These Gorgeous Spring Anthropologie Finds Took My Guest Room from Meh to Magical (Just Look!)

I’ve never had a guest room to furnish before in my adult life. So once I moved into my house in the ‘burbs, you’d think I’d go all-in on turning mine into a total oasis for future visitors, especially since my job is so interior design-adjacent. But, drained from designing the downstairs and my own bedroom, this spot became the place where all the cast-offs and hand-me-downs went, from my mother’s old beat-up dresser to a geometric rug remnant that I rescued off the New York City streets a few years back. 

We painted the walls a favorite grayish blue of mine, Benjamin Moore’s Silver Mist (1619), and I found a secondhand bed that matched it nicely for a serene, tone-on-tone look. I bought plain white cotton curtains and used neutral bedding from when I had a queen size bed, which kept things simple. Finally, I flanked the bed with two green Kartell Componibii Round Modular Stacking Units to use as nightstands, since the space was a little tight.

The room didn’t look terrible, but it felt like an afterthought. And truthfully? Maybe a little under-designed or visually blah for a guest room. Sure, I enjoy a comfy mattress as much as the next person — but what I enjoy most about staying at hotels is taking in all the visual inspiration: the cool wallpaper that almost vibrates off the walls, the tailored bedding, the chic (sometimes original!) art hanging around the room, just waiting to be discovered. 

I wanted to keep this room restful, but I knew it could jibe better with the rest of my 1928 home — and embrace my guests with more personality. That’s when Anthropologie entered the chat to bring a serious dose of charm to my somewhat sad little room with a few key gifted products perfect for a spring room refresh. The best part? I didn’t have to repaint, demo any walls, or lose the pressed ceiling tiles overhead. A new bed, bedding, a lamp, and artwork did enough to make the room feel five times warmer, cozier, and more polished to me.

To kick the redo off, I zeroed right in on the Hale Canvas Bed in the Irena pattern, which is just the loveliest, green-forward, climbing vine design. The pattern feels like it’s on-trend right now, but I know that this is not a print I will tire of, given how much I love greenery — and how nature truly is omnipresent in design at all times. It’s also cottagey in an understated way, which I love. I felt like it could go maximalist or minimalist, depending on what you pair it with. And hot tip: A patterned bed can do some of the design heavy-lifting that a wallpaper can — with nowhere near the amount of long-tern commitment or cost.

I want to take a moment to call out the genius of this bed beyond its pretty pattern, though. It’s actually made of poplar and beechwood reinforced with engineered hardwood and finished with canvas inlay, so it has a hit of gorgeous texture up close. You get a streamlined, almost Parsons-esque look with all the visual pop of an upholstered bed and none of the heft, making it great for smaller spaces (so long as its dimensions will fit in your room). 

Sure, I was a little bit worried about how comfortable reading in bed might be, considering the frame’s lack of padding. But with my love of pillows, it’s as cushiony and cozy as anything upholstered — I promise! I also appreciate that while it’s low to the ground, you can sneak under-bed storage compartments under it still; they just have to be on the shallow side, say, less than 4.5 inches tall, which is totally doable.

Next, I turned my attention to the bedding. I knew I’d want to go solid for the duvet, given the busyness of the bed. When I saw the Taylor embroidered linens, I was sold. Honestly, the duvet and standard sham set ticked all the boxes for me — crisp white with a pop of green that ties nicely into the Irena pattern, organic cotton, hotel style-embroidery with a twist. But I wanted to have a little fun with the sheeting.

Don’t sleep on Anthro’s sheet selection (well, in the sense of not checking here when you’re in the market for new linens). The brand carries so many fun patterns and colors — and was leaning into these things when all you could find on the market was white, cream, and gray sheet sets (circa 2012 – 2016). They’re also really comfortable and cool to sleep on. 

When I saw how the Mind the Gap Jaipur sateen printed sheet set paired with the Hale Bed, I was sold. The pink sheets just play so well with the green tones in the bed, and they’re a fun way to try the pattern mixing trend without overpowering the space, since their scale is larger than the Hale Bed, which almost reads as a solid from a distance. The white of the Taylor duvet also breaks everything up. I topped the bed off with a forest green corduroy pillow I had on hand and another hit of Irena via a cotton-linen blend pillow. 

Once I had figured out the bed and bedding plan, I started to think about what might create some visual impact in this space without overdoing it. That’s when I decided a touch of pattern drenching would be the right move. 

I had done this once in a bedroom I designed for Small/Cool NYC, our designer showcase, and it was super-cocooning but hardly calming. Anthropologie offers so many Irena print products, though, and it’s a relatively quiet pattern in the grand scheme of things. So I felt confident that I could bring in the Irena Cotton Linen Blackout Curtains for the room’s two windows, each of which got a pair of drapes. 

As a final pop of Irena pattern, I used the Shirred Printed Fabric Drum Lamp Shade in Irena, which fits perfectly on the Burgundy Jug Ceramic Table Lamp Base. I’ve appreciated that Anthro is selling more of its lighting a la carte as of late, so you can mix and match for a bespoke look. 

I placed the lamp on the Isla Fluted Dresser, which has an open drawer for guests (and otherwise holds my pajamas and a few hoodies). This area is extra guest-ready, thanks to the small Nespresso coffee machine I put here. I stole this idea from staying in a hotel … because you do not want to talk to me before I’ve had my coffee in the morning! I want my guests to be able to grab a cup first-thing if they’re cut from the same cloth. 

This might be a little too on the nose, but I love traveling so much, especially to Paris and England. So when it came time to find artwork to finish off the guest room, I thought it would be cute to make the piece above the bed — and the little gallery wall above the dresser — a little homage to my favorite cities to visit.

At 32 inches wide and 27 inches high, The View From the Square giclée print is the perfect size for above the Hale Bed, and it complements the green tones from the bed and the bedding so nicely. I’m convinced it’s the Tuileries, so if you know otherwise, don’t tell my guests! I had a modern photograph of the Louvre here before, and while I love that piece (and am still hanging onto it), this feels more cottagey and in line with the more whimsical direction I wanted to go in here. 

Last but not least, I still love a gallery wall moment, and this one is super-special. The sage green Statuette Wall Charm, which I’ve put into a gilded shadow box, depicts the Louvre, so I didn’t have to fully get rid of this reference in the room once I lost the oversized photograph above the bed. What a fun souvenir this piece would make (even if you order it from Anthro when you’re back stateside).

I also mixed in Anthro’s sweet, shield-shaped little mirror, so guests have a place to do a little face and hair check outside of the full-length in the space. This piece spoke to me because it looks and feels vintage, and shopping for treasures at the flea market is my favorite thing to do in Paris in particular.  Finally, I finished off the space with Anthro’s viral Pattern Drench Frame, which I ordered in the Irena and filled with a postcard from my favorite Paris hotel to stay in — Hôtel Le Grand Mazarin — in the Marais.

It’s pretty remarkable what a few tweaks can do in a space. What once felt cobbled together with random furnishings now reads as a trendy-meets-timeless guest room. I can’t wait for my first guests to see the transformation!