Guest Room Renovation

My sister moved out a few years ago and subsequently her room became the spare room. And we all know what happens to the spare room - it becomes home to anything and everything, general ‘stuff’ that needs to be sorted when we have the time. And it piles up: it’s a slippery slope. Before you know it, there’s nowhere for her to stay when she comes home and a Monica’s cupboard type of situation. I even heard it referred to as ‘the room of doom’.

So, this winter, I took action. I wanted to create a zen space for her to enjoy, but also somewhere that’s generic enough for guests to feel comfortable when they stay. I got organised, got to the charity shop and got cracking with my hammer and mallet.

I didn’t want to rip the wardrobe and bookshelf out. While the wood isn’t ideal, it’s still good storage. Meanwhile, the shelves provide some space for personal touches - meaningful books, turned around to keep to the colour scheme, a Jo Malone candle, a glass vase from my Grandma’s house, old records that my sister likes, a retro radio, a photo frame from a quirky shop in Spitalfields market.

The beautiful mirror is also salvaged from my Grandma’s.

I was going to opt for carpet, but taking up the old laminate flooring and carpet underlay revealed the bare floorboards and I thought they looked pretty great. Sure, they definitely need a sand, perhaps some paint at some point, but I really like the look of them at the moment. The rug adds a bit of comfort underfoot until I get the machines in!

There’s certainly a few things needed to finish off the room - a glass/ gold bedside table, some patterned cushion to bring in some energy and cut through the green, some art for the walls. But I’m happy with the progress thus far. They say that good things come in small packages, like our teeny, tiny guest room. Goodbye room of doom.