Before and After Update for a Lighter, Brighter Bedroom

The update this hotel did on their bedrooms was a great reminder to me on how certain changes can make a big impact on the overall look of a room. You don’t always have to change everything!

This is a hotel we’ve stayed in before and I only rebooked for this recent trip because I’d seen from their photos that they had updated their guest rooms.

I love this hotel because it is on the marina beach in Marina del Ray and you do get a coastal vibe here. I love the patio restaurant for breakfast and dinners. It makes me really feel like I’ve been to California and not just a big city.

The rooms, however, were so depressing that I didn’t want to stay there ever again.

Dark, Warm Toned Rooms in a California Coastal Hotel

BEFORE - The bedding, thankfully, was crisp and white, but everything else is dark and warm toned.

BEFORE - You can see how bright it is outside and yet the room is dark and like a cave.

BEFORE - This wall color is sooo depressing. Please don’t paint your walls this color at home!

BEFORE - All the wood furniture is dark espresso colored.

BEFORE - Warm toned everything in the bathrooms with espresso colored framed mirror.

It was clean, but had a very dated and dark look.

Updated Bedrooms Have a Coastal Look

I immediately saw on their website that the rooms had been lightened and brightened up. Let’s examine exactly what they changed and what they kept as is.

The wood pieces, nightstands, headboards, dresser and desk were kept as is. Honestly, I don’t at all mind the espresso finish on the furniture when paired with all the lighter updates.

1) Walls - Changed

Thank goodness that wall color changed. They did a blue-gray paint on most of the walls and then a wallcovering on the bed wall. I loved the tropical wallpaper they used and the gray and white had a fresh look.

2) Lamps - Changed

What an impact white lamps make on this wall. They have the same impact as white bedding, fresh, light, and new. The size and shape are nice too, curvy, repeating the shape of the wallpaper pattern.

4) Window Treatments - Changed

Cool toned drapery panels with creamy white sheers lightened things up at the windows.

4) Upholstery - Changed

The chairs in the corner have blue upholstery with a gray stripe ottoman. I wish they would have had arms, but I do like the color here.

Note the white table lamp here and the creamy white drum table. The gray ottoman was cool toned also. The espresso corner table still worked.

5) Carpet - Changed

The carpet should probably be changed in hotel rooms with any update, just because it is carpet, but this change went from warm toned to cool. The more modern strie was nice.

6) Mirrors and Art - Changed

There was a rattan mirror over the desk and then had a full length mirror in a natural wood tone, both looked lighter and more coastal.

Bathroom Updates

A lit mirror makes for a brighter, more expansive look in the bathroom.

The floor ramained the same here and the old cabinet was stained an espresso finish to match. They kept the same granite, but the lighter paint color and that bright, modern mirror made a huge difference.

You can see a bit of the art frame over the toilet, it was a graphic type art with a light finish instead of the dark frame used before.

While I think they should have gone a bit further in here, changing out the countertop, it does look soooo much better.

So, the trend now is that gray is out and warm tones are in, BUT…. old, muddy warm-toned rooms like these need a lift. I’m so glad they did just that here and I’ll be back to stay again! It’s not about the specific color, so we need to get over that, it is about the overall look and feel of a room.

It’s so nice to see a project that reuses what they can but achieves an entirely new look with a partial redo. I think the espresso toned furniture looks like it truly belongs here, in a “Tommy Bahama”, coastal kind of way

Need more posts about rooms that keep some existing furniture but change certain items for a new look?

I’ve got some of my consultations listed below where I recommend just that.

This blogpost was thoughtfully written by me, Carla Aston, and not by AI, ghostwriters, or guest posters.