Rehab Diary: A Guest Bedroom Turned Cozy Reading Lair

One of the perils of living in a loft, as I do, is that there’s nowhere to hide. A shopping binge. Sautéed onions. In-laws. Everything and everyone is out in the open. But the hardest part of all is football season. When a game is on, our guest bedroom, which has the rare asset of a door, keeps me and the rabid football fan I married blissfully apart. I’ve claimed the room as my lair and recently upgraded it with new comforts: a reading nook, stacks of pillows, even an electric fireplace. Don’t expect me to come out until they crown a Super Bowl champion.

Photography by Tom Kubik for Remodelista.

Above: To recast the room as a reading space, I added a Wall-Mount Electric Fireplace ($229 from The Home Depot) and situated an Eames rocker in front of it, cushioned with an Avondale Kilim Pillow ($45 at Home Decorators Collection). A five-by-eight-foot Troy Area Rug ($359 from Home Decorators Collection) connects the bed to my hangout area. To me, the new setup recalls a hip, rustic cabin I once stayed in at Big Sur.

Above: Putting textures to task, the wool rug takes the chill away from the concrete floor. We often host guests with infants, and the plush carpet is ideal for playtime. A short stack of pillows (the Romi Pillow, $24, and La Paz Kilim Pillow, $45, both from Home Decorators Collection) tucked under a reclaimed bench soften the metal hairpin legs and make the rug inviting to sprawl on.

Above: The pros of concrete floors (cool and industrial) surely outweigh the cons (things dropped on it may shatter). But a sheepskin rug and an upholstered Small Denton Vanity Stool ($89 at Home Decorators Collection) soften the look and feel of the space. The stool is also the perfect perch for my little niece when I sit on the bed and braid her hair.

Above: I’m a recovering magazine junkie, and the Jacob Ladder with Baskets ($249, including three suspended wire baskets, not shown, from Home Decorators Collection) lets me store a few current issues without hoarding them. The rungs are also a good place to store blankets; the Signature Cashmere Blend Throw with extra-long fringe ($299 from Home Decorators Collection) is shown here.