Guest Bedroom Design Inspiration
As part of the People’s Choice Round Four vote, we’ve included three potential designs for the guest bedroom. Style boards, created by our friends at Good Housekeeping magazine, express the beach lifestyle in three singular — and sensational — ways.
The process of creating design themes began with contributing stylist Frances Bailey, who scoured her favorite design magazines, blogs and books for inspiration before spreading photos and clippings out on the floor of her New York City apartment. Frances also drew from her love of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, a beach location that three generations of her family members have called their summer home. “It’s such a special part of the world,” she says.
Frances worked with Good Housekeeping editor in chief Rosemary Ellis and executive editor Janet Siroto over a period of several weeks to refine her designs before final presentation to the team at DIY Network. “This is such a joyful process — being able to dream,” says Frances. “And being able to be creative and throw a lot of pasta on the ceiling, see what sticks and see what the people want it to be. I’m fascinated to see how it works out.”
Nantucket Charm, a gender-neutral scheme Frances describes as “classic beach” and “all-American,” is ideally suited for guest bedrooms. “There’s something about this style that isn’t girlie. A guy would feel comfortable in this room as well,” she says. Avoiding anything too gimmicky or trendy, Frances looked instead to the home’s own turn-of-the-century architecture and coastal location for inspiration.
A bowl of citrus fruits, placed atop a crisp white countertop, inspired Frances’ vision for the Bold and Beach-y design theme. “It’s just a super happy design,” says the stylist, who was also drawn to the aesthetic of Jonathan Alder and Trina Turk when creating this specific look. “It would be a wonderful place to spend a weekend if you were a guest,” she says of a bedroom decked in this theme’s collection of colors and furnishings.
More than once during her brainstorming sessions, Frances spied photos of old oars and paddles, upcycled in unique ways. Weathered paddles reclaimed as a headboard became the stylist’s lightbulb moment. “I just thought that was genius,” she says. Her brainchild, Recycled Chic, presents reclaimed items in a cool, chic way, set against a soothing, sea glass-inspired color palette. “This theme is a little bit more DIY, but it’s also charming and fun and in the spirit of this house,” she says.
The Good Housekeeping staff is joining in the fun of the People’s Choice program, casting votes and keeping fingers crossed for their own particular favorites. “The one I am most drawn to is the bright Bold and Beach-y,” says Janet Siroto. “In part I think I like how happy the colors are. And I think a guest room is a place to take a risk when using bright, saturated colors like that.” Frances, too, is drawn to the citrus-inspired theme for its fun mix of hues, but admits that New York City’s cold and grey weather conditions of late may be informing her decision. “I am excited to see what fans choose,” she says. “I think that’s really refreshing and fun – throwing out the ‘best of the best’ ideas and letting readers make the final decision. As a designer, I would be super happy to execute any one of these.”
I don't know if many thought of this; however, you will have to dust the dark wood treatment ceiling in the family room. My friend that built, and owned a log cabin for 20+ years was telling me that she had to dust the walls. Until then, thought it would nice to own a log cabin. Also, the dark ceiling will make the room darker.
Trust me, everyone that voted for the white thought of that and more! Alas, we seemed to have been voted down on that choice. By possibly the "Good House Keeping" staff?
I am sad the white didn't win. I have lived in a house with redwood panelling and it is a job to keep it looking nice, and with that being on the celling, I think it might get changed fast by the winner IMO
I prefer the first option. A little bit of Nantucket Charm, or as described above, "Classic Beach" and "All American" style decor.
I like the color scheme and I like that it is patriotic. Looks great!!!!
Mary, Thank you for the new thread. Frances, Congratulations and looking forward to seeing the results. I love the coastal shabby chic design that was at the blog cabin of the original house. I hope whatever design is voted on is integrated with the style,design, and some of the antique furniture. Also needing consideration is the fact that the blog cabin is on the beach and will need to be fairly easy to clean. It is hard not to be too specific when the original blog cabin was so cozy & comfy. Becky ^_^<3
The fish and oars work — fishing has been the main industry of this area of the coast since it was settled.
As always, it's interesting to see how opinions vary when it comes to design and the life experiences and background given for what the mind's eye "sees" that inspires them.
For me, Nantucket Charm with its cooler blues and white with a hint of red accent personifies, well, Nantucket and the Northeastern coastal regions.
The Bold and Beach-y design theme with bright patterns and basket-weave wicker whites reminds me of days spent along Florida's Gulf Coast. Fun, sun and sand and totally vacation-esque!
The weathered paddles and more muted tones of the Recycled Chic style sets just the right stage for dreams of a Carolina coastal beach house in my mind. Even though the house is built virtually new from the ground up, it will retain its vintage feel with the choice of rustic wood antiques and accessories as well as the People's Choice finishes and fixtures that have been chosen so far. Simple, cozy, inviting and a bit DIY, as it should be.
The Recycled Chic also allows for a broad range of complimentary finishes on walls, tiles, flooring, etc — and those final pops of color that will make this beauty a dream come true —
though I'd love to see a "Norman Rockwell style" print of a young boy fishing lazily from a weathered dock to bring in that historical "times past" quality to this charming country home.
Well stated, DBCoop! My "mind's eye" has envisioned essentially the same, , which is why I love the R.C. style!
Coop you do have a way with words painting pictures with them. Love it.
Judy
DBCoop,
I like the Nantucket Charm just the way you described it, very nice! Some fabric in blue and white ticking and a white wicker chair with a few elements from RC included in the mix would be a nice blend of styles. I like the tan and white pillows too. I am sure what ever they come up with will be very inviting, Maybe they shouldn't make it too inviting or guests will never leave….just kidding, couldn't resist…Windee
Coop, I like the way you think & a " Rockwell" type print would look better than the whales!
Right on the money, Coop ! Recycled chic and a Rockwell print to go along with the whale prints…(not to honor whaling, but to honor the few whales remaining who struggle to survive sonar testing. )
I got the feeling Frances was partial to RC too, and saved the best for last.
I have been voting for the Recyced Chic, but after watching the movie "Ocean" by Disney, it shows all 3 of those whales in the picture, are up in Alaska, so I have changed my vote. Not that it will matter this close to the end of the vote.
Hi vicki–FYI–all those whales migrate…it is too cold up north for birthing and whales will migrate south to warm coastal waters for "family time"… not that our voting matters enough to effect outcomes…I believe majority of voters never read the blogs. <3
I know most of the voters don't read the blogs, or some of the out comes would be very different. But it always turns out good (most of the time LOL).
From the Cabin Cam I see we have the Bog Cabin again today.
Joking aside, I'm beginning to think the land has a real drainage problem. Even light rain turns it into a swamp that takes many days to drain. This is going to provide some serious challenges for the landscaping crew. It''s probably why the dock starts so far back from the water ecdge. It's not because of tide height but because of swampy ground.
It would be interesting to know how much of the yard is actualy usable most of the time and how much is liable for a lot of flooding.
And the dock also has to cross over that little creek.:p
I have noticed that Clive, the ground seems to be always damp or wet.
Here in Sacramento, we have a lot of clay, and the hardpan is pretty close. A lot of yards, including ours, are graded with a slight "dip" down the side leading to the street. You see a lot of fake streams with rock and plantings down the sides of a lot of yards…looks really cool! Our rain is in the winter and tends to come in spurts so it doesn't always have time to soak in, but the grading works really well to get rid of the excess. I'm sure that they can deal with it in some similar way there.
That is what I am hoping for to happen, that when they do the yard landscaping they take into account the drainage situation and do a smart design.
Surely they can't help but have noticed that there may be a problem
……and know how to fix it for that specific area.
I can't remember what it was like at the beginning. I was wondering if when they built the cabin up and then filled in around it some if it may have affected the drainage some, at least keeping it from draining farther toward the water's edge. It would be interesting if some of the relatives could chime in and tell us how much of the land they were able to use.
That area has been described by locals as marshy area. I posted some time ago in an earlier thread, about how similar that clay-looking soil appears to mine and soil in my area in SE Virginia. As I understand, the BC has been raised a total of 8 feet above sea level now. That sure is clay we're seeing and not sandy soil around the house perimeter. My goodness! What Clive has gone through, nobody should have to experience! I think the suggested bringing in additional soil and sifting it together will help as many of you have suggested and Yard Crashers AND Desperate Landscapes will work it all out. That's what we can hold onto! BTW, Has anyone noticed that Jason Cameron's name is back on the LIST of BC Experts???
<3<3 Kitty
Looking at the before pictures, from the water….there's a lot of area that seems to be either marshy or covered by the tide at times…but they have had muscadine vines, fruit trees, hydrangaes ((sp), and other plants, not to mention the daffodils, so I'm thinking if the machinery hadn't chewed up the ground, most of that other area was fine before. But I still like mixing some decent soil in with the clay.
I agree — about the machines and excavation, removing the grass and likely a great deal of topsoil. We must also remember that, according to the history, previous generations living here "lived off the land", as well as the sea. So it was good enough soil to plant food-stuff! Yup, Yard Crashers will fix it right up!
In reality, this is typical of all the region. But because the soil is pretty sandy, it drains fairly fast. This is a low-lying region and the sound water level goes along with the rise and ebb of the tides as well. Much of the area is similar to Charleston, SC in that it is right at or below sea level. (As a matter of fact, one of the communities in the area is called Sea Level.) There are some plants and trees that thrive in this locale, others will just rot or die from either too much moisture or too much heat. Best to stick with "wild" sorts of plants and with trees that are found in nature here, or use potted plants.
Thanks for the soil condition info Bev. Nice to know. Plants local to the area makes sense….Windee
Hi Clive, I just made a comment to RLD on the last thread about the "Mud Bowl" as he called it!! I said I wonder what the yard would be like if a Tropical storm came through and dumped 2 or 3 days of rain..the lower areas at present is a serious problem…I think the yard around the Cottage is mostly clay and water cannot drain, as I said to RLD, they need to bring in some black dirt and till the clay and dirt and level it out..Maybe the mixture of the two, the water would drain better and bring the ground level up..Hopefully Designer Landscaper? will address the problem and take care of it… I really think it's a big problem too…..Just My Thoughts!
One more thing Clive, Driving all that heavy duty equipment around the Cottage for weeks and weeks hasn't helped the yard either!
Jennie, I think it is a problem right now, but that it's totally fixable, and mixing the dirt in with the clay would go a long way to helping….especially if you wanted to garden
…….I just hope they don't mess with those muscadine vines!
I'm concerned as I believe I'm a real expert on clay soil and what can happen when one builds a house in it. We built ours a few years back and thought we had done everything correctly. To make the foundation they excavated a big 'bowl' then built the poured concrete basement foundation, sealed it and backfilled with rubble and good topsoil with a decent grade away from the house going out about 12 ft. Everything looked fantastic. However, a few years after we had rains of biblical proportions and suddenly water punched holes through our solid reinforced concrete foundation. Builders & architects were dumbfounded (I was furious too). We eventually discovered the cause was that the heavy equipment digging the 'bowl' for the foundation had compacted the clay so our house was sitting in a giant earthenware bowl. Rain water was deflected by the grade away from the house, then soaked into the drainage soil hit the deeper clay and was diverted back to the house, now under considerable pressure!!! It has cost us $$$$ to install exterior drain tile and reseal the foundation on 3 sides. Happily, there’s no basement in the BC.
Well Clive I don't know what happened, I replied to you under your comment but it showed up below!!!
Go Figure
Clive,
So sorry to hear that! That's awful to say the least. Nothing worse than doing your homework and thinking all is well to find out it's not!
I was concerned about the drainage too, but didn't know what kind of soil the BC had. The mud and the band on the edge of the yard or line concerned me as I always see it when it rains, made me wonder. Even though there isn't a basement could the supports be effected from heavy rains as the soil must be compacted around the perimeter of the BC from the heavy equipment?The support posts are just driven down in the soil two feet If I remember correctly and not actually anchored to anything?.
Hope the builder was able to help out in correcting the problem. Not trying to be nosey, but I would think they should share some of the responsibility for the problem and should have assisted you in some way. Not so sure from the sounds of it because you said it cost you $$$$ for corrective measures. Is the house is still under pressure? So sorry Clive, sounds like a nightmare. Good Luck…………………..Windee
Clive that is the HARD way to become an expert…I hope you got furious all over them!
Wow! How frustrating! What makes it even worse is the financial mess it created for you. When we bought a home here, we made sure that we bought on the sandy side of town to try and avoid the problems that everyone has on the clay side. So when the flood occured, we didn't have to deal with the problems that those on the clay side had. But, the flood caused the sewer to back up our street and flooded our basement with the lovely stuff. One thing for sure, life is always full of surprises and many of them not what we had hoped or planned for. So sorry to hear about your troubles. Knowing how carefully you research and make wise decisions, you had prepared as much as possible for any scenario.
Jennie,Hardscape( gravel,shells,pavers ect…) like our friends at the D.I.Y. network have used before, will fix the "Mud Bowl"!
Wow, I missed a few days and the exterior of the cabin has really moved along. I like the exterior color choice more than I thought I would, it works great with the white trim. I had voted for the green because I thought the grey might be too dark but it looks light and fresh.
I'm still in favor of the Recycled Chic for guest room decor. I like the neutral palate shown and I love the idea of reusing found objects. I really like the look that seems added to over the years, decorating with items that are repurposed or found amusing from other homes and trips.
Boy Clive, that's terrible..I hope you were compensated for the Poor workmanship and decisions your Builder and Architect made! I would have been furious too..I hope your problem is solved and won't have anymore surprises!!
The last time I looked at the Cottage, the water was laying all around and the water filled where the big wheels drove all over the yard…It was still pouring rain and winds were 15 mph….Maybe tomorrow it will be Sunny and start drying up….I wonder if Mr. Eastman is aware of this Problem, I'm sure He is and plans to have someone out there when the time comes, after the Cottage is completed, to get the yard problem taken care of……We will have to wait and see what will be done!!
I bet they will have to use Shovels to clean all that mud/clay off the floors, before they can install anything!!!
Have a good Evening!!!
I did notice a shop vac on the porch, but it was awfully small for the job
, I agree they will need shovels
Folks, this is NC; and the land in eastern NC is flat. There's not a lot you can do when the rain pours in buckets and there is nowhere for the rain to go. It's just too much overload. The good thing is that there is sand and sand is porous. It won't take long for the soggy ground to dry up. You should see the mud puddles on this farm! I invite you to take your shoes off and squish your toes in it!