The Plaid Room 2.0 - DESIGN PLAN
As soon as we bought our cabin in Maine, we wanted to be able to share this special place with our closest friends and family. Our first task was to complete a quick make over of our two guest rooms and the adjacent guest bathroom. It’s been two years since completing those quick and temporary updates, and we are finally ready to tackle the Plaid Room 2.0!
If you missed it, we first completed East Room 2.0 (aka The Knotty Pine Paneling Room) just a couple months ago!
The Plaid Room, but elevated
Why The Change?
We are firm believers that you should take the time to live with a space before you make any big changes. Not that we took our own advice when we moved in, but the two guest rooms were… gross. The wall colors were wild, the original carpet smelled (hello cats), and they were just bleak. So a quick and affordable refresh was just what we needed to feel comfortable hosting friends and family.
Result: The Plaid Room! The big feature in this room was the hand painted plaid wall that Stephen completed. It was a fun creative challenge and gave the otherwise uninspired room some much needed character. We would totally do this again in the future by the way!
Now, nearly 2 years later we have lived with the space for a while and are much more confident about how we want it designed. And while the hand painted plaid wall is really fun, the specific colors we used for this project are not a great fit.
The plaid lives on
Let’s start with what we are carrying into the new design… the plaid! We put a couple options in our Instagram Stories and the feedback was undeniable - the plaid HAS to stay. We are also going to continue with the blue palette, but a bit more elevated cabin and than boys bedroom.
While we tend narrow our palette design digitally, we always make our final color decisions with swatches.
Paint chips can read so differently in real life!
You may remember Stephen painstakingly painting this plaid mural, and we have really enjoyed it - however we were left wanting something a bit deeper and moodier. Plaid captures that cozy feeling and vibe so we will extend it to all four walls, while adding wainscotting to the lower half of the room. This really gives us the balanced and wrapped around feeling that the room needs.
We wouldn’t say we are pro’s when it comes to wallpapering (yet), but we are learning! Since adding wallpaper to the primary suite, we’ve learned a few tips and tricks that made it easier this time around. The pattern is also a bit more forgiving than a bunch of ducks!
renovating to add character
In a lot of ways it feels like we are creating the “grown up” version of the plaid room by layering in color and texture.
Paneling & Trim // To anchor the space we are adding v-groove paneling around the lower half of the room. We are using the same profile found in our living room (original to the house), what we used in the neighboring East Room, as well as our primary bathroom. This v-groove was sourced at Kuiken Brothers and it’s great.
While we are painting this paneling a deep blue, we hope carrying this profile throughout the house will create a sense of cohesion. Next we will add window and door casings, baseboards, and maybe a small crown detail!
Flooring // The room is also currently missing flooring. After we took up the carpet we painted the existing subfloor with Porch and Floor enamel - which held up incredibly well - but in an effort to rid the room of the lingering smell we are going to replace the subfloor. We will finish off the room with a engineered hardwood (more on that later!)
Decor & Furnishings
Collaborating on this space with AllModern has created the perfect balance of a modern-vintage design. We’re aiming for something that feels fresh, but also curated and lived in - a room full of texture and layers. We’re even toying with the idea of plaid-on-plaid for the curtains and wallpaper - we’ve loved using these curtains in other rooms, so they’re high on our list here too.
Lighting is another big part of our vision (David’s favorite time of day is “lamp o’clock”). We’re considering these bubble wall sconces, paired with our favorite floor lamp. Also in the running are the Giacomo Solid Wood Table Lamp as well as the Gusman Travertine Table Lamp.
For textiles, we’re swooning over the possibilities. We’re imagining the bed piled high with linen sheets, a duvet set, waffle blanket, and throw. It would actually be the first time since the snug that we’ve used AllModern bedding, and we have been really impressed with the selection and quality. For the rug, we’re torn between and few options. Check out the images below and let us know what you think in the comments!
All of the finishing touches are starting to arrive and we are so excited to have all the bowls and trays so guests have spots to corral their things. At “Hotel St. Russell”, these might even hold chargers or treats when you arrive. This candle is also so dreamy - both in terms of the smell and how it looks - and we’re excited to have this burning both with and without guests.
Lamps We’re Loving
Rug Options
