The Guest Room

As promised the other day, the story of our guest bedroom (though it's still definitely a work in progress)!

Here's what it looked like when we first moved in. The previous owners had painted it a bright blue...we love blue, but this was way too bright for us. (Our master bedroom was also blue, but a nice unsaturated old pair of jeans blue...we like that kind of blue so we left it, see the difference here.)

We already had a great queen bed, nightstand and dresser that was P's before we got married (I helped him pick it out though...and when we bought this house we upgraded to a king for us) that fit pretty well in the space. We also had this cream quilted coverlet that seemed like a good neutral base and also meant we didn't have to buy new bedding:)




So, P painted the room Benjamin Moore's Taupetone (when he had off work for a few random days and I didn't. Thanks, luv ya!). Phew, soooo much better...for us (don't worry, you may still read this blog if you liked the before blue paint more!!). It's a bit darker than we usually go for, but the room has 3 windows and I thought the light carpet and light bedding would be enough to make it feel cozy instead of cave-like.




I found these 3 butterfly framed prints at Home Goods. Combined with the fact that I already had these 2 chartreuse green pillows, I decided to go with green and orange for accent colors. See how the copper mirror makes much more sense now? (Read about how this mirror used to be black here.)




Even though the experts always say the bed should be positioned in the room so that it is the first thing you see when you enter (facing you), here's our room from the door. Oops! There wasn't quite enough room for the bed between the 2 windows on that left wall, it wouldn't fit where the dresser is now on the back wall, and the right wall is out because of the closet door and the fact that the door into the room swings onto that wall. So, hopefully no one minds:)





I made some DIY wall art to fill the space in between those 2 windows on the left. I love botanical prints and figured instead of shelling out the money for ones I had seen in the Pottery Barn catalog, I'd just make them myself using clip art. I had the Dover Clip Art series book "Trees and Leaves" and had successfully used it before for invitations like these. I layed out 4 images I liked and printed them on some 8 1/2" x 11" chartreuse paper I had lying around from Paper Source. Hung them in these dark walnut with large white mat frames in a symmetrical grid. Sweet.





Unbeknownest to me, at the same time Kimba from A Soft Place to Land was doing something just like this with the exact same clip art! But printing them in black ink on vellum, then mounting them on brown scrapbook paper and framing them with a more intricate silver molding and wider mat, makes them suddenly a bit more traditional and elegant. I love hers!!!



{just to reiterate...these are NOT part of my guest room, these our Kimba's, she just has really good taste!}


Anyhoo...in the corner between these windows we placed this chair (the Dolce Lounge) from Target for guests to sit on or put their luggage on. I like how its woven tone-on-tone herring bone pattern adds a bit of texture, and its soft oatmealy color picks up the similar color of the throw on the bed.




When you come into the room and turn around, you are presented with this, the most undone part of the room so far. We put this little book shelf we already had on this wall to hold some of our books and give guests a selection to choose from if they'd like to read. But the scale of this is obviously not right for this big wall, so....any ideas? We have a taller/nicer book case that is currently being used in our foyer that we could eventually put here when we get an entryway table. But for now I think this little guy will probably stay, so how could I fill this space in with wall art, ledge shelves, etc.? I supposed I could also center it on the wall and not worry about the socket getting covered. Hmmm...


{I've started collecting the letter Ps...I have 4 now...this one is from Babies-R-Us}


I think the other big thing this room needs to be "finished" (yeah, right, when does that ever happen?!) is window treatments. We currently still have the ugly old-school plastic roller blinds up that came with the house. I definitely need something functional here, for privacy and that blocks the light. Thoughts? At one time I had considered covering the roller shades with some funky patterned fabric (I saw a tutorial online for this somewhere, it involved spray glue), so from outside they would still look white and from inside they would look decorative but still function well. Anyone tried this? Window treatments scare me. They are so expensive and so permanent. What are my other options? Blinds? Help!

Comments

  1. The room looks great so far! I would think maybe some matchstick or bamboo blinds would look nice on the windows.

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  2. I love the room! The color is fantabulous! And I like that the focal point is the windows and the pop of color orange on the lounger! Great! and love the prints! I may have to try that one! For the bookcase. I would either center it or leave it where it is and put a floor plant (or something)between it and the door. :)

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  3. What a pretty guest room - the colors are gorgeous together! It's okay...I don't mind the windows as they are or the wall with only the book shelf...I'm only coming to have fun. haha ;) lol I like Embellished Bayou's suggestion of bamboo shades but I think you should try the fabric/spray glue on the current ones - what do you have to lose?

    I saw some picture ledges at West Elm (dark wood) that would look pretty on that wall - and you're the queen of vignettes so I know you'd come up with some pretty arranging. :)

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  4. Wow, what an amazing transformation!!! I love the mirror and the artwork.

    I had to tell you that we have that Target shelf too! Love it!!!

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  5. Hi there. I'm just blogging on by. I'm totally new to the blog universe but I LOVE your site. I'm a decorator by trade and I must say that your taste is beautiful. Very similar to my own. I had an idea, since you asked, for the wall with the small scale bookshelf. Perhaps you could leave the book shelf there but add a long shelf or two above it and something like three shorter ones to the side so that it has more of a library feel in that space but still utalizes the bookshelf. Of course I would line those shelves with books as well, but you could also incorporate some found objects or objects of a certain color... green... or white... Just a thought. Anyway, great blog. Thanks for sharing. I'll be back!

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  6. Your guest room looks fantastic! Honestly, I never would have thought to put those colors together(I'm obviously not as good at color as you are), but WOW, they look super! This is why I always read your blog...you give me inspiring ideas! I love, love the clip art pictures! Fantastic idea...and it's always nice to create on a budget! Lovely room!

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  7. Hey Sarah!
    Your Blog is amazing! I met you at the wedding on Friday
    ~Nicole

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  8. Hi, guys! Wow, thanks for all the awesome feedback, I wasn't expecting this many great comments!! Oh and all you nesties - I meant to write sorry you'd already seen this room - you guys are the best!

    EB and Roeshel - I loove the look of bamboo/matchstick roman shades and the dark brown/natural texture would look good in the room I think...except that we have one of them in our downstairs bathroom and I've noticed that at night from outside you can still sort of see through the slits in between...and I'm not sure they'd keep out the light in the morning when people are sleeping. I've heard you can get privacy liners for them, anyone done this? or know where to find them? I feel like the fabric idea could be fun..hmmmm.

    I love West Elm, Roeshel! Thanks for the ledge shelf idea, I'll go check out what they have.

    Speaking of...Cherie, its great to meet you!! Thanks for stopping by. I totally dig your idea of sticking with sort of a library theme on that wall. We love books! I completely agree that it would be nice to sort of work in the small bookcase into the composition and make it feel like its part of a whole instead of just stuck there on its own. The idea of the 3 smaller shelves next to it is a great one!!! Yay, thanks!

    Hey, Karen! Lol at the Target shelf! You've got a great eye. That thing has come in so handy over the years:)

    Lauren - Aw, you are too sweet. Thanks! and shut up, you are so good at color. I've always loved brown and green together, and orange is so similar to brown that I figured it had to work;)

    Hi, Nicole!!! You found me:) Awesome, we had so much fun on Friday night, thanks!!!

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  9. Beautiful!! As always...Love the colors and the feeling of the room.

    Love the prints you made, and those ones on the vellum- wow!! It's a good thing other people are so creative for, well, not-so-creative people like me (though I totally live in denial and pretend that I am, sad, soooo sad!!). And I'm not going to admit that I like the original blue, either. :)

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  10. The room looks great!!
    I love the DIY artwork too.

    I got your message on my post! We totally have to talk girl. I think i have met "me"! LOL

    email me at rebecca@thepinkorange.com

    Rebecca

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  11. You did such a great job with this room. I love how you worked in things you already had, and yet made it look like they were all meant for each other. ;)

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  12. You guys rock! Thanks so much!!! I totally feel better about this room now. Thanks for all your great comments and suggestions.

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  13. Wow -- that room is gorgeous! I think I might worry that guests might never want to leave if I had a beautiful guest room like that! :)

    Janet

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