Guest Bedroom Change-up

Guest Bedroom Change-up

This guest bedroom has gone through several changes. It was first a darling nursery, then it was converted to use as a guest bedroom. I was never sure if I might like to use it for something else, perhaps an office or craft room so I never put much effort into deciding on a headboard or any other details. I posted about a small change when I re-purposed some very old shutters into a headboard, and it ended up working fine, although I thought I would do something else again in a short time. Well, that was several years ago. You can see the full post on how I did the shutter project here. Below is a quick peak of that before and after.


This was a temporary solution after I emptied it of the nursery furnishings. You can see that it is not a large bedroom, although it has a quite large walking closet. I was going to remove all the stuffed animals but left them because I didn’t know what to do with them. Everything here, the quilts and pillows, I already had. This bedroom gets beautiful indirect light, and always appears bright and cheery. You might notice that the window sill is carrara marble. It is a detail for every window that I specified when we built the house. So easy to keep clean, and in the rooms where the dogs are allowed there is no worry about them chewing on them as puppies when you are not looking. The sills are also extra deep because the house is framed with 2×6’s for added insulation.


 The shutters after I put considerable effort into cleaning them up. They are not the same size, but by adjusting the baskets I hung on them they look fine such that you might not instantly notice. You can read about more design details of the bedroom back then, here. The black based lamp that is on the table on the right did not make the cut.


We have overnight company, but I decided that 3 guest bedrooms were not necessary any more so we gave a hardly slept on queen mattress set and the bed frame to a friend. I took the queen bed that was in another much larger bedroom that had a headboard and footboard and thought I was going to switch it out with a white double bed that that was in yet another bedroom, and then move that double bed into this one. On a whim I thought as long as we are moving things around (cue kbj groaning), I thought, why not just try the head and foot board in this room first. Because of the houndstooth check I wasn’t sure I would like it and was concerned that the bed might take up much more physical and visual space than the white double bed. Then I thought if the bed fits, I would just make a cover for it from some white linen I already had, and remove the shutters. I was winging it here.


Stripping the bed you can see that this was just a queen bed set on a metal frame. I covered the box spring with a blue sheet instead of a dust ruffle. Notice I already changed out the black lamp above for a leaded glass one.


I like it much better. So we have an old light on the left, more modern one on the right. We put zippered covers on both the mattress and box spring to protect them, moved them out, and stored them in a storage room until our friends came to pick them up. It was a very comfortable mattress set.


So we moved the fabric covered bed into this space, the one I often refer to as the white bedroom because the walls and carpet are white. After setting it up, it didn’t take up as much space as I thought it might. It is just for the occasional guest, and I had a few plans for the other bedroom anyway. I thought for sure I was going to need to do a white headboard cover, but after dressing the bed up, I liked it the way it was. When I dropped white fabric over it I did not care for it at all. Surprise, surprise.


I didn’t move the shutters before the trial run with this bed because I honestly thought the white bed was going to end up in here.


So I ended up leaving them for now. Even with the nail head trim around the frame, it worked out fine. Surprise again.


In this photo you get a glimpse of the footboard, and directly overhead can you see the little wood bow and the hanging ballet shoes above the bed?


I left them. They relate to the ballet art work on both sides of the bed and have memories attached.


This view allows you to see how much natural light there is in the room. We are on a lot of acreage and it is very private, so when guest sleep over they can close the blinds if they wish for darkness or privacy, or leave them open to see the stars. The ceiling in this room is 8 ft 6 inches. The window takes up a lot of the wall space. The table on the right side is an unfinished wood piece with a couple of tiles on top that replaced a small antique secretary I inherited that I sold because I no longer used it and I didn’t love it. The smaller stand is purely functional and has worked just fine, so it stays for now.


 The small table on the left is a favorite antique. Just the right size for the old oil lamp that was retrofitted for electricity. The bears sit in a wrought iron garden table. It is too close to the table, but when we moved the mattress and box spring out of the room I needed it out of the way. It’s heavy but on wheels so easy to relocate. I just forgot to do it when I took the photo. The carpet is actually a silvery white, although in this light it looks more cream.


It’s a cozy room, and when I walk by I am often drawn to come into it for a moment or more. The quilts are a mix of antique ones I collected years and years ago at various auctions, and sometimes I use a couple that I made myself. The Nautica quilt that was previously in here I moved to the bedroom I call the nautical bedroom, the one with the white double bed.


A closeup of the ballet art. These are pieces, two, along with three others that are in the master bedroom (different artist) that are ones I would run and grab if ever there was a fire. They were brought back by my parents from Scotland, and I just love them. I often think how I would  redecorate this or another room using these two pieces as my inspiration.



Close-up of the art below.  I just adore her expression and the colors.



Closeup of this favorite sculpture. I had an older woman friend who became incredibly special to me. This was back when I lived in NC. Just a couple of weeks after she died, I was visiting Mystic CT, and my cousin took me to this seaside shop where I saw this immediately and it almost dropped me to my knees. That face was hers, a spitting image. I felt in that moment that she was ok.  When I am in that bedroom I kiss my finger and touch her nose. She wouldn’t have been caught dead in an getup like that, as she was elegant, prim and proper, but I like to think that with her wonderful sense of humor she would have allowed that I thought she might!


Her eyes were as blue as a bright sky, and although she was petite and thin, she had the same cheeks. I have been working of late to complete a book about her. It was a unique relationship, and another inexplicably tied to dogs.


The duck on the right is actually a hand puppet, and was mine when I was a little girl. I have given away many bears over the years, including the xmas bears that I sent to The Christmas Tree Project, and though I would like to part with most of the remaining ones, it is difficult to do so these days. Hospitals and other places you used to be able to donate to want only new ones now (risk of contamination is what they say), so for now they stay until they find a new place to call home.


There are a few more on the shelf above the closet doors. The one in the musical Jack-in-the-box on the left side is one I would keep.


Nice sized walk in closet. This is the one dresser I have not updated and painted, but I will get to it. I store bolts of fabric, loose fabric, etc. in here among other items.


A view out the window where you can see a couple of the pocket gardens.


This is a newly planted garden area. I am hoping to have some boulders moved in near this garden spot and well as brick or stone added to the retaining wall. It had English Ivy on it for many years and I finally tore it all off the wall..


Well, Bear seems to approve of the new digs. What a face.


Hope you enjoyed the tour. I have fun changing things out, and in this case I was able to use what I already had for slightly different look. It will do for now. I would really like to sell this home and downsize but it is not in the cards for right now. Thanks for stopping by. laters. charisse


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Comments

  1. I too love to change things out-move furniture around – move trees around when Im working on the outside in warmer weather! Sometimes I wonder how nice it would be if I could stay content if I did things (right?) the first time! LOL! ALL that work! But, as you seem to do, I’ve found that its something in the blood that makes us look for new beauty in our surroundings every day. Some people say I’m just never satisfied-but I don’t think that’s it…I just love new, fresh designs..The result is always so well worth the efforts. Thank you for sharing your designs and spirit with all of us..So look forward to your posts!
    Best, Joy from Bucks County PA

    • Hi Joy, I believe creative types need to create, which means changing things around, and refreshing. I would be bored with just one season, so even nature changes it up! In my gardens I shift things around often, sometimes by choice, often by necessity. As long as you enjoy it, have faith in yourself and keep on doing what you are doing.So glad you are enjoying the blog. Oh, by the way, I really love your part of PA. So much history, so many gorgeous stone homes. charisse

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