Well, I am finally getting around to all the blog posts I’ve been wanting to write, and am so excited to finally have the time and some energy to start back up! What better place to start than with the amazing transformation of the Art District Suite, also known as room 205. This room holds a lot of memories: it was our first completed room and the very first room booked at the Knox Hotel.
For those not familiar with Princeton, Illinois, the Art District is the shopping district at the north end of Main Street. There are several blocks of unique stores and restaurants, and the Knox Hotel is right at the beginning! Not only is the hotel a member of the Art District, but we are also thrilled that room 205 is sponsored by the Art District! We had such a fun time decorating it to give a true artsy flare!
Our First Hotel Room
Before we get to all the pretty pictures and details, it’s always helpful to take a look back and remember where we started. When we first bought the hotel, there was no functional electrical, plumbing, or HVAC on the second and third floors. There were only communal bathrooms in the original layout, so we had our hands full of challenges from the start.
In the summer of 2021, the first thing we did was hire studioK as architect to help us nail down a new layout for the rooms. We made some minor adjustments to create a bathroom, then installed new utilities. By that winter, 205 was ready for drywall and floor refinishing. Next would be decor.
Since this was our first room, the most stressful part to me was completing the bathroom. The bathroom set the tone for the Victorian aesthetic we were hoping to achieve, and I wanted to make sure I got it right. Once I picked out the William Morris style wallpaper–called Rihanon Floral by Joss & Main – it all kind of came together. (Even though we were advised not to wallpaper the bathroom because of the shower, we decided to do it anyway. Call us crazy, but once you fall in love with a wallpaper and a vision, there’s no going back!) After that we picked out a neutral wall color, a white for the trim (not sure why there are so many options for white, but it was way more difficult than I had anticipated), and stain for the floors. Lots of decisions all at once, but I think it came together nicely.
The Original Design of Room 205
Our first guests stayed in room 205 in April, 2022, and that weekend was quite a doozy. The room looked much different than it does today. In case you’re in the market for a good neutral and white color…. The wall color we picked was “Wonder” by Smart paint. The trim and ceiling throughout the hotel is “Birched White” by Dutch Boy.
In the bathroom, we added wainscoting and a simple, white mosaic tile. Even though our followers voted definitively against it, we decided to follow our gut and paint the wainscoting pink to match the wallpaper. I think it turned out beautiful! The floor tile is simple, but effective and we used a silver-toned grout to keep it from being too stark white.
Reimagining the “Corner Room”
We continued to book guests in room 205 for about a year, before launching our sponsorship program. In early 2023, the Art District decided to sponsor this room! We worked with them to rethink the design of the room and give it a true Art District flare. The dramatic rug was our starting point. The Victorian design with zebra print in the middle has a complete Art District vibe and was so fun to work with!
Even though this room is large and has dark wood floors, it is also a corner room with three windows, which means a lot of natural sunlight. We knew going dark on the walls wouldn’t create a dungeon feel. We matched the dark gray from the rug to the dark gray in the bathroom wallpaper to create connection between the two spaces. The wall color we picked was “Thunder Gray” by Sherwin Williams. I love the dark walls and their contrast with the gold elements; it makes the room feel very upscale and regal.
We also changed the layout of the room to accommodate the daybed. The daybed created more seating, and allowed the room to sleep more than two guests (or guests not wanting to share a bed). Moving the bed also meant that the bed wouldn’t be facing the TV. This made us a little nervous at first, but I think it turned out nice and further enhanced the illusion that there is no TV in the room.
The last change we made was switching out the green velvet curtains for new beautiful dusty rose curtains. When we had first completed this room, black out velvet curtains were very difficult to find due to pandemic shortages, but we found green ones on Etsy. We knew the green wouldn’t work well with the dark gray walls, but dusty pink tied in with the rug and the furniture, and contrasted nicely with the dark walls. While they are not completely black out, they work well and are the perfect color. I would recommend them to everyone, here’s the link!
Other Fun Details About the Art District Suite
The Art District helped add new artwork to the room, including some pieces by Janet Hill. Some items are available for purchase at Beetz Me, our neighboring store. Beetz Me also creates amazing wine and charcuterie baskets for our guests upon request!
If you’ve been following us and noticed two different chandeliers in this room, you are not crazy! We did have two. The beautiful brass one we installed first came all the way from Turkey. We had to take it down and rewire it. In the meantime, we used the fun floral one. Both looked great in the room, but fortunately the brass one is now back where it was meant to be!
For us, room 205 is a special one; it was the start of the Knox Hotel restoration, the first room we could check off the list and prove we could restore the hotel. We are so happy with how it turned out and love being able to incorporate Princeton’s wonderful Art District!
Kelsey is a Christian, mom to two boys and a little girl, and oh yeah, hotel renovator! She loves all things vintage and creating welcoming spaces for people to enjoy.
Is the zebra print rug a washable Ruggable?
Yes it is!