The McGee Home Basement: The Guest Suite
We wanted our basement guest bedroom to feel inviting from the moment you walk in.
When we found out we were welcoming Margot into the family last year, we turned our original guest room upstairs into her nursery and finished the basement just in time to move it downstairs. After years of dreaming and making big plans for this space, putting the final touches on it and making it guest-ready was so rewarding. Scroll on to see the full photo tour and all the details, and don’t forget to check out our webisode here of the entire main space if you missed it!
We’d like to thank our friends at Killowen Construction, Killowen Cabinet Co., Kohler, Bedrosians, Lemco Design, and McGee & Co. for helping us bring this space to life!
The first thing you notice in the guest bedroom is the subtle dusty rose-toned wallpaper mural by Schumacher that wraps all the way around the walls and sets the tone for the entire space. I love this wallpaper so much that I actually wish we would have put it in our primary bedroom.
In our original floor-plans for the house’s framing, we had the closet on the inside of this room, but we ended up opting for a larger bathroom and putting the closet in the hallway. Killowen Construction and Killowen Cabinet Co. helped us build this beautiful custom wood cabinetry, complete with a long drawer on the top for storing wrapping paper.
A tray ceiling with wood beams draws the eye up, coordinating with our Engineered hardwood floors from Lemco Design. The Sutherland Canopy bed from McGee & Co. was one of the first pieces we chose for this room, and we love how it calls attention to the 10-foot ceilings, making it hard to believe you are in a basement.
One great way to make a basement room feel less like a basement room is to incorporate really full drapes that add weight and texture. We used The Shade Store‘s custom window treatment service for every room in our home, and in the guest room, we wanted to do something with a subtle pattern. We went with their Ripple Fold Drapery in the material “Upton” and color “Wheat,” and they add so much texture and coziness to the space.
"One great way to make a basement room feel less like a basement room is to incorporate really full drapes that add weight and texture."
Because we didn’t have space above the top of the window and ceiling, we did a track using The Shade Store‘s “Custom Track” hardware, and we love how it draws the eye up and adds a more grandeur feeling to the room. For more on our process for choosing window treatments, check out our post here.
When choosing furniture pieces, we curated a mix of vintage along with some of our favorite McGee & Co. pieces. Each element adds a new dimension — from the vintage chair in the corner to the gold mirror above the dresser.
"We worked on the Pia Burl Wood Nightstands for a while until we got the design right — from the dimensions to the curved drawer-front detail."
A patterned hand-knotted wool rug grounds the space and adds a cozy feeling to the wood floors, keeping it warm and inviting, and the nightstands add another unexpected element of pattern. We worked on the Pia Burl Wood Nightstands for a while until we got the design right — from the dimensions to the curved drawer-front detail.
We incorporated a lot of textures and layers in this room to make it feel as cozy and lived-in as possible, not just in the bedding but also in the way we styled each surface. Picture frames, candles, and of course, a mix of textiles go a long way in bringing in a welcoming feeling.
In the on-suite bathroom, we incorporated a few timeless finish details that add a bit of character and personality. A dark green vanity painted in Farrow & Ball’s Studio Green, and checkered floors with Bedrosians Porcelain Limestone and Carrara Marble set the scene, while a mix of brass and black hardware brings just the right amount of contrast.
We added two oval-shaped McGee & Co. mirrors, vintage-inspired faucets from Kohler, and a modern sconce light in the middle to mix it up. In the shower, we have a White Ceramic Tile on the walls and a Carrara Marble Mosaic on the floors that keeps the space feeling light and airy.
What a beautiful addition to your already stunning home! Your guests are very fortunate to have such a lovely space. One thing that shows up on the online photos…the framed picture above the bed is too yellow for the pinkish tones in the wallpaper as are the lampshades. That would bug me, but otherwise the bedroom is perfection!