Be our Guest

In the cherry blossom's shade there's no such thing as a stranger. ~ Kobayashi Issa 

 

           

This is our small guest room and study. This room used to be a deep ecentric blue. I can be a copycat when it comes to decorating. I have a bit of a girl crush on Zooey Deschanel...who doesn't? I once saw her study/music room featured in Domino magazine and it was painted that very shade of blue. It was fun while it lasted but it was never truly me. Number one rule in decorating: stay true to yourself and your style, unless of course your taste is for huge floral sofas and an over-abundance of chevron and burlap. In that case, seek help.

The past year I have really preferred the simple and clean look and have taken on the whole "less is more" attitude when it comes to decorating. I have become obsessed with white walls and clean spaces. My husband has told me I am not allowed to paint the entire house white but I have talked him into four rooms so far so yeah, yay me. It is amazing how the white has brought this room to life. It is so much more cheery and inviting. Paint colors never cease to amaze me how they can totally transform a room's feel and dynamic.

The bed is the futon pictured in the last photograph. That thing is pretty darn comfortable. Josh jokes about us getting in a fight so he can sleep on it. I recently ordered a futon cover and have been very pleased with it. I was a little hesitant about keeping a futon for the guest room since to me it gives off a college dorm vibe but the budget and size of the room won't allow for a replacement at this time. The cover certainly helped appearances and some throw pillows will hide a multitude of sins.

I do adore anything and everything by Rifle Paper Co. Anna Bond is a genius designer. I  decided to display last year's calendar because I'm pretty sure it would be a sin to throw anything away by this lovely stationary company. I have purchased several of their greeting cards with the intention of framing. Such lovely artwork. In one of my photos I have another of Anna's prints displayed. Totally obsessed.

The brass lotus hanging pendant lamp almost cost one of us a stay in this room for the night. That thing was a beast to hang. Thank goodness it is so pretty. I have this other obsession with lighting. About every room in our house has some kind of lighting statement piece. I have seen antique versions of this light, and an Anthro version that was way out of my price range, but I finally found an affordable one at World Market.

Some lovely room accessories that make me smile is the ship hanging over my desk. It is so marvelous and reminds me to never stop dreaming. It is also a reminder that no matter how old we get there is still a kid inside all of us. I find great enjoyment from my record player Josh got me for Christmas last year. I love the fact it is patterned after a trunk. I have a weakness for old trunks. He also gifted me with the unique Downton Abbey wine bottles. I am a huge fan of the show and I am proud to display that fact. I am aware I need to broaden my taste in vinyls. My vinyl collection mainly consists of folk and vintage soundtracks. I am working on it. Thank you, Spotify and Josh.

Last, but certainly not least, the portrait over the sofa holds a lot of meaning and special memories for me. The month before I got married I went to visit my brother, Nate, in Georgia for the weekend. We spent those three days hanging out, watching movies together, dining at our favorite spots, taking a day trip to Dahlonega, and smoking pipes. Sorry, Mom.

Nate has always been the creative artist in the family and a very personal gift-giver. He wanted to do something very special for my wedding present. I had seen his artwork before and was very impressed. After discussing different options, Nate decided to create a painting for me inspired by the sea. I have always loved the ocean and at the time wanted our living room to have soft blue walls. Off we went to the craft store to pick out the perfect palette. I can still hear Gungor playing in the background as I watched Nate hard at work painting the canvas with a beautiful mix of white, grey, and shades of blue paint. He tore out poems by Emily Dickinson about the sea and carefully pasted them onto the canvas. Grabbing handfuls of pipe tobacco, tea leaves, flour, and dirt he mixed it in with the brush strokes. The finished product turned out to be one of the most special gifts I have ever received and always reminds me of that October weekend we spent together-just the two of us.
 
I hope you have enjoyed my little house tour for today. Feel free to leave a comment. Would love to hear your thoughts!



Sources: World Market pendant light, Darling Wendy ship kite, Ikea floral pillow cover, West Elm grey pillow cover, Threshold bar cart, framed greeting card, vintage trunk digital conversion turntable, cream linen futon cover, Nate Berkus curtains, Paint color: Frothy Surf by Behr, Painting by Nate Currin