Soothing Inspiration

Zero George Boutique Hotel

Inspiration can come from anywhere.  My husband and I love to stay at unconventional places when we travel.  It could be anything from a simple cottage to a quirky bed and breakfast.  So while traveling in Charleston, I happened upon this stunning boutique hotel that just opened last February.  It has already garnered praise from Travel & Leisure and Martha Stewart Weddings.  The only way that I can describe the atmosphere is southern elegance wrapped in warmth.

The luxurious fabrics, the plush down sofas, and cloud-like beds are traditional, but do not look granny.  Zero George mixes old with new to create their own style.  The sitting room (above) is right off the library and is crammed with alluring architectural and design books that are available to guests 24 hours a day.

I absolutely love this window.  It belongs to the boutique's common area which is flooded by light because of these transparent balloon shades...genius.

This window (above) was the inspiration for my living room.  The simple and elegant balloon shade gives privacy while allowing plenty of light to come through.

The first step was sanding, priming, and painting the fireplace and molding in our home.

Our Living Room Before

Taping off hundreds of corners (below) was made easy by using Avery easy-to-peel off  labels left over from a homemade beer project.  

Prep For Paint

 
Here is the final product of all the sanding, taping, priming, and painting.  The ceiling moldings were painted the same color of the walls to give the illusion of height.  I changed the wall color using a soft matte paint.  Finally, we decided to use a soft white on the moldings and a soft blackish gray on the actual window.

Instead of having custom shades, I opted for sheer shades I found on clearance at a discount store.  The result? The same look at a fraction of the price.    

Living Room After Painting