10 ESSENTIALS OF A COZY GUEST ROOM

I love staying in fancy hotels... okay, luxury or boutique hotels! I probably could live in one! It's all about the special amenities and beautiful bedding and decedent room service and fluffy towels and ... I could go on and on!

Obviously, I don't get to stay in those hotels often.  But just recalling my infrequent stays makes me feel relaxed and pampered!

That's just the way I want StoneGable guest to feel!

We are having guests this week and I'm getting the guest rooms ready...

Here is a list of 10 essentials for creating a cozy guest room...

SMALL CHANGES IN THE GUEST ROOM

I'm making a couple of small changes in the guest room this spring.  I'm hoping our guest will feel so welcomed and pampered.

This room is very tailored and has lots of space for our guests to move about and feel comfortable. So I don't want to clutter it with lots of chotchkies or other things.

So instead of hanging a picture above the bedside table I hung a bulletin board...

THE MAKING OF A COZY GUEST BED

With the holiday's upon us and the weather getting nippy guest at StoneGable will want a cozy warm bed to crawl into at night!

I've made up the bed ready for Thanksgiving guest... with lots of cuddly layers and soft warm fabrics.

Here's how I pamper my guest... starting by making their bed...

A WARM WELCOME

I'm "fluffing" again. That's what I call fussing... adding and editing touches to a room... mixing and matching...

I got two little additions to add to the J&J guest room...

If you have been a reader for awhile you will know my love of pillows!

Recently I received a pretty package that smelled of lavender... and inside were two darling "welcome" pillows I had ordered from SUTTON PLACE DESIGNS and two grain sack lavender sachet to tuck in a drawer as a sweet gift!

My friend Ann, from ON SUTTON PLACE makes incredible pillows, gain sack items, towels, table runners, aprons and lavender sachets with a very french/fresh/country feel! Her blog is filled with great designs, really good food and sewing projects.  She is a must read for me!

These beautifully made linen pillows have the words...

 and ...

...machine embroidered on them. 

 I am wild about them!

Don't they make the perfect statement for a guest bed?

I am still on a search for an old map of Lancaster County... but I did find an old window to frame it in.

Once that project is done and hung over the bed, I'll feel like this room is complete... sorta!  Are we really ever done fluffing?

SHUTTER HEADBOARD

I have a crush on shutters! The older and more chippy and more dirty the more I love them!

On a recent outing I talked my husband into visiting one of my favorite antique haunts... and before he knew it he was loading 3 of the most chippy old huge shutters into the back of our SUV!

I had a plan for these shutters... and Bobby...

Sometimes my poor unsuspecting hubby falls prey to my evil  creative plans!!!  Little did he know he was going to make a shutter headboard for a bedroom we are slowly making over (bedroom #3!)...

Here is just a peek at the headboard...

Here is another...

Would you like to see a little more?  Okay...

What... you would like to see even more... really?

More? Now we are only looking at the bed... not the oriental rug that is NOT going in this room... or the nightstand that I am repainting Paris Grey.... or the really pretty custom made bedskirt... they are for another time... 

But what I will show you is the beautiful french blue buffalo check fabric that I am making into curtains for this room... I think it picks up the blue in the shutters.

As this room progresses and I complete the bedding, I'll be showing you more and more.

Hope you liked this peek.... okay, BONUS PEEK!

FINISHING TOUCHES

Don't you love putting the finishing touches on a project? I sure do! Embellishing and fluffing are my favorite parts of any decorating venture.

I've been putting off this little area in the guest room because it has a big problem...

I needed time to think it though and mull it over... and come to terms with it...

Here is the problem...

Two switches on this small wall! What I had wanted to do was  have them moved... and put a long, old mirror in their place... one that would take up most of the wall.... so pretty in my mind!

But Bobby (who is not electrically gifted) said NO... No for two reasons. This is the logical and only really good place for a light switch for the room ... AND... we are already over budget.  I could see his point...

the light switches must stay!

So I just made my peace with it... over time!

Because this guest room was also my daughter Jacqueline's bedroom and she and her husband use it when they come home, I wanted just a little personal touch about them.

A couple pictures that are meaningful to Jacquie and Jon rest on a thin black shelf...

A reminder from Scripture about love..

And a little silver baby rattle, that was once mine and then Jacqueline's, rests on the shelf as well....maybe a subliminal message about their family to come...

The self is done... for now! My next project is framing an antique map of Lancaster County to hang above the bed.

Inspiratonal Friday

Fabulously Creative Friday

FINDING THE PERFECT PIECE

Let me introduce you to the Paula Deen Sweet Tea Tall Dresser in Tobacco... it is finally in it's new home.... that is being transformed from the bedroom belonging to my daughter as she grew up, all girly and frilly... to a tailored and serene guest room...  where my twenty-something daughter and husband can feel loved and welcomed when they come home to StoneGable.

As many of you know, I have been pining away for the gorgeous Paula Deen Sweet Tea Dresser in tobacco for quite some time. I searched high and low for a substitute... but EVERYTHING I hunted down fell so short!!! You can read about all my whining and fussing in "DRESSER DREAMING" by clicking HERE

I can hardly believe this beauty, the Paula Deen Sweet Tea Dresser in tobacco, ( I just have to call it by it's full name!) came to live with us...

You can see the room transformation and the bed by clicking HERE... 

and the addition of two small leather ottomans at the bottom of the bed by clicking HERE.

Yes, I finally broke down and bought this work-of-art dresser! (Can you tell how much I LOVE the Paula Deen Sweet Tea Dresser in tobacco?)

 I did find a fabulous sale... and the Red Carpet delivery service did a red carpet job and brought it from North Carolina home to me! And I am soooooo happy I did not settle for something else. Sometimes, there IS no substitute! Every time I look at this dresser I want to hug it!

I think it's a perfect fit with the rest of the room.  It is tall... dark and very very handsome!

I am still trying to find the right vignette for the top of the dresser.

I bought this natural rattan lamp at HomeGoods as it works well with all the natural elements in the room.

And this fabulous finial was a steal from PB outlet at 75% off!

I am on the lookout for an old metal gym basket to fill with a big healthy fern for the top of the dresser...

But while I am looking for just the right vintage basket I'm using a black wire basket filled with willow balls and pine cones  to give my dresser interest and warm texture!

I pulled this black painted chair (that sits in a corner of the work-in-progress bedroom) over to the dresser for a little peek at what else I am working on.

I am not sure if  I want to use a chair pad on this chair or just fill it with pillows... if I want one chair or two chairs in the corner... if I want to use a small table with the chair (or chairs)... and if I want a hanging lamp from the ceiling in the corner. There are so many great options!

One thing that I am sure of... as I continue to work on this bedroom I'll share each step with you!

All suggestions and help are welcomed!!!