Because we've been showering out there, I end my nights thinking about how to decorate the guesthouse. I've logged a lot of hours out there, pondering.
Last time I showed you the building , my Mom and I were moving the Etsy shop out there, but it turned out to be kind of inconvenient (and cold in the winter). I ended up stashing everything on shelves in my otherwise useless, 5 foot tall basement and now the guesthouse is purposeless again. It's filled with some random furniture and some odds and sods. What would be more practical would be to turn it into a proper guest room, because it even boasts its own three piece bathroom!
The only downside is the pine bonanza happening in there. The floors are a faux wood laminate, but the walls, trim and ceiling are solid pine. I was originally going to paint it all a bright white, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by how much work - and paint! - that would be. We have a laundry list of projects and renovations still to tackle all over the house so I don't really want to commit the resources or time. Plus, the bathroom out there is what really needs our attention: a new shower, floor, and vanity will take a chunk out of whatever budget we can allot to this space (which will be tiny). We also need to build new sauna benches (and reinforce the sauna floor), because I insisted we rip out the existing benches for reasons that I won't mention here. (Rhymes with "cold ban walls").
So...in an effort to save some time and cash, could I leave the pine and go for a rustic, Scandi feel? Here's some inspiration, before I flesh out my exact plans for the space:
I can't believe I'm arguing for keeping the wood...
Although it would be fun to go kind of dark and moody with a rustic feel, I'll be adding the white bed and white bedding from the guest room in the townhouse. A faux fur throw would be a cozy touch at the end of the bed - maybe my spare faux lynx one?
Then I'd add some throw pillows with this black and white Marimekko Kanteleen Kutsu print, which has a woodland theme but a mod, Scandi feel: I'd do white curtains and white curtains rods - not that using towels as curtains isn't a genius idea (I'm serious). I'm thinking of painting the laminate flooring a dark charcoal grey (or maybe a pale grey or white?) and adding some cozy faux sheepskin rugs my Mom is trying to fob off on me.
A pine Ikea Tarva dresser, painted or stained white, could be placed across from the bed for some storage. It would be brighter and lighter, but the same grain as the walls would peek through the finish.
I haven't measured, but it would be awesome if my black wool organic chair could fit out there too - although it's doubtful (it's such a small space!).
Then I'd update the lighting with something modern and simple. Finally, I'd put my black/white abstract out there, because it's been displaced from the bathroom, and maybe add some smaller textural pieces in creamy whites and soft greys. My black tree painting is still homeless, too, and it might look great out there.
It would be a quick and relatively easy makeover and my thinking is that by covering up the fake wood floor - and adding LOTS of white - I could make the natural wood walls and ceiling work. It would be a fun way to experiment with a somewhat different style than the lakehouse - no aqua (ACK! Okay, maybe I'll paint the exterior door aqua) and maybe even some rustic accessories with a Scandinavian feel? Ultimately this is a sauna building, so that could feel right.
Am I totally crazy (and lazy) with my plan to keep the pine? Be honest!
I favor a slow approach to decorating, taking the time to find the perfect pieces and making little changes so a room grows along with me, reflecting my changing style. I recently made a small change to the living but it's the kind of change that suddenly makes everything "click". I thought this would be a good time for a quick look back at the living room, to see how it has shaped up in 19 months - and what it looks like now, with the new additions!
When we first set up our furniture, the living room looked a little bland,
but it was already more our style because we had painted the
walls and trim white and the fireplace a deep charcoal grey. It looked quite different from when we first viewed the property:
I liked how the Kirsikka pattern looked with the spherical glass shades of the big chrome lamp we had at the time. Suddenly the room had more life - pillows made all the difference!
When I stole my Mom's 1960s blue Lotte lamps, I was surprised by how much I liked the blue. I hadn't planned on adding blue, so the pillows - with their aqua, green, black and white palette - weren't perfect anymore, but I loved them too much to part with them. Plus, no way was my Mom going to whip up four new ones!
When I switched around some furniture, moving our black organic chair and replacing it with the mint mingo from the bedroom, the living room started to boast a riot of patterns and colours, but I still liked the pillows. I especially liked how the swirls of the Kirsikka complemented the swirls of the upholstery on the mingo chair.
Because the same shade of blue from the Lotte lamps pops up in the both the living room and dining room art, I was confident that the new tweed dining chairs I found would suit our open concept living space quite nicely - providing a visual break from my love affair with aqua, without introducing yet another colour.
With the addition of more blue, though, it was time to introduce a textile that would play nice. That's right - I finally conceded that the old pillows weren't right:
FinnStyle (one of my favorite shops, long before the days of sponsored posts) recently reached
out and offered to help spruce up a room. I immediately started
perusing their inventory of Marimekko pillows and fabric.
Have you checked out their selection? SO many gorgeous prints and if
you shop in store there's a great remnant section too.
I found the perfect fabric right away: Marimekko's Lumimarja,
which comes in different colourways, including one with two
shades of leafy green and one with nearly the exact same blue as my Lotte lamps and dining chairs
(called "white/green" and "grey/blue," respectively). FinnStyle generously sent me two of each and they're perfect for the living room:
They add just enough colour and interest without competing with any of
the bolder elements in the space. They tie
in the blues and greens, as well as the warm teak and walnut wood tones,
and complement our cream leather sofa beautifully. Plus they boast a
beautiful, organic print that I think pairs just as well with the
Mingo chair as the Kirsikka fabric did. The rooms feels lighter and
airier and I'm so amazed what a difference just swapping out four throw
cushions can make!
After mixing throw cushion patterns in the townhouse,
I went for a bold set of four identical cushions when we moved to the
lakehouse because I liked the graphic quality. But now I'm inching back
toward pattern mixing and the Lumimarja is a great way to subtly
achieve that look because the prints are the same scale, but the colours
vary - making mixing effortless!
If something at FinnStyle caught your eye, you're in luck! FinnStyle is offering Dans le Lakehouse readers a 20% discount. They asked if readers would prefer a giveaway or discount and I figured a discount because then everyone can find something - I hope I chose right! Click on this link, enter your email address and get your 20% discount right now. I've been an email subscriber for years and I promise they aren't spammy. I appreciate getting emails about their flash sales because I have scored some super sweet deals!
Thanks to FinnStyle for providing the Lumimarja pillows for this living room spruce. I was provided the product, but not paid or prompted to provide a positive review - this is the best kind of collaboration, because you already know that I'm a huge fan!
While working on my rope side table, I had a line from Horrible Bosses 2 stuck in my head: "otherwise we're going to string him up by his pretty little neck with the roughest, coarsest piece of rope we've got in our rope inventory". Here's a terrible quality clip of the scene:
Handy Hubs didn't really appreciate why I thought that line was hilarious - or why I'd bust into an old prospector accent anytime I so much as looked at a piece of rope - but, unfortunately for him, we still have some rope left in our rope inventory, so I won't be retiring the bit anytime soon. I'm brainstorming ideas, so I started a Pinterest board devoted to rope (and also some nautical ideas).
Here's a short-list of my 20 favorite ideas for decorating with rope - innovative and modern ideas to buy, borrow, or make!
This mid-century inspired rope room divider, from The Brick House, is THE best rope project.
The Wrap Bench from cb2 is gorgeous - of course I'm smitten with the mid-century lines. I know there's a sad, broken bench languishing in a thrift store somewhere, just begging for a DIY rope seat.
This rope headboard, from Better Homes & Gardens, would also make for a really easy - if a little time consuming - DIY project. The idea would be equally pretty as a chair seat or shelf on a table.
This Shades of Light rope and wood table has major DIY potential and at first I was considering a similar design for my table, but the boat cleats were a bit pricey. While cleat shopping, though, I spotted some white metal boat cleats that I keep thinking would make great wall hooks...
These tables boast colourful rope, which makes me love them all the more. It took me a lot of searching to find more of the exact width of rope I was sent for my challenge, so I'm now very familiar with every gauge, material, and colour of rope available within 100km. I know of some super cheery stuff that would be perfect for making something similar (or you could make some fabric twine).
I honestly wouldn't have looked twice at the Palecek Strings Attached Lounge Chair until I spotted it recovered in a bold blue starburst print, in an issue of HGVT magazine. Now I've been casually keeping my eye out for some kind of rattan chair to modify for this same look - how pretty would it be on the deck?
If you find yourself saying, "but none of the furniture pieces you've shown use enough rope," then perhaps this DIY jute wrapped vanity from The Gathered Home might tickle your fancy. It only required about 1500 feet of rope...
The vanity above is actually a clever Anthropologie knock-off, and I think that this Rope Lace Tiara Chair from Urban Outfitters has similar DIY potential. Wrapping the design in rope could really update - and perhaps make somewhat less scalding on hot summer days - those dated metal patio furniture sets that practically burn a design onto the back of your thighs.
I have seen a few thick rope railings but this one, featured in House Beautiful, takes the cake because it's so chunky and makes a real statement. I also love it paired with the other textural elements.
This bold and colourful kitchen, spotted on the DIY Network, boasts custom rope pendant lights - with great DIY potential! You'll have to peel your eyes away from that stunning ceiling, for just a second!
Emily Henderson created this cool and mod DIY coat rack, using a bit of rope to secure the centre. It's wondrously easy to make (I'm talking minutes!), and if I had the floor space, I'd whip one up in a hurry.
For someone with less floor space, this suspended rope hanging system is cool, with an industrial, rather than nautical, feel. It could definitely be warmed up with a wood dowel and copper clips.
This hanging planter is a perfect way to also use up some wood scraps. If the wood was whitewashed and the planters were painted a pale aqua or navy, this could look so beachy.
I kept envisioning a rope wreath, but it turns out that a rope wreath has already been done - many times! This one is cute, but I especially like the little embroidery floss details on this one:
I've seen rope wrapped around a lot of vessels and shapes - from tin cans to tires - but I love the look of rope wrapped around a gleaming glass vase the best. It's pretty, but rustic.
If still craving more, check out my Rope + Nautical Ideas Pinterest board - and if you've spotted a really great way to decorate with rope, leave a link in the comments or tag me on Instagram because I'm still on the hunt for some great ideas!
I'd do white curtains and white curtains rods - not that using towels as curtains isn't a genius idea (I'm serious). I'm thinking of painting the laminate flooring a dark charcoal grey (or maybe a pale grey or white?) and adding some cozy faux sheepskin rugs my Mom is trying to fob off on me.
