A stylish guest room offers boutique chic
November 30, 2023
Marie Cloud designs a cozy, modern guest room inspired by intimate hotels.
by Cathy Martin | photographs by Amanda Anderson
Interior designer Marie Cloud sought to blend vintage and natural elements in her south Charlotte client’s guest room, while still creating a space that’s soft and contemporary.
“The goal was to create a space that had a boutique-hotel vibe that felt very organic in its shapes and materials — but I also wanted it to feel lived-in and approachable,” says Cloud, founder and principal designer of Indigo Pruitt Design Studio.
She started by covering the all-white walls with a mocha-latte tone for a soothing foundation. A botanical-inspired black-and-white rug adds pattern and texture, while the wooden platform bed with a cane-inlay headboard brings in natural elements and a midcentury twist.
Crushed velvet draperies in a lush cranberry tone provide a punch of color. Cloud fell in love with the rich pink hue in the geometric accent pillow and sourced the draperies to match. “Everything around it is very neutral — I think it allows for those colors to really pop,” the designer says.
Knowing the space would be used for guests, Cloud wanted to leave the room as uncluttered as possible. “I wanted to keep every item very simple and intentionally placed,” from the vintage Bluetooth speaker on the bedside desk to the framed illustrations that are an ode to Black women and their hair. The works feature vintage hot combs and three popular hair-styling brands.
“Both of the women that I met in the home — the homeowner and her sister — their hair was just always fabulous, every time,” Cloud says. “She’s African American. When her family comes in, there’s nothing like having some sort of artwork on the wall that feels reflective of you, but also takes you back down memory lane.”
A last-minute change — swapping a pottery-based ceiling fixture with a tiered iron-and-glass pendant — provided just the right finishing touch. “I needed a funky, unexpected texture there,” Cloud says. After searching high and low, upon seeing the chandelier she knew instantly it would work perfectly.
The warm, cozy space is sure to be a hit with guests this holiday season and beyond. SP
