I have always loved a good guest room.
In her house, my Nan had this beautiful blue guest room. When I slept over, I always shared a room with my Nan - we’d watch Murder She Wrote, do the dinner dishes together, and then turn in with my hopping up onto her giant bed with a little step stool. Her bedspread, curtains, and wallpaper all had the same wheatfield pattern, and when my Nan fell deeper into dementia, I would sometimes wander into her room and feel so much comfort in that connection of memory between the quiet routine of our sleepovers and how much her personality was reflected in how she decorated her tiny little duplex - wood paneled walls, teak furniture, brown rug hook hangings, and violets everywhere.
I was rarely allowed in the blue guest room so that it stayed nice for guests, but it, too, reflected her personality. Purple and blue floral wallpaper with one white stucco wall. A chenille bedspread, decorative blue and purple pillows, and blue shag carpeting - it became my mom’s room when we moved in with my Nan, my brother’s when my mom moved into my Nan’s room, and my room when my brother moved out. It was fitting because no matter how long I lived in my Nan’s little duplex it was always and forever still her home, full of her memories, and reminders of the vibrant person she was in every carefully curated corner - it made sense that we all spent some time in that room she’d allocated especially for caring for and comforting visitors.
I was always taken with the fact that she had this dedicated, decorated space just for helping people feel at home in her home. One thing I was really excited about in moving into our little house was making our own little guest room - and while in between visitors it doesn’t stay as pristine as my Nan’s did (it’s a bit of a storage collector), it’s been really lovely - almost therapeutic? - to prepare it for visitors, and think about all the ways I can show them love, and care, and comfort in this tiny bright space.
I’m moving into this house s l o w l y it turns out, and that has meant waiting for each room to really become what it needs to be. I think the guest room is finally finished, so I wanted to share it with all of you. We just had a good friend come stay for a couple days, and next week my dear friend Amy is coming to stay, so I’m looking forward to getting it ready for her, too. My goal is always to have a space where people feel comfortable just closing the door for a bit for an afternoon nap, or reading a book or two, and recharging, with the lovely trees overhead behind the house, and the stellar jays & sparrows flying around the garden, and occasionally our cats aggressively sneaking in for cuddles.
One of my favourite parts is that that white chenille bedspread is the exact same one my Nan had on her guest bed.
So here’s our bright & cozy guest room.
