In a recent Globe & Mail column, Vancouver-based HGTV designer Kelly Deck draws on the example of a New Westminster friend’s home to illustrate dos and don’ts of guest room decor :

For seven years, Gillian has been ceaselessly redecorating the interior of her New Westminster home. Last Sunday, we ascended a narrow fir staircase to a room where Gillian has created a warm and romantic retreat for the guests she and Michael are expecting this holiday season. As is her habit, the room is a clever blend of old and new, with a general air of welcome.

As I drove home that afternoon, I thought about why Gillian’s guest room felt right and well thought out, while those in many other homes (ones by designers included) often feel wrong. I think she’s got a few easy do’s and don’ts for us.

Sounds very Queen’s Park to me! Seriously though, I do think that many homes here in New West aspire to that “clever blend of old and new, with a general air of welcome.” Deck never says that her friend Gillian owns a heritage home, but the “narrow fir staircase” and the aim to blend old with new hints at it.

For those who are wondering, the tips in the article include:

• Give guests room to store their junk
• Don’t be too feminine
• Buy good sheets
• Smash that cheap ceiling light
• Don’t skip the window finishes
• Resist putting family photos on the wall
• Remember the thoughtful touches

From the photo with the article, this is indeed a stellar example of a guest room. Gillian from New West has even framed a collection of cheeky poems as the wall art! Kudos to Gillian. Wonder what other gems local decorating divas have concocted …

More from Tenth To The Fraser:

1. In praise of the clothesline Our family is not as green as we’d like to...
2. Huzzah! The Orange Room lives! It was a dark day in New Westminster when the Orange...
3. COUPON: Shop tax-free at Clever Mink’s Special offer for our readers at Clever Mink’s, 711 Carnarvon...
4. Passport to local discounts and discovery This is a guest post by Nancy Gephart from Clever...
5. The Orange Room, Reviewed Again Update: End of 2010: The Orange Room has closed permanently....