Decorating & Design

June 12, 2011

Ask A Designer: Guest Room For Two

Q. I’d like to redecorate my guest bedroom to make it fresh, modern and, of course, inviting for guests. I have two twin beds that I could use, but is that weird?

— J.M., Vancouver (To submit your own question, see our Ask A Designer™ page.)

A. I love the idea of twin beds in a guest room. It reminds me of a hotel, which is kind of what a guest room should feel like — only more personal!

Upholstered headboards are a nice way to bring softness to a bedroom. Twin ready-made headboards can be hard to find, so you might need to have them custom made. Keep them tailored — as in our inspiration shot — using linen in a warm neutral, like Paolo in Oatmeal (shown) from Robert Allen. Piping or nailhead detailing will give them further polish. And you only need one of your bedside tables between the beds.

I suggest using full/queen duvet covers instead of twins; they’ll be oversized, but that will add a luxurious touch. The Stripe duvet covers and shams (shown) from West Elm have thick grey stripes for a graphic hit. And to introduce even more pattern, layer throw pillows on each bed. I’d look for ones in a colour that will complement the grey, like the Peacock Azure and Dotted Trellis Azure pillows (both shown) from DwellStudio.

The Beatrice lamp (shown) by Jonathan Adler has a great high-gloss white glaze that’ll look fresh with your new bedding and geometric circles to contrast with the duvets’ stripes. A sleek bedside water carafe (shown) from Crate & Barrel is always a nice touch. For added texture, use a woven tray, like the one I found in Chinatown (shown), to corral magazines or a small stack of books.

Your current flooring has natural warmth, but the walls feel a little stark. Consider painting them a soft blue-grey, like Luminaria (ND031) (shown) by Beauti-Tone, to complete the calm and serene envelope.

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1. Beatrice lamp, Jonathan Adler. 2. Tray, Tap Phong Trading Company. 3. Stripe duvet covers and shams, West Elm. 4. Fabric, Paolo in Oatmeal, Robert Allen. 5. Bedside carafe, Crate & Barrel. 6. Pillows, from left: Peacock Azure, Dotted Trellis Azure, DwellStudio. 7. Paint, Luminaria (ND031), Beauti-Tone.