All great rooms have to start somewhere!

For example, it could start with a beloved collectible or a favorite piece of artwork. A single inspiration item can transform your entire home if you follow the direction it creates. A harmonious design is then accomplished through color and composition.

Miss Mustard Seed’s® Milk Paint is just what’s needed to pave that journey and pull everything together. At Vintage 61 Storehouse, we created a cozy guest room filled with warmth and color that was inspired by this Hudson Bay Blanket.

The Warmth And Nostalgia Of A Hudson Bay Blanket

It was 62 degrees when I departed Georgia. It was 20 degrees when I arrived 11 hours later in Pennsylvania. It had been 28 years since I lived in the north, and now I was returning on what had to be the coldest November night. I raised my kids in Georgia and would frequently tell them how easy their winters were. How they didn’t understand the massive layers we wore as kids. How winter came and stayed. How snowfalls fell on top of the previously mounded snow and how it didn’t dissolve away with the afternoon sun.

My childhood was spent up north. I knew all about layers, pants over pants, and sweaters over sweaters. When I first moved to Georgia, my wardrobe took a big hit. My wool pants, long wool shirts, and wool sweaters just hung in the closet with no purpose. No one wore full-length coats, and no one put wool blankets on their beds. I bet they had never even heard of Hudson Bay Blankets!

(If you haven’t, scroll down to watch our video!)

So here I was back north, ready to make Pennsylvania my new home, and one thing was painfully clear - I was now ill-equipped for a northern winter.

I needed WOOL!

Specifically, I needed the iconic, bold striped, sheered sheep comfort of a Hudson Bay Blanket!

When something has an extensive history, like Hudson Bay Blankets, it transcends function and season. It tells a story and invokes images of early traders, trappers, the wilderness, and game hunting. It’s an amazing piece to design a room around, no matter the weather!

Hudson Bay Color Palette Using Miss Mustard Seed’s® Milk Paint

As we celebrate the holiday season, our hearts and homes fill up with loved ones. We suggest you welcome them home with an inviting guest room full of warmth and memories!

Our inspiration Hudson Bay blanket lent us a bold color palette of MMS MilkPaint™’s Tricycle, Mustard Seed Yellow, Lucketts Green mixed with Aqua Sky (formally Eulalie’s Sky), and Typewriter accented with Ink Blue (formally known as Artissimo).

A metal bed and a vintage wooden dresser now look crisp and fresh in Typewriter. Black is often forgotten as a neutral. In this bold room, you can see how it gives life to the surrounding colors.

Decorative elements now display our Hudson Bay striping. A large metal Christmas bell and a cedar chest at the foot of the bed exaggerate the room’s inspiration.

The trunk top was painted in Linen, and painter’s tape marked off the next layer of stripes. All were distressed, and their brightness warmed with Miss Mustard Seed’s® Antiquing Wax.

Our shop owner and MMSMP “Facebook Live” host, Laura Hughes, taught me a great trick off camera. When you want to use Antiquing Wax, apply a layer of clear wax first. This allows you to control how antiqued the piece looks. If you’d like to add more to strengthen the effect, you can do so gradually. This helps you not overdo it from the beginning.

Storytelling With Accessories

So often, a guest room is the catch-all room or the room where old unwanted furnishings are sent to live. Paint is one of the simplest ways to unite this island of former misfits. A guest’s room needs to be inviting and ignite conversation. All the memory items shared in this space elevate our signature pieces.

Novelty items like wool hunter’s pants and a wall full of old Hardy Boy mysteries are not only decorative, but they spawn connectivity of memories. Storytelling soon follows.

That brings up another design element - don’t be afraid to bring the outside in!

Old skis and a wooden sled are right at home in this outdoorsy room.

In a room like this, storytelling is as easy as a night around a campfire. (Good thing you’ll have a Hudson Bay blanket to keep you warm!) Now it’s time for you to go snuggle up and enjoy making new memories with your family this holiday season!

Hudson Bay Guest Room Video Tour

Seasons Greetings from myself and the team at Vintage 61 Storehouse. A big thank you to Miss Mustard Seed’s® Milk Paint’s family of creative people, for letting us share our love of home with all of you!