The inspiration for this guest room project was the homeowners’ love of books and travel. In addition to reading 100+ titles per year, writing reviews, and participating in book clubs, they cherish time spent globetrotting and learning about the cultures and architecture of the places they visit.
In approaching their guest room renovation, the homeowners wanted the furnishings and objects chosen for their new space to reflect all of these interests and more. We were honored to be brought in by our frequent collaborator and friend Interior Designer Hannah Dee to help make the celebration of books and travel come to life.
Back in the early ’90s, the room functioned as a child’s bedroom, so it needed some infrastructure updates to transform into a modern guest room. The changes made include:
- Removing old finishes, carpet, trim, and hollow core doors
- Removing sections of the floor and exterior wall so we could insulate the space, which previously always felt cold to the homeowner
- Updating wiring and devices, adding sconces, bedside lighting, and locations for outlets
- Painting the room and hanging wallpaper – the visually stunning marbled pattern that Hannah chose conjures images of the endpaper or flyleaf you would find on a beautifully bound book.
- Installing new carpeting
- Integrating custom features, such as the Asian screens sourced from Material Culture, a retail/auction house in Philadelphia that specializes in global antiques, arts, and crafts. Adding hardware and antiqued mirrors, the pierced wood panels were transformed into closet doors.
In the end, our clients got the guest space they needed while also celebrating the things that they love.
You can see more images from this project here.
