Neutral colors are always a safe bet for keeping things gender neutral, too.

A ruffled gingham bed skirt sounds pretty girly, but done in black with black accents throughout, it looks perfectly appropriate in a gender-neutral guestroom.

Using a seagrass or sisal carpet gives a room a slight beachy vibe, and is also practical for the entire year. These natural woven floorcoverings are extremely durable, help create healthy indoor humidity levels, and prevent the build-up of static. If you don't want to recover your floors anytime soon, try the material out with a small rug.

Personality can be infused in small doses, even in a charming, well-placed wicker basket.

6. Bedrooms. Even in bedrooms, natural fiber area rugs and even wall-to-wall carpet is a terrific option. I love the way it feels on bare feet. I even use jute rug as a bathmat.

Seeing this picture gave me an aha! design moment, as I own one of these vintage French munitions baskets and could never quite come up with the perfect place for it. It doesn't take away from the round mirrors, and its black writing and tan color coordinate well with the room's color scheme.

Williams covered the bedroom floors in chunky wall-to-wall sisal carpeting. A neutral palette allows the textures and black accents to stand out, from the wicker headboards to the writing on the antique European mortar basket (you can find these at antique stores and the occasional Army/Navy store). Round mirrors over the twin beds mimic porthole windows without being too literal.

When it comes to kids' spaces, we're all about fun. But with a room that has to function for the kids one week and grown-up guests the next, it's essential for it to be versatile. Sisal, seagrass or other natural fibers are our favorite choices for beach-house rugs and carpets because they hide sand and dirt beautifully. When choosing bed skirts, a darker shade is a great idea because what's near the floor tends to get stained. And it's easy to keep a bright, fun set of pillow shams in the closet and switch them out for younger guests.Finish everything off with an easy-to-wash blanket cover and you've got a versatile room that appeals to all ages, which is especially crucial if you plan to rent. For an extra coastal touch, fill a munitions basket on the wall with wild sea oats.

4. Pull the mattress pad smooth. Nothing ruins bedtime comfort faster than a lumpy bottom layer, and pads are notorious for bunching in the center of the bed. Elastic edges help, but for extra insurance, hold them in place with safety pins around the bottom edges. Or use corner fasteners, found at major bed and bath retailers.

Sisal and other natural-fiber area rugs, such as jute and hemp, give rooms a more relaxed, organic feel — think beach cottage, French country farmhouse or wine country getaway. The rug shown here provides a great counterpoint to the more traditional furnishings and instantly makes the space more approachable. Sisal and jute work well with both casual and modern furnishings, and are surprisingly soft and textural underfoot. They can be taken outdoors and beaten, but deep cleaning is a bit trickier. They aren't the best rugs for high-traffic areas such as the entry, as the sisal can splinter over time and become “pokey.” The flatter the weave, the less likely this is to happen.

BR -Ellen Huss - simple texture

Nice but a bit dull.

color combo

Seed matting carpet

Black with Tan and white

Sea

bb

Love the color combo....natural carpet, painted furniture

colors and textures

Sisal wall to wall carpet

The black and white on the natural sisal color and texture combination.

Hey - We could put the bathroom IN the bedroom!

Carpet

The bedspread

Sisal and other natural-fiber area rugs, such as jute and hemp, give rooms a more relaxed, organic feel — think beach cottage, French country farmhouse or wine country getaway.

Carpet

Twin beds, neutral scheme

texture good to put on pile?

Guest Room

great idea for guest room

Carpet

Rug

Guestroom

Can do without the black framed mirrors but room is inviting. Color may be B\M Spanish White...children's room at the cape.

love the round mirrors

Bedroom 2

Cottage - upstairs

black and white and seagrass

simple

I like this color scheme

Rug

Sisal

For kids room

the dust ruffle

Sisal rug

Neutral

Spieels lylnsoos vensters op 'n boot

twin beds, carpet

Design colors,sisal rug

Semetrical look

love color combo

V

Sisal rug for spare room if carpet is replaced with tile.

Love the simple white quilt.

Like the look

Basket on wall

bedroom carpet. Nice texture and color

Black doesn't have to overpower your space. Liberal use of neutrals make it sharp and defining instead of heavy.

Faded black is soberly sophisticated

Guest room idea

Decor idea

Interesting combo...simple but nice

Like this sisal flooring

colours and lines

Everything

guest bedroom... needs more color

colours

like the black head board

color scheme is great

kapjes schemerlampen

bedrooms

Would this be a good floor covering for the cabin bedroom(s)

basement bedroom

beach cottage

I like the carpet. The dark furniture.

Carpet

simple but classy

rug

black,white,burlap

Area rug. Potentially good for screened-in porch?

color palat

Hessian flooring for spare room

Beige and Black

Rug for bedrooms

This room has some neat ideas!

good look for guest room...paint old maple headboards

Love the room

entire look for small bedroom

colors

Idea for my guest room

Neutral with texture

Bedding

stagging

guest bedroom

Spare bedroom decor

ECLECTIC. DON'T KNOW WHY I LIKE THIS ROOM, BUT I DO.

love bedroom

Area rug for bedrooms

Guest room

Wicker painted black.

Boys room!

It's a play on texture and smoothness. Love the bed skirt and the circular mirror above the bed

sisel/jute for tom or my room???

interesting for twin room

Very nice.

Rugs

twin beds

Color Scheme-black beds

Painted Wicker/Rattan headboards

sisal rugs

love colors

rug, colors, bedspreads, room

organic feel and color combo

colors for bedroom

Terri

how about this for Emma's room

Symmetry

Sam's room?

floor

design

noptiere oaspeti

spare room ideas, bedside table & headboards

Sisal mat by bed

bedroom

Starkness of the black against the white.

moms house

rug

Great way to put two beds

Colour warmth symmetry elegance

Contrast of dark furniture and white walls and cover with khaki bedskirt and rug

twin beds black and white

mirrors above beds

bedspread ,color combo , casual feel

The sisal rug makes the traditional elements more relaxed

guest room

carpet

like the colors combined

neutral with black headboards

bedroom

Color

Jute rug, cottage-y/beach effect.

Twin beds and between table. Black accents

painted black... my new fav colour

Clean and simpke

Guest room arrangement

Rug bed ensemble

Black and Tan theme

Circle mirrors

gingham bedskirt white cover.

master bedroom colors - black accents

Style of room

Black and white, rug

Love the beadspread/coverlets and the checkered bedskirts with the black furniture and headboards. >kke that the accents are bladk and burlap colored browns

Carpet for 2nd floor

inexpensive headboards with mirrors to match

Last guest room?

sisal and jute rug/carpet

Upstairs ideas.

Carpets/rugs

carpet, bedding etc

twin beds-b&w

vibe of whole room (for guestroom)

Rug

black, white, hemp/sisal/burlap combination!!!

rug, coverlets black, white and tan

area rug...and bedding, mirrors

guest suite

Mirrors are ceiling medallions made into mirrors, clever.

Kids bedroom

guest room?

Carpet

Black headboards and mirrors.

Colors twins

pat bedroom

Black and tan color scheme

color scheme for guest bedroom with the twin beds. Black headboard, White coverlet and bedskirt

composition

Dramatic color choice

i like

Griffin's room colours

Sisal or jute rug comfortable underfoot

Table

Like taupe and cream colors

perfect guest room

Rug

classic love!

Beds painted black

Sisal and jute rugs?

look w/ jute rug

Texture, co our

guest room

good info

Area rug

jon's room keeps the black look

Love black n beige

guest bedroom

Black painted stuff

demilune table

Twin beds

Mirror