Tag: attic bedroom

  • The Guest Room, Painted Pink

    The Guest Room, Painted Pink

    This post is sponsored by Dutch Boy® Paints.


    Why did I hesitate to paint the guest room anything other than pink?

    Guest Room Painted Pink

    The walls were white when we moved in, and they were fine. Unobtrusive and neutral, but kind of boring. When I finished selecting the furniture working on the room’s and layout, the walls were still white and I thought, hey, this would be a fun opportunity to go really bold with the color! I tried a rich, deep teal. It was a pretty color, but so clearly wrong for the space. I thought about going in a different direction, skim coating the walls and putting up wallpaper, but this was just supposed to be a quick project! I knew repainting was in my future.

    I had resisted pink because it’s so often my go-to and I wanted to try something different. But in this case, pink truly was a great choice for the room. Lovely and soft, but still a noticeable color. I used the new Dutch Boy® Platinum Plus Interior Paint + Primer formula in Peachy-Keen (306-2DB). It turned out awesome! Here’s a shot after I did the cutting in and just before rolling the walls.

    After Cutting in with Dutch Boy Platinum Plus, Preparing to Roll Paint

    I like a flat finish for walls, and this paint has primer built-in. It covered in just one coat even over the dark color. Dutch Boy Paint’s new Platinum Plus formula with Stain-Shield Technology is durable and easy to clean, and it’s a great price at around $35/gallon.

    Dutch Boy Platinum Plus Paint

    Teal Chair, Peachy Pink Walls

    Most of the furniture is the same as it was when I first showed the guest room A few months ago. I moved the bench to the foot of the bed and turned the dresser, but I kept the teal chair and side table where they were, and it’s the same bed (which fits the space so perfectly). The big difference is that I got rid of the single nightstand and brought in a matching vintage pair. I painted them black, using the same paint I used on the doors: Dutch Boy® Dura Clean Cabinet, Door, & Trim in Authentic Black (437-7DB).

    Vintage Nighstands to be Painted Black

    Vintage Nightstand, Painted Black

    I like to mix sets so that the nightstand(s) and dresser aren’t perfectly matching, and I think every room benefits from interesting vintage pieces or antiques. I’m proud of how this room is turning out, but the matchy-matchy definitely was a little more ‘catalog’ than I personally like for my home. The dresser stayed, but was rotated and put on the adjacent wall.

    Wooden Dresser with Brass Pulls

    I’m very into the black nightstands and the contrast they add. I don’t always go for symmetry, but a room with the bed centered like this makes perfect sense for this space.

    Bed Centered Under Attic Eaves

    That peachy pink is so good in the room. The new wall color even made the existing carpet look better! It’s low on the list of priorities to replace, and I think the white walls called more attention to it. Now it’s the subtle flooring backdrop it should be.

    Looking Toward the Eaves, Pink Attic Guest Room

    The bedding stayed the same too. I added a pom pom bedskirt that’s super cute, but I kept the white sheets, duvet cover with subtle embroidery, and statement pillow. That pillow totally makes the bed, and now the wall color plays up those pink tones.

    Awesome Boho Fringe and Tassel Bed Pillow

    I’m thinking I’ll probably do something fun with the window in the future, but now that the wall color is right, it doesn’t feel nearly as pressing. And pink! You know I’m always down for more pink. This Peachy-Keen is perfect for a room with interesting angles and not a whole lot of natural light.

    Attic Guest Room | Making it Lovely

    Pink Guest Room, Patterned Bench at Foot of Bed

    Room by room, this house is getting closer to my overall vision for it. This was such an easy change too, mostly just the paint! It was pretty before, but now it feels so warm and personal. Not bad for a gallon of paint and a day’s work.

  • Lovely Small Scale Wallpapers

    Lovely Small Scale Wallpapers

    I’m 90% sure that I’m just going to repaint the attic bedroom. Maybe someday when I have less pressing projects and I feel like skimcoating — you know, for funsies — I’ll give it a go and then I can wallpaper. I had only intended to do a quick update of the room right now though, and I should probably stick to that. Paint, refinish a pair of vintage nighstands, swap out the curtains for something a little more special, and call it a day.

    But *if* I were to wallpaper, these would be the contenders. Small scale patterns that are not precisely geometric, with either some movement or a hand-drawn look. I tend to like this style in general, but they are especially good for rooms with funny angles like ours (and like those in many old houses).

    Stroheim Edie Wallpaper
    Stroheim Edie Wallpaper


    [one_half]Farrow & Ball Polka Square Wallpaper[/one_half][one_half_last]Farrow & Ball Polka Square Wallpaper[/one_half_last]
    Farrow & Ball, Polka Square Wallpaper


    [one_fourth]Attic Bedroom in Sister Paris Petite Skukusa Wallpaper[/one_fourth][one_fourth]Sister Parish Burmese Wallpaper[/one_fourth][one_fourth]Sister Parish Tucker Wallpaper[/one_fourth][one_fourth_last]Sister Parish Desmond Wallpaper[/one_fourth_last]

    Sister Parish Tucker Wallpaper
    Sister Parish Wallpaper (patterns: Petite Skukusa, Burmese, Tucker, and Desmond)


    [one_half]Hygge & West Knots Wallpaper, design by Emily Henderson[/one_half][one_half_last]Hygge & West Knots Wallpaper, design by Emily Henderson[/one_half_last]
    Hygge & West, Knots (design: Emily Henderson)


    Sisters of the Sun Juju Papers Wallpaper
    Juju Papers, Sisters of the Sun


    [one_half]Paper Mills, Nani Wallpaper[/one_half][one_half_last]Cavern Home, I See You Wallpaper[/one_half_last]
    Paper Mills, Nani WallpaperCavern Home, I See You Wallpaper


    Peacock Wallpaper, Relativity Textiles
    Relativity Textiles, Peacock Wallpaper

  • Right Color, Wrong Space

    Right Color, Wrong Space

    I was going for drama and bold color in the guest room, but it’s just so damn dark in there.

    Dark Teal

    I had almost a gallon of paint leftover from the den, and I was eager to do some painting. I knew it was a risk, but I was excited about making a big change and I went for it. I love the color downstairs! I hate the color upstairs!

    Striped Rug Ottoman from Annie Selke Furniture | Making it Lovely's One Room Challenge Den

    DIY Huge Insect Art | Making it Lovely's One Room Challenge Den

    There’s more light coming in from two much larger windows. The ceiling is white. The wall color is broken up by blush pink curtains, art, and a wall of french doors. Upstairs? One small window placed low, walls that close in on you because of the roof pitch, and no delineation with just a single door breaking things up. I wanted cozy, but it’s more like a cave. And not a cute designery chic cave. It doesn’t feel good to be in that room. It’s not cute even walking by and seeing it from the hallway.

    I still like the mockup and idea, but in reality, the bed is backlit and the white bedding reflects the dark teal surrounding it.

    Mockup

    It was a big old mistake. But it’s just paint! Time to rethink and try again.

    The walls curve to meet the ceiling throughout our finished attic, and I prefer to treat them as one rather than creating an arbitrary line to break them up. Wallpapering the entire room with a small scale print would be super sweet, but the plaster is textured and I wasn’t going to skim-coat the third floor anytime soon. I’m seriously wondering if I should do it now though? It’s messy and time-consuming to DIY, or messy and expensive to hire out, but you know I love a good wallpaper and that’s the only way it can happen.

    Thomas O'Brien bedroom with wallpaper

    I’ve loved that room by Thomas O’Brien forever, though that print is probably too geometric for the wonky angles of our guest room. Something with more movement like our hallway paper would be easier to pull off.

    Brass Sconce, Pink Wallpaper, Black Doors, White Trim | Making it Lovely, One Room Challenge

    And while I’m not an accent wall fan, the example below is lovely. They actually do continue the wallpaper around, it’s just very low and the ceiling is planked.

    Wallpapered Attic Bedroom with Planked / Shiplap Ceiling

    Another planked ceiling example (this time with beadboard, which is a better fit for my house). I like the nonstandard trim color, too.

    Guest Cottage on Cape Cod - This Old House

    I’ve only done one coat, so at least I’ve only wasted one day’s work. The problem is that I’m not really sure yet what I’d rather see instead. This was supposed to be a quick and easy update. Cheap and cheerful. And now I’m like, I should skim-coat, rip up the carpeting, redo the floors, and hang wallpaper!

    Attic Bedroom in Sister Paris Petite Skukusa Wallpaper

    Or you know. Just repaint. But what color(s)?

    Color Options

  • Guest Room Color Scheming

    Guest Room Color Scheming

    I recently worked on the guest room as part of a styling shoot. It’s super cute as it is, but I’d like to make a few changes and to bring it to the next level. It’s so close to completion that I want to continue working on it to see it through! The furniture is all new, and all from the same source. Obviously, that’s great for a shoot, but for real life it’s missing the soul and patina that antiques and vintage pieces bring. The lamps are good and I like the bed and bedding, but the curtains are not great (especially if I’m keeping that antique portrait above the bed — the rod cuts right across it).

    It’s a funny space, all angles and textured plaster. The entire third floor had been painted bright white before we bought the place, but I think this attic bedroom would be perfect as a cozy space rather than trying to force the light and bright thing that doesn’t come naturally because of the architecture.

    Guest Room Color Scheming

    Guest Room Color Scheming

    When our house had been split into apartments, the third floor had a main living room with a large closet, a kitchen with enough room for a small table, tiny bathroom, and two bedrooms sans-closets under the eaves. We’re using the kitchen as a craft room, and the main living area was a playroom for us that I’m now transitioning into my office (still waiting on major pieces to arrive). The bathroom got a makeover with a hand-painted tumbling blocks pattern, and the smaller of the two bedrooms hasn’t really been touched.

    Some of it is farther along in my head than in real life, but this is a rough representation of the layout with color and design choices.

    Third Floor Color Scheming

    A lot of what you see in that board represents actual furniture and finishes, but not everything. Specifically, I’m talking about that black nightstand. It’s one a refinished vintage pair of nightstands, and I’m in love! My kids use the guest room for sleepovers though, and they aren’t always kind to lovely, smooth finishes. I found an inexpensive set on the Facebook marketplace with similar lines and I’m painting them black. They’re currently in the garage awaiting their third and final coat.

    Vintage Nighstands to be Painted Black

    So now I’m trying to home in on the wall color. I’m thinking a deep, muted teal, but I also love olive green, mustard, and brown. Not gray, and surprisingly, not pink! I saw a blue room with black trim at the Lake Forest Showhouse last month (I’ll recap it soon), and I’ve been wondering if that’s a combination I need in my life.

  • The Sweetest Attic Bedroom Layout

    The Sweetest Attic Bedroom Layout

    Two twin beds on opposite sides, tucked under the eaves with a window in between. It’s just the best. Bonus points for a centered antique table.

    Attic Guest Room with Two Twin Beds, Designed by Palmer Weiss
    Palmer Weiss

    I mentioned that I had done our guest room as a styling assignment, which is why I chose that queen-sized bed. I think the room is adorable, but it’s sort of funny to walk by it because in my head, I’m like wait. You’re supposed to be two cute little beds! What’s going on here?

    Like so.

    Attic Bedrooms, Country Living
    Country LivingCountry Living

    And so.

    Haven Interior Attic Makeover
    Architectural Digest

    We use our spare bedroom for the kids’ sleepovers far more often than we host guests, and two beds just seem more ‘right’ for our family. I’m not eager to get in there and dismantle it all immediately (because that bed fits perfectly and I’m not clutching my pearls over kids sharing it), but it’s fun to think about what I’d do differently.

    Attic Bedroom with Built-in Shelves for Storage
    Studio LIFE.STYLE