Update: We brought in a few of the items on our to-do list below and it changed everything! Well, not everything, but a few things came out (the brown blanket is history, at least in this room) and a few other things moved around. Gotta love those last minute tweaks. Check out the whole shebang here.
Here’s what things are looking like right now (well, as of an hour ago when we snapped these pics and uploaded them):
Which is definitely an improvement on Monday’s more spartan look…
… but we still have lots to do (an quite a few things aren’t in their “final resting place”) but here’s what we’ve checked off so far:
- Get all of the junk out of there (thanks to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore pickup & moving stuff into the playroom)
- Buy a mattress & boxsping along with a cheap-o bed frame
- Dress said bed with already-owned bedding
- Add shower curtain & other bathroom essentials (towels, new toilet seat cover, etc)
- Paint the room
- Hang curtains
And here’s our outstanding to do list:
- Hang something above the bed to balance out the big window to the left (probably a large round mirror to soften the harsh angles)
- Add a nightstand & table lamp (here’s hoping we actually get around to this one)
- Put something on the empty bookcase between the bathroom door and the bedroom door (which will eventually be switched out for a proper dresser that we can use to store a ton of stuff)
- Wash and hem the curtains
As for the room’s layout, we tried about a million different things (bed placed diagonally in the corner, bed on the other window wall, bed centered on the back wall, etc) and this is the configuration that we loved most. Especially once we added in things that we knew we’d be including, like our green headboard (see how we DIYed that here) and our old yellow Pottery Barn rug from the living room (since we’re due to get a rug much bigger than 5 x 8 in there for Karl).
The off-centered, foot-of-the-bed rug placement wasn’t exactly intuitive, but we loved the rug so much with the walls and the bedding that we vowed to make it work. Bringing in those two slipper chairs that used to live in the living room (and squishing them together like a loveseat) helped to make sense of the rug placement and add balance to that side of the room. And once we introduce a night table to the left of the bed we think it’ll look even more balanced and make more sense in the space. Speaking of balance, we can’t wait to hang something above the headboard as we mentioned up in our little bulleted list. It’ll help balance out the window to the left of the bed, and a large round mirror is at the top of our list (for the nice curves it’ll add to a room with so many rectangles and squares).
We also added a $10 white bedskirt from Target to complement all of the existing bedding that we already had from our old guest room (the brown and white blanket is from Bed Bath & Beyond back in the day, the white comforter is from Ikea, the printed pillow cases are from Pottery Barn, the yellow pinwheel pillow is from Target, and the long blue pillow is from TJ Maxx a while back). The bedding isn’t 100% finalized, we just threw everything that we already had on and though it looked kinda fun. Who knows where we’ll end up tomorrow after we finish those last few to-do list items though…
Psst- There’s already been an update and a few of the bedding items have been switched out – check out this post for the room as it looked when our guests arrived.
Oh and the curtains are from Ikea.
They were $39 for two, which makes them $19 a pop. Not bad for extra long 95″ curtains (86″ ones never quite do it for me since I like them hung extra high to make standard ceilings like ours feel taller). Of course I still have to wash and hem them. Ack. And add crown molding above them – but that’ll have to wait a while.
When it comes to the little things, we even switched out the hardware on the closet door from this basic brass pull…
…to this cute lime greeny-yellow one (with oil-rubbed bronze hardware to match our curtain rods) for $1.25 at Hobby Lobby. Oh and speaking of those curtain rods, they’re from Target for just $9.99 a pop.
I’m off to finish those last few items on our to do list (and move things around for the 100th time), but I’ll leave you with this pic of what the room looked like just eight short days ago:
How crazy is that? You’ve come a long way baby.
karen @ our slo house says
All the colors caught me off guard, but I must say that I love the look. For some reason, I thought you were going to use the bedding from your old master bedroom — the pale blue geometric pattern.
If you don’t get a bedside table in time, just use a chair! I’ve seen it done in magazine stylings all the time.
Liz says
Unfortunately i’m not loving it either. I do love the wall color, but I got stopped up when you only put in a full bed. I’ve stayed with family before and we stopped doing it if they have anything less than a queen. We stay in a hotel now. We have a king bed at home and a full is just way to small to even be comfortable at night in.
It definitely needs a night stand and somewhere to put a suitcase. I’d hate to see them put it on your two chairs and get them dirty. Oh also, is there enough room on the right side of the bed for a person to get in and out? I hate having to crawl over my spouse to get out of bed.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Liz,
We have a luggage rack in the closet (remember we found it at the thrift store for $10 last week?) and we still have a night stand on our to do list (which is included at the top of this post). The room’s definitely still a work in progress! And yes, we made sure there’s room for someone to get out of either side of the bed. That’s John’s pet peeve too. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
keelin says
Looks great! Nice to see more boldness in the design. Oh, and I love the Virginia Slim reference….but smoking is bad!
YoungHouseLove says
Smoking IS bad! What Virginia Slim reference? Am I too dumb to know that I’m accidentally using a cigarette reference? Haha.
xo,
s
Colleen says
At first I was confused as well but then I remembered- “You’ve come a long way, baby” was the tag line used in advertising by Virginia Slims back in the day. I think that is what keelin is referring to.
YoungHouseLove says
Oohhhhh. Gotcha. Totally over my head. Haha.
xo,
s
heyruthie says
LOVE it all!!…..except the drapes. i don’t think the white background works with the saturated tones of the rest of the space. they seem out of place. not bold enough. but i love the rest!!! and i really like how the rug and pops of yellow tie in the adjoining yellow bathroom. maybe don’t hem the drapes, and return them to IKEA after your guests leave (temporary solution? safety pins, baby!)
Bobbie Brown says
Okay, commenting again! I don’t normally ever take time to read comments, but as I was leaving my comment another one caught my eye. I ended up reading a few and am sort of laughing at how people feel the need to tell you how they don’t like it! Wow! haha! I assume you are used to this sort of thing and I guess people just like to tell you what is on their minds… have a wonderful day :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, we definitely know that by opening our doors to everyone we’re inviting our fair share of opinions! And we actually love that. We know not everyone has the same taste , and how boring would life be if we all liked the same thing anyway?! The funny thing is that since posting these progress pics we’ve added a few things and removed a few other things, so it’s definitely not the final room that people are checking out above! We hope to share more finished results tomorrow. But who are we kidding, we’re never really done. Haha.
xo,
s
Allison says
How about using your marble table from the sun room as a side table for now, or using your new luggage rack with a wood tray (I think I’ve seen a white one before in your pictures). That way your not in a rush to buy something or involve a paint job :)
Allison says
Granted the marble table might not be the right height…
YoungHouseLove says
You’re right! It’s sadly too short. Oh well, we’ll figure something out. Right? Maybe? Here’s hoping…
xo,
s
Harinee says
Oops, should’ve read all the comments first, sorry!
YoungHouseLove says
No worries! We were hoping it would work, but no dice.
xo,
s
Ashley @ Simply Creative Things says
hmm. maybe you could repurpose the luggage rack with a tray across the top of it to make a makeshift endtable. just a thought! we don’t have quite enough furniture in our house yet so we are becoming “experts” at repurposing. we currently have old orchard crates as end tables in our guest bedroom.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes- that’s definitely something we plan to try as soon as we can dash out to look for a tray or other top (once Clara wakes up from her nap).
xo,
s
Lindsay L. says
Love it. I have to admit, I was so confused as to how the old bedding, yellow rug and teal walls were going to mix but it’s because I thought you were talking about your old bedroom comforter! I love the crisp white. And way to cover your where’d-you-get-that bases by telling everyone in the post!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I tried.
xo,
s
Nancy says
I love having company because it gives me motivation to get going on things I should have completed. Enjoy looking at your projects. You are very gracious (brave) to open your doors to all of us.
Michelle says
I love the color on the walls and the furniture placement. The only thing I would change (except for bringing the luggage rack out of the closet) is to remove the brown duvet.
Kirby says
This looks fabulous! I have one of those cheapo bed frames, and it’s way too low to the ground. Did/Do you have the same problem? How did you fix it if you did?
Thanks!
Kirby
YoungHouseLove says
We got a new bed frame with the purchase of our mattress and boxspring, and it’s a really nice solid one (not flimsy or too low) so that helped keep the bed at the right height. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rosie says
Really loving that wall color. And I think you can start to relax a little now, this is definitely getting to be a more-than-acceptable-for-people-who-just-moved-2 –months-ago guestroom!
One thought for when parental arrival is not imminent – I feel like the green headboard is just slightly too narrow for the bed. To solve that, you could frame around the outside of the headboard by tacking some wood trim pieces on to the outside edges of the upholstery, maybe in a nice dark brown to tie in with the legs on the “loveseat” and to ease that bright green into the dark wall? Hope that makes sense…I think it would add just enough width to even things out.
But seriously, as much as I’m dying to see this room absolutly magazine ready, I think you deserve to relax a little now :-)
annabelvita says
ooooh! this!!
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love to tackle something like this down the line for sure! Although we’re not sure if it would look too wide for the bed then (the headboard is the same size as the mattress, so if it’s a few inches wider on each side we don’t want it to look like it’s oddly long). We’ll have to play around with it for sure!
xo,
s
Sarah B says
Oh please pull out the luggage rack! It’s adorable and would be a great complement to the headboard. What about putting a small piece of glass on it and making it a side table? It would be rather low but oh so adorable!
YoungHouseLove says
We’d love to try to make that work as a side table. Fingers crossed that we’ll have pics to share by tomorrow…
xo,
s
meghan says
Holy Bejeezus Batgirl, I totally love this room.
I mean…WOW! I so want those curtains for my room & my little boys room.
You are always such an inspiration.
Listen, um, can I come be a guest for awhile?
I can bring my 4yo, he’ll entertain Clara…lol
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, sure- pop on over!
xo,
s
jillian says
I love the wall color. The teal and dark yellow together look great.
I have to admit that the bedding just has too much going on for my taste. Maybe its not permanent?
Donita says
OK saw all the comments about the curtains. I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM!!!! There is only one thing that stood out to me, the brown bedspread. EVERYTHING else goes great in there TOGETHER. I LOVE the brown blanket, but for some reason it just does not go with the rest for me. LOVE IT!!! Great job guys. Your site is my get away. Honestly, today is NOT a good day, but seeing that you posted this, made my day a little brighter. :-) Thanks for all you do to make us crazed decor people happy. Love you guys!!!!
Andrea B says
Do you have a folding tv table? They make great last-minute (or “in the meantime”)end tables. I think our black ones were from Bed, Bath, & Beyond and cost about $9 each.
That rug is what I need to finish off my living room. Which, incidentally, is now pretty much your bedroom, right down to those slipper chairs we have in common. :)
YoungHouseLove says
We have that luggage rack we got last week- and we’re going to see if we can turn it into a side table in a pinch. Should be interesting…
xo,
s
D says
Fun room! I love everything but the curtains…for some reason they just aren’t sitting well with me. The paint color is to die for…
julia says
What about the west elm duvet cover from your old house (the blue one)? I think I’d really prefer that one in this room and would love to at least see a picture for comparison. I love the wall colr and the pops of yellow with it. I think I’d like plain white curtains better, the blue comforter and also a more subdued headboard. I think then the rug and pillows would really pop and not be overwhelmed by the curtains/brown comforter.
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll try to take a bunch of “alternate version” pics for you guys so you can see it without certain things! Fun!
xo,
s
Riane says
I love the eclectic look of this room. Everything just sort of GOES, like it never belonged anywhere else.
Marla says
OMG your wall color look just like the color I chose for our Art/Craft room (which is not finished yet) – it’s called FIRMAMENT by Valspar! Everyone thought I was NUTS to paint the walls that color but then LOVED it after it was up – now I just gotta finish the rest of the room! :) LOVE it! Good job!
kristin says
Awesome paint choice!! I don’t care for the overall style of the room, feels like it’s trying way too hard. BUT it’s your house and sounds like you guys love it which is most important! Looking foprward to seeing the finished product :)
Catalina says
A suggestion for the nightstands…
would you consider hanging small square shelves at the height of a standard nighstand on each side of the bed?
It’s cheap and quick, and if you don’t end up loving them, they’ll at least tide you over until you find something else.
Otherwise I’d try small round tables, something like this:
http://bit.ly/eHBYhH
YoungHouseLove says
That’s definitely something we talked about! We’ll have to see what we can scrape together in the next day or so! We’ll keep ya posted…
xo,
s
Kate Schneider says
You guys are amazing! I love the color and feel inspired to spruce up my own guest room.
Sibyl says
I love the wall color, love the bright white and spring prints. But, the brown blanket and the chairs pushed together and the fur throw, it just seems like so much going on. I am not a matchy, matchy person but, this room needs some editing. So many great elements but, not loving them all thrown together.
Char says
lol Sherry! All these comments and you are still have such a positive attitude! Good for you. I love the drapes btw! And teal is a color I love and wear but never thought to put on the walls. Its great!
Krysta says
Holy Patterns!! For not having a whole lot of time to throw this together, it looks really good. I have always loved that brown blanket that you have but I think a solid color throw would look a little better. The reason I love your blog is because I never know what you will do next! Keep it up!!
Jessica O says
LOVE IT!!! :) Did y’all already have the brown & white blanket (or comfortor – can’t tell…)? I don’t remember it. I think everything looks so fresh & fun together! What color mirror are y’all thinking? One like your bathroom mirror would be so pretty….
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, all of that bedding is stuff we already had. As for the mirror we’re not sure. Maybe white or oil rubbed bronze or brown like the legs of the chairs. We’ll have to see what we find. I’m not above painting a hideous mauve one if the price is right. Haha.
xo,
s
Just says
I love all the bright colors :)
Elizabeth says
It looks fabulous! I love the colors.
My question for you- You mentioned a cheap-o bed frame. I am in the market for just that for a full size bed. Any recommendations?
YoungHouseLove says
We ended up getting one with our mattress and boxspring and love it (from The Original Mattress Factory). It’s not flimsy or too low, very solid and nice and high for under-bed-storage. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
JenniG says
Wow – you guys work fast! Great job – I LOVE LOVE LOVE the wall color. I’m curious if you tried switching the placement the “loveseat” and the bookshelf? In the pic it looks like a tight squeeze between the loveseat and the bed, and if it were placed near the bathroom it could be used as a spot for luggage and changing. Also – and I feel like I am blog-stalking you – don’t you guys have another bookshelf like that one that you painted green? I think that could look really cute in there!
Anyway, keep up the great work and enjoy your time with your mama!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey JenniG,
Yup, great memory! We do have a green bookcase too, but we liked the wood one better (the green one was kinda light and looked a bit too pastel against the wall). As for the chairs, we tried them in the other spot and it was actually a lot more of a squeeze. I think it’s just the angle of the pics, but there’s a good 3 feet between the bed and the chairs, so it’s easy to get around the bed! Thanks for the suggestion!
xo,
s
Britt says
I think you guys totally nailed the luxe hotel-feel you were going for. Great job, it looks wonderful! I don’t know how you did it so quickly. I think anyone would love to stay in this room, it’s whimsical and fun.
Tiffany says
I love the room. It’s very different from your style that I’m use to seeing. It’s very anthropologie to me but I love it.
Ashley @ 7HL says
LOVING the bold wall color! Especially the way it looks with the bright, white trim. This is going to be one fun and colorful guest room, for sure. :)
Keri Lynn says
To be honest I think the mirror that you have above the sink in your bathroom would look great in there… it would sort of match the design on the rug. Too bad you don’t have an extra one!
Cara says
WOW, it must feel AMAZING to accomplish so much in less than 1 week! Congrats, guys!! Your guests will feel very welcomed and have no choice but to be happy in this room (as if they aren’t already happy enough to see you and Clara Bean) :)
Jamie B says
Looks like you took things that were sitting around and try to make a room out of it. Hodge podge.. Im disappointed…
But..its your house..
I do like the wall color…and the curtains..just not with the rest of the stuff.
Valerie says
Love this room! It’s so fun! I love how all the mixing and matching looks effortlessly cohesive. I like the bright colors so I wouldn’t use the brown comforter, but overall love the room!
Sarah@grownupnow says
I love it! I love your bright use of colors, and the new home for the yellow carpet. It’s awesome. :)
Jenny says
Wow – quite the response on your post today. I think that it is fun to put a room together with existing items. Some commented that they don’t care for the brown quilt on the bed – but I like it. It’s a rich color – like the walls – and balances the bright pillows on the bed. (at least that’s how I see it). I’m glad that you post as you put the rooms together. I’m sure that we’ll see more changes as you move forward in the room. Geez – considering you have a sorta deadline to get the room together…it looks great. Looking forward to seeing the room evolve.
danielle says
i love it – love all the colors together.
not sure if this will work for you but i was in walmart the other day and they had these (banana leaf??) storage/nightstand things for $30. not sure if that would work in your space. they had lids to them so there was storage inside but the picture on the tag had them being used as nightstands. thought they were cute.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip! We’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Amy L. says
Lookin’ good! You guys really pulled it together very quickly! My only suggestion for making sure a dedicated guest bathroom is ready for guests is to make sure there’s some extra rolls of bath tissue in a conspicuous location. I always feel so awkward having to ask my hosts to fetch me TP when it’s out.
Enjoy the visit with Sherry’s M & SD!
Amy L. says
Err, I meant to put this comment on the bathroom post.
Jason says
My room is the same way as I had commented before – except my window is on the right. I’m so happy to see yours turn out so beautifully! So you think all I need to do is hang something above the headboard and it will balance? I don’t need a big long window shaped object on the other side of the bed where the little tiny night stand would fit? I was thinking of centering the bed and putting a big picture or something to exactly replicate the window on the other side. That would make the bed partially in front of the window and partially in front of said object lol.
Anyway – I’m glad you picked this way as best because it’s what I keep coming back to. I even tried putting the bed on the other wall in front of that window because it’s centered and I hated that too.
Yours looks so nice, I must be too critical of mine! You make me feel better=) I have a cute set of prints – one says god save the king and the other god save the queen. Maybe they will go above the bed! There is no queen in my house but whatever lol.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, hopefully hanging something (possibly something round since the window and headboard are so angular) should hopefully work. But your God Save The King and God Save The Queen prints sound really cute for over the bed so definitely give those a whirl! We’ll see if the whole round object thing works on our room in about, oh, 24 hours! That is if we can find something. Haha.
xo,
s
Jason says
Ok great thanks – so many reasons we love you two but your quick and thoughtful responses to us are one big reason I do!
I will definately go with artwork above the headboard. I got the headboard at Marshalls for like 399 or something, but I had a gift card for part of it. One of those big wing types in grey soft fabric with nail head trim to die for!
YHL always surprising you with answers to your exact dilemmas!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jason! Your headboard sounds amazing! Post pics on Facebook for us for sure!
xo,
s
Jason says
Facebook? I’m the only guy in the world without it probably:)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! Well, feel free to post a link in the comments to a flickr album or something so we can check things out! We’d love to see how it all goes down!
xo,
s
Karla says
Can I add a few things to your to-do list? Well, golly, we were wondering what to do with all this spare time. Sure you can, Karla, go ahead. Thank you, I will.
Can you put some books and magazines in there? There’s nothing worse than leaving home without your reading material, and feeling trapped in a room with nothing to read. Can’t open the door, might wake the baby, too sleepy to put on a bathrobe….etc. I once was stuck in a room with only the Ft. Lauderdale phone book, and it scarred me for life.
Do you have an unused coffee table around – something that could be used as a surface on which to open a suitcase? We boomers don’t always like crawling on the floor to find something in the suitcase. You know…help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up – and I still can’t find my @#$% socks.
Ultimate guest room luxuries: A little water pitcher and glass for the (as yet invisible) bedside table. A pretty bowl with a few pieces of fresh fruit, little packs of crackers or chocolate in any form. A flashlight for the bedside table, and a little notebook and pens, in case we wake up at 3AM and want to write the Great American Novel (or just a reminder to take our Fosamax in the morning). Nightlight in the bathroom. Nothing like those lights they put on the top of pickup trucks; we’re not hunting deer. Just a little glow to help us remember at 2AM where the toilet paper holder is.
If you finish all this and have nothing to do, get back to me. I’m sure there’s more. In the meantime, enjoy your new room and your visitors. And if you decide to make this post disappear forever, I wouldn’t blame you one bit.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha thanks for adding to our to do list! We definitely plan to bring in mags and books and we have a luggage rack in the closet for now, so that might help with suitcases! Lots of other finishing touches to attend to, but we promise pics when we’re all ready to welcome my mom & stepdad for sure!
xo,
s
ka says
funniest comment ever.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, amen. Love it!
xo,
s
the ravenna girls says
You should frame “We’re not hunting deer” and hang it next to your stag you picked up! ;) Just kidding, of course, but I do love the spirit of this commenter!
Laura in LA says
Do you have a large tray that you could put on top of the new, green luggage rack to use as a side table for now? Just a thought, although it may prove too flimsy to work.
Laura in LA says
Ha! I should have read more of the comments! No need to answer that question for the tenth time!
YoungHouseLove says
I looked high and low for something big enough and we don’t have anything on hand, but a big tray or some other “top” is on our shopping list since we’d love to turn the luggage rack into a side table! Should be a fun little hunt (we plan to run out and look for some last minute items once Clara wakes up from her nap).
xo,
s
Reenie says
cute ~ fun ~ cheery ~ colorful ~ bold
LOVE IT!!!
Great job Youngsters <3
Jazmin says
I love a couple of things about this room. I LOVE the wall color, and the yellow! I don’t love the headboard, curtains and colorful pillowcases. This is just for now though right? I mean, for not buying a ton of new things, this room looks great! The great thing about you guys, is that you work with what you got, and this is what you have for now! I look fw to your redo down the road!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we’re just working with what we have for the most part! The room will definitely continue to evolve, considering it was tossed together in a week! Haha. We’ve actually already changed a few things since posting these progress pics. Gotta love those last minute tweaks!
xo,
s
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
OMG that is gorgeous!!! Love all the different patterns and fabrics in the room. I see that the yellow rug made it in from the LR. Karl must be sad he lost his yellow buddy. Did you buy a new rug yet for Karl? Can’t wait to see what you put above the bed.
YoungHouseLove says
Karl is still anxiously awaiting a friend. We’re on the hunt though!
xo,
s
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
YAY, new rug soon. Happy rug shopping.
Rayna says
The wall color is absolutely amazing! I’m new to this “design” thing and had a question. How do you know what patterns work together? I see that the curtains have circles on them, and then the blanket on the bed has circles on it, but on a larger scale and then the pillows once again have circles. Is this why it all “goes” together? I see where the colors are all being pulled in, but still a bit confused about what you’re able to mix in patterns and still have it all go together. Or do you just throw caution to the wind and just do what you love? I more go for doing what I love hee hee.
YoungHouseLove says
There are probably a million and one “design rules” about mixing and matching patterns but I just try a bunch of combinations and see what I love. Then I call John to make sure I’m not crazy and he either vetos something or says he loves it and picks me up and smooches me. Ok, so I made up that last part (how romantic) but he does either give the ol’ thumbs up or down. So just play around and see what you love!
xo,
s
kate says
Nothing short of amazing, as per usual! I’m really digging the color palate!