An Easy Way to Update Your Bedroom

Bedrooms

And we’re back! You guys, it’s September. Holy s***. We’ve blinked and summer is gone. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Fall is my favorite season for oh so many reasons – one of which is all the cozy updates you get to make to your house. That is kinda my speciality these days. To kick off the new month, I’ve got a super quick easy way to refresh your bedroom for fall. You’re going to want to keep scrolling btw – there’s a big giveaway at the end of this post!

To get ready for fall, I decided our guest room needed (another!) refresh. I wanted to both simplify and add a layer of sophistication to the space. Thankfully, with the help of The Citizenry, my transformation was fairly easy.

I actually only changed a few simple things in this but the effect is rather dramatic. I love the crispness of the black and white color palette in this space (diy alert – I changed the bed’s headboard by simply tacking a bolt of black cotton to it!). The bedside tables are sharp and angular. The framed art by Mia Carameros is both tailored but also organic with its botanic print. A mid-century style table lamp adds a modern touch. Soft linen bedding, a cashmere throw, an amber vase and a bit of pampas grass warm up the look.

But the star of the show is the Monochromatic Luxe pillow bundle I’ve curated for The Citizenry. The set starts with a pair of mudcloth pillows as your base. I love their graphic punch. To soften things a bit I then added a Beso pillow, handmade in Peru, featuring rows of soft knit knots. It’s got gorgeous texture. A lovely striped lumbar pillow with a few hints of pink adds just enough femininity to make the bed extra inviting. A chunky knit round pillow offers a touch of extra of softness to the room.

If you check out the before of this space – I really do love this more bold, high contrast new look. Now, I must report there are only four sets of the Monochrome Luxe Pillow Bundle left so if you want one, I recommend you act quickly.

That said, I do have two bonuses for you. First off, two other very talented designers, Anita Yokota and Natalie Meyers also curated equally delicious bundle options for you. I really do want one of each. You can see them right here.

Or you can ENTER TO WIN a Monochrome Luxe bundle of your own – a $655 value! All you need to do is sign up for the Apartment 34 newsletter RIGHT HERE. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. The newsletter is meant to help you get ready for each new season, or perhaps a special occasion or share some of my latest projects. Our fall edition will be coming at you soon.

If you’re already a newsletter subscriber, simply leave a comment on this post and you’ll be entered to win! A winner will be chosen at random at 12:00PM PST Friday, September 7.

Good luck.

And I must say it feels good to be back!

This post in partnership with The Citizenry. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations that keep our doors open!

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Mid-Century Table Lamp

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Amber Vase

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How to Create a Cozy Guest Room for Fall

Bedrooms

If you caught yesterday’s post, I mentioned I’m up to my eyeballs getting my house in shape for the holidays. Well thankfully, I’ve checked the guest room off my list! My guest room has actually been one of my more pulled together spaces since apparently people really like visiting San Francisco, but a I did want to give the room a bit of cozification for the holidays (yup, just said holidays). With help from The Citizenry, (whom I adore – remember this post), I was able to do just that.

If you click here you can see the the current evolution of my guest room. The room is always flooded with amazing light, but I wanted to ground it with texture, add more contrast with pops of black, and a layer of sophistication with marble and leather accents. I still need a guest give it a test run, but I think I’ve got a cozy little retreat on my hands. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

sources: tweed accent pillows / leather lumbar pillow / beni ourain rug / throw / marble tray / marble candle holders / vintage mirror / wall sconce / vintage french stools / upholstered bed

I love the tonal feel of the room now. The consistent color palette is soft and soothing. Mismatched vintage french stools add character and warmth. But it’s the details from The Citizenry’s newest collection that add the yummy texture I was looking for. Tweed and leather accent pillows, a nubby knit throw, a super thick beni ourain rug and gorgeous marble accent pieces offer the hotel-like touch I like to create for guests. Because no one wants to travel and be surrounded by someone else’s crap. That I’ve managed to shove in closets so at this room is a respite. I might want to sleep in here myself from time to time!

If you need more tips to get your guest room up to snuff be sure to head over to The Citizenry’s blog today. I’m sharing my top tips for making your guests feel extra special and you can see even more pics of this space!

Now I promise, I won’t show this space again. At least not until spring anyway!

original photography for apartment 34 by andrea posadas

this post is in partnership with The Citizenry. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations that I’m excited about and that have kept apartment 34’s doors open

A Touch of Tuscany at Home

Bedrooms

If there are two things I can’t get enough of, it’s changing things up around our house and all things Italian. After living in Siena and traveling to Italy many times over the years, I’ve confirmed that Tuscany is my happy place. So I partnered with Clorox to give you a Tuscan-inspired guest bedroom refresh and a lovely afternoon with girlfriends that felt like we could have been in the Tuscan countryside.

Why, pray tell? Well, the new Clorox Scentiva collection is all about getting the most out of things in life. As I’m sure all you fellow parents know, anything we can do to save ourselves time AND simplify our ever-growing “to-do” list is a win. Every moment you save means more precious time to do the things you really love. That’s why this spring, Clorox has introduced Clorox Scentiva™ to keep your home smelling great and squeaky clean without a multi-step process. Their new Tuscan Lavender & Jasmine scent will transport your senses to straight to the Italian countryside. The scent was my inspiration for a quick guest bed refresh as we head into the summer hosting season.

As you may remember, this is what the guest bed looked like before.

And here’s what it looks like now!

I love the way Italian beds are made so simply. All you really need are some classic neutral linens and a rustic accent or two. Nothing fancy required. Just timeless, beautiful elements that make a bedroom a calming respite.

My guest bed update started with toning the space down a bit. I replaced the oversized art over the bed with a classic convex mirror. An antique stool serves as a side table and a bouquet of lavender adds both a rustic element and a dash of life. I made the bed with vintage french linens from my favorite antique shop Elsie Green and a pom pom throw for a little texture. A quick clean and my guest room both looked and smelled great.

While I’m the first to admit that the previous design was lovely, I appreciate the paired back, retreat-like feel of the room now. I want my guests to feel transported to a relaxing getaway when they stay with us – not inundated by the toddler terror zone they might encounter when the step out of the guest bedroom door.

With one less task on my to-do list, the only question left was how to best spend my free time! I decided to grab the opportunity to indulge in another favorite but rarely enjoyed activity – girl time. It’s so rare that I get an afternoon with mama friends. We’re usually too busy chasing tiny humans in opposite directions. But I was able to sneak away and enjoy a lovely Tuscan-inspired picnic on a beautiful afternoon with two of my faves – Emily of The Refined Woman and Taylor of Glitter Guide fame.

Snuggling babies in the sunshine was an added bonus.

This spring Clorox wants to help you save time and get out and enjoy your favorite things. They’re offering Apartment 34 readers a $150 GIVEAWAY where one lucky winner will receive the latest line of Clorox^® Scentiva^™ products, a beautiful picnic basket for your own outing with friends or family and a $50 gift card to buy some new cooking supplies or attend a cooking class.

HOW TO ENTER

1. Comment below with how you’d spend a little extra time this spring

2. Sign up for the Apartment 34 Newsletter for an extra entry (click here for the submission form)

A winner will be selected at 8AM PST on Monday, May 15 and announced here.

GOOD LUCK!

bedroom photography by ana kamin / picnic photography by jen kay

This post is in partnership with Clorox. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting collaborations that I’m excited about and that have kept apartment 34’s doors open

Take a Tour of My Guest Room

Bedrooms

In case you missed it, a couple of weeks ago I shared the inspiration behind my guest room. Well today – you finally get the full guest room tour!

The online decorating service Decorist, and their head of design Ashley Redmond, helped me pull my wishlist together and create my dream room – a light and airy space that serves as a respite for our guests and provides me with an inspirational place to work. I think the room accomplishes both beautifully!

The Wyatt upholstered bed from Room & Board is the prefect place for friends and family to rest their heads. We dressed it up in classic linen bedding and used hmong pillows and a throw by The Citizenry to add texture. The large scale art print by Brian Merriam from Tappan Collective helps accomplish one of my primary goals for the space – a gender neutral color palette.

bedside table via ATG, light fixture by West Elm

I like providing guests with a little bedside reading and some yummy candles to help them feel at home.

This walnut dresser from ATG helps anchor the otherwise bright white space and offers some much needed extra storage. I leaned and layered art for now – I’m still not ready to commit to hanging a lot on the walls! It also gives the space a more casual vibe.

This room had to do double duty since I had to give up the Apt34 studios space (tear). But it was easy to tuck a a chic work area into a corner of this room. I’m obsessed with my Lostine desk, with its metal base and ash wood top. It has a refined industrial look. The Lostine wire chair adds a rustic, vintage vibe that we softened with a luxe sheepskin. It’s the perfect minimal space to focus and get things checked off my to-do list.

I love having extra seating in bedrooms. Whether it’s a spot to sit and put your shoes on, read or simply lay out some clothes – it’s just so nice to have somewhere to sit other than the bed.

The entire room seems to glow – its the perfect combination of light streaming in from my bay windows, the lovely white walls (Benjamin Moore’s White Whisp is my go-to color) and cool California vibe that Ashley helped me pull together. I love that the room feels relaxed but also very pulled together and cohesive. It’s currently my favorite room in the house – and not just because it’s the only one that’s actually complete at the moment. Here’s how you can incorporate this look into your space.

SHOP THE LOOK: satsuki shibuya art print / pendant light / occasional chair / black cashmere throw / wall sconce / throw pillows / log side table / wool rug / bedside table / desk lamp / desk / chair / leather catch all / icelandic sheepskin / nate berkus tray

And I thought I’d share a few more of my renovation resources. As mentioned above, the paint is Benjamin Moore in White Whisp in matte on the walls and high gloss on the trim and windows. Our door hardware is by Emtek. Our hearth is Dekton from Cosentino. We installed 5″ wide plank oak floors and stained them a light gray. The window’s roman shades are custom made by The Shade Store.

To see all my Before pics and the entire design process for this room RIGHT HERE.

To catch up on our entire renovation process, CLICK HERE.

photography by carol varizi

Before & After: Our Guest Room

Bedrooms

I have another fun reveal of our new house for you today! I’ve been working with the online interior design service Decorist to complete our guest room. I’m so excited to finally get to share the entire process with you.

I wanted to design our guest room to be both a respite for visiting family and friends, as well as a space I love to be in on the daily because the room also doubles as my home office. I worked with Decorist designer Ashley Redmond to achieve both of these goals. She helped me hone in the final vision for the space and pull together a look that makes me smile everyday. Here are the moodboards I initially created to get our process started.

I focused on three key things for this room: A warm, welcoming color palette with a mix of neutrals, natural wood and touches cool tones that would create serene space. Secondly, I wanted to make sure the room had a comfortable and inviting guest bed and thirdly, I wanted the space to feature both a relaxing seating area as well as accommodate a small office area I could escape to during the day (working on our dining room table has just not been cutting it!). I threw a few more things onto the wishlist at the last minute: a bit of storage (because even with my dream closet, there’s always overflow) as well as wanting to be sure the room felt like it was decorated with a minimal hand. I didn’t want the space to feel overwrought.

Ashley immediately got my vibe. I loved the room concepts Ashley provided. Decorist uses this cool 3-D imaging that really helps you visual what the final space could look like. Here’s how the plan for the guest room looked.

With the moodboards and initial room concept in hand, I was able to turn Ashley free to hone a sourcing list of pieces certain to make my vision come to life. That was amazing help for someone with a completely overpacked schedule such as myself. Ashely and I were able to bounce ideas back and forth until we found what we both loved.

Here’s how the room’s final shopping list turned out.

SHOP THE LOOK: satsuki shibuya art print / pendant light / occasional chair / st. frank throw / west elm wall sconce / throw pillows / log side table / wool rug / side table / desk lamp / desk / chair / leather catch all / icelandic sheepskin / nate berkus tray

And here is the before pic of what the guest room looked prior to any renovations (eek!).

To see the after, head over to Architectural Digest – they’re featuring our guest room reveal today (cue happy dance).

To catch up on our entire renovation process and all the reveals to date CLICK HERE.

5 Key Ingredients for a Welcoming Guest Room

Bedrooms

With the arrival of Memorial Day weekend and the official start of the summer travel season, it’s time to get ready for guests. Thankfully, creating a tranquil visitor-ready space is much easier than you think. Even if you don’t have a lot of space (or are just getting settled in your new house!) just a few thoughtful details came make your visitors feel like they’re getting the royal treatment.

Even though we’ve barely gotten our footing, I’m excited to host our first guests. After living in less than 1,000sq ft, having a guest room feels like such a luxury. Yet my guest room, like the rest of the house, is not even close to being “done.” That’s going to be a loooong process. But if you get creative, you can pull together a totally inviting space.

Obviously, the key to a good stay anywhere is an excellent night’s sleep. If there’s thing you should always invest in, it’s your bed. For our guest room, we went with the Wyatt bed from Room & Board in a soft gray velvet. It has a hotel bed look, which I love. And our Cocoon by Sealy mattress is already getting rave reviews. But it’s how you make your bed that will make visitors feel extra special. I’ve been a bit obsessed with the various bed making styles. My current favorite: sheets tucked in nice and tight, layered blankets folded down almost to the bed’s foot to expose all the colors and textures and then a good stack of pillows. I like just two decorative pillows for a crisp clean look.

Since we don’t have much furniture yet, I had to get creative to make the guest room functional. No bedside tables? No matter! A pouf and a cool decorative ladder (ladders are having a moment) are all you need to give your guests a spot for a glass of water, their phone or a book. This were I also put two of my other key ingredients for a the perfect guest room – fresh flowers and good smells. A lovely candle, or in this case my favorite room spray from le labo, is a luxurious touch.

I repurposed our floor lamp to serve as a bedside light, at least for now. A basket for extra throws is always nice should your guests get cold in the night.

I also think it’s a nice touch to offer your guests a supply of toiletries. A toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, lotion and even shampoo and condition. I’m notorious for getting things (since I’m usually rushing to catch my plane) and this way your visitors don’t even have to ask to borrow something.

Finally, leave out some good reading material. It’s always nice to read a little something before bed and this way you guests to have to sit under the goal of their phones. That is not conducive to a good night’s sleep!

And there you have it. If you add just a few thoughtful details you can have the ultimate guest room. Warning: you may end up waiting to sleep in a room like this yourself.

Room sources: Throw pillows, pouf, ladder, leather basket, throws, p0mpom coverlet, floor cushions Jessie Black / Wyatt bed from Room & Board / Cocoon by Sealy mattress / Flaneur sheets / West Elm floor lamp / Morgan toiletries / florals by Natalie Bowen Designs

In case you’re curious about details of our house here are a few: Benjamin Moore paint in White Whisp / adorne by Legrand switches & wall plates / emtek glass door knobs

original photography for apartment 34 by suzanna scott

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