Tag: Guest Room

The Sweetest Attic Bedroom Layout

Two twin beds on opposite sides, tucked under the eaves with a window in between. It’s just the best. Bonus points for a centered antique table.

Palmer Weiss

I mentioned that I had done our guest room as a styling assignment, which is why I chose that queen-sized bed. I think the room is adorable, but it’s sort of funny to walk by it because in my head, I’m like wait. You’re supposed to be two cute little beds! What’s going on here?

Like so.

Country Living • Country Living

And so.

Architectural Digest

We use our spare bedroom for the kids’ sleepovers far more often than we host guests, and two beds just seem more ‘right’ for our family. I’m not eager to get in there and dismantle it all immediately (because that bed fits perfectly and I’m not clutching my pearls over kids sharing it), but it’s fun to think about what I’d do differently.

Studio LIFE.STYLE

April 25, 2017
Cute, Budget-Friendly Guest Room
Surprise! I have a whole new room to share! This was actually a styling assignment for Sauder, for use on their blog and social media channels, but I thought I’d share it here too (because it’s pretty darn cute).

I’ll pull together a ‘get the look’ at the end of the post. The style here is a little more on trend than the rest of my home with the white on white, boho fringe pillow, and mod lamps, so this was a fun space to work on! I approached it as I would for a client, creating a budget-friendly guest room.

The attic’s roofline makes this a tricky space. The only options for turning this into a bedroom would be a pair of twin-sized beds, one on either side under the eaves (which I adore), or a larger bed directly in front of the window. In this case, I would be incorporating a queen-sized bed, so that set the layout. I liked the way this headboard mimicked the angles of the room, and the perforated metal lets line shine through — a must if you’re going to block a good portion of the only natural light source.

Also, a note on safety! I installed window guards on the third floor’s lowest windows. I don’t love the bars, but I feel better knowing they’re there.

There’s a little more headroom on the other side, but it’s a small space. There is no closet, so a small dresser is kept empty — ready for guests. An armoire or chifforobe would be a nice alternative if you host frequently and want to offer some hanging space, or you could bring in a freestanding garment rack. A little accent chair and side table fill the corner on the other side.

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Instead of a pair of nightstands, there is an upholstered bench on one side, standing in as a luggage rack. It also works well at the foot of the bed — the usual placement in a bedroom.

The Moroccan rug was from my trip to Marrakech a couple of years ago. The wall-to-wall carpet in the room was nothing special, but it’s neutral with a low pile, so layering a rug on top works well. The walls, bedding, and curtains are all in white, and that long pillow makes the bed, perfectly playing off of the subtle embroidered pattern of the duvet cover and shams.

Be our guest! Be our guest!

Get the Look

I’ve used affiliate links when possible and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. The Sauder furniture used in the room was chosen by me and provided by the company, but as always, all opinions are my own.
1. Viabella Queen Headboard and Footboard — $200 each, plus bed frame
2. Open Market Pillow — $128
3. International Lux Night Stand — $140
4. Round Sorrento Mirror (similar) — $200
5. White Grommet Curtains — $20
6. Erin Gregory, Blooms III — $189
7. Viabella Accent Bench — $155
8. Collins Brass Sconce — $64
9. Embroidered Diamon Duvet Cover and Shams — $80 (queen)
10. International Lux Accent Storage Chest — $245
11. Gold Desk Clock — $15
12. Metal Table Lamp — $43
13. Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig with Pot — $295
14. International Lux Round Side Table — $80
15. Maya Accent Chair — $155
16. Brushstrokes Throw Pillow — $22
17. Vintage Luggage — price varies
18. Marrakech Inverted Zigzag Wool Rug (similar) — $552 (7’6″ x 9’6″)
April 18, 2017
The Guest Room!

Painted, furnished, finished! For now, at least. There are still a few things I’d like to do, but they can definitely wait.

My poor friend Lili – she stayed in it back when it looked like this:

Lili, you must come again because now it looks like this:

I moved the brackets for the curtain rod out 8″ on each side to make the window look bigger (and to better show off the pretty new Marimekko Lumimarja curtains). I’m so glad I didn’t get the other curtains I had been considering!

The paint color is “wheat bread” by Behr, the orange daybed was from CB2, and the lamp was from Pier 1. The rug was from Crate & Barrel. I originally bought it for the living room, but it was too small. I loved it too much to return it, so I kept it, figuring I could find another spot for it. I had it in my office for a little while, but the fluffy rug meant my chair couldn’t roll anymore. It all worked out though because I love it in the guest room.

I painted all of the wood white (primer plus two coats of semi-gloss “swiss coffee” by Behr). Brandon and I also replaced all of the baseboards. The room went from this:

To this:

The other side of the room was particularly ugly (and strange):

I painted it all white but it still looked a little funny so I sewed some simple white curtains to close it off. Maybe we’ll figure something out for that space eventually.

The pocket door still needs to be painted, and I’d like to paint the old dresser too.

Yay – another room (mostly) finished!

March 28, 2008
Brandon Must Really Love Me

…to put up with the things I do around here sometimes.

Here’s my furniture warehouse. Er, I mean the dining room and living room.

And then there’s the guest room upstairs which has been in shambles for the past week.

He’s been making fun of me because apparently, at some point, I boasted to him about how I always finish my projects in a timely manner. Yeah.

February 16, 2008
Whew!

I have been a very busy lady.

Thursday

The guest room was finished up as well as it could be. I’m going to order the Marimekko Lumimarja fabric for the windows. The friendly people over at Finnstyle are offering me (and you) 15% off until Friday! Just enter “makingitlovely” when you check out.

Here’s the way the room turned out for now:

This was all in preparation for the arrival of my friend Lili, of course.

We went to the Design*Sponge Biz Ladies Meet-Up, which was great. I saw some friends (like Donovan and Grace), met some new people, was recognized (yay!), and ate yummy snacks.

Friday

Lili and I walked around Oak Park, checking out some of the shops (Flybird, Fitzgerald’s Fine Stationery, Paper Source, Barbara’s Bookstore, etc.).

I also hired a second employee! Yes, again. Did I ever write about Sarah? She didn’t work out, but I digress. My friend Pat had just quit at the bookstore, so he’ll be helping me for the holidays. Hooray!

Later, we went to Emily’s open house at her studio. Gorgeous! She has an amazing space with wood floors, huge windows, tall ceilings, and space. Sigh.

Oh, and I met Jess from How About Orange there, so that was a nice surprise!

Saturday

Saturday was my last day with Lili, so we stopped by the DIY Trunk Show before I brought her to the airport. I was recognized again, and it completely made my day (and made me blush!). I bought a poster for The Fiery Furnaces from David R. Head Jr., and we both bought an Implements of Craft poster from Handmade Nation.

After I had dropped Lili off, I went directly to meet up with my sister and my dad. My sister’s car died, and she decided that she needed a new one OHMYGODRIGHTNOW. Uh huh. There was no way I could talk her out of it (believe me, I tried), so I figured I could at least help her get a good deal. She and my dad were ready to sign off on a car for $247 / month for six years. I got them down to $225 / month for five years. Still crazy, but less so.

I rushed home after car shopping and started cooking because Brandon and I had a pot luck dinner to go to. I made a sweet glazed bell pepper salad: roasted red and yellow peppers and red onions (coated in olive oil), then mixed with balsamic vinegar, honey, and chopped kalamata olives. We hopped on the el with our big bowl of food and headed over to Amy and Anthony’s place. It was a really nice evening with other crafty people, and lots of yummy food.

Sunday

My friends Bekah and Lisa just finished grad school (such smarties), and they rented out Timber Lanes to celebrate. Um, I bowled a 53. I haven’t done that badly since I was 8. Brandon bowled a 133, and we were all very impressed. Much shouting and excitement commenced whenever anyone broke 100, so…

After bowling, I drove out to IKEA. I thought they were open until 9 o’clock on Sundays, but they’re only open until 8. I arrived at 7:55. Luckily, I knew exactly what I was there for: the wire baskets I had spied in Emily’s studio. I grabbed 15 of them, hit the self-checkout lanes, and was out of there pretty quickly.

Lastly, I got home and finalized a deal with T.G.I.Friday’s for a custom button order (550 buttons for the Chicagoland area). I’m bringing in a new button machine for it, so I’ll also have 2.25″ mirrors available in the future over at the shop.

Whew! A busy end to a busy week.

November 18, 2007
The Guest Room Won’t Be Finished.

Yep. I’ve been sick, and I wasn’t able to do much with the guest room. Brandon and I did get all of the junk out that had accumulated in there, so at least it will be clean. The daybed will be delivered tomorrow, which is when Lili will be arriving. She will have a place to sleep, hurrah!

Even though the room won’t be finished in time for our first guest, I’m still thinking about how to decorate it. I haven’t picked a paint color yet, but I think I’d like to go with either a light creamy beige or a silvery gray color. I need to find curtains before I decide.

I like the scroll flocked curtains from west elm. Nice, right?

I’m also pretty keen on the Lumimarja Natural fabric from Marimekko. Swoon.

At first I thought the Marimekko fabric was too spendy, but I just realized that it would be about the same price as the west elm curtains. Hmmm.

Oh, and I also bought a little side table from Target.

Back to fabric… I’m thinking more and more about plunking down the money for the Marimekko design. Any other suggestions before I purchase? I’d like there to be a bit of orange in the pattern.

November 14, 2007