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I’m back with another “DIY Playbook, Save our Space”. My plan for this series is to take a reader’s space and (virtually) offer design tips and tricks on how to improve it.
Here are some of my favorite design solutions from this series…
Help Me With My Completely Bare Guest Bedroom
Today’s Reader SOS is from a very special reader – my dad! My dad and his partner, Cyndi, split their time between a home in Indiana and a condo here in the Chicagoland area. They purchased the condo last year and the entire second level is empty. My dad called me a few weeks ago and asked if I could come over to give him some ideas for the space.
I thought he might just want to talk about paint colors or get my opinion on this piece or that. Instead, he begged me to help him furnish these spaces. He is not into interior design and felt completely lost and overwhelmed at where to even start. Their guest bedroom has been empty for almost a year now and I told him we could start there.
I’ll be helping him with a few other spaces and I’ll be sure to share along the way.
Brad’s Design Dilemma
Here’s a peek at his guest bedroom. It’s a pretty good size and right now there isn’t one thing in there. He replaced all of the carpets when he purchased the condo and also had everything re-painted and new matte black hardware added to the doors.
The layout of this space is a bit challenging with the two closet doors, the entryway door, and another door to the bathroom. Multiple doors and that alcove limit the floor plan options, but I told him not to worry, we would figure it out!
In terms of style, it’s hard to nail down exactly what my dad wants and likes. His other home has a mid-century and art deco vibe and Cyndi tends to gravitate toward a more glamorous style. I’m not gonna lie, this is tricky for me because it’s outside of my wheelhouse. I have a more “earthy” design style and I haven’t worked with too many art deco or glam rooms before. But, everyone needs a challenge now and then, right?
Right now, there’s a lot of beige going on with the cream carpet and cream walls. This room needs some color!
My Design Gameplan
Here’s what I would suggest he does in this guest bedroom space.
- Paint the walls a blue-gray color
- Add a large 8×10 area rug
- Hang a bubble chandelier
- Add glam furniture with curves, luxe materials, and sleek stone
- Create a seating area with a swivel chair, side table, and large floor mirror
Finding Inspiration
Since the art deco design style is new to me, I spent some time perusing Pinterest for deco interiors and researching the origins of the style. This architecture and interior style began in France and became a leading trend in Europe and the United States in the early 20th century. It’s usually marked by lots of curves, geometric shapes, bold patterns, metallic finishes, and elegant touches. It’s still a popular choice today.
After browsing some of these images, I immediately thought about making this guest room feel like it’s from a boutique hotel. You walk in and instantly feel bougie and like you’re in The Great Gatsby!
The Floor Plan
After trying out a few various room layouts, I landed on this floor plan. We’ll have a queen bed and nightstand on one wall, a dresser between the two closets, and a chair and side table opposite the bed. I wish I could have squeezed in two nightstands (I hate when things aren’t symmetrical), but the swing of the closet door prevents another nightstand from fitting.
I think this floor plan will work well for guests. They will have a dresser to store any belongings, a cozy chair to sit down and relax, and a queen-sized bed, which is the largest the space would allow.
Adding Color On The Walls & Floor
To break up all of the beige in this space, I would recommend painting the walls a light blue color. I especially love Benjamin Moore’s “Boothbay Gray” which we have in our main bedroom. It’s a tried and true paint color that can work just about anywhere! This would kick off a light blue color scheme for the entire room.
I would also layer an 8×10 rug on the ground. When I told my dad we would need a rug in here, he was so confused. “But there’s already carpet?!” Yes, you can layer a rug over carpet, just use this carpet tape to keep it in place. I usually encourage a rug to break up all of the carpet and add color, texture, and pattern to a space. The turquoise blue color on this rug is a stunner and has that art deco look.
Choosing Bedroom Furniture
With art deco style, it’s all about the shapes, straight lines, and curves of a piece, so I knew I needed to be creative when it came to what I chose for the bed, nightstand, and dresser in this room.
The first piece I found was this gorgeous nightstand. I adore the curved shape, the light wood tone, and the simplicity of the design. It screams “art deco” to me!
Because the nightstand is wood, I didn’t want to go with another wood tone for the dresser. Instead, I chose this white and brass beauty with clean lines! It’s 72″ and takes up a good chunk of the space under the windows and in between the two closets. It makes a bold statement and you’ll spot it right when you open the door to the room.
Next up, the bed. From the start, I knew that I wanted a velvet headboard. In an art deco bedroom, it’s all about the fancy headboard, so I wanted this one to be special. I ended up finding a few good ones and haven’t decided on the final one just yet. The curves on this tufted bed are divine and the light blush color would look nice against the light blue walls.
However, I also like the idea of going with a navy velvet for the headboard. This bed from Joss & Main is a good one because there are so many fabrics to choose from when it comes to the platform bed. Both the “denim velvet” and the “navy velvet” caught my eye. I would love your thoughts on which headboard you like the best! Either one seems like a good choice to me.
Creating A Seating Area
On the other bedroom wall, I like the idea of a small seating area for guests. When I saw this swivel chair in Signed Blake’s guest room, I knew it was perfect for this bedroom suite! It has such a luxurious look and will also be functional. I would opt for this black marble side table next to it.
Next to the chair, I knew I needed to find a large scale mirror to bounce light and create a focal point on the wall. I browsed lots of art deco mirrors and fell in love with this one. This mirror is gigantic and I think it would make a bold statement on that wall. The sunburst mirror is from the art deco period and the brass detailing at the top is a nod to that.
Glam Light Fixtures
Finally, let’s bring it home with lighting. Right now, there is a fan in the space and I would swap it for this gorgeous bubble chandelier. It’s swanky, and quirky, and would add the perfect hint of glam to the space.
There aren’t any overhead lights in this space, so I would suggest at least two table lamps in this room. I like this brass lamp for the bedside table and this black marble lamp for the dresser. Lighting makes any room feel cozier, so it’s a must for a bedroom with this bougie style.
Art Deco & Glam Bedroom Mood Board
8×10 Rug // Velvet Bed // Nightstand // Brass Lamp // Bubble Chandelier // White Dresser // Black Lamp // Swivel Chair // Black Marble Side Table // Large Floor Mirror // Modern Art Picture Frame
Okay, here she is! What do you think of my art deco theme?! I’ve gotta say, this was incredibly fun for me to put together and it does feel like a room from one of those boutique hotels.
I enjoyed sourcing items that I normally wouldn’t choose for a room. Nice to flex my design muscle a little. I don’t know how traditional interior designers do it!
One More Thing…
I still need to figure out a solution to hide this electrical panel that is on the bedside wall. It will be directly above the bedside table, so I need some way to hide it. Art is always a nice simple way to camouflage something like this, but I want to get the other pieces in the room before I tell my dad to pull the trigger on anything. Let me know if you have any other creative ideas for this eyesore.
What’s Next?
Here’s a peek at the attached bathroom to this guest bedroom. It’s nice and redone, but lacking personality. Right now, it’s a big white box. Once I nail down the design for the guest bedroom with my dad, I will get started on the bathroom design so it coordinates. I’m picturing a deco wallpaper with bold geometric shapes in here, but we’ll see where it goes…
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