Guest Room Station

I find that the best space to be sometimes is right between where you are right now, while waiting for where you want to be.

I often refer back to that mindset with a lot of my home renovation projects. A lot of the time, well most of the time lol, renovation is a long term game. Contrary to what it seems like online, it takes weeks and months before you start to see real progress sometimes. This timeframe is where most people become discouraged, and frustrated... and with the many surprises that pop up when renovating an older home, it's understandable.

So, one of the things I like to do with this "in between" time is work on something that I know will be a lot quicker and easier. It's a great moral boost, and for those that are just starting out with DIY, it does wonders for your confidence. Once you get a handle on the smaller projects, you'll be more inclined to move on to the bigger and more complicated ones with ease.

One of these many smaller projects that have been on my list for a while now is, the guest room closet. Per usual, it was your typical older home setup with a bar rail and one self.

I have changed the design, and the layout of this closet over and over... and it wasn't until the day I decided to take everything down, that I knew what I wanted the space to be.

So remember, you can, and more than likely, will pivot on your projects. With that being said, be patience with your vision, and give grace while doing your home renovations.

The first thing I had to do in this project was remove the old bar rail and shelves. A cat claw tool used to remove trim did the work quickly of removing the two 2x4's on both side of the wall. If you don't have a cat claw, you can potentially get the back part of a hammer behind your wood pieces, but make sure not to put too much pressure on your drywall.

Next up was filling in any of the large holes left by the old nails. Im love to use 3M's patch plus kit that has drywall spackle, primer, sanding disc and a putty knife. Ocne all my holes were filled, I went over the walls with a quick 220 sand paper. Some of the old paint started to chip where the wood use to be, so I didn't want these blemishes showing up when I decided to paint myself.

Give your wall a good dust after using any form of sanding. Now its on to the fun part, painting. I went over this old and dated yellow with some Behr Limosine Leather in Eggshell. Now normally I would go with a flat or matte in scuff defense, but since this wall will potentially get a lot of wear and tear, I didn't want to take any chances. So going with a paint in areas like closets, that you can easily wipe down and show as little damage as possible, is always a good idea.

I used a piece of cardboard that I traced a stencil with, to use as my pattern design. Once I had my measurements set up, I knew exactly where to place my cardboard, to then trace my design on. The next step was the more time consuming part of the project. First, painting the outline with my angled brush was a little more tedious than any other part of this DIY. So factor this in when you are deciding to create your design from scratch. I went with half circles, something I knew that would look great no matter which direction I decided to place it. I also went with a decent size to hide any potential mistakes, or errors. Once I had my design traced out, and solid - which means multiple passings sometimes, I moved on to filling in the half circles with a super small sponge roller. This part also took multiple passings. Remember, when you're painting a lighter color on a darker, it will usually take a couple coats to make sure you can't see through your lighter color.

This part of my project only took two days, the first day was demo, sanding and painting .. and the next day was the design work. If you don't want to go through the steps of making your own design, this is where wallpaper enters the chat. There are so many designs to pick from, and so many amazing companies. Another plus to this option is you can get peel and stick wallpaper. If you decide to change your mind with your design, or you need a rental friendly option, you can always take it down at any time.

Now on to the actual guest room station. I didn't want to completely remove the idea of a closet, I mean guest will still need to put their clothes somewhere. Since the closet is taller than it is wide, I will be adding a full length horizontal bar where clothes can still be hung. The main difference between the bar that was already there, and the new one being added, is the height. With the hang bar going a couple inches higher, clothes can still be hung without the station table being in the way.

If you're going with a similar idea, I suggest going with a table console, rather than the standard dresser version. I assume that all guest will have some sort of luggage, or bag. Those bags will need a storage area, to keep the room clear of clutter. So, a console table with legs allows any rolling bags, or overnight bags to be tucked underneath.

I took a poll over on my instagram page asking if you guys would like a simple list of some guest room essentials. With majority of everyone interested, here's my favorite items to ensure that my guest have the best stay possible.

Seating

This sounds pretty self explanatory but, you wouldn't believe how many guest room's I've seen, and been in that did not have seating.

Yes, technically the bed counts, but once you've either gotten out of the bed or made it, you don't want to get back in it until it's time to sleep/relax. You can add something like a bench at the foot of your bed, or if you have the space for it, two captain chairs overlooking the window.

With the station now setup, I have a swing chair over by the window, and a stool in front of the table. With

this stool and table combo now happening, I can see myself adding a mirror so the area can also double as a vanity.

Towels / Washcloths

Towels, towels and more towels.... you can never have too many. Especially if your guest is staying for an extended amount of time. Everyone has their own shower setup, and to avoid making your guest feel like a burden, it's easier to have more towels than not enough. You also want them to be placed somewhere in the room, visible and in plain sight.

Since most people won't be familiar with where you keep your linen, you always want guest to have easy access to all of the amenities you provide. This avoids them feeling like they have to ask when they need them, and you from having to get it for them over and over again.

Floor Stool |Urban Outfitters

Lamp

Lighting is very important when it comes to creating an inviting space. Make sure to at least have one on either side of

the bed. It can be a floor lamp, one that mounts to the bed itself or a table lamp. Some people are use to sleeping with some sort of lighting, and others use it to do some late night work/reading.

Ceramic Floor Lamp | Jungalow x Opalhouse Collection

Water

You absolutely want to make sure guest have access to fresh water in their room. There are a couple ways I suggesting going about this, all of which are sustainable options. If neither of these options work, you can also provide some water bottles for them as well - if you go this route look for something that is easy to recycle like Box Water or Just Water .

I currently have a pitcher, and a cup on the guest station, that can be filled thanks to my Elkay water dispenser.

Ceramic Set Black Paperie Co.

Blanket

This is something that I wished I would have had in numerous Airbnb's, or while staying with someone as a guest. I

myself am naturally cold, so at night, it's nice to have an extra blanket to keep warm. My rule of thumb with things like this is, it's better to have it and need it, than need it and not have it.

Fan

This is for the people on the other end of the spectrum who usually run hot. When renovating this room, I made sure to keep the ceiling fan as a fixture for this very purpose. This is will allow anyone staying in the room to adjust the fan to their liking. Just remember, if your room is on the smaller side like this one, get a ceiling fan that also doubles as a light. That way, you won't have to worry about where to put a floor fan.

Extras

Everything in this category I consider optional, and will vary based on who your guest is, and how long they’re staying.

I like to add some small containers filled with items like face cleansing pads, q-tips and cotton balls. You can also add a spare toothbrush and toothpaste in your basket of goodies as well. Even though you can also add these items in the bathroom, I like to have them visible right there when guest first come into the room. This assures my guest that if they nee

Hand sanitizer and wipes are also something I like to add in on my guest station. Make sure to pick smaller versions of these items, think travel size.

Of course I like to add candles. This not only helps set the mood in the space at night, but who doesn’t like a room to smell as good as it looks. Since sustainability is always factored into my home, I like to add my favorite rechargeable lighter next to the candle also- you can find it here.

For more of my sustainable items, check out my previous blog with a pt1 of a few favorites of mine. Which reminds me, it’s time to get to work on pt.2, I have some new and amazing companies that I can’t wait to share.

If you are really in a heavy host mode, you can always go as far as to provide small toiletries like, shampoo bottles and body wash.

You can also make sure your guest know what your Wi-Fi password and information is as well. There are so many cute ways that you can display this information. I found some amazing handcrafted signage on Etsy. So if you’re looking for something unique, and one of a kind, I would start there.

Something that’s more of an aesthetic, than a necessity, is GREEN! If you can, make sure to throw some plants in the mix. That life giving green will completely elevate your space, and make your room that much more ”homey”.

If you don’t have a lot of natural light, I recommend hardy plants of steel like:

snake plants

pothos

sago palm

zz plants

rubber plants

All of these ladies are guaranteed to give you the look for less, and without a ton of fuss.

This list could go on and on, but remember, no matter who comes over, there will always be something that you learn to do better as you host more and more. So don’t get too worked up making sure every single thing is perfect, I mean … there’s no such thing.

It truly is the thought that counts when you invite someone into your home, and I’m sure your guest will appreciate even the invitation on it‘s on.

With Spring right around the corner, and more people traveling during the warmer months, I hope this little list will help get you off to a great start.

Let me know in the comments some of the must have’s when you’re hosting guest, or when you are a guest.

Looking forward to some of the answers, so I can add to my resume.