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A warm and inviting, well appointed and soothing
sanctuary. Isn’t that what every innkeeper wants to provide for their
guests? How do you achieve that? Interior design can be a daunting task and
choosing the right style for your inn is a very personal and individual
journey. I have come up with a few basic guidelines to consider when
redecorating a guest room or when you start the process of making your newly
purchased inn your own.
o
Clean Lines
o
Classic Style
o
Balance
o
Absence of Clutter
o
Gender Neutral
o
Thoughtful
To help define these terms I have chosen examples of
guest rooms from two different inns. The innkeepers of these two inns were
graduates of our Aspiring Innkeepers Seminar and have created some
exceptionally beautiful rooms as well as becoming very successful
innkeepers. We at The B&B Team are very proud that we could play a part in
their success.
Maury Place at Monument
www.mauryplace.com is a newly opened urban bed and breakfast in Richmond
Virginia. Innkeepers Jeff Wells and Mac Pence have lovingly restored and
decorated their urban inn in a style they describe as “both sophisticated and
refreshingly modern, while still taking cues from the dramatic neo-classical
architecture.” Go to their Rooms Page, and while viewing the rooms read the
following comments.
·
Their window treatment choices enhance the classic lines of the
window frames by not covering up the beautiful details of the woodwork. The
shutters, shades and fabric have either vertical or horizontal lines which
give the windows a streamlined clean look. The use of less instead of more
fabric in the window treatments emphasizes the architectural elements and the
views.
·
Many of their major pieces of furniture are classic traditional
reproductions or antiques. The beds, dressers, desks and chairs are all
timeless designs, not trendy. This classic style creates a stately quietness
and a visual balance to a room. The beauty of these pieces will be enjoyed
for a long time without going out of style.
·
A good example of the use of symmetrical balance is found in
the Fontaine Suite with the elegant elongated mirrors placed behind
the bedside lamps. The bedside tables are not a matching pair which is an
example of the use of ‘near’ symmetry. The tables are the same height and
wood tone which creates equal visual weight and complement each other.
·
The bedding in all their guest rooms provides a neutral
background for a few well placed accent pillows. This is another example of
creating clean lines. The classic style of the beds is a perfect silhouette
for the clean, fresh, crisp linens. Their beds make a guest want to slip
into their comfortable depths!
·
Another good example of balance is the wall prints that are
placed in harmonious groupings in all of their guest rooms. Many of the
groupings consist of lovely, classic old prints that create interest and
color to the neutral background of the walls. You will also notice that the
colors in the prints and paintings compliment the pillows, window treatments
and coverlets. The eye picks up on these accessories and helps bring the
rooms together.
·
There is clearly an absence of clutter in these rooms. An
uncluttered environment is very conducive to a good night’s rest. Using a
few well placed decorative items that do not take up a lot of room on the
bedside tables and dressers is also thoughtful. Guests need enough space for
their stuff!
·
Providing a desk or table with comfortable seating is also a
thoughtful addition that guests appreciate and may require, especially in an
urban setting where the possibility of having business travelers is higher.
You can see in the floor plans they provide that three of the four suites
have desks.
·
When viewing these rooms you can see very clearly that they
would appeal to both men and women. The clean lines, neutral colors, and
absence of clutter and inclusion of well-appointed accessories would appeal
to all, thus the term gender-neutral.
2.
Addison on Amelia
www.addisononamelia.com is a beautiful inn in the historic district of
Fernandina Beach, Florida (Amelia Island). There are three separate
antebellum style buildings that surround a fountain courtyard with many
architectural details inside and out. Innkeepers Bob and Shannon Tidball
have decorated the guest rooms in a style they describe as “Old Florida
elegance with understated hints of the tropics.” Again, view their rooms on
their website while reading the following comments.
·
The neutral and occasional bolder accent colors in their rooms
reflect the inn’s tropical location. Corals, leafy greens, sky and ocean
blues, sunny yellows, and sandy beiges are used to create a clean, restful,
and soothing environment. The color scheme is repeated in each of their
guest rooms as well as the common rooms, which provides a common harmonious
link from room to room.
·
The bed treatments in their rooms are very ‘spa’ inspired.
Natural textured cotton or bamboo coverlets and luxurious and tailored linens
are used to create a clean and inviting effect. A guest can definitely see
themselves slip between these cool , crisp, and clean lined linens.
·
The use of ceiling to floor drapes in many of their rooms
enhances the 11 foot ceilings, delivers elegance and adds accent color that
is artfully repeated in other areas of the rooms. The use of the drapes and
the wooden blinds produces the vertical and horizontal lines that create the
clean streamlined look that is so pleasing to the eye, allowing the guest
clear and unobstructed views.
·
Not having everything in the room match does not throw off the
balance. As an example many of their rooms have fanciful tropical style
bedside lamps that do not match. Yet they are of equal visual appeal and
weight and attract your eye which achieves a balanced look.
·
Some of the rooms at the inn have more traditional classic four
poster beds, armoires, and bedside tables that are timeless in their design.
These pieces help create the “Old Florida elegance.” Other rooms have more
modern rattan and woven wood pieces which reflect the “hints of the
tropics.” They have done a wonderful job of blending these two styles to
create an easy, relaxed atmosphere.
·
There is a definite absence of clutter in these rooms. Their
guest rooms are accessorized with a light touch. A well placed orchid plant
and jardinière on a mantel piece is just enough. A potential guest can view
these rooms online and picture themselves in the calm uncluttered environment
that has been created.
·
Besides providing desks and comfortable seating for your
guests, another thoughtful and often times neglected necessity is providing
enough lighting in a room. As you can see in these rooms there are always
two bedside lamps, a desk lamp, and a lamp beside a seating area, at least
four sources of illumination. The height and size of a bedside lamp is
especially important. The illumination from the lamp must cast enough light
on the bedside so a guest can read comfortably.
·
The successful use of cool, soothing, and restful colors,
natural textures, clean lines, and uncluttered environment that has been
created in these guest rooms would be pleasing to all, definitely
gender-neutral.
Interior design is the art of shaping the experience of
interior space. When you have created a warm, inviting, and well-appointed
(thoughtful!) soothing sanctuary you have succeeded in creating an experience
for your guests that they will remember in their hearts and minds and return
for more! As seen from their guest comments, I believe Mac and Jeff,
and Shannon and Bob have most assuredly succeeded in creating sanctuaries any
guest would come back to experience again and again.
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