Throughout
our current decluttering mission, it has become pretty obvious that some of the spaces in our house aren't meeting our needs. Our ultimate goal is to have a streamlined home, so that the more important things in life get more attention. The yard sale pile is bigger than I ever expected!
After doing the initial declutter, I decided that I wanted to take each room at a time and do it again. And in addition we could tackle any 'honey-do' list items while we were at it. We chose to do the guest room first. We are going to be having some company in the next few months so it seemed like a good idea.
Before
The first photo is what this room looked like when I moved in. And the 2nd and 3rd are what it evolved into. Over the years we replaced the oversized sleigh bed with a custom headboard and platform box spring. We moved our bookshelves into the guest room and we got rid of a giant hand-me-down antique dresser (you can see that in the reflection in the 1st photo).
The Issues
This room looked fine. It just had a few technical issues that needed to be addressed. For starters, it had not been painted in about 10 years, so the trim and walls definitely needed a refresh. Also, there were no power outlets easily accessible to our guests. There was really only one visible and it was under the vanity. The bookshelves were also bugging me. No matter how many times I sorted through our book collection, the shelves were still stuffed. And, the vanity...It pained me so much, but I decided to part with it.
The vanity was a gift to me for my High School graduation. It was rescued from a ditch, rehabbed and then given to me. It was absolutely perfect for me in my room at home. Every teenage girl needs a vanity! (Side note! One of the drawers got stuck in 2008, and I was only just able to get it open last year! Such a time capsule. 18 year old me needed a lot of hair mousse for some reason.)
When Blake and I got married, and I moved in, the vanity couldn't fit in my bedroom anywhere. So it ended up in the guest room. It's gorgeous, but it isn't serving me a purpose anymore. I was really hesitant to sell it because I actually think it's worth something, and had no idea where to begin with that. I ended up giving it to one of my friends, who is moving back from overseas and had no furniture for her new home. She is thrilled, and so am I. I'd so much rather something like this go to a friend who will love it as much as I do.
The Solutions
Originally I thought I'd just paint this room the same neutral tan color we have throughout our house. But for some reason I got the itch to paint it Navy blue. I walked right up
to this paint chip, and was in love.
Target had an amazing sale and I picked up
this desk, and 2 matching
ladder bookshelves. The desk is perfect in this room. It will function as a great surface for guests to use either for their laptop or just to set their things. The best part of the desk is the cool flap on the back that contains a power strip! Now no one will have to go searching for an outlet! (The bedside tables in that collection also have that awesome feature). The shelves were really easy to put together and added some height to the room. I grabbed some white frames and a blanket while I was at Target and called it a day.
After
Painting took forever and a day! The painters tape I bought was terrible and the trim paint bled through a lot. It was very difficult to fix, and it's still not perfect. I do love how fresh white paint looks though! The trim and closet doors really pop now against the dark navy.
The wall color is exactly what I was hoping for. 2 coats would have been perfect, except our walls are panels so the nooks and crannies were especially challenging to coat thoroughly! The room is quite a bit darker now, especially at night. I ordered 2 wall hung reading lamps that I hope will help with that. If not we may need to invest in a brighter ceiling fan.
I am also hunting for 2 tan Euro pillows. I can't seem to find what I'm looking for, in my price range. The blue ones are fine though, and will do for now.
Sources:
Lamp is way old from Bed Bath and Beyond. Headboard is something we made a few years ago using
this fabric. Curtains are from Walmart.
Leave a comment below: Are you scared of darker paint colors? Would you rather DIY or hire someone to paint for you? What do you like to see in a guest room, when you are the guest?
