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Home » A Welcoming Guest Room that Works

A Welcoming Guest Room that Works

05/09/11 | Bedrooms, Before & After, Lion House, My Homes, Room by Room

We’ve been renovating our you-know-what’s off for almost four months now. But we couldn’t rest until the guest room was ready for my Mother-in-Law (who is coming in two weeks!). Her sister is joining her, so we’ll have twice the fun!

Here’s what we had to work with…the room was pink with brown carpeting, and two country-style heart shelves super-glued to the wall.

guest room before

Before

We replace the carpeting, pried those stubborn shelves off the wall, and then (after some wall repair) painted the walls a pale blue (Benjamin Moore “In Your Eyes”). Then we added simple white panel curtains on a black rod with drapery rings for a crisp finish.

Because I didn’t have any budget for furnishings or décor, I shopped at home. I went about rummaging through the linen closet, basement and garage.  We needed two beds, so we pulled the trundle mattress out from under the first bed and transformed it to a bed in its own right (we had a box spring and bed frame in the garage).

guest room after

After

Now I know the beds don’t match, so we went with the intentional mismatch approach. We mixed and matched the bedding between the beds and gave each bed a similar yet different look. Down the road I may opt for two matching headboards, but I’m ok w/a little mismatch for now. Sort of charming, isn’t it?

We found old night table (painted pale green with a new glass knob), a vintage dresser (which I’m not allowed to paint), and a green chair that my grandmother embroidered.

guest room before

Before

guest room after

After

We dressed the night table up with practical things, such as a tissue box, bottled waters and a basket of forgettables (toothpaste, sewing kit, lotion, etc.). We added paper and pens in the drawer.

guest room after

After

It’s tempting to fill up horizontal spaces with trinkets and décor, but remember to leave room for your guest’s belongings!

dresser in guest room

By adding a lovely Italian plate my Mom brought me from a previous vacation, it adds a touch of décor, as well as a handy place for guests to put jewelry, watches, etc.

A guest room must have a mirror and a place to hang purses, tote bags, jammies, towels, etc. I also made sure that half the closet was cleaned out for hanging items.

guest room wall hooks

One more “before & after” – just for fun!

guest room before

Before

guest room after

After

So how much did this use-what-you-have decorating project cost? Under $800 (and most of that was the carpeting).

  • Carpeting: $600
  • Paint: $40
  • Window Treatments: $150

So come on friends and family…we’ll leave a light on for you! 😉

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Comments

  1. Susan says

    06/03/2011 at 11:39 am

    Ahhh…good point Linda!

  2. Linda @ bushel and a pickle says

    05/17/2011 at 1:19 am

     I like this…like the color combos, the mismatched bed and how you have it all welcome for your guest.  Careful, they may never want to leave the oasis you have made. 

  3. Anonymous says

    05/09/2011 at 5:58 pm

    Wow! What a simple but pretty transformation. I love the mismatched look.

  4. Annenmort says

    05/09/2011 at 3:37 pm

    Light and airy now. You did a great job.
    Mom

    • Susan Jensen Smith says

      05/09/2011 at 5:53 pm

      Thanks mom…come on over! 😉

  5. cathy m~ says

    05/09/2011 at 2:45 pm

    Perfect! I love the paint and new carpeting and think you did awesome with stuff you already had!! I have the same PB mirror in my kitchen! It is hard to tell from the lighting, but is the paint a light blue or gray blue? Looks like it might be the perfect color for my daughter’s bedroom re~do! Great job!!

    • Susan Jensen Smith says

      05/09/2011 at 3:13 pm

      Thanks Cathy! The color is pale blue, but w/a little green in it. Very soothing!

Hi, I’m Susan.

I love to write about making homes better through mindful design, functional decor and organized living. The less busy we are taking care of our homes, the more time we’ll have for simply living well.

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