Cottage Guestroom Inspiration

I'm ashamed to admit this, but when I think about buying a house someday, the room I'm most looking forward to decorating is our guest room. I love having people over. I love welcoming them into my home, and making them feel like they're a part of it. I also know that when we have company, they're on vacation, and I want to make their vacation as relaxing as possible because I know how stressful it can be to travel.

However, our current guest room is about the side of a refrigerator, and therefore, when we have company, our guests feel, well ... cramped. There's not much we can put in there other than a day bed. Someday, though, when we have a house, I plan to turn our guest room into a relaxing place seemingly separate from the rest of the house. One that looks like it belongs in a country cottage in the hillsides of New England, and one that makes our guests feel totally relaxed and at home.

To start, one thing I really want to focus on is a vintage metal bed frame; one that looks like it was rescued from an old farm house. This is what I envision:


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And for the rest of the room, pieces that seem random, but fit together nicely:


Top row:Turquoise dresser; Peeping Posies Knob; Glazed Fondant Vase
Middle row: Damask bathmat; Ektorp armchair
Bottom row: Francesca Patchwork Quilt

Newlywed, and separate beds?

Mr. Owl brought this article to my attention yesterday, and now I feel like I can divulge our deep, dark secret: we, too, sleep in separate bedrooms.

Well, not all the time, but most of the time Mr. Owl and I kiss goodnight, and he's off to our guest room. For so long, we've questioned this, thinking, "Oh my gosh, are we doomed because we can't sleep together in the same bed?" Everything else in our lives is, quite honestly, easy peasy. This is just one thing we can't master for two major reasons:

1. I'm a light sleeper, and he's a two-minutes-on-the-pillow-and-I'm-out kind of guy. It usually takes me at least a half hour to fall asleep, and meanwhile, Mr. Owl starts snoring or night-jerking and sleep is a lost cause for me. Often, I have to rely on Melatonin supplements and a sound machine to sleep, and even then, it's not guaranteed. The slightest movement or noise will wake me up.

2. I like to sprawl. And when I say sprawl, I mean one limp at each corner of the bed. I grew up with a full-size bed all to myself, and then suddenly, I had to share it with another person. I started to feel claustrophobic and closed-in. It played mind games with me, and I just couldn't fall asleep. Eventually, my sprawling led to Mr. Owl waking up in the middle of the night to one tenth of the mattress to himself, causing a sleepy husband the next morning.

So, when my insomnia got really bad shortly after our wedding, Mr. Owl happily started to sleep in our guest room. And what do ya know? I started sleeping like a baby. Right now, it's what works for us, and it's not a sign that our marriage is doomed for failure. It just means we both want our sleep!

So, why didn't I take the guest room? Because Mr. Owl can sleep anywhere (including the floor), and be out like a light. Our bedroom has all the blankets, sheets and pillow situated just how I like them. It's just easier on both ends.

Long-term, we know we can't live like that forever, though. Well, we could, but we don't want to. While I am getting my sleep, I miss having Mr. Owl next to me as I doze off, and having him there when I wake up. Luckily, we've come up with a solution that's a guaranteed win:

We'll buy a king-sized bed.

Seriously.

When we stay at hotels with king beds, we both sleep together without any issues (as long as I have my sound machine, of course!). I have tons of space to sprawl, and Mr. Owl is far enough away that I'm not affected by any jerking or snoring, and he gets as much space as I do.

In Chicago, it's beyond rare to find an affordable apartment with a bedroom big enough for a king bed. We currently have a full-sized bed, and the width of our bedroom only allows for the bed, two nightstands and zero extra space. Eventually, when we feel ready, we'll move on, and the king-sized bed will be our first purchase.

Sometimes, we spend our Saturday afternoons at furniture stores and drool over fancy, grown-up beds. These are our favorites so far:



Brighton Coffee Bed; Crate and Barrel



Tate Bed; Crate and Barrel



Portman Panel Bed; Restoration Hardware



Farmhouse Bed; Pottery Barn


Do we go with a fabric upholstery for comfort? Stick with the traditional elegance of wood? Right now, we're leaning toward a wood bed, and making our own headboard. I love color, and the more color I have in my life, the happier I am.

Headboard inspiration:


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It's a good thing we have years to make this decision!

Welcome, welcome!

Welcome to The Nesting Owl!

My name is Samantha, and I’ve gone from unofficial family party planner, to bride, to wife, and finally, professional wedding planner. I adore weddings. It's my passion and on my brain almost every second of the day. But, it may surprise people to know that deep down, I love weddings because I get to help create the start of two newlywed's life together. Life after weddings is just as exciting, whether you're buying a new house, sprucing up the same 'ol condo, or just trying to convince the hubs that yes, 24 clear plastic bins at seven bucks a pop from The Container Store is necessary for adequate shoe storage. Regardless if everything changes, or nothing changes, the adventure together starts with where you live.

My husband, Mr. Owl, and I currently rent a third-floor condo in Chicago, but we’re originally from upstate New York. Chicago is an amazing city with so many things to offer its inhabitants (Momma Owl calls me at least once a week because a Chicago restaurant has been featured, yet again, on the Food Network). But, during our three years so far in this great city, I started dreaming of renovating a country house on a few acres of land, with peony bushes galore and daisy-lined walking paths, in a quiet part of the state to really create a forever home and plant my nest for good. For now, our small square-footer will happily do, but day dreaming is always an option.

Your wedding day will be the happiest day of your life up until that point. But for the days when there’s a gentle breeze wafting through your living room, and all is quiet but the sounds of sipping tea, sighs from your pup at your feet and your husband clicking away at his laptop, and you look around your living space and think, “I’m so content right now.” That, my little owls, will be the new happiest day of your life. And The Nesting Owl will be here to inspire you as you make the transition from bride to home-creator, 20-something to full-blown adult (gasp!) or simply renter to home-buyer.

And we couldn't be happier about it!