Oct
12
2015
B&B Innkeeper’s 3 Questions That Make Interior Design Nurture the Soul
Here’s how a designer updated her own B&B. Cheri Antozak is an interior designer who in 2002 designed and opened Prairieside Suites Luxury B&B in Grandville, Mich. Cheri is also certified in kitchen & bathroom design plus holds a builders license for the remodeling company Interiors By Cheri, which she runs with her husband Paul, also a licensed builder.
Discussing bed and breakfast interior design Cheri spoke of her experience, “We opened in 2002 with 3 guest rooms. Now after three expansions we are currently working on adding our 8th guest suite. Every time we launch a new website and prepare to take new room photos, I take a good look at our rooms and ask these questions.”
The 3 Big Questions for Your Interior Design
1. What about this room still nurtures me? (I take a minute and note the things I still like.)
2. If money was no object, knowing what I know now, what would I do differently and why?
3. Look at the items furnishing the room and ask yourself, “Would I buy this for this room today?
Our rooms need to keep up with the times. After all, I don’t have the same hairdo from 12 years ago. I don’t wear the same clothing styles as 2002 and I don’t drive the same car. That would be absurd, things have changed and so my guest rooms need to evolve too.
Here’s our “Southern Mansion” guest room makeover comparing 2002 & Now.
I kept the things I really still love..
The wall color is still fun but today I would choose lime green as an accent instead of burgundy. The mixture of plaids & florals is an old look so the bedding and drapes need to be updated.
I’ll keep the wood floor because it’s timeless.
I love most of the furniture still but would make these changes.
1. Omit the large Armoire so I can give our guest more counter space to put their own belongings like laptop, reading materials, glasses both for reading and drinking.
2. Omit the plaid chairs and use a couch this time. Guest can snuggle closer and feel more of a connection on a couch.
3. Update the curtains, nothing too feminine this time and add room darkening panels because guests appreciate this.
4. Updated and changed out the table and chairs with something more fun and current that I found at a 2nd hand store.
5. Updated the art [nothing with eyes looking at our guests].
6. I spray painted the brass drawer handles and swing arm lamp in a hammered bronze. My bench was burgundy so I used the same spray paint on that also. After all, it’s only GREEN to re-use whatever you can plus it saves some GREEN also!
7. I want my rooms to look squeaky clean and allergy free so I removed the dried floral arrangement that was over my all-season fireplace and used art instead.
8. We repainted the bathroom and removed some of the cabinets to give more counter space and have it appear larger.
