Tips for Getting Your Guest Room Holiday-Ready

The holidays are fast approaching, and if you're like most of us, you're suddenly remembering that guests are coming and your spare bedroom is not up to snuff. While a full guest room renovation probably isn't happening between now and Thanksgiving, there are absolutely things you can do right now to make your space feel polished and welcoming, and we’re here to help. 

We just wrapped three guest room projects. A lot of what made them feel special wasn't the sledgehammers and big-ticket items, but the thoughtful finishing touches like flowers, candles, and, believe it or not, trash cans. 

So if you’re scrambling to prep for holiday hosting this year, check out our tips to set yourself up for success.

Start With What You Already Have

Before you go out and buy a single thing, look around your house. In our recent renovation, we repurposed art from other rooms, like these palm tree prints that weren't working in the living room. If you have a mismatched piece somewhere in your home, it might be exactly what your guest room needs, so avoid that panicked trip to TJ Maxx and opt for a browse through the basement instead. 

Think Like a Hotel

Walk into any luxury hotel and notice what's there: nice toiletries, bottled water, fresh flowers on the nightstand. None of this is expensive, but these small gestures show your guests you gave thought to their arrival and their comfort while in your home. For added thoughtfulness, make sure your guest room has a small trash can, a candle, and an extra blanket or two. 

Invest in One Really Good Pillow

Forget the mountain of decorative pillows that your guests will just throw on the floor. Instead, splurge on one large, luxurious pillow for the center of the bed. We always use Paige’s Pillow Party pillows in our rooms because they’re oversized, luxurious, and feature eye-catching prints that draw the whole room together. Check out this one if you like the one shown here. This singular purchase can elevate the whole space before your guests arrive. 

Know Where to Cut Costs (And Where to Invest)

For secondary spaces like guest rooms, it’s fine to stretch your budget when things like curtains and blinds aren’t used often. In one recent guest room project, we used woven wood that looked polished and finished but was much more budget-friendly than the ones we picked for the rest of the house. 

Create a Spot That Isn't the Bed

Even a small reading nook–a chair, a side table, a lamp–gives guests somewhere to sit that isn't the bed. It makes the room feel less like it’s only meant for sleeping and more like it’s their space to relax during their visit. One of our recent projects had just enough space for a reading chair and a small round table, offering guests a perfect spot to relax without disrupting their sleep space. 

We know the holidays come fast and guest rooms are often last on the list until someone texts that they're coming to visit. These quick fixes will get you through this season, but when the hustle and bustle subsides, don't delay getting on our schedule for next year.

Here’s how to get in touch. Happy hosting! 

Why We Always End Projects with a Celebration

Let me tell you something about interior design projects: they're marathons, not sprints. And, okay, sometimes they’re ultra-marathons with a few unexpected detours along the way. 

We've been through it all with our clients, from the excited first meetings to unavoidable delays when that perfect custom sofa takes three months longer than we wanted and the moments of doubt when you're living in a construction zone.

There are definitely highs and lows throughout the design process, which is why we’ve created a light at the end of the tunnel that includes champagne, balloons, and a celebratory toast. Read on for why these celebrations are important to us and see inside some of our real-life final toasts. 

Why We Do It

Our client celebration parties are a way for us to cross the finish line together, something to look forward to from day one, and to keep us going through the entire process. 

When you're in month six of a major project, having that celebration on the horizon surely matters. For you and me both, it serves as a reminder that yes, this will be finished. Yes, it will be beautiful. And yes, someday we're going to pop some champagne and enjoy what we've created together.

We pride ourselves on building great relationships with our clients. You’re trusting our team with a big investment that’s deeply personal, and that takes some getting to know each other. So our celebrations don’t feel like a “whew, this project is over,” but instead, gratitude for our clients’ trust and satisfaction for a job well done. 

Party Meets Photoshoot

We love to time our client celebrations with professional photography shoots. Of course, capturing design details is necessary, but there's something extra special about marking a special moment with all the people who made it happen.

We’ll remenisce on when this was just a Pinterest board and some sketches, we can finally laugh about those stressful moments, and we’ll cap a great partnership in a beautiful space that took patience, flexibility, and trust to come together beautifully. 

So if you're considering working with us, just know that there's a party with your name on it waiting at the end. Let's talk about bringing your vision to life.

Designing For the Senses

Don't get us wrong, we love a good mood board. The perfectly curated color palettes, the flow from room to room, the pizazz of a statement light fixture – these are the building blocks of great design. But despite what social media may tell you, your home doesn’t exist solely for an aesthetic photo.

That’s why we talk so much about functionality, but there’s another important consideration in design we haven’t *touched* on – good home design should engage all five senses. 

Here's how we layered sensory design into two recent projects, and some ideas to bring the senses into your own home.

Bourbon and Books

This Franklin home had a large dining room at the front of the house, but it wasn't connected to the heart of the home and felt too far from the kitchen to be functional. As a result, the space went unused, so we reimagined it into something functional and sensory-driven.

Knowing they had an impressive book collection, we began with built-in bookcases and added a custom banquette and two oversized swivel chairs centered around a low coffee table. Equal parts bibliophiles and music lovers, our clients also needed space to display their album collection, so we designed a custom record player shelf with built-in speakers, seamlessly integrated into the bookcase. We transformed their former butler’s pantry into a built-in bourbon bar. 

While all of this looks beautiful, the details you don't always see are just as important: the scent of aged paper and leather bindings. The contrast between soft upholstery on the banquette and smooth wood shelving. The warm, analog sound of vinyl. The spicy taste of quality bourbon plucked from the top shelf.

Modern Entertainment

This stunning mid-century modern masterpiece by Broken Compass Woodworking helped convert an existing space in our client's home into the ultimate entertainment center, complete with built-in seating and custom storage. The project's focal point is the custom bar that beautifully displays our client's collection of barware, heirlooms, and pieces purchased while traveling.

The open shelving creates visual intrigue while mid-century lines keep things nice and clean. Run your hand along the custom woodwork and you'll feel the difference that master craftsmanship makes – plenty of texture and perfectly smooth finishes. We designed the space with acoustics in mind, ensuring conversations and music flow nicely. Add in the scent of a cocktail or a curated candle and the sound of ice clinking in a glass, and you have an evening to remember.

Your home should be a feast for the senses, and we’re here to help you curate it from mood board to real life. Let's connect.

Interior Designers Don’t Skip the Small Stuff

We get it – if you’re facing down a major renovation where walls are coming down and pipes are getting rerouted, it’s tough to prioritize things like electrical outlets and curtain trim. And on the flip side, simpler home refresh projects where paint and fixture updates are priority can result in neglecting things like design flow through the whole home. 

Working with a designer is a sure-fire way to make sure no stone goes unturned. We take pride in our planning, analyzing everything from the depth of your drawers to the curtain fabric in the living room that perfectly complements the kitchen chairs. 

Here’s how we dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s in a recent home refresh. 

Big Picture Plan 

When tackling a whole-home refresh or renovation, we start with the big picture. What are your functionality goals? What’s the vibe? What’s most important to you? From there, we start focusing on the detail funnel – layout, paint color, flooring and tile… the list goes on until we arrive at things like knobs and lightbulbs. For this project, we landed on soft fabrics, light hues of blues and green, gold accents, and pops of personality that reflected her journey from California to Tennessee.

When looking at each room individually, we kept these goals in mind to ensure all details work together in a layered approach that flows seamlessly, while also allowing each room to take on a personality of its own. 

The Foyer 

Our client’s home had lovely trim work already in place, but a coat of green paint brought that pastel personality into the space. We added a soft patterned fabric to frame the windows, then brought the space to life with a bold light fixture that felt like a perfect fit for our client’s personality. We rounded out the look with functional hooks for coats and bags, added storage space with a console table.

The Loft 

It’s always exciting to tackle spaces unique to individual homes, and our client’s loft space was the perfect opportunity for us to get creative with a smaller space. We carried the green paint through the primary walls, then gave the room its own personality with a patterned wallpaper along a back accent wall. The room is grounded with a textured rug and modern blue chairs surrounding a classic wooden chess table. 

The Kitchen 

Blues and greens remained at the forefront of the kitchen, showing up in things like paint, light fixtures, and fabrics on dining chairs. We incorporated a complementary soft fabric for the valance and window curtains, and created a focal point above the buffet with a three-dimensional art piece pulling gold into the space. 

Primary + Guest Bedrooms

Our wild side came out when planning the primary bedroom – we continued the freshness of blues and greens, but opted for more bold pops of color. A willow wallpaper from Thibaut frames the bed, and matching curtains carry the pattern throughout the space (matching curtains with wallpaper is a trend to watch). We added a beautiful gold chandelier at its center, then grounded the entire space with neutral curtains and bedding. 

Our client expects droves of guests when her family comes to visit, so a striking guestroom was important. We continued our bold approach in the guest room with a floral-patterned wallpaper, textured green headboard, and modern furniture in complementary colors. 

If you’re considering a refresh or renovation, let us help you make sure no detail is forgotten. Get in touch. 

Sculleries Are Making a Comeback… And We Have Thoughts

This just in: according to Martha Stewart, sculleries are on their way back in style. What used to be a sign of wealth, sculleries are basically overflow kitchens used for food prep and storage so that the primary kitchen stays mess-free for entertaining. In the days of open concept everything, sculleries phased out of style in favor of wide open space and minimalist design. But today, increased storage, prep space, and functionality are back in the forefront. 

We’ve worked on our fair share of butlers' pantries and mudrooms, and recently completed a scullery build-out that sparked joy for our functionality-loving team. Here’s everything you need to know.

Why Build a Scullery?

In this client project, the family was eager to entertain in their refreshed home. But any frequent entertainer knows the challenges associated with balancing bites on the table and keeping a tidy kitchen. We decided to transform an unused portion of our client’s laundry room into a stunning and functional scullery. 

If your home has the space for a tucked-away nook near the kitchen, a scullery offers an excellent opportunity to handle all of the chopping, dirty dishes, and food storage so the kitchen and common spaces remain mess-free.  

What to Include

In this client project, counter space and storage were equally important considerations. We added plenty of concealed storage through upper and lower cabinets, and covered them with pretty quartz countertops perfect for prep work. 

To maximize the functionality of a scullery, consider adding kitchen essentials like a sink and dishwasher, or go for the full effect like we did here with a second fridge, microwave, and oven to store extra bottles of bubbly and ensure appetizers are always ready to be restocked. 

The Design 

Despite the scullery being out of the home’s primary focal point, we still took care to design the spaces beautifully. We kept elements like flooring and backsplash neutral and seamless with the rest of the home, while adding a pop of green to cabinetry. Gold hardware and fixtures also added intrigue and elegance throughout the space. Lastly, we sought to display our client’s servingware and collectables on floating shelves and exposed cabinets. 

Ready to turn an unused space in your home into a party-ready scullery? Let’s do it.