Guest Rooms We Love: Warm & Colorful
Having a cozy, inviting guest room is one of the most frequently requested home design must-haves we see in the studio. Today we’re doing a deep dive into a guest room that was part of our “Tarheel Haven” project, a full-home design of a beautiful historic home here in Chapel Hill. This warm, colorful guest room is one that we truly loved creating for one of our favorite clients, who loves when her family comes to stay. Crafting a well-designed, well-appointed guest room that’s ready and waiting for our clients’ most favorite people is one of the important ways we can create a home that’s made for connection, while also feeling seamless and fully complete.
This client’s love of eclectic pieces led us to design spaces for her that mix color, texture, traditional architecture, and fun artistic pattern play.
This home has 3 guest bedrooms, each distinctly different (don’t worry, we’ll get to them all!). This client has adult children and a lot of loved ones. Family is so important to them, and having fully finished guest rooms at the ready was a central part of their design. Starting with this beautiful, warm room felt right as April is upon us and we’re celebrating the return of spring. The warm wall hue reflects light throughout, and highlights the original molding and curved ceiling- the type of historic architecture we love to let shine. To keep things balanced, we added some satisfying contrast to the softer colors by bringing in the angular black console and darker accents. Angles and curves together? We LOVE it.
The console acts as a dual bedside table for both beds, keeping the room feeling centered and spacious.
Weaving together old and new- or mixing in both modern and traditional pieces- is one of the ways we make a historic home design feel authentic and aligned, but not stuffy. A carefully balanced mix keeps it feeling fresh and updated, while still carefully attuned to the historic integrity of the home. These adorable twin bed frames and classic linens are a nod to the traditional architecture of the home. We brought in more modern elements with some playful art (another great love of our client’s, which we incorporated throughout the home design).
Warm, abstract art paired with a more traditional rug and colorful florals give the room interest and playfulness, while still feeling so cozy.
Something that makes a guest room feel inviting is the details (even the small ones). Those finishing layers can sometimes seem unnecessary in a space that isn’t used all the time, but we promise they’re well worth it. It’s the final step to making the space feel fully complete, which is relaxing to both host and guest. This fabulously textured lamp in a cheerful spring green, as well as some small fun art (those birds!) with a wonderfully funky plant are those perfect, small signs of care and intention that make guests feel welcome and so at home.
The finishing layers add so much to this room- color, character and just the right bit of whimsy to make the space feel unique and memorable.
We can’t go without mentioning the final flourish that makes this space a guest’s dream- this ensuite. Carefully crafted to be a true complement the bedroom itself, this ensuite is designed to feel connected, cohesive, and visually contiguous. The warm wall color flows from one room to the other, and this classic claw-foot tub is reimagined in the most fun way with a vibrant blue refresh.
The traditional hex tile floor is brightened with the same bold blue instead of black- a little bit of the unexpected for a fresh, interesting take on a historic space.
The pairing of the vibrant blue tub and tile with traditional elements like the custom floral drapes and ornate gold mirror bring new life to the bathroom, while still aligning beautifully with the history of the home.
For this client, the guest rooms were not an afterthought- they were as important as any room in the house. That intention and effort is something that makes the space more enjoyable and more meaningful for both her and her guests. It’s a reflection of who she is, how she cares for the people she loves, and most importantly, how much she values the time that they spend in her home.
We’re so glad you came over to the CFD blog today. We’ll be back on the blog with more design behind-the-scenes and studio happenings soon. Until then, if you’re looking for more CFD design work, take a look at our Portfolio page.
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