Sunshine Inspired

If I took a dash of sunshine, the color grey, flowers, sea fans, rustic mirrors, a bench, seashells, a picture of feet, and threw them all in a basket together and shook them up, do you wonder what I would get? I would get a fabulous inspiration pallet for a very inviting guest room. When guest come to visit from the snowy north they are looking for more than just a free room. They are looking for a vacation experience and only you their host can start the experience off right. A light, bright and airy room with a passing nod to the sunshine and ocean that surrounds Florida on three sides is always welcoming. Let’s dig into this box of inspiration and see what we can create in the guest bedroom of a Gardenia model somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Paint
The wall color is a soft yellow. I don’t know the color since the room was already painted when I started the project but it looks like a soft buttery yellow.
Remember, when choosing yellow to go softer with the color so that when the room is completely yellow you do not need sunglasses. I always suggest an eggshell/satin finish so that the paint will bounce light throughout the space. Paint always looks better reflecting light than absorbing light and flat finishes absorb light.

• Bedding
The only thing in the room when I started the project was the bedding and the bed. The bedding was a pretty floral print with grey, yellow and touches of teal blue. I thought this bedding would be a great inspiration for a coastal light space. I never like to make the bed with just the bed in a bag set. I like to spice it up and make it look unique while remaining highly functional. In a guest bedroom we want the base bedding to be washable so I make it white. I started with a white cotton coverlet that covers the sheets and mattress. Next, I found charcoal grey Euro pillows to pop against the headboard. I used three Euro pillows because I like a full pillow look and I want to hide the sleeping pillows thoroughly. I like to place the sham set that came with the bed in the bag set in front of the three Euro pillows so the print will pop against the darker color. I place one last pillow in front of the two printed shams and that pillow finishes the set. The pillow in this case is a starfish that is created with small shells embroidered into the fabric. Finally, I fold the printed coverlet that matches the shams into a half or thirds depending on the situation and it creates a pop of print at the base of the bed. If you make a guest bed this way the guests will always be impressed.

• Art
I found two shadow boxed sea fans framed in white to hang over the bed. These two pieces look like a continuation of the colors in the bedspread and they draw the eye upward creating a strong focal point. I did not want the art over the bed to compete with the art on the side wall. The picture on the side wall is titled, “Happy Feet”, and it is a fabulous watercolor capturing the experience of feet in the sand under a wave in Florida. I love how the artist captured the little fish schooling around the feet. The picture is an event at the beach that the viewer might have experienced but does not scream “beach theme”.

• Mirrors
I like to hang a mirror in a guest room so that if the bathroom is busy there is another place to do hair and makeup. In the guest room we like the idea of three round mirrors so they would be functional but also appear as an art installation. The mirrors have a frame with large wooden beads that look distressed. When hung in a group they really make a statement that is sure to wow your guest.

• Bench
The room is not that wide so we did not have room for a dresser but we did have room for a bench. A woven wicker bench will provide a flat usable surface for luggage and adds textural beauty to the space. Some form of wicker or rattan can usually be mixed into most spaces for a pop of texture.

• One lamp
I could only fit one side table in the space so I used only one lamp but I made it big!
The lamp is a tall ceramic lamp with a finish of grey and white thin lines. It worked well with all the items in the space and provided 150 watts of light on a three way switch.
The small round table belonged to the homeowner and was brought in from another room so that both guests would have a surface for phone or water.
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Before and After Pics Below