Coastal Estate - Twin Guest Bedroom

A Twin Guest Bedroom with East Coast Charm

Continuing from the previous posts, I’m featuring some of the near completed spaces in a clients vacation home that I had the enormous job of furnishing and outfitting from top to bottom a few seasons ago - but never got around to posting. The new owners purchased the traditional shingle style house as a seasonal holiday home, located in a remote coastal setting on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. The project didn’t involve any renovation or remodelling design work on my part, not even paint colours (!) my job of furnishing and outfitting the home mandated working with the existing newly finished spaces as is, and to complete them as soon as possible so the home could be used without prolonged delay. I say these are near completed spaces because our photos were taken after all the main furniture pieces had been installed but not all the small accents or accessories were in place, the photos of this room were simply taken with a phone-cam during install days. This is a peak at one of the 6 guest bedrooms which was designed to be a single twin guest room.

The design intent like the rest of the house was to furnish the room with a mix of new and old pieces. Because there was an overall budget for furnishing the house we made the decision early on to prioritize the budget to the main living areas and the Master suite which meant the guest bedrooms were allocated the smallest piece of the budget pie, but also had the most flexibility. This is just kind of challenge that drives you to get really creative and resourceful - and there’s nothing I love more. A small budget doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice originality or style.

Concept Board - Coastal Estate Twin Bedroom. Design Concept by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

After reviewing all the requirements for the room with the client, I start the process of furnishing each room by creating a concept board. For this room it incorporates some vintage and antique pieces I had already accumulated for the project and a couple that I still hoped to find. Unlike concepts for construction projects which might illustrate all the exact fixtures and materials that’ll be used in a space, these furnishing concepts are loose and literally conceptual, this is what I’ll present to the clients to give them a visual of what kind of pieces we’ll have in mind when we’re out sourcing. With the logistics of being in a remote rural location, availability and budget effect a lot of decisions along the way. When we’re furnishing a room with one-of-a-kind finds the process requires a very trusting client designer relationship because its so organic you have to allow for lots of flexibility for unexpected finds to and spontaneous purchases be worked into your concept.

Antique Spool Bed in storage, sourced on the South Shore, Nova Scotia. Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

One of the key pieces I had envisioned for the room was a vintage spool bed that we could set up day-bed style. The upside of this was three fold, an old piece would be ‘in stock’, would add unique character, and would be super inexpensive. Not to mention, the solid wood quality - that’s four unbeatable reasons why this piece was my jumping off point. I frequently see vintage spool beds for sale around Nova Scotia and after a short search I was able to find one that was in good shape and in its natural stained wood finish, it only needed new slats which were quick and easy to add. The rest of the room came together fairly easily around that.

Loading up the room before the install.

All of the new items for this room like the bedding and runner rug were in stock at local retailers or ordered online. Definitely the bulk of the budget for this room went to the bedding, ensuring sleeping comfort and quality were not overlooked. 100% Goose down duvet and 100% cotton sheets ( a combination of Ralph Lauren sheeting with an Ikea cotton plaid duvet cover) were completed with a white matalisse quilted coverlet and pillows for those warmer summer nights. A favourite unexpected find were the ticking stripe pillows with raffia trim, a rare Home Sense score (honestly that doesn’t happen to me too often!).

Vintage Fish Prints above bed in Guest Room. Room Design and Photo by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

From the onset I had envisioned wall art that incorporated some type of sea life or nautical subject and set out to find something related to fish or ships. I quickly found a beautiful set of vintage fish prints on Etsy and selected 6 species that were native to our Atlantic coast - how perfect would these be for out of country guests (children or adults) to learn which fish are native to Nova Scotia! And how many people know what a halibut looks like?

Our European clients were beyond thrilled with these when they saw them and we chatted at length about all these fish and which ones they would commonly eat when they were here.

Aside from finding the spool bed, the next best find for this room were the frames for the fish prints. I had intended to find ready-made frames but I never imagined I’d find something as perfect as these simple wood frames I discovered at Walmart. Yes Walmart! One of the things about sourcing in rural areas is you have no choice but to look in every local store available, no matter how unlikely it might seem, and this was one of those instances. Not only were they the exact size needed, the unexpected detail of the galvanized metal mats couldn’t have been more perfect for these prints prints if I had had them custom made. The added bonus of them being in stock was almost too good to be true.

Vintage Fish Prints from Etsy, wood frames with galvanized metal mats from Walmart.

Like the bedroom in the previous post, the wall art has local relevance and so not only was it important to me that the pieces are pleasing to look at but also that they illustrate something of interest to learn about the local natural setting, culture or heritage - this theme is true of all the wall art we installed throughout the house, from the vintage plate collage in the kitchen to the black and white photos of Cape Breton in the Master to the line drawings of heritage Halifax buildings in the Twin-King guest bedroom, there’s a Nova Scotia story to all of it.

Vintage Fish Prints from Etsy, with wall mounted swing arm lamp from Restoration Hardware. Room design and photo by: Carol Reed Interior Design Inc.

Because we didn’t have room for large bedside tables we placed a wall hung swing arm lamp on the wall for which creates a cozy reading nook when the overhead light is off. We also added an antique candle stick lamp to the dresser top so there’s multiple levels of light in the room.

Although I don’t have photos of the rest of the space, all of the other pieces you see in the concept board were placed in the room and you can image what a welcoming and charming room it is for a solo guest or two. There’s actually an adjoining nook with a large sky-lite window that a second child could sleep in or is perfect spot for yoga or meditation (which is exactly how we set it up).

This room always reminds me why my love for spool beds will never subside and so I continue to search them out wherever I can.

Coastal Estate - Twin King Guest Bedroom

A Guest Bedroom in a Rural Coastal Vacation Home

Continuing from the previous posts, I’m featuring some of the near completed spaces in a clients vacation home that I had the enormous job of furnishing and outfitting from top to bottom a few seasons ago. The new owners purchased the traditional shingle style house as a seasonal holiday home, located in a remote coastal setting on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. The house is situated on gently sloping lot overlooking the coastal waterways and surrounded by many acres of woodland. The project didn’t involve any renovation or remodelling design work on my part, not even paint colours (!) my task of furnishing and outfitting the home mandated working with the existing spaces as is, and completing it all as quickly as possible so it could be used without prolonged delay. I say these are near completed spaces because our photos were taken after all the main furniture pieces had been installed but not all the small accents or accessories were in place, in fact the photos of this room were simply taken with a phone-cam during install days. This is a peak at one of the 6 guest bedrooms which was designed to be a Twin-King Bedroom.

As we had done throughout the house, this room was furnished with a mix of new and old. The lighting, bed and all the bedding were new, the rug is a new but one of a kind, the dresser, mirror and artwork are all antique or vintage finds I had collected along the South Shore over a couple of seasons.

The Nova Scotia antique pine dresser adds character and warmth and was in fantastic ready to use condition. I found the mirror at the same dealer and love that it still had the original glass with all its imperfections. There’s probably nothing more exciting than finding some great looking vintage wall art, and when the subject matter is also on point its a double score. I found a series of these vintage line drawings of renown historical buildings of Halifax which is the arrival destination city for all of their visiting family who come from over seas. Used as is, without needing any reframing or matting they were a steal. Im a huge fan of pairing black and white pieces with old wood case goods because the crisp black and white lightens them up and makes the arrangement look fresh and current. A leather tray with brass snaps sits atop the dresser as a handsome catchall for personal items or bug spray ; ).

Over the course of a year and a half I collected as many vintage and antique pieces I could find for the house, often not knowing exactly what room they’d be used in until everything was delivered en masse to the client’s house. Here’s a glimpse of this dresser and other antique finds stored in our barn shortly before they were all loaded up for delivery.

There are few indoor accessories that bring me more joy than foraged branches and wild flowers, and in reality there’s nothing more fitting to this location which is far removed from any flower shops or tended gardens. Cow’s parsley is one of my personal favourites for their large white heads and spindly extra long stems. I sometimes have a hard time telling it apart from Queen Anne’s lace but generally the cow’s parsley grows so much bigger and taller. It grows in abundance on the South Shore (like a weed!) and you can still find it growing, although more sparingly, right up until Thanksgiving. I can often be found on the side of the road picking it by the armful.

The single piece that anchors the entire room is the one-of-a-kind hand knotted wool rug in a deep dark red. It provides colour, pattern, texture, coziness and essentially enhances everything in the room - it compliments the ‘splurges’ and elevates the ‘saves.’ I’m typically a ‘never red’ person no matter what the space or occasion, except for traditional red rugs which I feel behave similar to a neutral with their all over colour and pattern which is very grounding in an all neutral room. The bedding is Brian Glukstein’s Home Collection and I love the casual but timeless hankerchief stitching detail, in navy.

If I could have found a king sized bedskirt in-stock in any other colour but white I would have considered other options but the white worked in a pinch and with 2 other King sized bedrooms this can easily be interchanged. The bed itself is a made up of a pair of Twin XL mattresses with twin headboards so the room can be set up as either a twin or king guestroom. When set up as a King its installed with a conversion kit that connects the two mattresses together and has a centre strip of foam to level out the middle joint, this all fits underneath the sheeting.

The woven rattan headboards evoke a coastal vibe with their weathered grey wash and tuck nicely under the sloped ceiling. The rattan bedside trunks were temporary at the time of this install (destined for another room) as the hunt for another pair of nightside tables continued. Pairs of anything are a challenge to find whether you’re looking for new in-stock, vintage or antique so whenever I come across pairs at the right price, right size, right style, I rarely hesitate. I have to say its equally challenging to find a twin size headboard that doesn’t look like it belongs in a children’s bedroom - there’s such a limited selection and sadly I did miss out on a couple of vintage beauties more than once. The Ralph Lauren tripod lamps in polished nickel and black leather are height adjustable which makes them so versatile regardless what style of table we ultimately use here, or how tall the guest might be if reading in bed. A bronze metal industrial style swing arm lamp lends a bit of modern edge to the antique dresser and makes an interesting use of what was an oddly placed light box.

The home is used during spring, summer and fall months so it was important that it wasn’t specifically outfitted for just a summertime look and I think the classic mix of white, navy, red and wood achieves a wonderful balance that’s fresh, inviting, and cozy for all seasons while creating a fantastic foundation for layering in accessories and vacation time keepsakes.

What truly completes the experience of this space though is what you can’t see, the smell of the salt air, the sound of water lapping and the leaves rustling outside the window…..

Coastal Estate - Kitchen Dining Nook Table Top

a table top setting for a coastal brunch

In addition to furnishing the kitchen nook in the previous post, I was also tasked with outfitting the kitchen and dining area with all the essentials including; small appliances, cookware, serve ware, dishes, cutlery, glassware, trays,,, absolutely everything you would need to turn-key, and be ready prepare meals for a house full of guests. The goal was to source and deliver all of the items in short order to get the new kitchen functional quickly and to purchase as much as possible from local resources, which are predominantly hardware stores and grocery stores. Given that the home would be used only a few months of the year, our aim was to find practical pieces with great style that would be versatile for all-purpose use. To say I enjoy this type of sourcing is an understatement - seeking out stylish design finds in unexpected places is an occupational obsession.

Early on in my sourcing I came across a charming set of Johnson and Johnson’s “Devon’s Cottage” dishware at Home Sense and immediately snapped it up. Not only was I drawn to the classic palette but I particularly loved that this collection is comprised of a mix-match pattern and it included proper tea cups and saucers (on my client’s must have list!). Undoubtedly this find was the catalyst to the entire table ware scheme and is what elevates everything else and keeps the entire scheme from looking generic. Johnson and Johnson have been been making dishware for over a hundred years and so being able to use one of their patterns for the main dishes instantly adds an element of collected tradition to the all new kitchen which you just couldn’t get from a basic set of plates from Ikea or your local housewares department.

Over a few visits to different locales I managed to amass an entire service for 8 which I then supplemented with a full set of Ikea’s white scalloped edged plate collection, these could be mixed and layered easily with the Devon’s Cottage pieces when needed to create a blended setting for 10 or 12.  I also ordered a dozen of Ikea’s seagrass placemats which are a steal of a find and they just ooze relaxed coastal style. Adjacent to the table is a corner cabinet with glass doors that becomes a beautiful showcase for the blue and white pieces that aren’t in use, so its an added bonus that they patterned pieces also provide a beautiful display.

Continuing the mix and match aesthetic I added various random serve ware pieces and glassware from the Super Store and Winners like the rustic ironstone bowl, and blue and white pitcher and crystal high ball glasses.

The plates on the wall are a collection of vintage and antique blue and white plates that we collected from local antique shops and fairs around the South Shore.

The flatware was something we considered with regards to the weight of the knives and a really good soup spoon was a must! The set we selected is by Henckel from a nearby Canadian Tire, they feature a hammered finish and the design reminded the homeowner of the cutlery designed by Marcel Wanders used on KLM Dutch Airlines.

There are few things I enjoy more than setting a table so I jumped at the opportunity to set the table for a late summer Sunday brunch and I was able to see first hand how effortlessly all the pieces worked together to create a beautiful and appetizing presentation. In lieu of flowers, I opted for one of my favourite table top accents - potted herbs. In this rural vacation home they add an element of life and homeyness that can be lacking in seasonal residences. They can be used in cooking or planted in the ground for next year, although I’ll confess one of them is faux, but mixed in with real ones its hard to tell which one it is.

The all cotton napkins were another steal of a find, I scored several sets of them on the clearance rack at Chapter’s Indigo in Halifax, I think the frayed edges and hankerchief patten are simple and charming details. I scooped up every set they had to use here but have to admit they were hard to part with.

And brunch is served!! Hope you enjoyed this closeup of the table top as much as I enjoyed pulling it all together, and even more, that you’re inspired to keep your eyes out for versatile and stylish pieces no matter where you shop, and to experiment with mixing and matching, for an interesting and collected look.