Guest Bedroom BEFORE {Where Wall Art Goes to Die}

I’ve done a few posts about my guest bedroom project, like the pieces I found on Craigslist, the new light fixture, and my inspiration rooms.  But after all this time, do you know what I’ve accomplished in this room?  Nothing!  There just always seems to be another project that takes precedence.

So today, I’m doing something I’ve never done before; I’m going to show you the untouched, unspeakable disaster that is my guest room.  I’ve been meaning to put this room together and make it a nice place for guests for….well….ever since we moved into this house about seven years ago!  Instead, I added a couple of beds and a whole lot of random pieces from other areas of the house.  I thought if I shared the “Before” with you, it might make me more accountable for starting and finishing this project, hopefully before Thanksgiving (…hhmmmmmm…that might be a stretch)!

Prepare yourself for some not-so-nice BEFORE pictures…

 

The room is a rather small rectangle located on our bottom floor.  The walls are a barely there yellow and empty, with the exception of this mirror that I recently bought that is now leaning against the wall.

 

There is a daybed and trundle currently in the room, but I found two Twin headboards on Craigslist that are currently being painted that will replace what is currently there.  Until I figure out what to do with the footboards, they are leaned up against one of the beds.

 

Overhead lighting?  Nope!  But I do have this college throwback halogen lamp!  Not pretty to look at but I will admit that it does a great job lighting up the entire space.

 

Window treatments?  Not exactly!  We have faux wood blinds for privacy (which I’ll likely keep) and an empty curtain rod that is hung too close to the ceiling.  I’m all about making a window look taller by hanging the curtains higher than the window, but this is ridiculous!

 

Now let’s chat about the closets.  There are currently 8′ tall, gold mirrored sliding doors on the closet.  While I like the light that they add to the otherwise dark room, they are too big and heavy to work properly and so are constantly off the track.  And did I mention that they’re gold?!  The closet also doesn’t have a bar in it so there is no place to hang clothes when guests come for extended periods of time.

 

Now here’s a look at what my husband calls “the graveyard.”  Yes, this is where wall decor goes to die in my house.  I change various parts of my home’s decor on a regular basis, but usually, it involves moving items between rooms to give everything a fresh, new look.  Sometimes, though, I just grow tired of my wall decor or no longer have use for it, and that’s when it gets locked away in this room.  A few items I’ll keep, but the rest I need to either sell or donate.

 

I do have a dresser that guests can use and that holds various amenities, but while they might have the things they need while visiting, they sure aren’t in an inviting space!  And of course, there’s another art graveyard plus random decor items scattered about.

 

Obviously, I straighten up the room as much as possible before guests arrive to try and make more space for them and make the room more inviting, but as soon as they leave, the random decor returns!  The only thing I might keep in this space is the bedding.  Everything is Rachel Ashwell from Target so it has a shabby chic look but is also affordable.

 

Thanksgiving is now three weeks away and I might be pushing it a bit to try and finish this space, but I’ll give you an update as we go along.  My goal is to get the new beds in place, paint, add crown, install the overhead light fixture that I’ve already purchased, find new window treatments, replace the closet doors, and accessorize.  And did I mention that this room is on a tight budget?  Everything will be ready-made and store bought  – nothing custom.

This is quite a long list to accomplish in a short amount of time but now that I’ve shown the world my secret, perhaps I’ll be more motivated to finish!  Wish me luck!

 

*UPDATE: I finished my guest bedroom makeover!  You can see how it turned out {here}.

 

 

 

 

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