At this moment, I have no plans for guests this summer. Still, I know that someday in some way, life will return to some semblance of normal. With that in mind, I decided to make sure we are ready when that happens. A guest bedroom update is definitely in order!
During the past several months, this room has become the “catch all” for just about everything. The way we shop for household goods has changed quite a bit. I refuse to participate in the hoarding that seems to be prevalent these days. However, we no longer go the store weekly either. That makes it necessary to buy a 3 week supply of things we use daily. Rather than stuff my pantry to the max, I use this room for overflow.
To be fair, after Christmas this room is always the catch all during the winter months. Unless we have guests coming for ski season, we do not spend a lot of time downstairs. We close the vents to keep the heat on the upper levels and it is too cold for me most days. But as summer approaches, this part of the house will see a lot of action.
My guest bedroom was once my daughter’s room in her teen years. Being on the lower level, it gave her the privacy so important at that age. Although I have an unused bedroom upstairs as well, that privacy makes this a much better choice for most guests.
Katie’s love of the ocean was everywhere in her room. The white wicker furniture on its own was enough to give the room a beachy feel. Add all her treasures she picked up from vacations through the years and you would think the ocean was right outside. In a way, it was!
The Window Well
We live in a two story with a walk out. Therefore, there is a window well where the bedroom is. I had always kept the shades pulled just because window wells are just plain ugly. But walking through Home Depot years ago, we found the answer to this. They are called Biggies. Weather resistant photographs the size of a basic window well. They had several different outdoor pictures you could choose from. At the time, my local store had only mountain scenes. But on a trip to California, we checked the store there and found several of the beach. Of course Katie loved it. That was over 10 years ago and it’s still going strong. We added a multi colored light which can change the hues in the picture from daylight to sunset. Sand, sunglasses and an old Jaws paperback brought it all together.
There are so many amazing photos to choose from. You can check them out and find one of your own by clicking here.
The Furnishings
While we did update the mattress a few years ago, I decided to keep the furnishings the same. Katie didn’t want to haul them to California and I love them so much that I was happy they were staying put. Her room was always one of my favorites so I decided to just go with the theme already in place. To me, white wicker is the very essence of coastal decorating. Because of the shape of the room, there was not a place to put a traditional night stand. A small shelf that’s enough for a lamp was the best I could do. I did find a wicker hope chest at a garage sale though which is perfect to hold a suitcase. The corner chair was a gift from a friend who spends more time in this room than anyone!
The Accents
While I do add seasonal decorations most of the year, the downstairs is premdominantly ocean decor. It’s the overflow area for all the things I can’t resist when on vacation. Since every vacation always includes a beach somewhere, this is where it tends to be for most of the year.
I knew I wanted a lot of navy blue in the room. It’s always been the perfect contrast for all things white. I had been crazy about the comforter for quite awhile and finally purchased it at a year end sale at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and I couldn’t be happier with the overall look! Since downstairs rooms are often dark just by their location, I have used light walls and white shelves to brighten things up.
I will be bringing that “ocean” feel to the rest of the house for the summer months but there is enough to go around. Being landlocked in Colorado, surrounding myself with the things I love most makes summer decorating one of my favorite times.
I have grown to love turtles from our visits to Maui over the years and there are several around the house. My amazing Sister-in-law painted this gorgeous one and he will be chilling here waiting to welcome the next guest. A bucket of seashells, sailboats, and all things coastal have made this room a warm and welcoming haven.
The Welcome
It’s important to me that my guests always feel welcome here. More importantly, I want them to feel at home. To that end, I try to make sure that the comforts of home are readily available. A chalkboard sign with the wifi password keeps them connected. An essential oil diffuser is available with several relaxation oils and I encourage them to use it. I try to make sure that there are a selection of paperbacks and magazines on hand as well. There are several different pillows choices since a good night’s sleep often depends on that. Finally, there is a bathroom off the bedroom stocked with anything they might have forgotten. And last but not least, in case I haven’t made it clear through the atmosphere I’ve tried to create…
I’m hoping this sign will be the welcome I intended to convey!
There! We are ready! Hope to see you here soon!
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