Guest Suite Inspiration
I had the opportunity to chat yesterday with Good Housekeeping lifestyle director Sara Lyle. She, market editor Laura Eckstein and stylist Laura Fenton created the guest suite style boards featured in this week’s People’s Choice vote.
Inspiration for the boards began with conversations between DIY Network and Good Housekeeping teams. Sara and her staff first considered the size of the space and accommodations they’d like to make for guests, before hopping online to learn more about the home, the region and the location. “We were super-duper jazzed about Maine, the nearby Acadia National Park and the beautiful land around the cabin,” says Sara.
Next, the Good Housekeeping team met with Blog Cabin 2012 interior decorator Victoria Lesser, who shared her overarching plan for the home’s design. She also passed along inspirational photos that served as a springboard for one of Sara’s style boards, the super-chic “Classic in Khaki”. To personalize the look and add some pop, the team incorporated vibrant orange and navy. “That’s very much our classic, traditional New England look,” says Sara.
“Lodge Living,” currently the front-runner in the People’s Choice vote, is inspired by the home’s coastal Maine location. “But we didn’t want it to be themey, kitschy or too literal, so we softened the color palette a little,” says Sara. What she calls a “really yummy, cozy look,” the lodge-inspired design will allow Sara and her team to play with textures.
A study of Maine wildflowers informed the “Fresh Floral” color palette. Goldenrod and purple asters, in full bloom through the summer months, caught Sara’s eye as she explored the Acadia National Park website. “I am a sucker for wildflowers,” says Sara. “Nothing says welcome and effortless style more than a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers.”
The Good Housekeeping team will head to Blog Cabin 2012 in April to decorate the guest suite in the winning style. In keeping with Victoria Lesser’s emphasis on sustainable design, the team will also incorporate a few surprises. “We are hoping to have some time to roam around the town and the surrounding area to pluck some really unique pieces to feature in the room,” says Sara.
For more guest bedroom design inspiration, visit Goodhousekeeping.com.
Ive been flip floppy on my choice for guest room colors. I like all, but have to remember it is coastal Maine and the fresh clean summery look of classic is appealing to me more. Its classic with a little modern flair. Still curious how the winner gets picked. Also what a dream retirement location for us. I am an artist and husband and I sea kayak and ski in Maine every winter. We are used to living in antique house, though ours needs much renovations. Boy it would b e great to be in a house thats already done. I can keep dreaming lol. My husband and I don't know why people chose stainless steel backplash for antique home. ???????
The winner is picked through a drawing and you can enter online starting 8/13/2012.
Oh yeah we can all keep dreaming. My favorite for this one is the fresh floral. The colors are soft and refreshing. I love it for this old coast home. The views are breathtaking too. Wow…mother nature is the best decorator of all.
I agree! I have a remodeled farmhouse,now a B&B, just across the inlet from this Blog Cabin. If you go on my website,you will see that my decor very closely follows your taste and flows with the nature of our Maine coast…Mother nature knowsxD http://www.spinnacres.com
Grannylu Considering the style of architecture of the house and the mountain location I would choose the following decorating scheme: The headboard, linens, clock, and deer head of Lodge Living, Lamp and mirror of Classic Khaki, Area rug and flowers of Fresh Floral with the following suggestions to finish off the total great style and look. Cornice and side drapes for window coordinate with dark lavender area rug(s) trimmed with color of lamp shade in Fresh Florals, sheers green background color of upholstery on chair in Fresh Floral or lamp shade in Classic Khaki plus bedside tables and table for reading lamp by either dark navy wing backed chair or navy cushions on wood glider rocker with footstool upholstered top to match chair. Use accent pillow from Classic Khaki paired with another solid color of lamp shade in Fresh Florals to tie in window treatments. The dark navy adds a little vibrancy to all the muted tones.
Those checkered sheets on Lodge Living look just like LL Bean's flannel sheets, and OMG – they are just about the best things ever on a cold winter night! And they just keep getting softer the more you wash them. I've got two sets they are just AMAZING. And lots of fun colors – purples and oranges, greens, blues!
Ever have on a flannel nightgown while sleeping on flannel sheets ??…………No twisting & turning in your sleep with that duo !!! LOL !!!
I discovered flannel sheets several years ago and sleep on them all year long. You would think they would be too warm in summer, but they aren't.
This has been a hard choice for me as well. I'm drawn to the Lodge look because, to me, it best personifies a traditional Maine look. Just switch the deer for a moose, and your good to go!
The lodge palette is too drab. I encourage people to vote for either of the others. After searching for a Maine rental last summer, I do believe that Maine is the place that old, plaid sofas go to die, but please, let's break out a bit!
I agree, Lea. I've been voting on the Fresh Floral, but would be just as happy with the Classic in Khaki, now that I've been able to see an enlarged version of it. The lodge look does not fit this Maine house, IMHO. (I happen to also be of local connection too!)
My big concern is the space and layout of the guest room plus the fact there is no additional bathroom to service the remaining upstairs people, makes me believe adamantly that the Guest bedroom should have it's own 3/4 bathroom installed in one of those spaces towards the back of that room! Between the bunk room, Family room couch plus loft and guestroom we're talking about 9-10 people sharing one bathroom for toilet and baths. Ouch! Storage is a HUGE issue too! Lots of linens and blanket storage for all those guests! Coordinated Brain work needed!!!B):D;)<3 Kitty
I tried and tried 19 hrs ago to respond to Lea to no avail. My post seemed to post, but wouldn't stay, as soon as I refreshed the page. Lost count of times–so I finally reported problem to tech dept. Hope this works. I see now many more than the 6 posts I was then following. Lea, you're right about the drab–plus the fabric on that pillow is actually not a new plaid design–I've had it custom covered on my Queen Anne kitchen chairs for at least 15 years. The fabric is strong and lasting as one can tell by my chairs…tee-hee, but I think it's a bit passe.' I vote for Fresh Floral but can live with Classic Khaki too. This house is neither a CABIN nor a LODGE–it is a New England CAPE Greek Revival Farm house and it deserves to be restored that way, historically. So far votes have skewed towards total gobbledygook design that has no historic renovation appearance, and I'm leary of where this beautiful place is going to end up! Can her historic perspective be revived? Jury's out on that one! Please, DIY come home to History here!!!:$;)xD<3 Kitty
I answered Lea 6 times–those posts disappeared.<3 Kitty
LOL! I do agree…old plaid shirts come here too…to slowly disintegrate on the bodies of Maine men…along with their plaid boxers:D
LOL…….Lisa
I agree totally in fact I can't understand how the lodge palette is getting so many votes. I also find it drab and a bit boring. I find the floral much more fitting and even the Khaki fits better that the Lodge !
Agreed!! I get that it seems bright or edgy, but color and clean design makes all the difference in the world, and won't look tired and dusty in a few years or washing!
Decisions and choices….I can see some elements from all three design choices being incoporated into the decorating of the guest suite. I love an eclectic decor to a room and Victoria Lesser is an expert at that style of decorating, and she does a good job of keeping the rooms from looking "cluttered". I can hardly wait to see the finished product.
If you read the above Victoria only gave her overall idea- and Good Housekeeping does this room…..
Not that surprising. LL Bean's HQ is about 50 miles up the road in Freeport.
I see Mary is still avoiding telling us which room they are now calling the 'bonus room'. When will someone at DIY explain which rooms are now called what please?
They also are calling the Guest Bedroom a "Bonus Room", Anniesown and it is supposed to be transformed by Good Housekeeping. I found that term used in one of the series of photos, but can't recall which one. Hope this helps anyway. Hope this posts This Thread is having posting issues big time!
;)<3 Kitty
three of mine vanished, DwnSoDwnEaster, I wonder where they go??LOL
I stubbornly posted and re-posted to this site over 20 times yesterday as the # 7 poster, but every time I refreshed the page, my post disappeared. Finally, I reported it to DIY.
Hi Kitty, what is going on??? 5 or 6 of my posts were deleted…..I reported this problem to DIY….
At first I thought it was just my post , but now other Blogger's post have disappeared also…
I'm not Computer Savvy, so is it possible for someone other than DIY to get into the Blog and delete our posts???….I can't believe this is happening …I've been blogging on Blog Cabin since 2008 and this has never happened before…I just hope DIY gets a handle on this problem soon….It's hard to keep up with my post…I posted the same message to LL 4 different times and they were all deleted, so I just gave up..It was on her post about Ahmed and Matt's Yard Crashers good news. I'm so happy Ahmed will be doing the BC's back yard…He is so creative and fun to watch. You can tell he really loves his landscaping. Maybe we'll get some kind of waterfall.on or around the deck . That's one of his specialties…….well it bedtime, hope tomorrow will be a better day for blogging!!!!!.
This response above STUCK –Heaven only knows why?<3 Kitty
I love the "Classic In Khaki" absolutely sleek and love those vibrant and exciting colors! Wildlife is what this room needs!
I can't help but like the Fresh Floral because it has color instead of drab beige/brown !! Being a Southerner, I know absolutely nothing about living in Maine !
I think the fresh floral just looks inviting to wake up to in the morning and also lightens up the room.
Fresh Floral is very typical to the Midcoast Maine cottage decor. Remember, they don't generally call their houses "cabins" but "cottages." Homes are simple, comfortable, laid back, and generally a bit cluttered with maritime -type (NOT hunting) memorabilia and lots of books! Ergo, the need for a library. A greenhouse or even a greenhouse type window to start one's spring plants is very important to most Mainers. Please, DIY/ Knickerbocker, we've mentioned this plenty of times, but heard nothing in return, so I am reminding you again of the importance of this inexpensive benefit to the winner! Thank you!B)xD:*<3 Kitty
The fresh floral is the only one that has a chair and lamp, the other two only has the bed and bedding, oh the classic does have a lamp. I like a few things from each choise.. oh well