How Designer Mary Maloney Created a Cozy Guest Room in Her Own Home
Bee's Knees Design Studio is located in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, the town that's the starting point of the Boston Marathon. “Hopkinton is an exciting place to be when it's Marathon time, but during the rest of the year, it's a comfortable, family-oriented town with a great school system, charming old farms and buildings, and an old-fashioned town square,” shares Mary Maloney, a town resident and owner of Bee's Knees Design Studio (beeskneesinteriordesign.com). “The town is a suburb of Boston, and within an easy 45-minute commute to the city by train.”
Maloney is an advocate of recycling, reusing, and reinventing items in her designs. She also sources from a true cross section of suppliers: the high-end Boston Design Center, HomeGoods, and consignment shops among others. “We advise our clients to invest their money in furnishing high-traffic areas where items will get lots of use and enjoyment and save money by furnishing less used areas with inexpensive and refurbished pieces.”
Maloney's 275-square-foot guest bedroom is a perfect example of the latter. “I wanted the room to be a 'happy spot' for our family visitors from Ireland, who often use it as a home base when they visit relatives in Boston and in New York City,” she explains. “We kept it simple by painting it Benjamin Moore's Classic Gray – a clean, fresh color – and did the trim in White Dove, a lovely soft white that blends with everything. Then we added punches of color in interesting ways.”
The bed was purchased from a consignment shop. “It was a nice quality piece and just needed some updating,” says Maloney. “We painted it a bright turquoise tone called Provence from Annie Sloan's collection of chalk paints. We painted several frames in the same color, as well as a lovely armoire that I loved since purchasing it for my first apartment years ago.” Maloney then added a bright colorful Thibaut pattern called Kirkland that really makes a statement. “We used the fabric in the accent pillows on the bed and carried it to the armoire by gluing it to the panels. We framed the coordinated wallpaper in turquoise frames and placed them over the bed. It was a wonderfully inexpensive way to add a punch to the room.” Makkas Drapery Workroom created several of the custom bedding pieces.
The bedside tables were recycled and painted in the same paint color as the trim in the room. Maloney added glass pulls that she found at anthropologie. Her guests usually stay for several days, even weeks, so she stocked up on reading materials and placed them in a convenient location near the bed. The lamps on the bedside tables were from HomeGoods. “When we find beautiful lamps at HomeGoods, we stock up on them,” she says. “HomeGoods has great prices and very often gorgeous designer pieces.”
A vanity, found at Brimfield (brimfield.com), was spray-painted white; the pulls are original to the piece. On the perpendicular wall, near the door, is a vintage dresser that was painted in a cream toned chalk paint. Originally a dark-wood piece, the the updated, new color helps to blend it with the lighter palette of the room. On the dresser is a cute antique white tray, another HomeGoods find, that holds a small botanical painting in a turquoise frame and some vases and flowers to welcome guests. There is also a small sofa in the room, providing a cozy retreat for weary travelers.
Several pieces of glass “jewelry,” as Maloney refers to them, occupy the dresser and tabletops. Some were wedding gifts of Waterford crystal. Others were just inexpensive pieces found in consignment shops or decor stores. They add a touch of brightness, and the gift items bring back fond memories of days past. There are also some photos of Maloney's children taken when they were young and visiting relatives in Ireland.
Maloney loves repurposing sentimental items that might no longer fit in the decor of the more formal rooms of the home. “These pieces are pleasant to look at an innately bring with them warm feelings and memories,” she says. “They contribute to the goal of making the room a 'happy spot' and a comfortable, welcoming place for guests.” Written by Carolyn M. Runyon YHL