Room of the Week: A Victorian Loft is Turned into a Restful Guest Suite
Fresh colours and a cottage mood transformed this loft room from dated bedroom into a light, relaxing space for friends and family
With her second child on the way, interior designer Kelly Rogers knew the emergency overflow guest room on the third floor of her home would have to become the main guest room, and it was in desperate need of a makeover. ‘Having friends stay up here was kind of embarrassing for me, since I’m a professional decorator,’ she says. The very dated guest suite in her Victorian-era home had been designed for a teenage boy living out his Greg Brady attic bedroom dreams years ago. It was full of unattractive, bulky built-ins, and the floor was covered with an old black carpet. Determined to give her guests a joyful and relaxing experience, she transformed the space into a family-friendly suite with a cosy cottage style.
‘I always like to nod to a home’s age and style,’ Rogers says. Her home was built in 1896, and a bed like this one would have been a common sight in a Victorian home.
The designer is a big believer in mixing things up. The bed and bedding are Pottery Barn scores, while the bespoke bolster pillow is covered in a luxe fabric by Manuel Canovas.
Tip One accent cushion can be plenty. ‘Sometimes just one great patterned cushion is all you need to make a bed look unique,’ she says. It’s also a way to bring in just a small dash of an expensive fabric where it will really count.
The new window treatments are cordless for child safety, and their wood slats add another layer of natural texture. The large orchid does, too – or at least, it looks as if it’s natural (it’s faux). When no one is staying up here, Rogers estimates she comes up only about once a week and needed it to be low maintenance. The other two plants are succulents that are pretty difficult to kill.
A bookshelf that Rogers has had for years is a perfect fit for the other niche. ‘I love to have a little lending library for guests,’ she says. ‘This is such a good space for reading – they have something to read when they are here, and they can take it with them when they go.’
The designer is a big believer in mixing things up. The bed and bedding are Pottery Barn scores, while the bespoke bolster pillow is covered in a luxe fabric by Manuel Canovas.
Tip One accent cushion can be plenty. ‘Sometimes just one great patterned cushion is all you need to make a bed look unique,’ she says. It’s also a way to bring in just a small dash of an expensive fabric where it will really count.
The new window treatments are cordless for child safety, and their wood slats add another layer of natural texture. The large orchid does, too – or at least, it looks as if it’s natural (it’s faux). When no one is staying up here, Rogers estimates she comes up only about once a week and needed it to be low maintenance. The other two plants are succulents that are pretty difficult to kill.
A bookshelf that Rogers has had for years is a perfect fit for the other niche. ‘I love to have a little lending library for guests,’ she says. ‘This is such a good space for reading – they have something to read when they are here, and they can take it with them when they go.’
Because of the slanted ceilings and the layout, the room didn’t have much wall space for artwork. ‘I knew the lighting would have to serve as my artwork,’ Rogers says. She choose striking pieces, including this beaded sconce from Currey & Company, and a pair of sculptural mini foo dog lamps by Barbara Cosgrove in bright turquoise.
The adjacent sitting area makes the space extra appealing for visiting families with young children. Rogers had several awkward built-ins (a desk, cabinets and bookshelves) ripped out to keep the floor space open for playing or setting out a playpen and blow-up mattresses.
She did keep one existing built-in element – the seating. She spruced up the daybed bases with white paint and replaced the cushions with French-mattress-style ones. ‘They are extra thick and very soft,’ she says. The daybeds can serve as sleep spaces when entire families come stay in the suite.
The photograph, taken in Portugal, adds to the overlay of global style and was taken by the photographer who shot these interior photos, Eric Roth.
Cushions, Eastern Accents. Photograph, Eric Roth.
Discover 10 creative ways to beef up your guest room storage
She did keep one existing built-in element – the seating. She spruced up the daybed bases with white paint and replaced the cushions with French-mattress-style ones. ‘They are extra thick and very soft,’ she says. The daybeds can serve as sleep spaces when entire families come stay in the suite.
The photograph, taken in Portugal, adds to the overlay of global style and was taken by the photographer who shot these interior photos, Eric Roth.
Cushions, Eastern Accents. Photograph, Eric Roth.
Discover 10 creative ways to beef up your guest room storage
Because she went bespoke with the French-mattress cushions, Rogers wanted to keep the budget for the scatter cushions in check, especially because she needed so many of them. So she ordered ready-made cushions from Eastern Accents, looking for an assortment of patterns in her colour scheme.
Tip Look for special details on ready-made cushions for a bespoke look. ‘I searched for things like decorative buttons, mitred trim and exposed zips on ready-made cushion; these details make them look as if they’re custom-made,’ she says.
An embarrassment no more, the suite is a private, family-friendly and cheerful spot for Rogers’ frequent house guests.
TELL US…
What do you think of this guest suite? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Tip Look for special details on ready-made cushions for a bespoke look. ‘I searched for things like decorative buttons, mitred trim and exposed zips on ready-made cushion; these details make them look as if they’re custom-made,’ she says.
An embarrassment no more, the suite is a private, family-friendly and cheerful spot for Rogers’ frequent house guests.
TELL US…
What do you think of this guest suite? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Room at a Glance
What happens here Playing, reading, sleeping and sometimes just squeezing in as many kids as possible
Location Massachusetts
Size 37 sq m
Designer Kelly Rogers of Kelly Rogers Interiors
The design began with a vivid green trellis-patterned rug. ‘The rug really feels as if you’re outdoors on grass,’ Rogers says. ‘I wanted to keep that garden-cottage feeling, but I also wanted to make sure the bedroom was peaceful, restful and calm.’ She toned down the bright hue with white bedding and a very light blue paint on the walls. The light wall paint also blurs the divisions between the ceiling and the angled eaves, which could have looked awkward and distracting if painted the wrong hue.
Rogers preferred to find pieces that fit into the room’s quirky nooks and crannies rather than build anything in. The blue bone-inlay chest was just right. It was also a great fit for the global style the designer overlaid on the cottage look. ‘It gives a room a more collected, international look, like you’ve brought things home from trips,’ she says.
Ceiling painted in Sebring White; wall painted in Cool Breeze, both Benjamin Moore. Bone-inlay chest, Butler Specialty. Yellow table, One Kings Lane. Window blinds, Horizons. Rug, Williston Weaves.
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