My Guest Room Suite

Ten Tips For Making A Home Away From Home

The Vision

Like the Marriott Residence Inn, the vision for My Guest Room Suite came to me when I realized I had the ideal extended stay set-up - a private bath, ornate balcony, convertible sofa, and ample space with a doorway between rooms. Adjacent to the bedroom, the suite provides privacy to work remotely, stream movies, snuggle with pets, knit, yoga, or have some quiet reading time. Its mixed casual feel is ideal for relaxing and unwinding.

Summer Balcony for Relaxing and Unwinding

Tip #1 Use Tried and True Furnishings

What I truly love about this room is that all the furnishings and fabrics are what I already own. I could use family furniture, handmade curtains, generous gifts, family art, and prior purchases to assemble the room. Culling from the attic, basement, and other spaces were effective and reliable hidden gems that worked beautifully in this room.

I didn't want to part with my mother-in-law's Cushman twin bed frames, so I lugged the family heirlooms into the attic. This pale yellow room was a storage bedroom filled with teenage comic strips and books for several years. After carefully removing The Simpsons, The Far Side, and Calvin and Hobbs to a storage box, I removed sticky residues. With the room empty, I started the decorative process.

Before Image, Cushman Twins and Comic Strips

Before Image, Overflowing Book Shelves

Before Image, Storage and Clutter

Tip #2 Use the Carpet As An Anchor To Get the Color Right

Grounding the entire room, I chose an inherited family room carpet, an eight by a 10-foot mix of navy, sky blue, salmon, soft yellow, green, and pink. I had the added design task of blending this multi-colored piece with the pale gray shade of the adjacent guest room. Getting the color right would require testing numerous samples that included Benjamin Moore’s Pink Flamingo, Bubble Tea, Heirloom Quilt, Coral Bronze, Silken Blue, Wild Blue Yonder, and Mystic Lake. Torn between pink-coral and soft blue tones, I decided on French Toile, a blue-antique shade that worked well for both rooms. I liked "pink flamingo," but my husband, who rarely denies me, said no. To further coordinate with both rooms, I chose Silver Satin, a crisp lavender-gray shade for the ceiling.

Multi-Colored Carpet Anchors the Room

Coordinating Guest Room, Metropolitan by Benjamin Moore

Pink and Blue Samples Stack Up to the Carpet

Tip #3. Use Original Family Art To Keep Loved Ones Close At Heart.

Two favorite watercolors, a winter birch scene, and summer orange flowers hang over my grandparents' desk and salmon-upholstered chair. Painted by Aunt Harriet Winston, of blessed memory, I painted French Toile mats to match the walls. Centered on the chimney, my daughter's giant horse collage, with its bold design and black frame, gives a dramatic splash of color. The TV complements the artwork in color and size.

Dramatic Horse Collage Adds a Bold Statement

Summer Flowers Match Chair, Harriet Winston

Clump Birch Framed in French Toile, Harriet Winston

Tip #4 Pile In Color

Once I get going, my instinct is to pile more pattern and color into a room, so I used existing Crate and Barrel pillows from my living room to redesign the neutral couch. Typical of hotel suites, a queen-size pullout couch was perfect for the room. Not too big in stature, it was given to me by my very generous older sister, who could no longer use it in her home. It needed disassembly beforehand, so I enlisted help from a couple of strong, thoughtful young neighbors who capably removed the frame and carried it up two flights of stairs. They did a fantastic job.

Colorful Pillows Add Interest to Plain Gray Couch

Tip #5 Highlight Beautiful Wood and Crown Molding

A unique hinged mahogany butler tray table frames the couch; its wood grain complements a floating tv stand, beautifully crafted in mahogany by my husband, Paul, a woodworking enthusiast. Paul also meticulously installed crown molding, a decorative wood band that finishes the wall where it meets the Silver Satin painted ceiling.

Butlers Table with Handles and Hinges, Ready To Serve Guests

Floating Mahogany TV Shelf, Stream Guest Favorites

Tip #6 Introduce Modern Lighting

I love the lighting. I purchased a mid-century modern five-globe Possini Arc lamp from Lamps Plus several years ago but needed help finding the right spot. Voila! I found it here. Even my husband was pleased and said it was the best it ever looked in this room. Once again, my sister gave me a gorgeous Crate and Barrel Drum Lamp that she could no longer use. Its sophisticated design provided the room with a contemporary look.

Modern Possini Arc Lamp Frames Chair

Crate and Barrel Drum Lamp Adds Modern Flair

Tip #7 Revive Vintage Fabric

As I rummaged around my attic, I saw a pile of folded fabric in a wooden cubby. Surprisingly, I found a set of vintage Schumacher curtains and a dust ruffle I sewed for our first bedroom set. The design is called “Joelle,” a French word aptly named for the joy I felt when I re-discovered them after all these years. With my color instinct on high alert, the red and blue paisley design fit perfectly as a half curtain to the floor-length balcony window. For privacy and light, the colorful lined panels worked beautifully in this mixed motif room.

Also, to my delight, I could use the matching gathered dust ruffle as a table skirt. I ripped the stitches from the bed sheet liner and staple-gunned the fabric directly onto the round frame. I love that it’s flouncy and French, a secret nod to my love of Provence. It felt whimsical. I also remember creating the dust ruffle with my dad. He taught me how to sew the folds over the fabric regularly without pinning for the gathered look. Layered with pieces of yellow silk, a beautiful scarf, a blue and white lamp from Target, and a treasured Azores plate, the table graciously greets guests on the landing.

Schumacher “Joyelle” Vintage Curtains Add Privacy

Dust Ruffle Table Skirt Matches The Curtains

Azores Ceramic Plate

Azores Ceramic Plate Appoints the Hallway Table

Tip #8 Paint Old Wooden Furniture For A Pop Of Color

I hand-painted Hale Navy on the hardwood desk and, for an added pop of red, BerryFizz on the chair. It’s bright, yet it picks up the accent color on the horse collage and is the same hue as the curtains. To further enhance the desk, I placed a yard of fabric from the Waverly White House Collection on top, a classic vintage print.

Layer in Texure and Color with Waverly “White House” Fabric, Hale Navy Painted Desk, Berry Fizz Chair

Tip #9 Finish With Accents And Amenities

Accents and amenities complete the room with unique touches. Again, I go around the house to see what will work with what I already have. A friendly ceramic golden retriever greets guests on top of a Pottery Barn cable-knit throw blanket and ottoman. A fierce, spiky potted cactus sits on a Cushman footstool. I culled one of my favorites from my basket collection, a dark round-lidded piece that completes the corner. A dual-purpose red leather-like wastebasket holds another soft blanket. I love that the design has white stitching on the edges, a classy touch.

Round Brown Basket Rests on Checked Fabric, Cast Iron Radiator

Red Basket with White Stitches Accents the Corner with Color

A Prominent Cactus Sits on a Small Cushman Footstool

A Ceramic Dog on Ottoman Warms the Room

Relax With A Cool Drink, Begonias on the Balcony and A West Hill View

An Inviting Guest Room, Full Summer Glory

Tip #10. Know What You Want

When I enter this room, I feel like a skilled decorator who knows what her clients want. Adept at pulling a room together with what I already own, I know that my extended stay house guests feel at home, exactly the look this homeowner was going for.

If you need help decorating your home with existing furnishings, please call

Gayle at 413-884-5684 or visit my blog for more inspiration at gayle donohue.com.