Guest room in a box
I used to dream of having a dedicated guest room to decorate. It seemed like such a luxury to have a room that could be perpetually ready for a surprise round of company — already pristine with fresh linens and towels, and no last-minute rustling for a set of sheets.
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| This is NOT an actual guest room. Clearly. |
Our three-bedroom, four-person house means we don’t have a guest room — and maybe never will — so our visitors have to stay in our family room in the basement.
It’s a busy room with board games on the walls and toys from floor to ceiling. Not exactly the peaceful guest room I’d always wanted, but at least it has its own bathroom. Last year, we swapped the back-breaking pull-out couch for a DIY daybed that has a comfy pillow-top mattress, but we didn’t go any further.
Up until recently, my pre-guest routine was to run two floors up to the linen closet and load my arms with sheets, pillows, quilts, towels and facecloths. I couldn’t carry everything comfortably at once, and I’m a weird ‘One-trip! I can make it!’ person, so I’d literally throw most of it down the stairs. Then I’d pick it back up on the main level and throw it down the second set of stairs to the basement. Five-star service all the way, here.
Once I met up with the tangle of linens in the basement, I’d strip the grey fitted sheet off the daybed (which stays on when it’s a ‘couch’ with throw pillows) and make it up as a guest bed. Then I’d fold the towels that had been hurtled down two flights of stairs, stack them on the media cabinet and grab some hangers from the laundry room.
Once our company went home and I’d washed everything, I’d truck it all back upstairs to the linen closet until next time. I’d thought about storing it in the basement somewhere, but there wasn’t a good spot — and all of the linens should be in the linen closet, right?
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| I’m a bed! I’m a couch! I’m a bed! I’m a couch! |
Everything changed when we re-did our daughter’s room and she no longer needed her smaller dresser.
I got the idea of turning it into a ‘guest-room-in-a-box’ that would store all of the guest linens and double as a spot for them to actually put their clothes away — what a concept for a dresser! …
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| A place for sheets, pillows, quilts, hangers and a hairdryer! |
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| The WiFi password is something a guest always needs to know. |
I took out the drawers, removed the old hardware, filled and sanded the holes, and painted it with two coats of the most luscious green (“Park Bench” by Fusion Mineral Paint). Instead of replacing the old hardware, I swapped it for beautiful white ceramic knobs from Phillips & Chestnut Victorian Salvage and Decor here in Truro.
Styling the little “guest room” was fun. I paired a neutral lamp with a burlap shade (both from thrift stores) and found a little ceramic rope-textured basket at Atlantic Fabrics to hold locally handmade toiletries — a delicious-smelling vanilla mint body butter and a lime verbena candle, both from Pearl & Daisy.
The WiFi password frame was something I’ve wanted to make for ages. I found a free printable on Pinterest and just edited the photo to add our network name and password. Our very first guest, the same day, spotted it right away and said “I was just about to ask you for that!”
Next to the dresser, I parked a large rattan basket that stores our guest towels. That way they’re easy to spot and they don’t take up room in the dresser that could be used for our guests’ clothes. I also added a smaller rattan basket with bottled water.
We may not have a real guest room, but I’m glad we now have a “guest-room-in-a-box” that keeps all of our guest linens handy for whenever we need them.
Maybe I’ll have to start putting mints on the pillows and sliding a room service menu under the door? Nah, I’ll settle for picking up the toys so our guests don’t step on anything on their way to the bathroom.
xo
Room sources:
Shiplap: Tutorial here
Media cabinet: Hutch was from a friend and we redid it. Details here.
Daybed: Tutorial here
Black, white and grey quilt: Handmade by me
Board game wall art: Tutorial here
Green paint for the dresser: Fusion Mineral Paint’s “Park Bench” from Phillips & Chestnut Victorian Salvage and Decor
Dresser: Hand-me-down
Lamp: Thrift store
Frame: Atlantic Fabrics
Ceramic faux-rope basket: Atlantic Fabrics
Free WiFi password printable: Pinterest (broken original source)
Candle: Lime Verbena from Pearl & Daisy Natural Soap Company
Body butter: Vanilla Mint from Pearl & Daisy Natural Soap Company
Hardware: My favourite white ceramic roses from Phillips & Chestnut Victorian Salvage and Decor
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