It’s finally here, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. (Just humor me and pretend that the most important thing in your life is my guest room reveal.) In case you missed it, Part I of the makeover involved coating every surface but the floors with white paint. Then I shared my dresser project — first I painted it emerald green, and then I picked out and installed new hardware.
As a reminder, long term this is our guest room but right now we’re preparing it for my husband’s younger sister to come live with us for a few months — she’s moving back to the United States after a year of teaching in Chad, and we offered her a free place to stay while she plans for the future. So even though this space will eventually be for general guests, I made some of the decorating choices with her specifically in mind. I wanted to add things that would feel meaningful to her, but I also didn’t want to clutter it with too much stuff because I want there to be room for her belongings and personal touch.
So without further ado let’s move on to the fun part: after photos! Here’s what we started with — it’s a real gem:
And here’s how things are looking now:
I didn’t want to overstyle the dresser, but I picked out some books I thought Maddie might like and also put up some personal photos (of her, not me…). I really want her to feel like this is her room, not just some guest room from a magazine (because yes, clearly otherwise she would think she’s living in a House Beautiful photo spread).
The “Ruth” art on the dresser was made by Sam’s grandmother as a present for our one-year wedding anniversary, and it seemed fitting to put it in Maddie’s room since it’s her last name too. I put it in a floating frame I already had, which I spray painted white (it was previously black). The gold and green bowl was a find at a vintage store in Burlington, VT.
The rocker belonged to Sam’s great grandparents, and when we lived in our apartment we didn’t have quite the right place for it. I recovered it at one point in a dark dray fabric, but for this room I thought the original light color worked a lot better so I removed the covers. I really like it in this corner now. The throw pillow is from Target, and is one way that I tried to bring some orange accents into the room to complement the green (orange and green are totally outside my decorating comfort zone, but it’s been fun to experiment with them in here).
The curtains I sewed out of $20 of fabric from JoAnn Fabrics, and I’ll share a bit more in a future post about my strategies for affordable curtains. (UPDATE: Here’s a link to that post) The floral isn’t my usual taste at all, but it was fun to try something different in this room with a more classic feel.
On the wall are a few pieces to tie into the green and orange color scheme. From top to bottom: a photo of a succulent from a box of succulent notecards I had on hand; an owl that my aunt made that we had in my home growing up that I always loved; and a notecard that Maddie gave us from Chad.
I’m totally obsessed with the ceiling light. We don’t have overhead lighting in most of our house, but I really wanted guests to be able to turn a light on from the doorway to the room because there’s nothing worse than stumbling around in the dark in an unfamiliar room. I had a $15 plug-in light that I got from IKEA many many months ago thinking we’d use it in the kitchen (but decided to hold off while we make longer term kitchen plans), and I decided the shape was perfect.
I’ll do a longer post about this in a few weeks, but the short of it is that I installed a separate socket cord kit that I got for $10 on Amazon (affiliate link – read about our policies) that had an “on/off” switch, spray-painted the outside oil-rubbed bronze, and hung it from a hook I drilled in the ceiling. I ran the cord along the edge of the paneling so it’s not super visible, and the switch ended up being right at arm level alongside the doorframe so it’s perfect for turning the light on from the doorway. Success!
The light is one of my favorite parts of the makeover, tied with this wall:
Back when I posted about my plans for the space and asked you guys for ideas, someone suggested some map art since Sam’s sister loves to travel (and generally, I think maps are fun for a guest room because everyone who stays there has come from somewhere else). I’ve been craving a map wall, and decided that this was the perfect place to do it! I love that it’s a surprise you can only see when you walk further into the room.
I’ll share more details about it in a few weeks, but in the meantime I’ll just say that I got it from Art.com and they were having a 40% off sale so it was only $55 plus tax & shipping (from what I can tell, they’re often having big sales). This was a lot less than I was seeing elsewhere for this amount of map wallpaper, so I jumped at it. (UPDATE: Here’s a link to my post about putting up the map mural)
The bed linens and blanket we already had, and the orange throw at the foot of the bed was a gift from Sam’s mom.
I also moved in the chest that I got in the spring at the Brimfield Antique Show.
This seemed like the perfect place for it, with the dark wood and brass hardware complementing the rest of the room and the “world traveler” vibe. Plus it adds plenty of storage for Maddie’s things. I just gave it a quick sprucing up with Howard’s Restor-A-Finish (which Naomi and I are both totally obsessed with) to bring out all the richness of the wood.
The lamp was something Naomi found at a thrift store and gifted to me, and it’s perfect for this space since the side table is tall and the ceilings are too low to accommodate a larger lamp. Originally it was blue:
But I painted it the same green as the dresser to carry the color onto this side of the room (and then sprayed it with some Rustoleum clear lacquer spray paint to give it a glossy finish).
The succulent was a centerpiece at our close friends’ wedding (they told us to take it, I swear!), and the books are some others I think Maddie would enjoy. Catch-22 is one of my absolute favorite books, if you haven’t read it you absolutely must. On the other hand, I hate Slaughterhouse-Five, which is probably not a popular opinion. ANYWAY, I digress.
One other awesome suggestion from a helpful reader was to add a mirror, so I mounted this wall mirror that we had on hand from our apartment. To tie it into the color scheme, I just painted little orange squares in each corner with craft paint I already had.
You’re probably sensing by now that this whole decorating project basically involved me wandering around my “craft room” (ie “hoarding cave”) to look for decor, art, and accessories that we had in the apartment and haven’t yet found a permanent home for in our new house. It felt so satisfying to find a place for all these things after so long.
The closet is unchanged, but it will be behind a closed door most of the time…. It looks a bit crowded, but I swear there’s plenty of room to hang clothes on the bar well in front of the games and suitcases we have stored here.
My goal was to keep the whole makeover to a few hundred dollars, which I’m happy to say we did by relying mostly on furniture and decor we already owned. Here’s the budget breakdown:
- Paint for walls, ceiling, and doors: $75 (two gallons of eggshell, one of semi-gloss — we still have a lot left over that we can use elsewhere in the house)
- Paint for dresser: $20
- Hardware for dresser (Etsy): $50
- Map mural wallpaper (Art.com): $70 (including tax & shipping)
- Wallpaper paste (Home Depot): $8
- Socket kit for overhead light (Amazon): $10
- Fabric for curtains (JoAnn Fabrics): $20
- Curtain rod (Target): $15
- Lampshade for bedside lamp (Amazon): $6
- Throw pillows for bed and rocker (Target): 2 for $20 (but free using a gift card I had)
- Supplies already owned: ORB, white, and lacquer spray paints, paint brushes & other painting supplies
- Already had/shopped from the rest of the house for free: bed, nightstand, dresser, rocker, mirror, overhead light, art, linens, curtain rings
TOTAL: $274
So that’s a wrap! Maddie moves in a week from today, so we finished it in the nick of time. It’s so different than my usual style, but as I started to pull together the furniture we already had it just felt like this was the right vibe. What do you think?
(Sharing at Remodelaholic, Tip Me Tuesday, Two Uses Tuesday, Totally Terrific Tuesday, Create Link Inspire, Inspire me Wednesday, Pin Worthy Wednesday, Create It Thursday, Think and Make Thursday, Your Turn to Shine Link Party, Weekend Re-Treat Link Party, Pin Junkie Pin Party, I Heart Naptime, Inspiration Monday, One Project at a Time, Remodelaholics Anonymous, Thrifty Decor Chick’s Before and Afters, and Merry Monday)
Oh, that’s just GORGEOUS! I’m so impressed! And the map wallpaper is brilliant! Fantastic job, Sage!!!!
Thanks Beth! I owe 99% of it to the white paint….
Very nice! The map wall, though — especially around the corner like that, as a surprise — that’s really Wow!
Thanks Bonnie! I thought it would be fun to add something a little unexpected!
it is amazing what white paint does. i mean really! and i’m still obsessing over the green dresser, i just can’t help it!
Hahaha, thanks Amanda! I am too, I’m kind of sad it’s up there where I don’t see it every day!
Looks great! I call next after Maddie leaves ;). The surprise map wall is fabulous!
Yes please! But definitely wait until Maddie is gone, the craft room is our guest room in the meantime and it’s terrifying in there.
Oh my heavens! I love love love how the white paint on the panelling makes the room look all cozy and cottage-y (without being at all stuffy) while also making it look twice as large as before AND bringing out that gorgeous wooden floor. The dresser, the gorgeous antique chest, the floral curtains, the map accent wall, the subtle touches of orange and green that make it all look cohesive without being matchy-matchy… Suffice it to say, I’m absolutely in love with this room makeover. Well done!
Thanks so much Rebecca, that’s so nice! I was happy I could pull it together using so much stuff we already had on hand, sometimes that just doesn’t end up looking cohesive at all! It really is amazing what the white paint did to create the foundation for the rest of the room!
Love the surprise map wall, fantastic idea. The room looks great, fresh, bright and inviting. The green dresser has great “pop” appeal. Great job!😊
Thank you! I had a lot of fun with it, as least once the painting was over and done with!
I am in loooove!
Thank you!
Love this makeover, and love your blog with its inventiveness and its determination not to take yourself too seriously!
You’ve put all the key comforts of a guest room in here and struck that right balance between “sterile/impersonal” and “cluttered.” A little bowl is always nice in a guest room for holding jewelry or other small, wandering items. Hanging a mirror is especially thoughtful. I once had to change into my bridesmaid outfit in someone’s guest room, which had no mirror, in a house with only one bathroom so that I couldn’t in good conscience hog it to do my hair and makeup. I learned a thing or two about guest-room amenities from that experience.
Thanks Railfan, I’m so glad you found us! That reminds me of my experience getting ready for prom, so many years ago. And yet I still wouldn’t have thought of it if not for a very helpful blog reader suggesting it!
I just love the map wall! The room looks light & bright. Great makeover on the dresser.
Thank you! It ended up being a lot of work to align the map wall the way I wanted it, but in the end so worth it!
YES I will visit! (Invite or no invite.) Amazing work, Sage– she is going to have such a good time!
Please do! Except the other room now available for guests is a total disaster….
Fabulous! I especially love that the map wall is mostly showing places other than North America and Feature Africa so prominently, in conjunction with her adventures there.
It took a look of spatial reasoning to figure out how to get that to work, but that was my goal! I was sad to lose Australia, though, which is a special place to me.
Is there a room for Sam’s aunt too? Lucky Maddie! Sage, you’re amazing.
You’re always welcome, Jane!
It’s beautiful!! The wall paint made all the difference in the world! Orange and green are a little out of my scope too but as accents they work so well together
Thanks Ashley! I thought that a guest room — where I don’t spend a lot of time myself — was a great place to try out some new colors. And it ended up being so fun to move outside my comfort zone!
Wow, what an amazing makeover! I’m in love with everything from the antique chest to the map wall! Nice to meet you on Two Uses Tuesday, and I love your blog’s creative name. 🙂 Heading over to follow on IG…
Thanks Meredith, I’m so glad you stopped by! When concocting a name for the blog, we thought we better pick something that was a full disclaimer: disasters will be found here! Sometimes it turns out great, sometimes not so much…. I’m just glad that the guest room was one of those good ones! 🙂
Visiting you from bajantexan. Love the guest room makeover. Its stunning. There are so many things to fall for in this makeover. Absolutely adore the map wall and green dresser.
Thanks Bharati! It was fun to use so many DIY projects to pull the space together.
Nice room. But for me the wow factor was in that map wall!! WOW! Great job.
Thanks so much! I’m so happy it turned out well!
Our bedrooms on our second floor are just like this–you’ve done a fabulous job! Love the orange and green–and that white is totally the way to go with rooms like this. Beautiful.
Thanks Alana! The white really does brighten it up, so important for those low-ceilinged rooms!
Gorgeous guest room that anyone would love to stay in – Thanks for linking up to Pin Worthy Wednesday, I have pinned your post to the Pin Worthy Wednesday Pinterest Board.
Thanks so much!
This is absolutely beautiful, such a stunning makeover! I love everything about this room. Thank you for linking all this for us to see at Merry Monday!
Thanks so much, Megan! It’s amazing what some paint and elbow grease can do!
This is such a beautiful room! I’m loving the green and orange tones throughout the room, blended together so well. And I LOVE that map wall! She’s going to love this room. Thank you for sharing at Inspire Me Wednesday. Featuring you in this week’s issue.
Thanks so much, Mel! She arrived on Friday, and at least *said* that she liked it 🙂 Thanks so much for featuring us this week!
Love the simplicity. I just have to say some texture in the form of a rug under the end of the bed would be the absolute only thing I’d add…
You’re so right! I wanted to stick with furnishings we already owned and didn’t have quite the right rug in the house already, but I’m definitely keeping my eyes open if I come across a good deal on the right rug — it can make such a big difference in a room!
Gorgeous!!! I would love to stay in that room. It is cheerful and calming. It feels very welcoming.
Thanks Candace! Come by for a visit sometime! 🙂
This room is absolutely beautiful, Sage! But I have a correction to offer – the owl wall hanging was made by your mother! 🙂
Thanks Aunt Betty! But I swore she told me you made it, I must have inherited her powers of memory 🙂
Just beautiful 🙂 I popped over from Thrifty Decor Chick
Thanks Kelli, and I’m glad you stopped by!
Gorgeous..Love the white walls.. and the map wall is great. Know your sister in law will love her new room..Best wishes.. Judy
Thanks Judy! So far she seems to be liking it, phew! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
WOW! What a difference some white paint can make! What a beautiful room – your guests are very lucky 😉
Thanks so much, Casey!
What a beautiful space! I have a thing for maps…that map wall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!
Lura
x
Thanks so much, Lura! I know, I totally love maps too and I’m so glad I found an affordable way to do it!
I really like almost all of it I would get rid of the map thing but the rest is awsome hope maddie loves it 😃
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
I love this room! I really love the combination of textures and patterns you choose for bedding, Julia. Our guest room does double duty as the office/sewing room. Unfortunately, that means a pull out bed and it’s not nearly as cute!
Thanks Erica! I think eventually we’ll have to go in that direction as we likely won’t be able to have a dedicated guest room forever, but for now it’s quite convenient!