Motel Makeover: Interior Transformations at our Reclaimed Retro Motel

Who doesn't love a fabulous before & after comparison? Now that our renovations at Sunset Inn & Cottages are complete, we are able to share some of our favorite transformations of the interior spaces. Scroll through and enjoy the dopamine boost from looking at all the beautiful spaces.

The Main Building:

The two examples below are Inn Rooms 3 & 4.

All the rooms of the main building were designed in a similar fashion, with the same decor in varying colors from room to room. To draw focus on the design, we repainted the colorful walls in Simply White by Benjamin Moore. The space went from a coastal beach motel vibe to a throwback of the Atomic Age. We love the overall impact comparison photos have to document how much work was poured into each room’s transformation.

You'll notice several upgrades from hardware to lighting to furnishings to linens...every item was hand selected and intentionally procured for the aesthetic and guest experience.

Inn Room 3

Inn Room 4

The Lookout Hallway

In The Lookout, we hand painted murals in the style of Matisse's cut outs to provide a whimsical welcome to guests. The entryway stairs greet you with a pop of 'sunset' color. Freshly painted white walls and the additional lighting really brighten up the most sought after space on property.

The Lookout Kitchen

The Lookout Living Room

The Lookout Living Room

The Lookout Stairs

The Cottages:

Fresh paint, a breeze block wood veneer statement wall, colorful art, and additions of Mid-Mod furniture create the stellar outcome of the before & after comparisons in our beach bungalows. Which will you choose?

Gulf View Living Area

Gulf View Bedroom 1

The Gulf View Cottage has the unique addition of an authentic 1950s acrylic screen divider that filter the light beautifully and create a diffused glow.

Coral Lee Living Area

In addition to the decorative Space Age inspired acrylic boomerang art, The Coral Lee features a boomerang-shaped table in the living area straight out of an episode of “The Jetsons”. We also created a collage of the historic postcards and pictures of the original motel "The Coral Lee" and namesake of this cottage. We updated the cottage floors to luxury vinyl plank with a terrazzo pattern popular in the Mid Century, similar to the original terrazzo in the main motel building.

Cabana 2 Bedroom

The bedroom in Cabana 2 plays with colorful art and handmade accents, like the Rubik's Cube piece (not shown) and the hand-woven headboard inspired by the iconic ‘Peligo Lawn Chairs’ of the 1940s & 1950s. The look is completed with a sputnik chrome table lamp and the two toned retro dresser.

The Blue Lagoon Kitchen

This space opened up with the removal of the giant armoire in the window framed breakfast nook. Taking away the bulky cabinet, adding bright paint, allowing the natural light in and placing a table and bench there to enjoy breakfast gave the Blue Lagoon a whole new vibe. With a few Mid Mod decor items, this space now feel easy & breezy.

Cabana 1 Dining Room

We chose to highlight the built-in bookshelf by installing with the custom wood veneer breeze block statement wall next to it. The addition of bright yellow molded Mid Century style chairs, original art, and retro inspired shelving decor, this area became an instant focal point to the room. For the cherry on top, we had an artisan handcraft a light fixture inspired by the fiberglass style of the Atomic Age and it floats above the table.

We hope you enjoyed scrolling through these before & after photos. Thanks for reading, we hope to see you soon!

The Sunset Team

Partying it up in Key West? Visit our sister property Marrero's Guest Mansion with {verdigreen} Hotels.

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