I have been very preoccupied with preparing our guest bedroom. I LOVE relaxing weekends at the beach. My wonderful in-laws have a house on Cape Canaveral and the beach is only two blocks away. Dreamy! I love the relaxed color palettes of the ocean and thought, "Wouldn't it be nice to bring the beach to my guests?" Haha, I didn't really think that, but I did think it would be nice to look in there from time to time and reminisce of relaxing summers on the beach.
As far as how to recreate such a memory, I don't like anything too kitschy, but I do like the creams, whites, blues, greens, greys and the sunlight sparkling off the waters of the ocean. I've since secured a full size bed from a local wholesaler (I hate full size beds but the room is too small to accommodate a larger bed!), and a set of lamps and nightstands/end-tables from Craigslist. Actually, the nightstands and lamps were only $75 total. Not bad if I do say so myself. I have plans for transforming the nightstands but I will leave that to be a surprise. I did want to share with you the ideas I am working with for this room. I've started to build a headboard (yes, build...more on that later in a separate post) and have plenty other things up my sleeve.
Let's start with the bed:
I love love LOVE upholstered headboards! I love all the pretty shapes, colors, fabrics, heights, and embellishments! I love the diamond-tufted ones, and tailored with nails like the one pictured above. After much deliberating, I've settled on a sand-colored headboard without tufting. I also like the bronze nails accentuating the shape of the headboard. I've seen similar headboards on the websites of Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel ranging between $300 - $500. Now that's a DIY project right there!
I've seen sunburst mirrors all over magazines and Pinterest, and although I'm usually not a fan of the latest trends in decor, the idea has grown on me. I think the thought of one above the headboard would resemble the sun rising in the morning sky. The only thing I can't decide on is whether I want a silver one or a gold one. I bought antique gold upholstery nails for the headboard, and am planning on incorporating chrome elsewhere in the room. I'm a little nervous about three different-colored metals in one room. What do you think?
Since most of these babies run around $200+, I think it's safe to say that I will be whipping up some elbow grease and go the DIY route. Which leads me to my next element: mercury glass. I've just discovered this beautiful metal. I saw some mercury glass votives at Michael's and fell in love with the look.
What is an seaside-inspired room without some beach elements?
I love the color turquoise and it is a lovely reminder of the ocean. This looks like it is upholstered foam board with gold upholstery nails. I like that they mixed in a silver sunburst mirror with gold accents in the room, like the gold pillows and a gold lampshade. All of a sudden I am feeling a little more confident about my antique gold upholstery nails for the headboard and mercury glass accessories.
What's a guest bedroom without a nice place to sit on? I saw this online and was inspired by the colors of the chair:
Last, but not least, I have a few ideas for incorporating the sea (without being too kitschy). They probably will not end up being on pillows but I liked how these looked:
I will post updates on here really soon!
