation of those and show you some close-ups. . . that's for another blog, though:-)

You did also notice the colors of the bedding and comforter, didn't you?  Not matchy-matchy with the inspiration piece - but things aren't so matchy-matchy in nature. . . and that's rather the theme here. Keeps things a bit more low-key, informal, and comfortable.

Next to the bed is a table perfect for a guest's bedtime necessities.


To maintain the visual balance on the window ledge, I added a bit of contained outdoorsiness (is that even a word?) in a terranium on a stand from Jody's Attic.


I love those bamboo ducks underneath, don't you? I have several around the house in various colors (notice the large pink one in the previous photo?) and think they are just so much fun. The gift shop where I purchased them over the course of a few years, sadly, is now closed. 

The shells 'under glass' are actual ones we've collected over the years from various coast lines and tourist shops, along with a very neat nest also from Jody's Attic in Chanute, KS.


Moving around to the actual room -those are two pieces of furnitures from Hubster's Grandma that we've had now for almost 25 years - and she had for at least 50 years before that, I've been told (wow! I never really put that together before. . . amazing!!) And yes. That's one of my extra dining room chairs.  It matches and was just hanging out in the basement. . . may as well put it to work, eh?


The basket peeking out there to the right in the photo and the painting hiding behind the lamp (which has been spray painted black, keeping the cool 'tarnished' brass original, and topped with a new shade)


 are two pieces (of many found about the house) created by my talented Daughter. Yes. I'm bragging:-) Anyway, the ivy around the mirror keeps the nature theme going and takes away some of the furniture 'rigidity' that can happen in an 'all beige' room.  And on the dresser are two cool hurricanes from Celebrating Home (as is the ivy seen throughout the room) with some kind of 'grassy' candle rings and bright sky-blue candles.


My favorite items here, though, are the cameras from my collection. Really makes a person think of a past vacation on the beach, don't they?


Above the bureau and behind the door is this really nifty carved out shelf. I smile every time I think of how Grandma's bureau fits so perfectly in that spot.

Two birds from Winfield House in Lawrence, Kansas perch amont the books, photos, a clay bottle (another one of my Daughter's creations) and even a chunk of green sea glass.


A few hooks tucked directly behind the door make a great place for a robe and beach bag. . . That chess set was found in an antique mall in Southwest Kansas 20 years ago. . . am told it was from Mexico and made from onyx. So very pretty! I was so proud to gift that to Hubster for his Birthday:-)

Some 'doctored up' beach photos (I LOVE doing that!) to make sure their colors fit in with the theme. . . definitely didn't want a day-glo orange lounge chair stealing all of the attention from the subtle hues of the beach. Besides, day-glo colors would look ridiculous in the antique frames!


Sea grass (found at Wal-Mart. Who knew???) in an old Mexican hand-blown glass vase is just the right touch whether the door is wide open or closed. I dropped a few white seashells in the bottom to not only stabilize the grass - but to also allow the green of the vase really glow.


So. . . did you notice that even all of the vintage books are in the same color scheme as everything else in the room? I have so many lovely old books - some have been gifts, or hand me downs, garage sale finds, whatever - that I can do that.  In some cases, you really do judge the book by its cover.


This room is a multi-purpose room. Living in a 100 year old house leaves you with some interesting closets. . . not always the most convenient of size, or shape, or location. Bearing this in mind, once this room became 'vacant' we converted a small portion of it into a sort of closet for our dressier and business clothing.


The garment bags help to keep the clothes clean and the room look tidy. The hat boxes, baskets, and old train case all hold various 'necessities' such as the iron, curlers, dry cleaner bags, etc. Once again, everything is in the same color family and 'mood'.



You love that hat there on the wall - don't you?  Me too! Bought that at an Eddie Bauer outlet store several years ago when we were on our way to Savannah, Georgia.

The wreath was not only my inspiration for seascape colors, but also for its overall beach theme, and even the bit of nostalgia that seemed to have come with it.


I think I may move into the guest bedroom. . .

Have a Beach-Vacation kind of day ~

Robin Z


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