Tenth to the Fraser

In a recent Globe & Mail column, Vancouver-based HGTV designer Kelly Deck draws on the example of a New Westminster friend's home to illustrate dos and don'ts of guest room decor :

For seven years, Gillian has been ceaselessly redecorating the interior of her New Westminster home. Last Sunday, we ascended a narrow fir staircase to a room where Gillian has created a warm and romantic retreat for the guests she and Michael are expecting this holiday season. As is her habit, the room is a clever blend of old and new, with a general air of welcome.

As I drove home that afternoon, I thought about why Gillian's guest room felt right and well thought out, while those in many other homes (ones by designers included) often feel wrong. I think she's got a few easy do's and don'ts for us.

Sounds very Queen's Park to me! Seriously though, I do think that many homes here in New West aspire to that "clever blend of old and new, with a general air of welcome." Deck never says that her friend Gillian owns a heritage home, but the "narrow fir staircase" and the aim to blend old with new hints at it.

For those who are wondering, the tips in the article include:

• Give guests room to store their junk
  
• Don't be too feminine
  
• Buy good sheets
  
• Smash that cheap ceiling light
  
• Don't skip the window finishes
  
• Resist putting family photos on the wall
  
• Remember the thoughtful touches
  

From the photo with the article, this is indeed a stellar example of a guest room. Gillian from New West has even framed a collection of cheeky poems as the wall art! Kudos to Gillian. Wonder what other gems local decorating divas have concocted ...

Labels: decorating, heritage homes, kudos, NW in the news