Guest Bedroom Makeover

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As organized and minimalist as I am, I had allowed this one room of my house to get a little crazy. Not outrageous by most standards but definitely didn’t match my home aesthetic. It was my “dirty drawer” of a room. You know, the one whose door you keep closed and tell friends not to go inside. Read on for embarrasing “Before” pictures!

I used this room in part as a store room for all of the overflow furniture. Stuff I didn’t want to use or display elsewhere in the house ended up there. To make matters worse, the two windows in the room were always covered by drawn curtains to prevent the hardwood floors from getting bleached in the sun.

The room looked dark and unwelcoming. The worst part is, it was regularly used by mom who visits every couple of months. I was overdue for a guest bedroom makeover!

With so many other projects and ideas on the forefront of my mind, I had no interest in investing in this guest bedroom makeover. But then, we had window shutters finally installed in there which meant I could get rid of the curtains. I wanted to paint the room once I patched the holes from the curtain rods. And one thing led to another …

I definitely didn’t want to spend a lot of money and tried to use things I already had that fit better with my style now.

The Paint Color

At first I was going to use the same color I have throughout the house – Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams. This room has only two, somewhat small windows, and 8 ft high ceilings. I was worried that the gray color would look too dark in there. So I decided to experiment with a white color but not the bright Behr Pure White that I use for my trim. I went with Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore. It’s supposed to be a neutral white, not too blue or cream. Probably closer to pure white than any of the other popular whites.

I think that I like the result – bright and white has been my motto lately. And eventually I might add some type of molding or even wallpaper (gasp!) to the walls for visual interest.

The Guest Bedroom Makeover

I was lucky to have a neutral version of the headboard slipcover. It’s an old headboard by Pottery Barn and unfortunately no longer available. I also already had white sheets and the blue quilt. But the rug needed to go and I found the perfect replacement at Home Goods. It’s also just the right size – 6×9 as opposed to the old 5×7. A larger rug (8×10) would have worked too but it would have covered most of the floor. The new rug is wool and great quality for a steal of only $129! If you haven’t shopped for rugs at Home Goods, you’re missing out! I always go for natural materials – wool, cotton, jute, sisal.

As you can see from the “before” pics, I already had the lamps (stored on the shelf) and the nightstands. The lamps are still available for purchase at Pottery Barn.

My only other new purchases were the little throw pillow on the bed and the art piece above the console table. (You might remember the table from my Everett Console Table post.)

I didn’t plan on buying art for this room but when I saw this one, I was immediately attracted to it. It had all the colors of the room and I love the feminine form. I was a little concerned about it being too risqué. My 12 year old son thought the shadow under her arm was her nipple, haha! But when it comes to art, you just have to follow your heart. I think it’s appropriate for a bedroom. It’s not like I put it by my front door!

Another small aspect I changed that delivers a big impact is the hardware on the closet doors. It used to be the builder’s grade from 20 years ago, painted fake gold finish. I replaced it with black/bronze and love the contrast. We have been gradually doing this throughout the house since we moved in. I have to do it in stages because it’s not cheap.

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