The Next Project: Guest Room

The Next Project: Guest Room

Now that the office is painted, it’s time to start working on the guest room across the hall. That way we can move all the guest room furniture into the office to paint the guest room floor.

So on our second floor we have three bedrooms and a bathroom. The biggest bedroom at the front of the house is ours, of course, and then there are two smaller bedrooms across the hall from each other — the office and the guest room. For the last couple years we’ve been using the guest room as my office/craft room, technically . I say “technically” because, the thing is, no matter what purpose the room was supposed to have, no matter what we did, it always just ended up as the depository for all that random stuff that just had no where else to go… like this:

EEEEEEKKKKK!!!

The things I’m willing to put on the internet in the name of blogging…

HOW EMBARRASSING!

Do other people have rooms that look like this? And I mean, normal, not insane people who aren’t hoarders?

Do you see my desk hanging out there in the back? Wait, don’t even look at this picture too closely. Let me just tell you it’s not exactly a space that encourages productivity and a clear mind. UGH.

This is what happens in a house that is a permanent construction zone. This picture was taken when it was at its worst following our big kitchen/bathrooms remodel. (It wasn’t always THIS bad, I swear!) But when you’re working on a room, things just have to go somewhere, and this is usually where they went. Since then, we’ve sold a bunch of furniture on Craigslist, donated a ton of stuff, and moved the rest back to where it actually belongs. Currently the room is completely empty as we prepare to start refinishing/repainting the floors. It’s so nice.

This time we’re starting from scratch to actually design both the new office and new guest room with intention instead of slapping random things together like we had in the past. If we take the time to make a design plan for the room, put thought and attention into every piece of furniture/decor that we choose, we’re way more likely to keep it up in the future, to be proud of the room instead of constantly embarrassed, and aren’t going to think of it as a junk room anymore.

The room is a little awkward because of the super deep closet — 7 feet deep by 3 feet wide — that takes up a big chunk of the room. Closets are nice, but we need to a) figure out how to organize it better and use it to its advantage, and b) work the furniture around it. A queen-sized bed tucks perfectly into that little nook between the closet and window, making a slightly awkward but super cozy little spot. We rarely have guests, like maybe one a year (sad), so to have this room do double duty would be great. I want to add a little table for doing craft projects and figure out some organization for all my craft supplies. (Am I the only one who gets CRAZY excited about the idea of organizing my craft supplies? Andy thinks I’m so weird.)

Guest room projects:

• sand and paint the floors
• paint the walls/ceiling/trim
• new lighting
• LOTS of craft organization (so many ideas)
• DIY headboard(?)

And what about the fun stuff, like what color it’s going to be?? Stay tuned for the guest room moodboard reveal next week!!

I think this room is going to be a ton of fun to put together and, luckily, there isn’t much work to do besides painting, which we’ve already started on. Our goal is to spend very little money, but to have a room that functions really well, that we can be proud of, that would be a super fun and comfortable place to visit… and maybe even encourage more guests! (Hear that friends??)

(Remember the moodboard for our office?)

–Kerry

PS. Don’t forget to enter our giveaway to win a $50 Target giftcard and help us name our new puppy! You have one more week to enter! We’re LOVING the name suggestions you guys have been giving us!