Guest Rooms

Making a room welcoming and hospitable is the goal when designing guest rooms. Whether designing a guest room in a large suburban space, or in a compact city dwelling, each has its own challenges. With careful planning and creativity, guest rooms will be an expression of the host’s style, hospitality and thoughtfulness.

Here are some tips and ideas when designing a guest room:

• A comfortable bed is a must; consider an extra layer of down to cover the bed for extra comfort.
•  Vary the pillows from soft to extra firm and let the guests decide what is more comfortable for them.
• The bed sheets must be soft. Egyptian cotton with a high thread count is recommended. How about adding fresh cotton fragrance when storing the linens? But be sure to ask if your guest has any allergies.
• Upholstered head boards, pillow shams, Euro shams, decorative pillows, bed skirts, and canopies are all items that tell so much about the host.
• Fresh flowers are another way to tell the guest they are important, and they are very much cared about! Again, be sure your guests don’t have allergies. If they do, silk flowers of high quality can be used and will fool anyone into thinking they’re fresh.
• Displaying family pictures, trips, or special events will evoke conversation and discussion of happy times with guests. Another good idea is to have a wall display with words of wisdom. Special quotes framed or stenciled on walls is something to consider.
• Try putting a coffee maker or electric kettle in the room with a selection of high quality teas. Add a silver tray with fine china, various sugars, honey, and a pitcher with glasses for cold water. Guests could enjoy a fresh cup of coffee or tea early in the morning in their own bed room without disturbing the hosting family.
• Incorporate a reading corner with a comfortable chaise or chair, a soft comfy shawl, and a stack of well read books.
• Pay attention to details and add those extra ordinary trims, buttons, tassels, and fringes. Those details say something special about the host.

All the careful planning will bring a smile to guests’ faces, and will give them a wonderful experience they will never forget.

Call us for a free estimate and consultation (630) 420-0800

Also visit our Gailani Designs website for more ideas: www.GailaniDesigns.com

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Texture is often secondary to color and pattern when it comes to the over all design of a space or the window treatment itself in any given room. Colors and patterns usually have and immediate impact, textures though adds richness to the colors. Take for example the richness of deep colored velvet is due to it’s pile, the shine and iridescent qualities of silk reflects it’s smoothness, the firm weave of cottons helps the printed patterns and colors to come out crisper and stronger.

Texture usually describes the way the light play on the surface of the fabric, that in turns will give a message of how the material feels, its softness, smoothness, warmth, coolness and so on.

Textures have their own feel and they evoke special association. Like chenille might be associated with warmth, cotton with comfort,or silk being exotic.

Varying textures is important and will add interest, sophistication, and style to any space. Imagine velvet pillows with satin trim, tweed drapery panels with a contrast in cotton, or organdy table runner with lace.

Textures might not be the first thing to think about when planing a decorating project or a design for a window treatment, but indeed is a very important design element that need not to be neglected!

Call us for a free estimate or consultation.

Also visit Gailani Designs website for more ideas www.GailaniDesigns.com

Fabric shades has been always popular window treatments. We have seen more interest in the use of shades the past few years. Our clients prefer fabric shades( Flat Roman, Water fall Roman, Hobbled Roman, Balloon shades, Austrian shades, …. etc.) because they look neat, they provide a valance look when they are lifted up, they insulate, especially when interlined, they provide full privacy when pulled down, they can have the top down feature, and now they can be ordered cordless for child and pet safety.

Our client from Burr Ridge, Dupage county, Illinois, loved the look of Balloon valances and Roman shades. Well, she got them both in this fabulous window covering

Call us for more ideas (630) 420-0800. Also visit www.GailaniDesigns.com

Here are some Photos of the shades:

An  Installation took place last week in Burr Ridge IL. The room was medium sized and well lit, however the furniture was a little over sized and too many pieces were used. That made the room seem even smaller.  Here is how the windows were dressed to help the room appear bigger, and more spacious: the walls were painted in a warm, light taupe, and the treatment was kept simple. We raised the panels as far as possible, keeping the proportions in mind, and the color of the drapery fabric was the same color as the walls, lowering the contrast. Both of these things delude the eyes into thinking the room is larger than it is.

Take a look:

The client expressed interest in ripple fold draperies in place of sheers and blinds for privacy, and she wanted to create the feel of a five star hotel. I believe, she got it!

Call (630) 420-0800

Also visit: www.GailaniDesigns.com

Commercial spaces can look stunning too! unfortunately windows in commercial areas like offices are neglected. The common use is adding blinds, solar screens, and old fashioned vertical blinds. Draperies can add beauty and create very special feel to any room, commercials or residential.

Below is a proposed design for a club house in Naperville, Dupage county, IL

Please let me know what you think?

Call (630) 420-0800

Also visitwww.GailaniDesigns.com

Often clients ask what the latest trends for window fashions are. I would like to share with you the latest in terms of style, colors, fabrics and embellishments.

Style:  Full drapery panels are in. The past few years we saw more use of drapery panels on windows, with most unusual pleats and headings.

Roman shades in all known styles (flat, folded, ballooned, and all other types) are very much in fashion. Roman shades are very popular because they are classic: when they are pulled up they create a valance to dress the window, they insolate when drawn down, especially when interlined, and provide privacy as well.

Colors:  With the down turn in the economy the past few years, we saw new trends for colors in general, and the window fashion industry is no exception. Bold, strong colors are back! They are used as a pop of color with a more neutral background. Bold Tangerines, Mangos, Teals, Turquoise, and Reds with grayed browns are being used; these splashes of bold colors are a reminder to the world that there is hope and to look forward to a better future!

Fabrics:  Textural, embroidered and fabrics with natural fibers are in fashion.  Fabrics like linen, cotton, Chenille, printed silks as well as natural silks are preferred over polyesters and manmade fibers. Although natural fabrics are in demand now days, synthetic fabrics are still finding their use in the design world. Clients also are asking for natural fibers, recycled, and (Green) products.

Embellishments:  Embellishing with bold, unique trims is very much in fashion. Using fringes along the vertical edges of a panel or having a plain panel with a one-of-a-kind oversized tie back tassel have become very popular. Having a breaded trim with a striking color in the perfect spot will accentuate an architectural feature that needs to be the focal point of a room. We are seeing more trims with wooden beads, mirrors, metal chains, feathers, and materials that are not usually used as a decorative trim. Pleating, buttons, grommets, and contrast cording is another way to embellish, and now more than ever, designers are using their creative juices to come up with ways to give their clientele head turning, knockout draperies that are totally their style.

For ideas and information make sure to call us and utilize our free phone consultation (630) 420-0800.

Also visit www.GailaniDesigns.com

Burr Ridge Girls Bedroom:

We have turned this window seat into a stage! This bed room is for a seven year old girl who loves to play make-believe and invites her friends over for fun and play. The curtains that existed before were outdated and didn’t do much to the room. The new design consists of a canopy and two side panels pulled to each side to give the feel of pulled stage curtains. A window seat with two side pillows, in coordinating fabrics finished the look the client was after.

For a free design consultation call (630)420-0800

For more ideas visit www.GailaniDesigns.com

Naperville Living room:

When this Naperville client called, she had a complaint about her living room window. The sun was coming through the transom causing damage to her expensive furniture and Persian rug.

The solution was to start the silhouette shades from above, covering the transom, designing window treatment that enhances the architectural features in the room as well as the furniture style and the overall room’s color scheme and style.

The swags were gracefully raised in the center and dropped below the trim medallions, which was another request the client expressed. The panels defined and separated each window, and the slim swags drop enough to make a statement, yet allow the transom to still show as a pleasing architectural element of the windows.

For a free design consultation please call (630) 420-0800

For more ideas visit Gailani Designs website:www.GailaniDesigns.com

Here are the before and after pictures:

Willow Brook powder room:

The client wanted to dress up her powder room. She was looking for a room with elegance and style. A striped luster stone finish was selected for the walls to add height and gives an elegant sophisticated look. To dress up the window, a small swag valance was designed in a coppery silk fabric, adding warmth and loads of style.

Call us for free design consultation (630)420-0800

Make sure to also visit Gailani Designs website for more ideas: www.GailaniDesigns.com