'Haunted' guest room

[Morticia]

I've mentioned this here before...a room that is 'haunted'. To me it's just a room, there are other rooms I like less than this one. But, this room is trailing the others in bookings. I just cannot take a good pic of it. So I wonder if the hauntedness of it comes thru in the photos? Guests in there tonight so I may try again tomorrow to take new pix. SOMETHING is causing the room to book so infrequently that the detached bath gets better bookings!

 

[inncogneeto]

Try following some Feng Shui principles?
Which room is it, Crow's Nest? The only pic that looks funny in the pics is the one with the rocking chair in front of the door (Crow's Nest)...does the door go anywhere, is it a bath or entrance? If it's an entrance you may be blocking the "good energy" by having the chair in front of it...or people might think from the pic that the room is so small they will have to move the chair to use the bath? Also your wording that it has a steep stairway could be turning people off? It's the only one that says this.

 

[Morticia]

Try following some Feng Shui principles?
Which room is it, Crow's Nest? The only pic that looks funny in the pics is the one with the rocking chair in front of the door (Crow's Nest)...does the door go anywhere, is it a bath or entrance? If it's an entrance you may be blocking the "good energy" by having the chair in front of it...or people might think from the pic that the room is so small they will have to move the chair to use the bath? Also your wording that it has a steep stairway could be turning people off? It's the only one that says this.

.

Ha, ha. That's the happiest room in the house. Guests LOVE that room, book it often and walk-ins gravitate toward it. The rocking chair is there because that's where guests always move it. That door is the door to exit the room. I think it would be confusing to have the door open in that shot because the hallway has a hope chest in it and it would look like the room was much larger than it actually is. Altho, the plan is to run an outlet in the hallway and put a sitting area out there with lamps & a settee.
No, the room in question is the Fogg.
Suggestions are welcome. The wall opposite what you see in the pic is a wall of windows which do not photograph well. Behind where I am standing to take the pic are a couple of rockers with a smalle table. It's cute, but the A/C unit is right there and is hideous. Now, if I could 'erase' the A/C unit from the pic, that angle might work better.

 

[inncogneeto]

I would move everything out of the corner with the dresser if possible. Having a trashcan on the floor as you enter is bad feng shui, all the positive energy coming into the room goes in the trash! There is that wall sticking out next to the dresser which also blocks the energy coming into the room, you need to open that area up and put something there that makes the flow of energy go into the room and not stop at the wall, maybe a very small table with a very small table fountain or something positive and soothing, depending on the direction that corner is in (North South East West...)
Also looking at the layout you have the bed against the Lilian bathroom, what if you moved the bed onto the opposite wall or angled it in between the two window walls? People looking at the diagram might think there will be a lot of noise from the Lilian bathroom...

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Swirt'sroom photo advice mentioned leaving doors open in photos (if possible). I wonder if we all took the same photos of our rooms, doors open doors closed and critiqued them what we would find we liked. Of course, that means work and it prob won't happen. If you take any new room pics in the near future try it and pass it by us.
Oddly enough my own perspective was that the guests would all ask "Where does that go, in that photo" So I am curious about this. I have tried it on ocassion. But typically it is a bathroom door or closet and it looks odd. I will work on room pics this winter again.

 

[Morticia]

I would move everything out of the corner with the dresser if possible. Having a trashcan on the floor as you enter is bad feng shui, all the positive energy coming into the room goes in the trash! There is that wall sticking out next to the dresser which also blocks the energy coming into the room, you need to open that area up and put something there that makes the flow of energy go into the room and not stop at the wall, maybe a very small table with a very small table fountain or something positive and soothing, depending on the direction that corner is in (North South East West...)
Also looking at the layout you have the bed against the Lilian bathroom, what if you moved the bed onto the opposite wall or angled it in between the two window walls? People looking at the diagram might think there will be a lot of noise from the Lilian bathroom....

That trash can isn't there anymore for just that reason (but you don't know that looking at the picture, I know). I feel like an idiot for missing it that day when I took the pix and I was beat when I was done so did not go back to retake. I used to have to move it after the housekeeper was done, she kept putting it there!
All of what you say is true. What USED to be where the dresser is was a hanging rack attached to the wall and the luggage rack. Everyone walked into the hanging rack. The mirror there opened that up quite a bit and made the room more 'happy'.
Don't want to move bed in front of windows (this discussion was on here before you joined, I think). Room didn't book before floor plan went into effect, so not entirely that reason. The room does book in person when you can see how close all the rooms are, so that doesn't seem to be an issue in person.
If I want to provide ALL the amenities a guest wants...place to put 'stuff', mirror, dresser, chairs, luggage rack, bed (ha, ha) I'm kind of stuck with the layout as is. Putting the bed anywhere else either blocks all the front windows and puts the bed right up to the street noise and facing into the bathroom, or, on the other wall, the bathroom door hits the bed and the bed is under the A/C unit and off balance because of the other window.
How about I hang some sort of picture on the wall next to the dresser so you see the picture instead of the wall when you walk into the room? It wouldn't show in the photo, but it might help overall. I did that in the Parlor Room (directly underneath this room).
I think the bed needs more oomph. Some throw pillows or something to perk it up. It's huge and that quilt doesn't photo well. It's beautiful, but pale.
Yes, to the doors open. I'll retake that way. Someone else said I should face the windows to make the room look bigger. So I'll try that, too.

 

[Morticia]

Swirt'sroom photo advice mentioned leaving doors open in photos (if possible). I wonder if we all took the same photos of our rooms, doors open doors closed and critiqued them what we would find we liked. Of course, that means work and it prob won't happen. If you take any new room pics in the near future try it and pass it by us.
Oddly enough my own perspective was that the guests would all ask "Where does that go, in that photo" So I am curious about this. I have tried it on ocassion. But typically it is a bathroom door or closet and it looks odd. I will work on room pics this winter again..

I love Samster's pic of 'my' room on her website. That pic pulls you right into the room and says, 'Pick me!'. I only have a couple of rooms I can take that sort of pic of.

 

[user 26]

my take on this:
i'd rather see the room in person but here goes ...
1. fogg room = fog = gloomy? from guest perspective?
2. it is the only room i think with a dark headboard - looks black in the photo. dark wallpaper, dark furniture, dark headboard. all the other headboards i think are white. can you paint this headboard white?
3. dark blue print wallpaper - i'd add yellow and red accent colors on the bed and in the room so that the room pops. and more lighting when you take the picture.
4. it has a king bed ... how about a picture of the bed head-on? or a photo from the doorway so i see part of the bed and (see below)
5. it has two rockers and a view of the garden - can you show me?

 

[Morticia]

my take on this:
i'd rather see the room in person but here goes ...
1. fogg room = fog = gloomy? from guest perspective?
2. it is the only room i think with a dark headboard - looks black in the photo. dark wallpaper, dark furniture, dark headboard. all the other headboards i think are white. can you paint this headboard white?
3. dark blue print wallpaper - i'd add yellow and red accent colors on the bed and in the room so that the room pops. and more lighting when you take the picture.
4. it has a king bed ... how about a picture of the bed head-on? or a photo from the doorway so i see part of the bed and (see below)
5. it has two rockers and a view of the garden - can you show me?.

I could rename it. But it's a very common Maine name.
Spray painting the headboard is beyond my abilities. But I see what you mean.
I'll look around for throw pillows for the chairs and the bed.
Photos of the rockers & out the window also include the huge A/C unit stuck thru the wall. If I could 'photoshop' the pic to remove that then that angle is an option. If I stand in the doorway, that's the shot you get...end of bed, rockers, A/C unit and a direct shot into the outside light which makes the corner disappear (along with the chairs, table and lamp!)
Let me see if I can find the other angles I took...

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

It is near road noise? I looked at it and could see nothing, then looked at the floor plan and thought, imo, of course, once again, have not been there to see how it all lays out, it seems to be near the front near the road.
Also, it is right near the stairsand hallway with people coming and going all the time? (I am thinking from the guests perspective). If I picked a room from LOCATION alone, I would not pick that one. If it is the WF room? Maybe I am looking at the wrong one.

 

[inncogneeto]

my take on this:
i'd rather see the room in person but here goes ...
1. fogg room = fog = gloomy? from guest perspective?
2. it is the only room i think with a dark headboard - looks black in the photo. dark wallpaper, dark furniture, dark headboard. all the other headboards i think are white. can you paint this headboard white?
3. dark blue print wallpaper - i'd add yellow and red accent colors on the bed and in the room so that the room pops. and more lighting when you take the picture.
4. it has a king bed ... how about a picture of the bed head-on? or a photo from the doorway so i see part of the bed and (see below)
5. it has two rockers and a view of the garden - can you show me?.

I could rename it. But it's a very common Maine name.
Spray painting the headboard is beyond my abilities. But I see what you mean.
I'll look around for throw pillows for the chairs and the bed.
Photos of the rockers & out the window also include the huge A/C unit stuck thru the wall. If I could 'photoshop' the pic to remove that then that angle is an option. If I stand in the doorway, that's the shot you get...end of bed, rockers, A/C unit and a direct shot into the outside light which makes the corner disappear (along with the chairs, table and lamp!)
Let me see if I can find the other angles I took...
.

Throw some light colored pillows on the chairs and draw the blinds to reflect light back into the room...Or take a pic at dusk or when the light isn't blaring but still natural looking.

 

[Morticia]

It is near road noise? I looked at it and could see nothing, then looked at the floor plan and thought, imo, of course, once again, have not been there to see how it all lays out, it seems to be near the front near the road.
Also, it is right near the stairsand hallway with people coming and going all the time? (I am thinking from the guests perspective). If I picked a room from LOCATION alone, I would not pick that one. If it is the WF room? Maybe I am looking at the wrong one..

Front of the house, right on the road. But room underneath this one is one of my best rooms. Every room is near some set of stairs (notice on the floor plan that 5 rooms are on the same set of stairs). This room didn't book even before the floor plan and it's not booking any more or less now. It just books less often than it should for a king bed. I'm sure it's because the pic does nothing to say 'come in'. And yet, the detached bath is right there at the top of the stairs, so gets ALL the traffic going by it and that room books a lot more than this one. Yes, WF.
I think SS has it right with the 'touches'. It's missing any frills. And Inncog's assessment of feng shui being off is basically what some other people are calling 'haunted'.
Notice in the pic I posted that you get all those weird reflections from the full length mirror? Guests see that at night and think they're seeing ghosts.
It's a really bright room with all the windows but it always looks dark in pix.
Meant to add to SS that I don't have Photoshop so can't remove that A/C unit. All I can do is lighten, brighten and crop with my cheesy FrontPage Picture Manager.

 

[YellowSocks]

The thing I notice (which is probably also beyond your abilities) is the odd direction the door swings. It seems to me that it should swing into the wall instead. You end up with this cramped little box that you have to step out of to get into the room. If it opened the other way I think it would dramatically change the feel of the room when you open the door.
I couldn't change the swing of a door myself, but I have a great contractor who could. If it were my room, I'd definitely have him do it!
=)
Kk.

 

[Morticia]

my take on this:
i'd rather see the room in person but here goes ...
1. fogg room = fog = gloomy? from guest perspective?
2. it is the only room i think with a dark headboard - looks black in the photo. dark wallpaper, dark furniture, dark headboard. all the other headboards i think are white. can you paint this headboard white?
3. dark blue print wallpaper - i'd add yellow and red accent colors on the bed and in the room so that the room pops. and more lighting when you take the picture.
4. it has a king bed ... how about a picture of the bed head-on? or a photo from the doorway so i see part of the bed and (see below)
5. it has two rockers and a view of the garden - can you show me?.

I could rename it. But it's a very common Maine name.
Spray painting the headboard is beyond my abilities. But I see what you mean.
I'll look around for throw pillows for the chairs and the bed.
Photos of the rockers & out the window also include the huge A/C unit stuck thru the wall. If I could 'photoshop' the pic to remove that then that angle is an option. If I stand in the doorway, that's the shot you get...end of bed, rockers, A/C unit and a direct shot into the outside light which makes the corner disappear (along with the chairs, table and lamp!)
Let me see if I can find the other angles I took...
.

Throw some light colored pillows on the chairs and draw the blinds to reflect light back into the room...Or take a pic at dusk or when the light isn't blaring but still natural looking.
.

Good idea. Those chairs do just disappear into the wallpaper, don't they? And I need a better lamp in that corner. What I really want is a couple of wingback chairs. The more stuff I bring in, the closer I am to throwing out the luggage rack that no one uses that takes up 4' of floor space. Just get a couple of the collapsible ones and call it good.

 

[Morticia]

The thing I notice (which is probably also beyond your abilities) is the odd direction the door swings. It seems to me that it should swing into the wall instead. You end up with this cramped little box that you have to step out of to get into the room. If it opened the other way I think it would dramatically change the feel of the room when you open the door.
I couldn't change the swing of a door myself, but I have a great contractor who could. If it were my room, I'd definitely have him do it!
=)
Kk..

Couple of rooms have that problem and I agree with you entirely. Reversing the door swing requires moving all the light switches. THAT'S the big problem. Reversing the door also causes all that woodwork to have to be repaired. Good try, tho!

 

[Morticia]

Same corner, different shot.

 

[YellowSocks]

Same corner, different shot.

.

I don't think the AC is hideous...
=)
Kk.

 

[greyswan]

could you cover the A/C unit with something the same color as the walls? just for the picture so it could blend into the wall more? can an A/C unit be painted?

 

[IronGate]

Call me silly, but I think the issue is quite likely that the room is the first one listed. It's either missed as people scroll down, or dismissed because people are predisposed to reject the first offer. Your detached bath gets better bookings, and it's at the bottom of the list -- the finale, as it were. "It must be great. The best is always saved for last, and, ooh, look! It's not the most expensive!!!"
On the other hand, I agree with YS. The door swing struck me as funny, too. Add to that the angle of the picture and the dresser niche, and it looks like the room is tiny and carved out of another room possibly so the the only thing that fits is the bed. Perhaps a picture from the door, across the end of the bed toward the chairs, without focusing completely on the chairs to show there is more space there.

 

[Samster]

I have a simpler answer...the room shot looks really crowded to me. Too much door close up and too many walls. Then, add to that the patterned wallpaper and quilt. There's too much going on there, so my first impression is that the room is very small. I think you need to stop trying to get a lot of the room in the photo and just get the bed, maybe part of the windows. Put something interesting in the left corner as you're looking at the bed like a green plant or something & "stage" the bed to add interest. jmvvho...
You can just grab a corner of a chair or something & people will know that it's there, too.
Thanks for the compliment on my room photo of "your" room.