The "Final" Product: Guest Room Edition

It's done! It's done! Sort of. No room is ever really done, but all the heavy lifting is complete and I'm at least satisfied that an actual guest could enjoy a night or two spent in this room. Actually, I sort of want to!

Alrighty. So, the project that got this whole room started was undoubtedly the headboard that I decided to make from pallets. I know, I know .. we all have DIY ambitions that involve pallets and if you're anything like me, you have a number of Pinterest pins dedicated to it. So I scoured the ... back parking lots ... of hardware stores ... wow, that sounds creepy. I also did it with a toddler in tow and felt pretty much like I was dumpster-diving. Which I was. So I picked the best one I could find and threw that puppy in the truck. I might go into that project in detail in another post, but for today, I'll let it slide.


The inspiration for this room was simple enough: I wanted it to feel super relaxing and bring in some outdoor details. Here's a rundown of what direction I wanted to go in before I started:

1. Colour board, using the CLR Concepts App for iPad.
2. Turquoise coral decor, from Z Gallerie.
3. 'Leaves' print, by Frank Tschakert.

1. Sheepskin rug, Eva Designs.
2. Natural grey driftwood.
3. Premier Prints 'Chipper' in slub/twill, available here!
4. Honeycomb lamp, Marks & Spencer.

Quickly, the decision was made to paint the walls grey, though in hindsight, I would have liked the colour to finish a little darker than it did. I painted all four walls SICO Classique (RONA Collection) in 'Barley Beige' (VOC-free!). The rest fell into place through brainstorming for natural accents, textures, and prints. I already had the Premier Prints 'Chipper' fabric leftover from the dining room curtains mom made a few months back, and knew I wanted it to appear in the guest room, too. You'll see those ikat blobs pop up here and there. Let's take a peek:

Honeycomb lamp, $39.99 from Winners (this was the room's only "splurge"!). Original black/white photograph of a local dive bar. I mounted a peacock feather  right on the stock paper that came with the frame. All the books came from my bookshelf in the living room - a mix of grown up and children's books, because my nieces use this room the most.

The little dude and I often collect things while we're out walking - that's where these bright yellow leaves  came from. I pressed them in a book for a few days and put them behind glass. The lamp was a quick and sloppy DIY job that I did a month or so ago - see HERE

I had purchased two sets of embroidery hoops at Value Village last year for 99 cents and used some leftover fabric to make cheap art. See? I knew I'd use those hoops! The clock has been with me for ages - I'm pretty sure it was in my first apartment.

This grey striped throw was one of those finds that made me gasp in delight! A hilarious and wonderful friend of mine runs a local antique and collectible shop (The Queen's Cupboard). I stopped in to visit her and this throw made me swoon. I have no idea its age or origin, but I do know it cost me a mere $5 and that it unravels in the wash (oops).

The pillows are the main source of colour in the room. The turquoise pillow cover on the left was purchased from Fabricland (50% off!). The turquoise one on the right was picked up last year at this awesome store called FabIndia in Bangalore. The zebra pillow, again, came from my last apartment - there is a matching one in the little dude's room. And finally ... the big deal ... the yellow throw pillow! I sewed it myself. My very first solo sewing project. I know that's not a big deal to a lot of people, but I battled that machine like it was Mount Everest. I even called my Grandma for help at one point. Truth.

Faux silk grey curtain panels and wooden pineapple rod finials are both from FabricLand. I already had the rod and hanging hardware kicking around in my basement.

All final decisions about purchasing items for this room fell on the price tag. With the exception of one lamp, all items, furniture, and textiles were either discounted or previously owned. For the millionth time, I'll admit that I am one frugal sonofabitch. But hey, bargain hunting is actually fun, especially when you are really pleased with the final product. Here are some of the (exciting!) deals I scored at FabricLand:

$21.66, marked down from $64.98 - huzzah!

$6.25 down from $24.99 - woot!

Two fabric remnants that were marked down twice - that's $12 instead of $48! I didn't end up using the grey and white striped one, but you can bet I've got a project lined up for that one already.

There are still a few details that need to be ironed out. Literally. The curtain panels still need to be ironed & hemmed. I'm debating whether or not to paint the curtain rod and finials, too. In the window covering department, a shade of some sort needs to be hung. Maybe bamboo, to keep with the natural vibe?

The framed art all meeds to make it on the walls, as I am crazy indecisive about placement. You may also have noticed that one corner of the room wasn't really photographed - that's because it's still a dropping ground for scientists husband's clothes and random crap that collected in the guest room over the past three years.

Anyway, it's amazing how a few key items and concepts can become so ingrained in your mind and drive a project for weeks, or even months at a time. My mind was set to inspiration boards and making creative uses of the things I already owned, or could find on the cheap. I love the feeling of working on a room and looking back at how I came to all the decisions that led to its (almost) completion. Hope you've enjoyed!