Wednesday, November 09, 2005

now you can all come visit

Now that I've discovered your secret decorating talents, I refuse to let you get away.

I need more help, of course, and although I have MANY rooms to pester you about, I'll start with the guest room. Just think, the sooner my guest room is completed, the sooner you can all come visit. Winter is a lovely time in Boston, don't you think?

Here is the room we started with, in the previous homeowners' pictures:




First things first, we tore up all the carpet in the house. I wish I had more pictures to show you, but the carpet in this room was a sort of pukey greenish color.

Removing carpet isn't as difficult as one might think, we just pulled the carpet up and with this special staple removing tool called a wonderbar, Josh was able to crawl around the room pulling up the tacking strips. His hand was swollen and sore the next day, but I think that was because he did the WHOLE HOUSE in one day. One room would be fine.




This room had the most possibilities for colors and decoration, so I decided to go a little nutty. After exploring the spectrum of paint colors, I decided to paint the room in the green family. I brought home loads of paint samples because did you know that there are thousands of green possibilities? I ended up discovering that most of them were hideous, and on the advice of the paint guy at the store, I tried a green that I was convinced was far too light and far too tan. He was totally right, though- Benjamin Moore's Soft Fern is a terrific tannish pale green color that seems to change depending on the light.

After a lengthy search for fabric for curtains, a discovery by my MIL of a store in the Berkshires led me to Country Curtains where I finally found a match. Josh's parents bought us a fabulously beautiful bed frame, all our furniture is moved in and rearranged, and we are finally in business (just a year later).

Here is the current state of the room:





See how my curtains match my walls and match my bedspread with a matching bed skirt! I love it!



And if you come visit, we even have little bed lamps by which you can read a book. It's practically like a bed and breakfast!



There's even a guest book you can sign, see it on the right?








Isn't the bed frame pretty? There are glass knobs on every post! Our parents spoil us so...





Ignore the paint cans and drop cloth under the dresser, please, I was trying to hide them from the camera with little success.



But now I need your help, you see. Look at all the blank wall space! Except for our diplomas, there is no artwork! No style! I need assistance!

I bought a large canvas that I plan on covering with matching fabric and criss-crossing ribbons over it, to make one of those fancy shmancy picture boards, per Momtothelady's suggestion. But what else? Should I get a mirror? Pictures? Vases that hang from hooks on the wall?

HELP Internet Decorators!!!

Tomorrow: the Internet solves my organization dilemmas...

13 comments:

K said...

Our walls are art-challenged as well. I bought up old black and white photographs fairly cheaply on eBay and am in the process of framing them. Don't know the people in them? Who cares? You can make something different up for each person that comes to visit. Oh, this is my Great-great Aunt Millie. Yep, and her twin daughters Cora and Flora. (we really do have a 19th-century pic of twins named Cora and Flora) Then next time maybe it's Great-great Grandma Georgina.

That's what I plan to do anyway. :) Oh, and believe it or not, Dollar General has great frames! (which is lucky for me, since Dollar General and its relatives Family Dollar and Super Dollar are the only stores in my town).

blackbird said...

two possibilities-

one, Target has some nice framed stuff. and it's always fun to go to Target! go to Target!

bee - ebay has some great Pottery Barn hanging wall stuff. vases and shelves and all kinds of crap...

we always do one and bee here...
plus I am a little drunk.........

Running2Ks said...

I hardly see where you need help at your very comfy and classy B&B!

But, some cheap ideas (if you don't go for framed art) are getting canvasses and adding color, getting wallpaper swatches and framing them, etc.

Shelving and knick knacks from other rooms.

Black and white prints--of pictures you take yourself (of doors, windows, landscaping, still lifes, people).

You could faux paint.

Sconces, either with candles or filled with colorful potpourri.

Peggy said...

a nice mirror in the room would be nice. Hang a wall shelf and set a nice candle and small basket of potpourri. Hang a wall basket with silk vines trailing out of it. Go online and type in a topic on search then click image and you will get tons of pictures.... enlarge and print out and you will have the pictures you really want in the room free except for ink and of course frames. Check out the local goodwills or thrift stores you will find some neat vintage items. Your room looks great!

Suzanne said...

I have no suggestions (aren't I helpful?) but wanted to say that I love the room, especially the carpet. When can I book the room?

halloweenlover said...

Anytime Suzanne! We are open for business : )

ccw said...

I think the shelves hung at different levels always look nice. Then you can easily change with your mood/decor. Target has cheap shelves and they paint really well so that you can make them the color you want. Maybe Target will quit being asses about Plan B soon and I can return to Target.

I also like the mirror idea. Mirrors are always great and you will always have somewhere to use an extra mirror. I have found that several of our antique stores have great mirrors that cost less then new ones (even at a discount store).

halloweenlover said...

Momtothelady!!! You are painting stripes! Have I told you that I want to paint stripes in my hopefully one day future baby room? I am enlisting your help!!! I can't wait to see your handiwork.

Frankie said...

I like the idea of sconses, or even a mantle, like what you have in your living room?

Anonymous said...

I think that a nice framed mirror above your dresser would be pretty.

As for over the bed (or maybe elsewhere in the room), I think I might get a series of about 5 ready-made frames and put some photos in them. Some ideas for the subject of the photos would be your travels or pictures of people who will be staying in the guest room the most often. You could get them copied into all black and white, if you like that, and then go to a frame store and have them matted in the burgundy color of the comforter. Then hang them in a row about 1 foot above the bed and nightstands.

Anonymous said...

P.S. Your guest room is very pretty! It looks like a nice, cozy spot for your visitors.

halloweenlover said...

I am loving your idea, Jill! Black and white with a burgundy frame would be gorgeous!

And everyone else, I am loving the mirror idea too. Maybe a squiggly edged mirror? Not square?

I love shelves, but since my bedroom is overrun with shelves I think it might look funny in the guest room.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Limon de Campo said...

What a gorgeous room. I'm afraid I can't be of assistance in the decorating department. Before I got married, I left all of my walls blank--just pure white walls.