Guest Room Welcomes Visitors to San Francisco
A designer creates a love letter to the city with a mural wall, local artwork and more
Making a Mural
Alfin had the mural made from a photo taken by photographer Dean J. Birinyi. The process was pretty simple. She measured the walls carefully, uploaded a high-resolution photo to her computer and sent the measurements and the photo to a company called Murals Your Way. The company printed the image onto wallpaper sections for her wallpaper hanger to install.
Find local paint, wallpaper and wallcovering pros on Houzz
Alfin had the mural made from a photo taken by photographer Dean J. Birinyi. The process was pretty simple. She measured the walls carefully, uploaded a high-resolution photo to her computer and sent the measurements and the photo to a company called Murals Your Way. The company printed the image onto wallpaper sections for her wallpaper hanger to install.
Find local paint, wallpaper and wallcovering pros on Houzz
Comfortably Hip Style
The chevron-patterned rug was another element that influenced the room’s design. “I actually built the room around this existing rug the client loved and wanted to incorporate,” Alfin says. “It was the jumping-off point for a very graphic treatment of the space. Normally, I would have gone with an 8-by-10 rug, but we made it work with a 5-by-7 by pushing it toward the front of the bed.”
Sticking to a predominantly black-and-white palette and geometrics made it easy to mix patterns. Acrylic nightstands found at a flea market maintain the views of the mural. The reclaimed-wood console and sea grass baskets add warm, organic textures. A few dollops of turquoise bring in color.
The chevron-patterned rug was another element that influenced the room’s design. “I actually built the room around this existing rug the client loved and wanted to incorporate,” Alfin says. “It was the jumping-off point for a very graphic treatment of the space. Normally, I would have gone with an 8-by-10 rug, but we made it work with a 5-by-7 by pushing it toward the front of the bed.”
Sticking to a predominantly black-and-white palette and geometrics made it easy to mix patterns. Acrylic nightstands found at a flea market maintain the views of the mural. The reclaimed-wood console and sea grass baskets add warm, organic textures. A few dollops of turquoise bring in color.
Continuing the love letter to San Francisco, the framed photo over the console depicts a foggy day in the Presidio, and the prints over the Eames Shell chair depict flying cable cars and Superman flying over the Golden Gate Bridge.
The chair adds a nice dollop of turquoise to the color scheme while taking up little space. “I like to have seating in a bedroom as a place to put on shoes, so you don’t have to mess up the bed after it has been made,” she says.
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The chair adds a nice dollop of turquoise to the color scheme while taking up little space. “I like to have seating in a bedroom as a place to put on shoes, so you don’t have to mess up the bed after it has been made,” she says.
Browse modern side chairs
Nice Extras for Guests
Other thoughtful details include plants and books. A globe light adds a modern touch, and the baskets hold extra throw pillows that can prop up someone reading in bed. “The client likes lots of extra blankets and throws for both the guest bedroom and for cuddling in the living room, but likes to keep the clutter to a minimum. So she throws them in the guest room baskets tucked under the console. We went with chunky sea grass baskets for a bit of added texture,” Alfin says.
Pro tip: Provide your guests with local guidebooks and other information about the area. Alfin placed a book, 111 Places in San Francisco That You Must Not Miss, on the console table, along with a monograph of the work of San Francisco designer Orlando Diaz-Azcuy.
“Often guests come to visit but hosts can’t drop everything to hang out with them. So this helps them find things to do on their own during the day, and then the homeowners can regroup with their guests for dinner,” Alfin says.
Find sea grass baskets in the Houzz Shop
Other thoughtful details include plants and books. A globe light adds a modern touch, and the baskets hold extra throw pillows that can prop up someone reading in bed. “The client likes lots of extra blankets and throws for both the guest bedroom and for cuddling in the living room, but likes to keep the clutter to a minimum. So she throws them in the guest room baskets tucked under the console. We went with chunky sea grass baskets for a bit of added texture,” Alfin says.
Pro tip: Provide your guests with local guidebooks and other information about the area. Alfin placed a book, 111 Places in San Francisco That You Must Not Miss, on the console table, along with a monograph of the work of San Francisco designer Orlando Diaz-Azcuy.
“Often guests come to visit but hosts can’t drop everything to hang out with them. So this helps them find things to do on their own during the day, and then the homeowners can regroup with their guests for dinner,” Alfin says.
Find sea grass baskets in the Houzz Shop
While the room has boutique hotel style, it also has more personal, homey touches, like the books, pillows and throws and the handmade ceramic bowl Alfin left out for jewelry and watches.
The mural is a stunner, but features that anticipate guests’ needs are what ultimately makes the room so welcoming. The reading light, extra pillow and blanket, outlets to charge devices near the bed, chair for putting on shoes and jewelry bowl make the guest room inviting and comfortable.
Takeaways
More on Houzz
10 Essentials for a Gracious Guest Room
Overnight Guests Coming? How to Be a Great Host
Find an interior designer
Shop for home products
The mural is a stunner, but features that anticipate guests’ needs are what ultimately makes the room so welcoming. The reading light, extra pillow and blanket, outlets to charge devices near the bed, chair for putting on shoes and jewelry bowl make the guest room inviting and comfortable.
Takeaways
- An impactful photo mural is a personal touch that is not difficult to install. If you have your wallpaper installer lined up, have that person or your designer measure the wall for you to make sure it’s done meticulously.
- A rug placed underneath a bed does not have to be symmetrically placed or go under the entire bed.
- Sticking with a pair of colors makes combining patterns easy. Vary the scale of the patterns to create a pleasing mix.
- Anticipate guests’ needs such as lighting for reading, places to put jewelry, guidebooks and a place to sit down besides the bed.
More on Houzz
10 Essentials for a Gracious Guest Room
Overnight Guests Coming? How to Be a Great Host
Find an interior designer
Shop for home products
Room at a Glance
Who uses it: Overnight guests
Location: South of Market neighborhood, San Francisco
Size: 100 square feet (9 meters)
Designer: Sabrina Alfin
Interior designer Sabrina Alfin calls this guest room design “a love letter to San Francisco.” Located in the city’s South of Market neighborhood, the condo is owned by a couple whose children have grown up and moved out. The couple wanted a place where their kids and other out-of-town guests could stay during overnight visits to the city. While the homeowners wanted to make the room energetic and interesting, they also needed it to feel comfortable and welcoming.
The scope of the project was decorating, including choosing the furniture, bedding, art and other accessories. A mural depicting two San Francisco landmarks, the Cupid’s Span sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen and the Bay Bridge, drove the design and influenced the contemporary style. Now the room welcomes guests with a hip boutique hotel vibe and homey touches.